June, 1907 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



155 



With young stock it may be possible to shovel 

 it away; often, however, this service does more 

 harm than good. 



There has been considerable disappointment 

 here in fruit raising, owing to these untoward 

 circumstances, and the fact that of late we 

 have had a continuance of poor or small crop 

 returns; but this is the fortune of almost any 

 prosecution in life; it has its ups and downs. 

 Besides, being fresh in the enterprise, we have 

 doubtless made many mistakes, and must pay 

 for them. It seems' sure that we can grow^ 

 good fruit here, though, if we get at it projx^rly, 

 and that should be incentive enough for most 

 of men to make the business go. The plantings 

 this spring, then, have not been on the same 

 large scale as within late years, but they will 

 be more judicious and may mean much more 

 for the industry in general. 



A number of earlv summer orchard meetings 

 which Chief McNeill' will address are projected. 

 He announces that he will take up cooperation 

 as a necessity to the placing of our apple or- 

 chards on a paying basis, and in this we thor- 

 oughly agree with him. The Dominion Gov- 

 ernment seems to be desirous of assisting hor- 

 ticultural cooperation after a plan. The most 

 urgent need now is not of an elaborate all- 

 round establishment of cooperative institu- 

 tions, after the cheese-factory fashion; it is a 

 practical a.ssistance of this nascent industry 

 to its feet with us, by the expenditure of small 

 grants to local packers, so as to secure thein 

 the packages and enable such suflScient solici- 

 tation among the growers as may bring the 

 product of their trees to one or more points for 

 handling effectively. Often in these assisted 

 enterprises much good money is thrown away in 

 exaggerated experimentation; not only the 

 public money but the hard-earned dollars of 

 the cooperators. The gifts of the department 

 come into the category then of "Greek gifts" 

 to the people. We hope that Chief McNeill 

 will have some practical plan worked out when 

 he reaches us. 



Nova Scotia 

 G. N. Gordon McKeen, Gay's River 



The outlook for a fruit crop is encouraging, 

 although it is too early to predict definitely. 

 The past winter was quite severe, the thermom- 

 eter registering in February l>elow zero about 

 one-half of the month. The trees came through 

 unusually well, however, as there was a good 

 covering of snow on the roots. The weather 

 is still cold and wet. 



Small fruits are showing fairly well. The 

 hardy varieties of blackberries came through in 

 good condition, but the tender kinds were killed 

 back considerably. Gooseberries, especially 

 Downing, give promise of an abundant crop. 

 Strawberries look well and suffered little loss 

 from winter killing. Cranberries did not suffer 

 much from the usual heaving by frost and 

 probably will yield a good crop. 



CooKin^ RKxibarb and Stra"wberries 



Miss I^. SKvittle'worth, Toronto 



SasKatcHe-wan 



W. S. Woodruff, Lashburn 

 In this coimtry there has not been much fruit 

 tried except a few currants and gooseberries. 

 Last year some farmers put out a few raspberries 

 and blackberries, but they killed back consider- 

 ably. It is probable that the roots are all 

 right and that new canes will spring up this 

 summer. The past winter was the most severe 

 one ever known in the province. 



Wild berries grow and thrive in abundance. I 

 Ijelieve that good, hardy varieties of fruit, proper- 

 ly cared for. can be grown successfully. The 

 climate is no more severe than that of Minnesota, 

 and in that state much fruit is grown. A 

 numl)cr of Hil)ernal, Russian Transparent and 

 other varieties of that tyfx? have lieen tried here 

 and are cxfK-cted to do well. We hope to see a 

 creditable development of horticulture in all its 

 branches. 



IN cooking rhubarb, we should aim to keep 

 the pieces whole and attractive in appear- 

 ance. To accomplish this, it is much lietter 

 to bake it in the oven than to cook it on top 

 of the stove, which is the usual custom. After 

 washing the rhubarb, cut the stalks in pieces 

 about two inches long. Place in a granite or 

 earthen dish. Add one cup of sugar to about 

 one pound of rhubarb. Cook slowly in a covered 

 dish until sugar is all dissolved and the fruit is 

 tender but not broken. More water may be 

 added before serving if desired. 



A sprinkle of salt will help to overcome the 

 acid of rhubarb when cooking it, but do not add 

 too much. 



When making rhubarb pie, did you ever use 

 a tablespoonful of sago sprinkled into it to jelly 

 the juice and to keep the pie from boiling over? 

 It is very much better than the sprinkle of flour. 

 Just try it. 



It is always well to have a few jars of rhubarb 

 stored away for use between seasons, and here 

 is a very easy but sure method of canning it. 



CANNING RHUBARB 



Cut the rhubarb when it is young and tender. 

 Wash it thoroughly; cut into pieces about two 

 inches long. Pack in sterilized jars. Fill the 

 jars to overflowing with cold water and let them 

 stand five minutes. Drain off the water and 



fill again to overflowing with fresh cold water. 

 Seal with sterilized covers. WTien required for 

 use treat the same as fresh rhubarb. Green 

 gooseberries may be preserved the same way. 



TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES 



Cover four pounds of fine ripe strawberries 

 with three pounds of granulated sugar, and allow 

 them to stand in a cool place overnight. Strain 

 off the juice, pour it into a preserving kettle, and 

 let boil gently 15 minutes, removing all scum. 

 Add the berries, boil two or three minutes, then 

 pour into hot jars and seal immediately. 



STRAWBERRY WHIP 



One cupful of ripe strawberries, one cupful of 

 sugar and the white of one egg. This beaten al- 

 together in a bowl with a fork, for 10 or 12 

 minutes, will give nearly a quart of delicious 

 strawberry whip, suitable as filling for straw- 

 berry short cake and an excellent substitute for 

 whipped cream. 



SOME POINTERS 



In cooking fruit, never boil it hard; by so 

 doing, you lose much of the delicious fruit flavor. 

 It is better to simmer it gently. 



Fruit that is cooked in the skin, such as plums, 

 cherries, etc., should never be plunged into 

 boiling hot syrup, as this will toughen and crinkle 

 the skin. Better cool the syrup before adding 

 the fruit. 



Experiment Station Bulletins 



FROM every state east of the Mississippi on any tree during the dormant period in 



River, and from Missouri, Arkansas, Louis- winter or early spring before the buds open — 



iana, Texas. Minnesota, and the Province of at a strength of 20 to 25 per cent. A nozzle 



Ontario, Canada, the terrapin scale, Eu/fcon- throwing a fine spray should be used. Care 



ium nigra ^asciatum, has been reported, says should always be exercised to prevent the liquid 



circular 88, United States Department of Agri- from running down the trunk of the tree and 



culture. It is noteworthv that this species of collecting about the roots, as the oil, which will 



scale, more conspicuously marked than any lie retained by the soil around the roots for an 



otherof the genus, is the most generally injurious indefinite period, might seriously injure or 



one. In consequence of its wide range of food kill the tree. Make kerosene emulsion as 



plants, including both wild and cultivated trees, follows: 



it must be considered a dangerous pest, which Stock solution (66 per cent. oil). 



may be controlled but never eradicated. Kerosene (coal-oil) 2 gallons 



This scale insect can Ije recognized and identi- Whale-oil or laundry soap (or 1 quart soft 



fled especially well in the hibernating winter soap) J^ pound 



stage, when it appears as a reddish hemispherical Water 1 gallon 



scale 2mm. in length, mottled with radiating Dissolve the soap in boiling water, then remove 

 streaks of black which are esiiecially conspicuous irom the fire, add the kerosene immediately and 

 about the margin. Sometimes these radiating thoroughly agitate the mixture until a creamy 

 streaks coalesce, forming a subdorsal dark band solution is obtained. This can be done by 

 surrounding the central reddish boss. Occasion- pouring the mixture into the tank of a spray- 

 ally individuals are found which are entirely pump and pumjjing the liquid through the 

 red or black. nozzle back into the tank. This is a stock 

 For many years the terrapin scale has lieen solution which nmst be diluted liefore using. In 

 considered a sjjecific enemy of the peach, and has order to make a 20 per cent, emulsion, add to 

 twen confounded by many entomologists and each gallon of the stock solution about 2J 

 others with Eulecanium persicce, the pre-eminent gallons of water and agitate thoroughly before 

 peach soft scale of Europe. At present we know using. For a 25 per cent, solution add to each 

 it as infesting a large number of host plants, gallon of the stock solution 1 J gallons of water 

 including many varieties of jxjach and cultivated and agitate thoroughly. This strength will 

 plum ; various sjxjcies of wild plums and cherries ; kjn a large percentage of the hibernating females, 

 Prunus simonii; apple; pear; quince; several without injury to the trees, 

 species of Crataegus; three species of maple, if a good naphtha soap can be obtained the 

 particularly Acer saccharinum; oriental and preparation of the emulsion will be simplified, 

 western sycamores; Carolina poplar; olive; n ^jn i,e unnecessary to heat the solution, 

 Vjlueberry {Vaccinium sp.); Bumelia, and spice since the kerosene will combine readily with the 

 bush (Benzoin benzoin). naphtha and soaj) and form a perfect, cold. 

 Unfortunately tlie lime-sulphur wash, which milky-white emulsion when the mixture is 

 is such an excellent remedy for the San Jose scale, thoroughly agitated. If naphtha soap is used, 

 and which at the same time controls the peach double the amount called for by the formula, and 

 leaf-curl, is worthless for treating the terrapin emulsify in soft (rain) water, 

 scale. Numerous exjjeriments in the use of the 



lime-sulphur wash against this scale on various pEach mildew 



host plants have produced only negative The Agric. Exp. Sta., Fort Collins, Col., 



results. Bull. No. 107, deals with peach mildew. This 



Kerosene emulsion has proved to be the most disease, as yet not prevalent in Ontario, is due 



effective remedy for the control of this pest, to a fungus that attacks leaves, twigs and fruit. 



This emulsion when properly made according to On leaves, the attack is confined largely to the 



the formula lielow can lie sprayed with safety under surface, as sunHght is its worst enemy. 



