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OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Readers of The Horticulturist are invited to submit Questions on any phase of Horticultural -worK 



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WHat is a Fruit ? 



Is the tomato a friiit? The September 

 Horticulturist infers that it is. I classify 

 it as a vegetable. Please define the word 

 "fruit."— B.E.M., Wolfville, N.S. 



From a strictly horticultural stand- 

 point, the word "fruit" cannot be 

 defined. Botanically, a fruit is the 

 ripened ovary with such organs as may 

 adhere to it. A well-known authority 

 states that a fruit, in the popular sense, 

 is the fleshy and juicy product of some 

 plant, usually tree or shrub (and nearly 

 always containing the seed) which, 

 when ripe, is edible without cooking, and 

 adapted for use as a dessert rather than 

 as a salad. This would include the 

 tomato and exclude the quince and the 

 cranberry. Perhaps some of our readers 

 will venture to coin a perfect definition. 

 Let us hear from vou. 



TKe Niagara PeacK 



Is the Niagara Peach a good variety to plant 

 lor commercial purposes? — A.M., Vineland, Ont. 



The Niagara Peach has not been test- 

 ed to any extent in Ontario. In New 

 York State some of the best growers 

 claim that it is a good one. It comes in 

 about the same season as Elberta and 

 is equal to it in size, color and thickness 

 of skin. In flavor it is on a par with 

 Crawford. The Niagara peach should 

 be tried in all our peach districts. 



CKerry Scion on Plum 



Will cherry graft on a plum tree be satisfac- 

 tory as a bearer of fruit ? — Subscriber, Clinton. 



It would be difficult to make the 

 cherry scion grow on plum stock. The 

 density of the two woods and the habits 

 of growth are so different that even if it 

 grew it would never be a complete suc- 

 cess unless as a curiosity. — Answered by 

 L. Woolverton, Grimsby, Ont. 



Sterile Stra-wberries 



I have a patch of Irene strawberries. They 

 bloomed well but did not set fruit. What is 

 the reason? — W. B. A., Lindsay, Ont. 



Strawberry blossoms are of two kinds, 

 perfect and imperfect. Irene belongs 

 to the latter. Dig up and plant every 

 third row with some perfect flowering 

 variety Hke Williams, or, plant a new 

 patch similarly planned. 



The Garden HucKleberry 



Is the garden huckleberry of value either as a 

 domestic or commercial fruit? — J. S., Prescott, 

 Ont. 



This fruit is not a huckleberry. It is 

 closely related to the deadly nightshade. 



which has until recently been considered 

 poisonous. The garden huckleberry is 

 not poisonous, however, like some other 

 plants of the same genus, Solanum, 

 notably the tomato and the potato. It 

 is easily grown, productive, and quite 

 hardy. The berries are not edible with- 

 out cooking. In seasons when fruits for 

 preserving are scarce, the garden huckle- 

 berry will be appreciated in the home 

 garden. It is not likely to be of com- 

 mercial importance. 



Apples for Ne^w Ontario 



Is it possible to grow apples in New Ontario? 

 What are the best varieties? Is spring or fall 

 the best time to plant black currants? — J. M., 

 North Bay, Ont. 



Apples can be grown in that district 

 but not with commercial satisfaction. 

 Only the hardiest varieties will with- 

 stand the severity of the winters, and 

 most of them are not the leading com- 

 mercial sorts. Among those that have 

 done fairly well are Yellow Transpar- 

 ent, Charlamoff, Duchess, Wealthy, Hi- 

 bernal, Longfield, Patten and Scott's 

 Winter. The Whitney and Hyslop 

 crabs also can be grown with success. 

 Currants start into growth so early in 

 spring that it is best to plant in fall. 

 They are hardy, and may be planted 

 at either season. 



Gro^wing MvisKmelons 



What should be done to prepare gravelly soil 

 for a few hills of muskinelons in a private 

 garden? Is Paul Rose a good red-fleshed variety 

 for the purpose? — M. J. T., Niagara Falls South, 

 Ont. 



Manure with well-rotted compost this 

 fall. Plow or dig late as possible before 

 freezing, and repeat the work in spring. 

 There is no better salmon or red-fleshed 

 melon than Paul Rose for quality. — 

 Answered bv W. A. Emery, Aldershot, 

 Ont. ' 



TKe English Ivy 



Is the English Ivy grown as a decorative plant 

 in America?— L. A., St. John, N.B. 



The EngHsh Ivy is cultivated in some 

 parts of America, even in the north, 

 when protected in winter, but its part 

 in the role of decorating is a small one. 

 Such vivid contrasts of color in foliage 

 and such a wealth of Christmas associa- 

 tions is possessed by no plant as the 

 ivy, "To which the ghost of all the 

 storied past alone tells its tale of de- 

 parted greatness; the confidant of old 

 ruined castles and abbeys; the bosom 

 companion of solitude itself. True to 



these instincts, the ivy does not seem to 

 be naturalized so easily in America as 

 most other vines. We are yet too young 

 — this country of a great future and a 

 little past." For covering walls in 

 greenhouses, for screens in drawing- 

 rooms and for hanging baskets, it is a 

 valuable plant. The ivy that is most 

 used in America for decorating is a 

 shrub of the Southern States. 



The Rosemary 



In literature dealing with old-fashioned Christ- 

 mas customs, we often read of the rosemary. 

 What is it? — E.L.B., Stratford, Ont. 



The rosemary of old England, so 

 largely used at one time in the appoint- 

 ment of the Christmas feast, grows wild 

 in some parts of that country, but is 

 native more particularly to the Med- 

 iterranean region, especially the chalk 

 hills of Southern France. With it are 

 connected many superstitions, as: "The 

 rosemary, which was anciently thought 

 to strengthen the memory, was not only 

 carried at funerals, but also worn at 

 weddings." It is a hardy evergreen 

 shrub with aromatic leaves, which are 

 sometimes used for seasoning. The 

 wild rosemary of Canada, a species of 

 Labrador tea, and the sand-hill rosemary 

 of the south, are quite distant from the 

 true rosemary. 



Laurel or S-weet Bay 



Last Christmas I bought some branches said 

 to be laurel, but do not think they were true to 

 name. Is there more than one kind? — E.W., 

 Gait, Ont. 



Under the name laurel are commonly 

 included many broad-leaved evergreens, 

 but the true laurel, or sweet bay tree, of 

 the florists is Laurus nohilis. Laurel 

 leaves are used in some countries for 

 cookery and making confections, be- 

 cause of their aromatic flavor. For 

 purposes of adornment, it has had, and 

 still has, a prominent place. In America 

 the kalmias are known as laurels, and 

 their glossy leaves are much sought for 

 at Christmas. Most of our laurel comes 

 from Maryland and Virginia, but it also 

 is found in the eastern provinces of 

 Canada. 



Camellia Not a House Plant 



Is t)ie camellia a good plant for growing in 

 the house? — R. P., Sarnia, Ont. 



The cameUia is a plant that requires 

 plenty of pure air and a moderate tem- 

 perature; therefore, it is not recom- 

 mended as a house plant. — Answered by 

 Thos. Manton, Eglinton, Ont. 



