146 



THE CANADIAN HOR^TICULTURIST 



which I would fain protect. If it is our 

 business to loop off and prune out all 

 that is detrimental, the robin must be 

 restricted, and more valuable birds pro- 

 tected and encouraged, that the balance 

 may be maintained." 



Top Grafts on Tolman S-weet 



W. T. Macoun, Ottawa 



I planted out a young orchard of 70 Tolman 

 Sweet apple trees last spring, with the intention 

 of working them into Spys. They made a 

 splendid growth last season. How long from 

 the time of setting in the orchard till they would 

 be ready to work over? Which do you consider 

 the best way of changing them, grafting or bud- 

 ding? If by grafting, what way would be best, 

 cleft, whip, or root grafting on the branches. 

 Spys being my object, would it pay to mix 

 some other varieties, and of what kind, for the 

 sake of pollenation? — Subscriber, Northumber- 

 land. 



As the trees made such a good 

 growth last year they might be grafted 

 with success this spring, but we should 

 advise waiting for another year before 

 doing the work, as success would be 

 more assured and a larger proportion 

 of the grafts be hkely to take. For 

 young trees such as these whip-grafting 

 should give the most satisfactory results, 

 and as this work would be done in the 

 spring, buds could be inserted on all 

 branches where the grafts had failed in 

 the following summer. As budding 

 gives just as satisfactory results as whip- 

 grafting, budding could be done this 

 summer and the grafting done next 

 spring, where it was certain that the 

 buds failed. 



It would be necessary to have some 

 other variety to pollenize the Spys, as 

 isolated orchards of this variety do not 

 produce much fruit. The Tolman Sweet 

 would be an excellent variety for pollen- 

 izing the Spy, as it blooms about the 

 same time, and it would not be amiss 

 to leave a branch of the Tolman on 

 each tree for this purpose. We believe 

 that one reason the Tolman is such a 

 good stock for the Spy is that it is a 

 late bloomer, like the Spy, and thus en- 

 sures a good crop of fruit. There are 

 few varieties that bloom as late as the 

 Spy, but some of these are Cranberry 

 Pippin, Canada Red, Westfield, Seek 

 No Further and Grimes' Golden. 



In the Niagara district the area de- 

 voted to grapes is rapidly increasing. 

 It will not be many years until the 

 already large plantings will have in- 

 creased three or four fold. The Concord 

 is still our favorite,, probably three- 

 fifths of all vineyards planted being of 

 this variety, with Niagara second, and 

 Vergennes, Rogers 9 and 15 following. 

 Campbell's Early is promising, but 

 seems to be exacting as to soil condi- 

 tions. Large areas of heavy land a 

 few years ago not considered suitable 

 for the production of grapes have of late 

 years proved to be the very best when 

 properly drained and cultivated. — W. H. 

 Bunting, St. Catharines. 



A.n Increase of Forty Per Cent. 



THAT reports regarding the develop- 

 ment of the fruit industry in British 

 Columbia have not been exagger- 

 ated is shown by figures sent by Mr. A. 

 McNeill, chief of the fruit division, to 

 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



In comparing the crops of 1904 and 

 1905, it is stated that the crop of the 

 past season has been nnicli heavier, and 

 higher prices have been obtained. The 

 total fruit crop in 1904 was $600,000, 

 whereas an increase of 40 per cent is 

 noted for 1905, giving a total value of 

 $1,000,000. 



The fruit grown in the western prov- 



ince is being regarded with increased 

 favor from year to year, and a good 

 market has been worked up in Alberta. 

 For early apples the grower netted $1.00 

 a box. Early in December the price had 

 advanced to $1.25. An increasing de- 

 mand has resulted in a further advance 

 and the producers have received $1.50 

 a box. As a rule the strict laws regard- 

 ing packing and shipping have been 

 scrupulously obeyed. The shippers have 

 shown intelligence in their methods, and 

 honesty in their dealings, and this ac- 

 counts in part for the great increase in 

 their trade. 



Tall Gro"wing Ornamental Grasses 



RodericK Cameron, Niagara Falls SoutK, Ont. 



IN last issue some of the grasses of 

 dwarf-growing habit were referred 

 to. They were suitable only for 

 small beds or borders. In this issue I 

 will describe a few of the best and 

 hardiest of the robust growers. These 

 can be used to advantage if put in large 

 beds with broken outlines and set so 

 that the plants of various heights will 

 show a broken sky-line. The more 

 irregular the outline of the bed and the 

 more uneven the plants the better. 

 The one will 'show off the other to 

 advantage. 



We will suppose we have a crescent- 

 shaped bed to deal with. In the centre 

 of the bed I would place a group of 

 Bambusa aurea, the Golden Bamboo of 

 Japan. On account of the bareness of 

 its stems at the bottom, plant Bambusa 

 metake. Variety aurea grows six to. 

 eight feet high, and metake, a dwarf 

 grower, covers the lower part of the 

 stem and the ground. I tried both of 

 these outside last winter. Metake seems 

 to be hardy, while aurea is perennial. 

 The roots live and the tops die down. 

 I would advise taking up the plants in 

 late fall, and placing them in a cool 

 cellar where they will vrinter in fine 

 condition and be green for the following 

 spring's planting. 



Half-way between the centre of the 

 bed and the end plant a group of Arundo 

 Donax, the Great Reed of Europe. 

 This plant grows 10 to 12 feet high. 

 Along with it may be planted Arundo 

 Donax glauca, a dwarf variety, growing 

 only four feet high, with bluish-green 

 leaves and stouter stems. Arundo Do- 

 nax versicolor is about the same height 

 as the last, but variegated vrith white. 

 It is a very pretty plant, and should be 

 put on the points of the crescent, leaving 

 room for a border. All of the Arundos 

 are hardy here, and should be farther 

 north, particularly if protected. The 

 best protection I find for them is to cut 



their own stems off about eight or nine 

 inches from the ground and lay them 

 across the bed. This and the stubs left 

 will leave an air space over the crowns 

 of the plants ; over all put some coarse 

 barnyard manure. 



To give a finish to this bed, and to fill 

 up all the spaces, we have four varieties 

 of eulalias. Eulalia Japonica is the 

 type. It is green, and grows five or six '■, 

 feet high, and is probably hardier than 

 the others. Eulalia Japonica zebrina is 

 the tallest grower and has yellow bars 

 across the leaves, giving it a striking 

 appearance in any position. Eulalia 

 Japonica variegata has stripes of wliite 

 and green running lengthwse with the 

 leaves, making it also a much sought 

 after variety. Eulalia Japonica gracil- 

 lima is the dwarfest of the four, growing 

 about four feet high. Its leaves are 

 much narrower, with a white stripe 

 running lengthwise with the mid-rib. 

 All of them should be hardy farther 

 north, particularly if protected as recom- 

 mended for the Arundos. 



A foot from the grass margin a border 

 of Pennisetum longistylum should be 

 planted. The Pennisetum may be 

 grown from seeds each year, but I 

 prefer taking up a few plants and stor- 

 ing them in the cellar until March, when 

 they may be taken up and divided into 

 many plants. 



All these specimens look well if planted 

 isolated in the grass near a path, beside 

 a building, or in the hardy perennial 

 border. They may be planted also in 

 groups of one of each, or they make good 

 centre specimens for a bed of other 

 plants. An excellent effect is produced 

 lay planting these beside a lily pond. 

 Pennisetum longistylum makes a grand 

 border for a canna bed. 



All produce their Pamphas-like plumes 

 of flowers during the fall months, and 

 are ver\' desirable for dry-ing and using for 

 decorating the house during the winter. 



