180 



THK CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



gallons to which the ammonia has been 

 added, should be kept in a keg or other 

 wooden vessel, and diluted as used. 



Third — Dissolve 16 pounds of the 

 sulphate in 22 gallons of water. In 

 another vessel slake 30 pounds of lime 

 in 6 gallons of water. When the lime 

 and water have become cold, pour it 

 slowly into the sulphate solution, stir- 

 ring constantly, so as to mix thoi'oughly. 

 It is recommended to prepai-e this com- 

 pound some days before using. "When 

 Tised it should be well stirred, and may 

 be applied by dipping a wisp into the 

 mixture, and switching it to the right 

 and left, so as to scatter it over the fo- 

 liage. In large vineyards it will be 

 less wasteful to use a pump with nozzle 

 specially constructed for the purpose of 

 applying this compound. 



As these applications are only pre- 

 ventive in their operation, and by their 

 Tise we can only hope to destroy the 

 spores, either in the conidia state, or at 

 the latest as zoospores, before the myce- 

 lium or vegetative portion has made its 

 way into the tissues of the plant, 

 it is therefore important that we do net 

 wait to see the spots on the leaves, or 

 the discoloration of the fruit before we 

 apply the sulphate, or some of one of 

 these mixtures, but rather apply at 

 once, and repeat as often as the applica- 

 tion is washed off by the rains. 



The sulphate of copper is not expen- 

 sive, the cost as given by the Commis- 

 sioner is only six cents a pound by the 

 barrel, and ten cents at retail, and the 

 commercial ammonia is the same. 



In addition to these applications, the 

 careful vineyardist will take measures to 

 destroy all the germs that winter over. 

 We have not given the life history of 

 these, it being a matter of interest to, 

 the botanist more than to the general 

 reader ; it will be sufficient for the pre- 

 sent to say that these winter germs, as 

 they have been called, pass the winter 

 in the tissues of the dead leaves, or 



dried up berries, and possibly upon the 

 branches. Hence the importance of 

 gathering all the leaves and fallen fruit 

 with a fine-toothed rake in the autumn 

 and burning them. Also after pruning 

 the vines, to gather the tiimmings and 

 burn these. In addition to these pre- 

 cautions, the naked vines should be 

 washed with a strong solution of sul- 

 phate of iron. 



The .sulphate of iron is also an excel- 

 lent fungicide, and possesses this advan- 

 tage over the sulphate of copper, that 

 it is not so poisonous to human beings, 

 and is also less costly. 



We should be pleased if some of the 

 readers of the Canadian Horticulturist 

 would suVjstitute the sulphate of iron 

 for the sulphate of copper on some of 

 their vines, where the downy mildew ap- 

 peared last year, and report the result. 



A CAUTION REGARDING THE USE OF PARIS 

 GREEN, 



Notices have appeared from time to 

 time of the efficacy of Paris green and 

 London purple in destroying the Col- 

 orado beetle and its progeny, and more 

 i-ecently the use of Paris green has been 

 strongly recommended in dealing with 

 the Codlin moth. 



There is no question as to the value 

 of these agents as insecticides, but there 

 are other considerations as regards our- 

 selves and those who are to come after 

 us which should make potato growers 

 and orchardists pause before applying 

 Paris green, et omne hoc (jenus, in the 

 liberal way in which it is now proposed 

 to do. Paris green and London purple 

 are preparations of arsenic, and arsenic 

 is a vinilent poison ; so much so that 

 one grain has been known to cause 

 death, and jjoisonous symptoms have 

 been caused by one-half, one fourth, 

 and even by the one-eighth of a grain. 

 On some of the lower forms of vegetable 

 life — ferns and mosses — it does not 

 seem to exercise any injurious effects, 



