THE CANADIAN HOUTICULTUKIST. S5 



;iiul the sun, by starting the sap early, might be injurious. Perhaps 

 .1 forest or a mountain at a distance wouhl be the best protection. 

 Evergreens planted singly or in groups all through tlie orchard miglit 

 do good. Some years ago I saw in some paper a novel idea. Instead 

 of belts around tlie orchard, the writer planted them in this way among 

 his trees. He claimed that they stored up heat during the day, and 

 drew hejit from the soil. Now it may be possible to change or effect 

 t!ie climate greatly by the d'Cstructiou of large forests, but how a few 

 })ruce trees would keep an orchard warm is not po plain ; but the 

 shade may have caused the results which he accounted to storage. 

 Every one who lias had house or garden plants frozen knows the effect 

 of a hot sun on them. If two plants are equally frozen, and one of 

 them be left in the sun, while the other is placed- in the shad^ and 

 well watered, the former will be found to be ruined, while the latter 

 will be but little injured. A friend of mine planted half a dozen trees 

 of the Fameuse, and they all failed but one. That tree was planted 

 near the west end of the house, and partly shaded with trees ; the sun's 

 ]-ays do not reach it till near noon. He has never pruned it, so that it 

 is a mass of brush, but is beginning to bear. It is the only Fame use 

 that I have seen here that looked like living. 



Another thing that has a good effect is summer pruning, and 

 topping back all tlie young shoots late in summer, and if they sprout 

 nip them off again, but this plan would only do for the amateur. 



PEAK BLIGHT AND PLUM CURCULIO. 



A correspendent of the Country Gentleman asks: — 



" Is tliere a bliglit proof pear tree, and a plum that the curcuHo will 

 Tiot sting 1 I have a thrifty apricot tree that blossoms, but bears nothing." 



To which Jilr. J. J. Thomas replies, 



" There is no pear that is absolutely blight-proof, although a few varieties 

 are nearly so and are rarely attacked by the disease. Of those, Duchess 

 d'Angouleme stands at the head ; then Winter Niels, Scckie, Clairgeau and 

 Beiirre d'Anjou. The new Kieffer's Hybrid is thought by some to be 

 perfectly blight-proof, and it is doubtless nearly so; but we have seen it 

 slightly aflVcted. There is no plum ])roof against the curculio, but tliese 

 inscots are easily destroyed if the work is properly performed. The loss of 

 your ajn-icots is doubtless from the sting of this insect, which you may 

 easily determine by examining for the small crescent marks in the young 

 fruit when as large as peas. TJie jarring process will sive them if vigorously 

 applied, which very ftnv [>ersons have the industry to do." 



