THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



37 



digest. This converts vegetable tuber- 

 culosis into animal tuberculosis, then it 

 passes from the animal into the human 

 lungs and blood. 



In plants, it first attacks the leaves 

 or lungs, then the fruit, then the body; 

 last of all, the circulation of the plant is 

 destroyed. The plant dies from heart 

 failure. 



To cure tuberculosis in the vegetable 

 world v.ould mean drainage of swamp 

 soils, dykage of marsh lands, irrigation 

 of all lands by canals, reservoirs, arte- 

 sian wells, windmills, or by electrical 

 engines with water as the motive power. 

 With well-drained land, well-plowed, 

 subject to a constant supply of water, 

 and with the judicious use of artificial 

 fertilizers, we can quadruple our crops. 

 We can also get rid of tuberculosis and 

 other diseases that now interfere with 

 Success on the farm. 



MaKing' and Storing Cuttings 



I wish to propagate some of the shrubs on my 

 lawn. Can I do so by means of "slips" or cut- 

 tings? If so, how should they be made and 

 treated? — W. M., Ottawa, Ont. 



Most of the hardy shrubs may be 

 propagated by the use of cuttings. The 

 length of the cutting is governed by 

 the distance apart of the buds, as two 

 buds at least are required. Six to 10 

 inches is the regular length. When 

 plants are "short-jointed," more than 

 two buds are preferred. When making 

 the cuttings, cut off the lower end close 

 to the bud, and leave the exposed sur- 

 face smooth and clean. The upper cut 

 may be half an inch or more above the 

 bud. Store them in moss, sand or saw- 

 dust over winter and plant in the 

 spring. When planting some kinds of 

 shrub cuttings, or even currant or goose- 

 berry cuttings when the tree form of 

 bush is desired, it is necessary to remove 

 all buds except the upper one so as to 

 prevent the formation of underground 

 shoots. 



Proper Time to So-w Seeds 



What is the best time to sow seeds in spring, 

 and how deep should they be planted? — W.R., 

 Varennes, Que. as- 



Hardy seeds, such as onion, spinach 

 and lettuce, may be sown as soon as the 

 ground can be worked. Seeds of corn, 

 cucumber and squash cannot be sown 

 until the ground becomes warm. Much 

 depends on the kind of seed and on the 

 physical condition of the soil. Seeds 

 always should be sown in freshly-stirred 

 soil, as they then will be placed in direct 

 contact with moisture. On heavy soils, 

 sow after a rain rather than before it. 

 In soils where a crust forms over very 

 fine seeds, it is advisable to keep the 

 surface moist until the seedlings have 

 pushed through. 



One cannot state the proper depth to 

 plant without knowing the kind of seed 

 that is to be sown. Small seeds are 



Two Months Later August the Water Gar leii Appeared Like Thiii 



usually sown about one inch deep, al- 

 though celery and some others cannot 

 be planted so deeply. Plant peas, beans 



and corn from two to four inches deep. 

 Seeds may be sown somewhat deeper 

 in sandy soils than in heavv clavs. 



PHyllotaenixim Lindeni 



Fred. J. Goode, Toronto 



A PLANT of exceptional merit and 

 one deserving of a place in every 

 collection of ornamental plants is 

 Phyllotoenium Lindeni {Xanthosoma 

 Lindeni). It has all the qualities that 

 go to make a good decorative plant. 

 The leaves are dark green, about one 

 foot long, with well-defined midrib and 



Phyllotcenium Lindeni 



numerous veins of ivory white. Leaf 

 stems in large plants often measure two 

 feet long. It is a rhizome tuberose, and 

 its native habitat is New Grenada. It 

 is easily propagated by cutting the root 

 stocks into small pieces. These root 

 readily in a good peat loam and leaf- 

 soil with a little sharp sand and broken 

 charcoal. 



Use two and a half-inch pots. Plunge 

 in bottom heat to ensure success. -\ little 

 care is necessary at this stage. A dry 

 atmosphere is fatal to the young growth, 



but do not give too much water. When 

 plants are large enough for repotting, a 

 four-inch pot will be the most service- 

 able. From this on, a warm greenhouse 

 will be the best place to grow them. Well- 

 grown plants in six-inch pots are ex- 

 cellent for table decoration, but as speci- 

 men plants in 14 or 16-inch pans they 

 are most effective and very showy. The 

 plant in the illustration is grown in a 

 16-inch pan, and is considerably over 

 four feet through. Owing to the very 

 porous nature of the material used for 

 potting, it is necessary to feed the plants 

 during their growing season, the spring 

 and summer. Liquid cow manure with 

 a little soot added is the most beneficial 

 fertilizer. 



During winter, heavy syringing over- 

 head and not too much water at the 

 roots w'ill allow the plants to rest. This 

 treatment will ensure good strong growth 

 the following season and will more than 

 compensate for the extra care and at- 

 tention. 



Azaleas Bloom Often 



Do azaleas bl,oom more than once, and what 

 age must they attain before blooming? 



Azaleas will grow and flower for years 

 if plants are taken care of during sum- 

 mer. Stand azaleas out of doors in sum- 

 mer in the oots on some coal ashes in 

 partia shade. Sprinkle foliage every 

 day with clear water in summer. Azaleas 

 are mostly imported from Holland ready 

 for flowering. It takes several years to 

 grow flowering plants of azaleas. — An- 

 swered bv Wm. Hunt, O.A.C., Guelph. 



