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OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Readers of TKo Horticultvirist are Invited to Submit Qviestions on any Phase of Horticultural Worh * 



Methods of Grafting 



How many methods of grafting are practised 

 and how do they differ from each other? — L.T., 

 Canning, N.S. 



There are scores of different methods 

 in use in this country and in Europe, but 

 only four or five are common. These 

 are, in brief, as follows: 1. Whip or 

 tongue-grafting — employed only upon 

 small stacks and usually for root graft- 

 ing; 2. Splice-grafting — a simple form, 

 also adapted to small shoots; it consists 

 in cutting each part diagonally and plac- 

 ing them together. 3. Saddle-grafting 

 — stack made wedge-shape, scion split 

 and slipped over it. 4. Side or veneer- 

 grafting — stack cut on side diagonally 

 beneath the bark and wedge-shaped 

 scion inserted. 5. Cleft-grafting — stack 

 split and scion made wedge-shape to fit. 



Evaporation of Moisture 



To settle a dispute, will you please state 

 whether or not deciduous trees lose moisture 

 during the winter? — S. L. Jackson, Perth, Ont. 



Yes, deciduous trees lose moisture 

 in winter. The evaporation takes place 

 through the bark, but only to a slight 

 extent, when compared to the tran- 

 spiration of summer. It is most active 

 from the twigs and small branches of 

 the tree tops, especially when the air 

 surrounding the twig is dry. 



Paris Green 



Kindly give some information regarding the 

 chemistry of Paris green, with the tests for 

 purity.— T. M. Digby, N.S. 



Chemically speaking, Paris green is 

 an aceto-arsenite, prepared by boiUng 

 arsenic trioxide with copper acetate. 

 It contains from fifty to sixty per cent, 

 of arsenic and is very insoluble in 

 water. A number of impure Paris 

 greens are offered for sale, such as the 

 following: 1. A bogus Paris green, be- 

 ing merely a mixture of chalk or gyp- 

 sum, properly colored. This contains 

 absolutely no poison, and is useless. 

 2. An adulterated Paris green, which 

 is a mixture and chalk, flour, gypsum, 

 and a Httle Paris green. This con- 

 tains a Httle poison, but cannot be 

 relied upon. 3. A low grade Paris 

 green, that contains some free arsenic, 

 sometimes as much as fifteen to twenty 

 per cent. ; as a consequence, it is very 

 dangerous to use on tender foliage. 



There are a number of simple tests 



for determining the purity of Paris 



i green. For determining adulteration, 



• the ammonia test is used. Pure Paris 



green is entirely soluble in ammonia, 



and produces a greenish solution. Not- 

 ing a difference in the form of parti- 

 cles is another test. On a piece of 

 glass, place a small quantity of Paris 

 green and tap the glass gently, holding 

 it in an oblique position. As the par- 

 ticles of Paris green are spherical, they 

 will roll very readily when the glass is 

 tapped, and the impurities are left be- 

 hind. Another test is performed with 

 a microscope. If the Paris green is 

 pure, it will contain nothing but round, 

 green-colored particles. 



MulcHing Roses 



Is it advisable to put a mulch around rose 

 bushes in winter?— W. G., Smith's Falls, Ont. 



A fairly heavy mulching of man- 

 ure will cause the roses to come through 

 the winter in much better shape than 

 if they are left bare. Put on enough 

 so that when it settles there will be a 

 five or six inch mulch. Do not apply 

 it until after the ground has frozen. 



Fall "WorK -witK Roses 



Can roses be planted in fall ? — R. W., Essex, 

 Ont. 



In some localities, roses may be 

 planted in fall. Do not plant later 

 than the first week in November. Pre- 

 pare the bed in some suitable place. 

 Roses like plenty of hght and air. A 

 soil not too rich but rather clayey is 

 preferred, although any good soil will 

 answer. If the plants are wilted when 

 they come, soak them, wrapping paper 

 and all for several hours in warm 

 water. When planting, spread out the 

 roots and set the plant a little deeper 

 in the ground than it was before. See 

 that the soil is pressed well around 

 the roots. Press with the foot to make 

 sure that the roots and soil come in 

 close contact. If cool or windy when 

 planting, give some protection. Dur- 

 ing the winter, a protection of dry 

 leaves or straw, held by something to 

 keep the wind from blowing it away, 

 will answer. 



Older plants can be bent down to the 

 ground or to within a few inches of it, 

 and fastened there to stakes, and then 

 cover with leaves, straw or other litter, 

 and a board or two placed on top of it 

 to keep the cover from blowing away. 

 They may be protected, also, simply 

 by placing straw around them to a 

 depth of about six inches. Tender 

 varieties must be bent down, however, 

 or if left upright completely covered 

 with straw after the wood is ripened 

 and before heavy frosts come. 



303 



Vitality of Seeds 



What conditions aid in the preservation of 

 vitality in seeds?— A.M., St. Hyacinthe, Que. 



No general rule can be given for the 

 preservation of vitality. One must en- 

 deavor to follow the laws of nature, but 

 not strictly. Cultivated plants have 

 long been removed from natural condi- 

 tions and must be treated in accordance 

 with this fact. The seeds of conifers 

 must be preserved in the cones, com on 

 the cob, legumes in the pod, and so 

 forth. Most tree seeds are preserved by 

 stratification; some others, by drying 

 and storing in a dry, cool room. To 

 preserve vitality in seed, we must 

 have the conditions that are required 

 for that particular kind uniform, avoid- 

 ing extremes of every nature, especially 

 in the case of those seeds whose vitality 

 is impaired by excessive moisture. 



Notes and Comments 



Keep the bearing wood of grape vines 

 as near the^main trunk as possible. 



The small onions picked from this 

 season's crop may be used as sets next 

 spring. 



One of the chief objects of pruning is 

 to provide good, healthy, and not 

 crowded, foliage during the growing 

 season. 



Scallion onions usually are due to the 

 planting of poorly selected seed or im- 

 mature bulbs, but sometimes they are 

 difficult to account for. 



One-fourth of an acre planted to small 

 fruits and properly cared for will supply 

 an average family throughout the season, 

 but the land must be reasonably rich and 

 kept in a good condition by thorough 

 cultivation. 



Bulbs for spring flowering should be 

 planted in fall and not in the spring, as 

 was stated erroneously in the report of 

 Mr. R. B. Whyte's address before The 

 Toronto Horticultural Society that was 

 published in the November issue'. 



The diagram that appeared in the 

 November number of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist, representing an ar- 

 rangement of plants for a hardy border, 

 is well worth careful study. Amateurs 

 who cannot afford the time and space 

 for such an elaborate arrangement can 

 make a selection, from the plants men- 

 tioned, to suit borders of any size or 

 pretensions. 



