138 



THE CANADIAN H0BTICDLTUBI8T. 



Question gratoer. 



This department is intended as an open one to every 

 reader of the "Horticulturist" to send in either 

 qtoestio^u or ansivers. Often a reader mil be able to 

 ansicer a question ichich has been left unannvered, 

 or only partially answered by us. For convenience 

 of reference the questions are numbered, and any 

 one replying or referring to any question will 

 please mention the number of it. 



47. Salt as a Fertilizer. — Please let me 

 know through your iKti^er whether salt 

 is good for strawberry plants set on 

 heavy land. 



[W. A. Smith, Coverdale, N.B.] 



Prof. Panton, of Guelph, would not 

 advise the use of salt for strawberry 

 plants on such soil. He recommends a 

 liberal application of wood ashes as 

 being an excellent fertilizer for the 

 strawberry bed. 



A writer in the Country Gentleman 

 says : 



" Salt should not be used on cold, 

 heavy or moist soils, and if any one 

 does, he will be disappointed in the re- 

 sult, as its tendency is to keep the 

 ground cool and moist. It will do such 

 soil more harm than good. 



" T do not think salt is much of a 

 fertilizer in itself, though plants take it 

 up, as you can tell by tasting and by 

 the stiffening and glazing of straw of a 

 plant grown in salted ground. I think 

 it acts upon and assimilates the gross 

 matter in the soil so as to make it 

 available food." 



48. Red Spider. — Does it destroy the 

 bark louse. 



It is thought to hybernate under the 

 scale of the bark louse, but not to be 

 parasitic upon it. 



49. M. p. Wilder Rose. — -Do you know 

 if the Marshall Pinkney Wilder Rose 

 can be bought in Canada ? 



[L. H. Wilder, Cooksville.] 



Mr. Fi-ederick Mitchell, Innerkip, 



writes that he is propagating a limited 



number. He says it is a thoroughly 



good rose, no other possesses more good 



points, but its similarity to Alfred 

 Colomb detracts from its value as a 

 novelty. 



50. Aphis on Roses. — What do you find 

 most effedive in the destruction of the 

 rose aphis ? [W. F. Burton, Hamilton.] 



Eeply by D. W. Beadle. — I have 

 found tobacco water, made by soaking 

 stems of tobacco in a pail of water, 

 applied with a garden syringe an effec- 

 tual cure, killing the aphides. It may 

 be necessary to go over the rose trees 

 two or three times before the insects 

 will be all destroyed. 



Some care must be taken lest the in- 

 fusion be so strong as to injure the 

 foliage of the roses. The addition of 

 whale oil soap is recommended by 

 many, but I have found the tobacco 

 water quite sufficient. 



[Note.- — A writer in the Horticnl- 

 tiiral Times (Eng.) says he has used 

 hot water (1.tO°) upon his chrysanthe- 

 mums for the destruction of the black 

 aphis with excellent success ; and that 

 the plants, instead of being injured, 

 were induced to a more healthy growth. 

 —Ed.] 



51. Effect of Cold Water on Plants. Sir : 

 I have the city loater in my garden, and 

 last summer being icnusually dry, I was 

 compelled to use the water freely, but the 

 results were so unsatisfactory that I am 

 now of opinion that the water was too 

 cold, and therefore checked growth and, 

 consequently, productiveness. 4^° is the 

 present temperatitre of the lake water 

 taken at the hydrant, but I fear to use 

 it, although the soil is light and needs 

 water badly. Will you please give me 

 the temjyerature beloio which it would not 

 be prudent to apply the lake water to 

 vegetation ? [J. L. Thompson, Toronto.] 



Reply by D. W. Beadle. — It is 

 thought desirable to have the tempera- 

 ture of the water raised by allowing it 

 to stand in an open tank, where it will 

 have the full benefit of the sun all day, 

 and apply it at evening. I have never 



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