OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Readers of TKe Horticulturist are Invited to Submit Questions on any Phase of Horticultural "Worh 



Budding Fruit Trees 



Which month is best for budding fruit trees? — 

 C. H., Winona, Ont. 



The usual time for budding is in 

 August or the early part of September. 

 Budding may be done at any time dur- 

 ing the growing season, when the bark 

 peels easily, but in Canada, late work is 

 necessary to prevent the buds starting 

 into growth in the fall and subsequently 

 being winter-killed. 



Plug smoking tobacco will also make a 

 solution, but not as good as those be- 

 fore mentioned. — Answered by Wm. 

 Hunt, O.A.C., Guelph. 



Cut "Worms in Gardens 



I am sending a box of insects. Could you tell 

 ■wliat they are and how I can get rid of them. 

 They have eaten all my carrots, beets, turnips, 

 parsnips and flower seedlings, biting the heads 

 ofT when an inch high. I have tried lime, wood 

 ashes, and Paris green without success. I have 

 also a great many brown caterpillars in the earth 

 round the plants. Is there anything I can do 

 for them besides hand picking? — S. B., He d'Or- 

 leans. Que. 



The specimens of insects submitted 

 are the young of grasshoppers. As these 

 do not give much trouble in gardening, 

 it is probable that our correspondent has 

 not sent the insects that are doing the 

 damage. The many brown caterpillars 

 that were to be found in the earth 

 around the plants are the fellows who 

 made the trouble. They are cut worms 

 and may be dealt with by using a 

 poisoned bait. Use bran at the rate of 

 about ten pounds to four ounces of Paris 

 green. Mix thoroughly when dry, then 

 water, lightly sweetened with sugar, 

 should be added until the whole is wet, 

 but not sloppy. Scatter the bait along 

 the rows. Ten pounds will do for an 

 acre. It is probable that, by this time, 

 the cut worms will have reached the 

 pupa stage, when they are no longer 

 troublesome. 



Ivy Geranium 



What can I put on an ivy geranium plant to 

 kill small green spiders or lice ? I do not know 

 whether they are spiders or lice. — A.S., Ayl- 

 mer, Ont. 



It is probably the green aphis or 

 green fly attacking the ivy geranium. 

 A strong solution of tobacco water 

 sprinkled on the plant where the insects 

 are, or brushing them off with a small 

 brush on to a sheet of paper and destroy- 

 ing them, are the best remedies. To- 

 bacco solution can be made by pouring 

 boiling water on tobacco stems or leaves 

 sufficient to cover them. Cover up the 

 solution until cold and apply without 

 diluting with water. About a half a 

 pint of boiling water poured on to a 

 broken up cigar and allowed to cool, 

 makes a good solution for green fly. 



TKe English Violet 



What is the best method of growing and 

 caring for the hardy English violet? — M.A.T., 

 Queensboro, Ont. 



The English violet is best raised from 

 seed sown in April, May, or early June, 

 in the place they are to grow permanent- 

 ly if possible. Violets like a fairly moist 

 position and partial shade during the 

 hottest part of the day. I sowed a few 

 seeds in 1897 on a piece of lawn partially 

 shaded by trees for a few hours at noon- 

 day. For the last three or four years 

 the piece of lawn — nearly a quarter of an 

 acre in extent — -was a sheet of blue 

 violets for several weeks in early sum- 

 mer, the perfume from them being most 

 delicious, scenting the air for a long dis- 

 tance around. The few seeds first sown 

 had reproduced themselves and spread 

 over the whole lawn. A too sunny or a 

 very dry position does not, suit the 

 Engish violet. — Answered by Wm. Hunt, 

 Ontario Agricultural College. Guelph. 



oftentimes induces an ice crust to form 

 over the plants and smothers them by 

 the total exclusion of air. Pine boughs 

 alone make good protective material for 

 border plants in winter. Answered by 

 Wm. Hunt, Ontario Agricultural College, 

 Guelph. 



Poppies in W^inter 



Do perennial poppies need protection in winter? 

 — M.A.T., Queensboro, Ont. 



Perennial poppies do not require any 

 protection in winter as a rule, except to 

 leave their own foliage on them. In 

 fact, it is best to leave the old. foliage on 

 all perennials until spring. It is their 

 own natural protection. 



Protection for Perennials 



Last winter I had a large number of my per- 

 ennials winter-killed. Among them were holly- 

 hocks, shasta daisies, larkspurs, Canterbury 

 bells, and phlox. They were protected by a few 

 inches of leaves, kept in place by the stocks of the 

 plants grown the previous summer. (1) Would 

 they have done Ijetter without any protection? 

 (2) What is the best method of protecting per- 

 ennials in winter? — M.A.T., Queensboro, Ont. 



1. It is questionable if the perennials 

 mentioned would have survived the 

 past winter without protection. The fre- 

 quent alternate thawing and freezing 

 experienced last winter and spring was 

 very hard on border plants. Plants 

 that were properly protected last winter 

 came through the best with us. Possibly 

 too much material was appUed to the 

 plants mentioned. 



2. There is no better method of pro- 

 tecting low-growing, tender border per- 

 ennials than by first placing some coarse, 

 brushy trimmings, such as the tops of 

 coarse growing perennials or some small 

 pieces of brusliwood or raspberry trim- 

 mings on or over the plants first. Then 

 shake over these a few leaves or strawy 

 manure barely sufficient to cover the 

 brush. This collects and holds what- 

 ever snow falls, the last named being 

 the best plant protector we have. Avoid 

 putting a large quantity of leaves or 

 manure close down on the plants, as this 



Cutting £.lm Trees 



What is the best time of year to cut elm trees 

 to keep them from sprouting again? — T. R., 

 Chatham, Ont. 



The time to hurt the sprouts most is 

 in August, when the tree has made its 

 growth and has not had time to recover. 

 If cut at this time, the sprouts will be 

 feeble and most easilv killed. 



Harvesting Onion Sets 



Give some information on harvesting onion 

 sets. Is it necessary for the tops to die com- 

 pletely before the bulbs can be taken up? — 

 H. L., New Westminster, B.C. 



Harvest onion sets when the tops be- 

 gin to die down. They may be raked 

 together in windrows or lifted out with 

 a set of attachments that are usually 

 furnished with a Planet Jr. or Iron Age 

 wheel hoe. Leave on the ground two 

 or three days to cure. Then put under 

 shelter and spread on a dry floor. 

 Watch them, and if necessary, move 

 every two or three days to prevent heat- 

 ing. When thoroughly dry, clean them 

 at leisure, removing the top and the few 

 remaining roots. The adhering soil and 

 sand may be removed by running the 

 onions through a fanning mill. Deter- 

 mining the size of the bulbs to be used 

 as sets is best accompUshed by the use of 

 a grain sieve ; all bulbs that will not pass 

 through a three-quarter inch mesh are 

 too large for sets, and should be sold in 

 the fall for pickling onions. To keep 

 the sets through winter, they should be 

 stored in a cool, dry place. Store in 

 shallow, open crates and protect them 

 in extremely cold weather by covering 

 with old carpet or blankets. Remove 

 these in moderate warm spells and vent- 

 ilate the room thoroughly. Cool, dry 

 air circulating among the bulbs dries out 

 the moisture and prevents sprouting. 



