52 The Canadian Horticulturist 



sees in an asparagus plot. There were two or three fiat sterns and four or l"i\c 

 normal in the same clump of L. Auratum. One of the flat stems began to wilt 

 in August, I think, and was cut off and given to me. I sent it to Prof. 

 Saunders, of Ottawa. The other grew to perfection and expanded into full 

 bloom just in time for our exhibition, October 8th-ioth. At the close, it was 

 shipped to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and arrived in good order. 

 The Secretary reported to me that they had a similar spike of I,. Auratum in 

 1878, grown at Salem, in Massachusetts, with 170 blooms, of which photos were 

 taken. On each side of the flat stem, for about eighteen inches from the top, 

 buds broke and developed to jjerfection. 



You will notice that w-e took the liberty of copying the rating given on varie- 

 ties by the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association. This is a most useful table. A 

 column, showing the season of use, would be valuable as a guide to customers, 

 say Red Astrachan, July to September ; Northern Spy, January to June, (»r 

 whatever the month for each may be. 



Mr. P. 1). Kinney advises me this morning that he has a carload of Canadian 

 apples, shipped by A. M. Smith, of St. Catharines, just arrived I'ia Boston in 

 eleven days. The assortment is excellent and a large part sold to arrive, and 

 there will be no trouble in selling the balance at a good profit. 



Yarmouth, N.S., Noiwfuber nth, i8gi. Chas. E. Brown. 



Fine Evergreens. — The writer was asking himself a few days ago, as he sal 

 under the Yellow-wood of the Rural (irounds, and admired first one. then 

 another of the many different kinds of evergreens in view, which he would 

 choose in case he was confined to one or two. We thought it over very care- 

 fully, and chose, first, the common Hemlock Spruce, and, second, the \\'hite 

 Pine, and this, too, after cultivating for 13 years the rarest conifers known. 

 I'ew know of the surpassing beauty of the White Pine when, during youth, it 

 has been disbudded, or cut back in a way to induce an ample furniture of foliage 

 from the ground to the top. 



Field Mice. — Here arc two suggestions regarding field mice, from Farm ami 

 Home . - 



Field mice will work very badly in orchards when there is a great depth of 

 snow. The snow should be trodden down about the trees the first time it is 

 damp enough to do .so, especially in runs where it drifts, as trees six or eight 

 inches in diameter at the collar are often completely girdled in such situations. 



To protect trees against mice, rabbits or sheep, paint the trunk above their 

 reach with a cold wash made by mixing one peck of unslacked lime with 4 lbs. 

 of sulphur slacked in 8 (jts. of boiling water, and while still hot add half a gallon 

 of (rude carbolic acid and the .same of gas tar, stirring well and mixing thoroughlx . 

 A flat brush is the best thing to ])ut it on with. 



