162 



CAA'ABIA X HORTICULTURIST. 



Reply hy N. Robertson, Ottava. 



Your Cacti starting so soon shows 

 plainly it has been in a position with 

 too much excitement for it. The early- 

 start was made before nature was 

 ready for it, hence the leaves did not 

 mature. It became exhausted before 

 it was able to mature, a very weaken- 

 ini;- position to get a plant in. It is 

 more than likely you will have to 

 remove what remains unmatured. 

 Cutting does no harm to them. 



Mammillarias require a better soil 

 and an evener temperature than most 

 other Cacti. They are plants that 

 like to be kept rather clean of dust 

 and dirt. Don't over water theiu 

 and they flower easily. 



Epiphyllums will not bear extremes 

 of moisture or di'yne^s when put out 

 in a shady position, but not under trees, 

 at the back of a wall or fence where no 

 drip gets on them. To be able to name 

 the Cacti you have described would be 

 a difficult task from the description. 

 There are so many, so closely allied. 

 Nothing short of a portion of it would 

 do, or seeing the plant. 



Root Grafts. 



CO. Kindly tell me how apple gi-afts are 

 cultivated the tirst year. Is there danger of 

 disturbing the roots in cultivation ? 



I bought a few root grafts this year which 

 came on all right at first but do not look so 

 well now. Have I hoed them too much ? Is 

 there any object in transplanting them till big 

 enough for the orchard as they are to remain 

 on the same farm ? — G. 



Root grafts need good and frequent 

 cultivation in order to keep the ground 

 loose and moist. If they were properly 

 planted, we do not think you can hoe 

 or cultivate them too much, nor is there 

 danger of disturbing their roots. The 

 danger lies rather in disturbing the 

 scion so as to prevent the union be- 

 tween it and the root before it is com- 

 plete. The slightest knock with the 

 hoe will often do this. 



The reason they do not now look as 

 well as at first may be due to improper 



planting. Perhaps the earth was not 

 packed firmly enough about the roots. 

 Transplanting trees once or twice 

 previous to their final setting out is an 

 advantage in nursery work because it 

 encourages the growth of numerous 

 fibrous roots, which can nearly all be 

 removed with the tree, whereas in 

 moving a tree of three or four years 

 of age, that has never been trans- 

 planted, three fourths of the fibrous 

 roots are so far from the trunk that 

 they are cut ofl" in digging. You can 

 avoid the need of transplanting by 

 setting your trees in their final places 

 at two or, at most, three years of age. 



Princess Louise Apple. 



70. Can you inform me where the tree or 

 scions of the Princess Louise Apple can be pro- 

 cured? If there has been an apple found 

 •superior to Fameuse it is a prize and a valuable 

 addition to the apple list. W. CARVER, 

 South Livcr-riwrc, Me. 



Messrs. Smith tfc Kerman of St. 

 Catharines have full control of this 

 apple, the writer having retained no 

 financial interest whatever. No trees can 

 be bought at present, but the F. G. A. 

 may be able to secure a supply of year- 

 lings for our distribution next spring by 

 which means we hope to see it fairly 

 tested in Ontario. 



The Grape-Vine Bark-Louse. 



71. I enclose you an insect I find on one of my 

 Roger's Grape Vines. I only noticed it yester- 

 day and I thought it was mildew, but I find 

 upon closer inspection that it is the inclosed 

 insect. The loose bark is full of small ones 

 and where the loose bark is off the inner bark 

 and the wood is split and full of the insect, and 

 like bunches of fine white cotton wool. I 

 would send you a piece of the vine but it is in a 

 very fine flourishing condition and it is upon 

 the large wood. Please tell me in the next 

 issue of the Horticulturist what I had better 

 do with the vine ; and the name of the insect ; 

 whether it is injurious to the Grape-V ine or 

 not. — Thos. G. Gaston, Hamilton. 



The entomological name for this in- 

 sect is Pulvinaria Innumerablis, the 

 firstnamefromLatinpulvinus,a cushion, 

 referring to the cushion-like appearance 

 of the mother insect, and the latter 



