100 



THK CANADIAN H0RriCULTCKI8T. 



pride and pleasure to show friends and 

 visitors this grape. About four years 

 ago I planted this and a few others, 

 then new kinds, including Lady Wash- 

 ington, Duchess, Jeflferson, Brighton, 

 Moore's Early, and lona. They have 

 all grown luxuriantly and fruited very 

 well the last two seasons. But of 

 white grapes the Prentiss has been 

 my favorite — the bunches are so at- 

 tractive, uniform and compact. The 

 quality, I think, may be classed 

 among the best, and just early enough 

 to ripen its fruit here. In my opinion 

 the famed Niagara has in this no mean 

 competitor for first place among white 

 o-rapes. Right alongside of this vine I 

 have a rampant growing vine with 

 heavy foliage and beautiful name, Lady 

 Washington. Visitors are surprised ; 

 we are all surprised at the large double 

 shouldered bunches. They look magni- 

 ficent, if they would only ripen ; but 

 they have not for the past two seasons, 

 and I am afraid they will not be a suc- 

 cess in Lindsay. One more notice, only 

 a black grape, and last but not least, in 

 berry or reputation. I refer to Moore's 

 Earlv. I think it one of the best 

 black grapes for our section, being 

 early, large, and good in quality, which 

 are very desirable points ; and I ven- 

 ture to predict extensive planting of 

 this vine in localities where early 

 ripening is a necessity. 



The preceding is one moi-e addition 

 to the diversified experience of grape 

 crrowino', I hope tending to give zest 

 to the work, and a stimulus for emu- 

 lation in this our labour of love. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Nitrate of Soda. — Orchard and 

 Garden says : — We have found nitrate 

 of soda to be a most excellent thing in 

 its place. In combination with com- 

 plete fertilizers it has given astonishing 

 results, even on poor, sandy soil. Its 

 efiect on certain garden crops is often 



magical. But our friends should not 

 be deceived to suppose that it answers 

 all the purposes of a complete fertilizer. 

 Its proper place is on already rich gar- 

 den soils, and for early vegetables, 

 especially such as are grown for their 

 leaves or their stalks, like lettuce, cab- 

 bages, aspai-agus, or for their succulent 

 bulbs, like radishes, beets, onions, etc. 

 Nitrate of soda, however, seems to have 

 but little efiect on potatoes (except, 

 perhaps, to help in pushing them for 

 earliness), on peas and beans. Nitrate 

 of soda may be purchased from almost 

 any dealer in fertilizers, at perhaps less 

 than $50 per ton, and at this rate it 

 is one of the cheapest fertilizing mate- 

 rials obtainable for the ])urposes men- 

 tioned. JNIarket gardeners should not 

 fail test its virtues. 



Fertilizers for the Peach. — At 

 the February meeting of the Missis- 

 sippi Horticultural Society, at Crystal 

 Springs, Mr. J. M. McNeill read an 

 interesting paper on The Peach. Speak- 

 ing of the best fertilizers, he said : — 

 The analysis of the peach shows that 

 the wood contains from 56 to 62 per 

 cent, of potash, lime and phosphate of 

 lime, the constituent portions being 

 about two thirds lime and phosphate of 

 lime, to one-third of potash. Guided 

 by this analysis, some experienced fruit 

 growers have advised the use of kainit 

 at the rate of 500 or 600 pounds to the 

 acre, sown broadcast during the win- 

 ter. Afterward, lime and bone dust, 

 or ground bone. Now, to supply the 

 soil for peach trees with a siifiiciency 

 of humus, which is very much needed 

 in most of our orchards, there is nothing 

 better than to sow field peas broadcast, 

 and after maturity of the peas to place 

 the vines under. If such orchards could 

 have a good supply of unleached ashes 

 once a year, even without the kainit, 

 we believe it would be attended with 

 the best results as to the growth and 

 the life of the tree, and crops of fruit. 



