THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



249 



in when the gi'ound was very dry) to 

 draw the frost from the roots has been 

 the cause of the trouble, and the ques- 

 tion is how shall we retain nature's 

 covering or what shall we use as a sub- 

 stitute to protect the roots of the ])lants. 

 Everyone knows that where banks of 

 snow lay through the winter that wheat, 

 grass, and all kinds of vegetation come 

 out fresh aiid green in the spring. The 

 writer planted a vineyard three years 

 ago last spring on the east side of a 

 Norway spruce hedge, which held the 

 snow for the space of two rows ; the fol- 

 lowing winter killed every vine beyond 

 the extension of the snow drifts while 

 those under the drifts came out all 

 right. A few days ago I visited a vine- 

 yard in Stamford which was planted 

 two years ago. In the highest and 

 most exposed part there had been 

 planted a row of black currant bushes 

 between each row of vines which had 

 retauied the snow in winter around 

 their roots. These vines were thrifty 

 and some of them bearing fruit, while 

 rows adjoining, which had received 

 equally as good care and cultivation, 

 but had no currants between, had been 

 wholly or partly killed the past winter. 

 This has suggested an idea to a neigh- 

 bor of mine, who has planted a drill of 

 corn between each row of his young 

 plants or vines which will be about 

 three feet high when the frost comes, 

 which he intends to let stand to hold 

 the snow. His strawberry plants he 

 has treated in a similar way by sowing 

 peas along each side of the rows allow- 

 ing them to fall over as a protection. 

 I see that the Niagara Grape Co. have 

 recommended to planters of their vine- 

 yards in Canada to sow rye early in 

 the season so it will get a gi'owth to 

 protect the roots, and the plowing of it 

 in in the sjjriiig will help to eni'ich the 

 ground. But to those who have not 

 taken any of these precautions I would 

 recommend mulching heavily with 



coarse manure-straw, corn stalks, or 

 anything that will keep out the frost 

 or hold the snow from blowing away. 

 If there is danger from mice place a 

 little Rough on Rats or poisoned wheat 

 around the fields under old boards or 

 rubbish where they burrow, and next 

 spring don't forget to plant wind-breaks 

 arouiid your orchards and vineyards. I 

 am satisfied that the hedge referred to 

 on my own place has more than paid 

 for the cost of it in protecting two rows 

 of grape vines for two years. 

 St. Ccatharines, Oct. 10th, 18S5. 



EXPERIENCE WITH APPLE TREES IN 

 THE COUNTY OF GREY. 



In the spring of 1883 I planted some 

 trees which I expected to be hai'dy, but 

 I have been disappointed as the follow- 

 ing will show : Out of three Wealthy 

 apple trees one is almost dead and an- 

 other is badly injured. My pi-emium 

 Wealthy is also badly hurt. Out of 

 two Pewaukees one is dead and the 

 other is badly injured, and one Wolf 

 River killed to the ground. This 

 damage was all done last winter, these 

 ti^ees being almost untouched the previ- 

 ous winter. The injury was almost 

 entirely on the trunk, the bark being 

 killed in patches, sometimes quite 

 girdling the ti-ee. Five Wallbridge 

 were all badly killed back in the young 

 wood both winters, but not hurt in 

 trunk ; three Mann the same, but one 

 of them killed to the snow line hist 

 winter. Two Haas, killed back in the 

 young wood, but not quite so bad last 

 winter as the one previous. One 

 Whitney number 20, unhurc. I have 

 nine trees of the Duchess of Olden- 

 burgh, eight years planted, which are 

 quite hardy, also some which I think 

 are Red Astrachan and some Fameuse 

 of the same age that are pretty hardy. 

 My orchard is high and exposed on all 



