110 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



HOETICULTUKAL GOSSIP. III. 



BY L. WOOLVERTON, M.A., GRIMSBY, 



The Fruit Grower should read up on science, especially in tlie 

 subjects of Botany and Entomology. A knowledge of these will help 

 his prosperity very materially, and give weight to his opinions. He 

 should know the principles that underlie his methods, so that he may 

 have independence of action, and not be swayed about by every opinion 

 and superstitious notion of another. 



A short time ago a neighbor came to me in great consternation, 

 a large species of Hemiptera, {Belostoma Americana^ such as he had 

 never seen before, flew into his window one night. He was terribly 

 frightened, and brought it me, saying, "it was surely an omen of some 

 great calamity!" The same man thought he had made a great discovery. 

 One day, seeing countless numbers of Aphides upon his cherry trees, 

 and many ants visiting them to suck their sweet juices, he at once 

 concluded that the ants brought the lice, and exultingly told us he had 

 found a method of keeping the ants from climbing his trees! Such 

 men in their ignorance of science, will be very likely to mistake friends 

 for foes; and the Lady Beetle or the. Calosoma are as much in danger 

 of destruction at their hands as the Aphis, or the Doryphora. 



A Common Mistake in Pruning, — We notice those trees need most 

 pruning that have had most of it. Vigorous shoots in the crotches of 

 apple trees, in most cases indicate injudicious pruning. Some people try ' 

 to make their trees grow dish-shaped, and cut out the central limbs ; but 

 nature rebels against such abuse. A little attention to botany shows 

 that every tree has its normal shape, and that all the pruner should 

 attempt is to thin out weak and superfluous limbs, or shorten in long 

 and slender ones. Several young orchards here show mucli feebleness 

 resulting from abusive pruning. 



The Early Season. — Blossoms were out three weeks sooner tliis 

 spring than usual, as is seen by the following comparative memoranda: 

 apple blossoms. May 25th, 1874; May 27th, 1875; May 26th, 1876; 

 May 20th, 1877; May 3rd, 1878. Peach blossoms were out this year 

 on the 24th of April, on which date in 1875, the ground was still 

 frozen up and covered with snow. 



The May Erost has done considerable damage. Cherries -have 

 suffered worse than, any other fruit, for the connection not yet being 



