CA XA DIA N no li TIC I 'L TUUJS T. 



161 



QUESTION 

 Pomace as a Fertilizer. 



65. Is the i«)Uiace, or cider mill refuse uf any 

 value as a fertilizer, nr \n it, as many iiersmis 

 hold, positively injurious?— F. M., Iniitrki/i. 



Rt/ilii Inj Frof. Paiifou, O. A. C, Guclph, Out. 



Pomace. — There is not much in 

 as a fertilizer, but I believe it might 

 be used profitably by putting it in a 

 compost heap. Alone, I would liave but 

 little faith in its application. 



An analysis shows seven eight per 

 cent nitrogenous niatei'ial which is the 

 most valuable part of it for fertilizing 

 purposes. 



Gpubs cutting off Hyacinths. 



I'ti. 1 would also like to kn<i\v the best means 

 of preventing' the grulis from cutting of the 

 Hyacinths— William Chaig, Jr.— /Vr< Hajjc. 

 Riplij bij J. A. Jirucc, Hamilton. 



We are not acquainted with the 

 grub that attacks Hyacinths. We 

 note that in Holland Hyacinths are 

 sometimes badly infested with a 

 species of louse that works in the 

 roots. This may be the trouble with 

 Mr. Craig's, (have never seen it). 

 Rcplji hji Anton Simmers, Toronto. 



The best way to prevent grubs from 

 cutting oft' Hyacinths is to apply " Fir 

 Tree oil " on the foliage, and in the soil 

 in which Hyacinths are growing. 



My e.xperience has proved this an 

 infallible remedy. 



Rose Thrips. 



67. I send you a leaf off my rose bushes to 

 show you how badly they are affected with the 

 Leaf-Hoi>per. What remedy do you consider 

 the best ?— W. 



Rtply >»J Jas. FUtchrr, Dominion EntomohKiimt, 

 (Htiuni. 



I HAVE succeeded in destroying Rose 

 Thrips in the same condition as 

 those you send me either with soap- 

 suds, made to the proportion of half-a- 

 pound soap to a pailful of water, (the 

 soap di.s.solves best when hot-water is 

 used), into this I put one ounce of 



DRAWER. 



( iuholic acid, and churn it well witli a 

 syringe so as to mi.v the carbolic acid 

 well. Tobacco (one-quarter pound) 

 shredded into the soapsuds instead of 

 the carbolic acid, I have also found 

 useful. 



J have never tried a kerosene 

 emulsion, but believe that in the pro- 

 portion of one of kerosene to thirty of 

 water, it would be found useful. 



Cacti. 



68. Your article on Cacti in the June Horti- 

 culturist will be very useful to me. I am 

 fond of Cacti and desire to get the best I can 

 out of them. I have to large old ones of the 

 Phi/llocacti and have been abundantly gratified 

 by the bloom they have given me these two 

 years past. I bring them on to lihfom by 

 feeding them as soon as January with hot 

 iratrr — quite hot— poured carefully at the toj) 

 of tlie jKjt and also into the saucer, never let- 

 ting a drop stand, however. 



One of them flowered twice last year. I had 

 kei)t it in the hot house out of doors all summer, 

 and in October it showed buds, (as soon a« it 

 had got used to the window again). This plant 

 however, throws out a great number of leaves 

 nearly round, from the ends of the flat leaves, 

 while out in the sun. I did not like the growth, 

 but wovdd not interfere, hoping they would 

 harden, but they did not, and now, as the plant 

 had rested to the after blooming, I have cut 

 out some of the old long leaves, and a good 

 manj' of the round ones also, to improve, as I 

 hope, the growth of the i)lant. Did I do right? 

 or does it injure a cactus to cut it ? 



I have two little Mammillarias — or Bachelor's 

 I'illows, as I have heard them called -|>«)or 

 bachelors !— and I shall l)c very glad if I can 

 bring them to bloom. I have also another, an 

 Kpiphyllum, grown from a Viit I got in a 

 bou<iuct, and sliall be triad to know how to get 

 it into bloom. The hot water does not suit it, 

 the texture of the leaf being too tender. I had 

 one bloom once but the the plant died very 

 soon after. Why was this ? Another cactus I 

 have is very rare, I never saw one until I pot 

 mine, and it is most curious. It is exactly like 

 a series of round stems growing straight up 

 from which pieces of stem an inch long, and 

 very sligiitly attached to the main stem grow. 

 The new growth is also straiijht up, very delicate 

 and soft looking, but strengthing as time goes 

 on. The ]>lant is covered with [irickles of the 

 sharpest kind, and these seem to sting. They 

 are very easy to get in, and very hard to get 

 out. It drinks a good deal of water and grows 

 very well. Can you tell me its name and 

 special treatment. Your very obliged servant. 

 --S. A. ClRiOS -Toronto. 



