!i«<%:^t^ '^ilix/ *<^|*^t/ «^^5jtx/ ^■C^Si:*^ v^^Itk/ >*^|*^i/ '<%t^u "^^C^u '■^%c^tj '^^t^f "^^PK/ <<%t^tJ ''e§iM^f'( 



OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Keaders of TKo Horticulturist are invited to submit Questions on any pHase of Horticultural -worh. 



Self-sterility of Frviits 



What is meant by self-sterility of varieties? — 

 R. G. W., Nelson, B.C. 



Certain varieties of fruits, when plant- 

 ■ed alone, fail to fertilize their own blos- 

 soms and are said to be self-sterile. 

 They are barren to their own pollen, 

 although that pollen may fertilize the 

 flowers of other varieties. Self-steril- 

 ity is said to be due to the pollen of 

 such varieties being impotent or un- 

 congenial when it falls upon the pistils 

 of their own flowers. This condition 

 is a varietal peculiarity and may be 

 affected also by climatic and local con- 

 ditions. 



Sxibsoilin^ for Stra-wberries 



Should a sandy loam with clay subsoil be 

 plowed with a subsoil plow for strawberries? — ■ 

 G. H. de B., Toronto. 



Where sub-soiling can be done, it is 

 advisable to loosen a clay subsoil for 

 strawberries and other fruits, but in a 

 small garden it is not imperative. The 

 operation improves the drainage and 

 gives the roots a deeper and freer area 

 from which to draw moisture and plant 

 food. 



London Pvirple 



Compare London purple with Paris green as 

 an insecticide. — E. F., Oakville, Ont.; !&""%"" 



The composition of lyondon purple 

 varies considerably and, as a conse- 

 quence, it does not give as uniform re- 

 sults as Paris green. It is cheaper than 

 Paris green and is more soluble in water. 

 London purple contains some free ar- 

 senic and, when used, must be mixed 

 with lime. 



MvilcHing Trees 



Does mulching retard the blooming period 

 of trees, as peaches or plums? — C. S., Berlin, 

 Ont. 



No, mulching does not retard the 

 blooming period. Buds can swell and 

 grow while the roots remain frozen and 

 dormant. The bursting vegetation of 

 spring time is more or less independent 

 of root action. It is supported by a 

 store of nutriment within the twig. 



XKe Care of Manure 



Kindly state how to prepare manure for fruit 

 growing purposes. Is it necessary to give the 

 same treatment to manure hauled from the city 

 as to that produced in the home stable.' — G. H. 

 de B., Toronto. 



For fruit growing, it is best to apply 

 barnyard manure in a rotted or par- 

 tially rotted state. Covered sheds are 

 used for temporarily storing manures, 



where they can have water added if too 

 dry or if likely to "fire-fang"; or ab- 

 sorbents, such as straw or gypsum, may 

 be used if they are too watery. Man- 

 ure hauled from the city will give best 

 results if thrown in the shed and mixed 

 with the home-produced material. Man- 

 ure for tree fruits may be applied in a 

 greener state than that intended for the 

 growing of small fruits. 



Moving Lar^e SKade Trees 



I have some fairly large shade trees that I 

 desire to transplant. What is the best time to 

 do it and how? — P. T., St. Stephens, N.B. 



The best time to move large trees is 

 in winter. In late fall or the early part 

 of an open winter, a trench should be 

 dug around and at a reasonable distance 

 from the trunk, depending upon the 

 size of the tree. This will leave the 

 roots in a ball of earth which, when 

 frozen, may be moved with the tree; 

 thereby permitting the operation to be 

 performed without disturbing the roots. 



MaKing Plans for La-wns 



I desire to prepare a plan for improving the 

 grounds about my home. Please outline some 

 of the principles to be followed. — L. B., George- 

 town, P.E.I. 



It is best to have the lawn open and 

 wide and to group the trees and shrubs 

 on the borders. Zigzag borders are the 

 most effective. Plant irregularly and 

 allow the grass to run into the openings 

 between and apparently behind the 

 clumps. This makes the lawn appear 

 as though it extended much farther than 

 it really does. By preserving open out- 

 looks at a few places in the border, we 

 may appropriate to ourselves distant 

 views. Other pointers on this subject 

 are embodied in an interesting article 

 on page 9. 



W^aterin^ Hovise Plants 



When watering house plants, is it well to 

 apply sufficient water to run out at the bottom 

 of tile jjot ? Does not plant food leach out 

 when that is done ? — W. A. F., Ottawa, Ont. 



It is not advisable to apply sufficient 

 water to run through the bottom of the 

 pot in appreciable quantities. It is 

 necessary to gauge the amount, so that 

 when it first appears to trickle through, 

 it will then stop. It should be noted, 

 also, that soil in a pot acts as a filter. 

 The first water that percolates through 

 it comes ovit somewhat pure. Should 

 a constant stream run through, how- 

 ever, considerable plant food would be 

 lost. 



Vitality of Seeds 



How long will seeds retain their vitality? — 

 A. B., St. Johns, Que. 



The period of vitality varies with the 

 kind of seed. Seeds of the willow lose 

 their vitality in two weeks after matur- 

 ity; on the other hand, seeds of the 

 cucumber may retain their vitality for 

 ten years. It is said that oily seeds will 

 retain their vitality longer than others. 

 This is true with regard to the seeds of 

 mustard, which may retain their vitality 

 as long as 30 years, but is not true of 

 large seeds like the walnut, butternut 

 and similar types. To a certain extent, 

 the vitality of seeds depends upon sur- 

 rounding conditions. 



BooKs on Hedg'es 



Please tell me the titles of some books on 

 the growing and care of hedges for ornamental 

 purposes? — V. F., Kentville, N.S. 



An excellent treatise on the subject 

 is entitled "Hedges, Windbreaks, Shel- 

 ters and Live Fences," by E. P. Powell. 

 It will be furnished by The Canadi.\n 

 Horticulturist on receipt of price, 

 which is 50 cents. 



Optimxim Temperature 



What is meant by an optimum temperature 

 for the germination of seeds ? — R. Mfl., Owen 

 Sound, Ont. 



An optimum temperature for the 

 germination of seeds is that temperature 

 at which the greatest number of a given 

 quantity of seeds will germinate most 

 rapidly. It is the condition of tempera- 

 ture that produces the best results. 



SAveet Potatoes 



Can sweet potatoes be grown successfully out- 

 doors in this locality. Kindly state how to go 

 about it. Can tliey be sprouted in the house 

 like Irish potatoes. — G. H. de B., Toronto. 



vSweet potatoes cannot be grown in 

 Canada with commercial satisfaction, 

 except perhaps in the Essex peninsula 

 of Ontario. In an amateur way, ex- 

 cellent specimens have been grown by 

 Mr. Walter Ross, of Picton, Ont., by 

 Mr. P. G. Keyes, of Ottawa, and others. 

 It is not customary to sprout them in 

 the house. Tubers are bedded in an 

 outdoor hotbed early in spring. In a 

 few weeks the latent buds will sprout, 

 and by the time all danger from frost 

 has passed, a dense growth of "slips" 

 will cover the bed. These are removed 

 from the tubers and set by hand in the 

 field or garden in rows three or four feet 

 apart — the plants generally fifteen inches 

 apart in the rows. Read the article on 

 page 13 of this issue. 



