The Canadian Horticulturist. 



219 



STOAT'S MONARCH RHUBARB. 



60. Sir, — I have expressed to you two stalks 

 of Stoat's Monarch Rhubard, which weigh 

 four pounds, are two feet long. Will you 

 kindly give me your opinion as to the merits 

 of sample as to weight in proportion to size, 

 fineness of grain, easiness of being pulped, 

 flavor and accidity. I may state that it has 

 been grown to some extent in this town for 

 the last two years, is highly prized, and it is 

 claimed by some that it takes less sugar, — 

 A. Morton, Brampton. 



This is a most remarkable variety of rhu- 

 barb. The stalks were measured and 

 weighed by us, and found to be as follows : 

 Weight, two pounds ; length, two feet ; 

 width, two and a half inches; circum- 

 ference, six and three-quarter inches. The 

 grain is finer than that of Linnaeus or 

 Victoria, and the acidity less, and it is easier 

 pulped than any variety we know of. It 

 looks very attractive on the table, holding 

 its shape and yet so tender that it melts in 

 the mouth. A good idea of the size of the 

 enormous stalks may be had, when we state 

 that one of them afforded a generous allow- 

 ance of sauce for tea in a family of seven. 

 Mr. Morton informs us that he imported 

 this variety of rhubarb from Glasgow, 

 Scotland. 



RHUBARB FROM LINDSAY. 



61. Sir, — I send you a sample of rhubarb, 

 grown at Lindsay. How does it compare 

 with that grown in more favorable localities ? 

 — Thos. Beall, Lindsay. 



This is also a remarkably fine sample of 

 rhubarb, equal in size to any we have seen 

 grown in the Niagara District, but as our 

 subscriber has not given us the name of the 



variety, it is not easy to compare it with 

 other kinds with any degree of fairness. 

 It has the appearance of the Victoria, of 

 which also the stalks are very large. The 

 stalks of this sample average three feet in 

 length, and the largest measured nearly two 

 inches across its widest part. But it weighed 

 no more than the stalk of Stoat's Monarch 

 above described, while the flavor is much 

 inferior, more acid, the pulp woody, and in 

 every way it is less valuable than the latter. 



SEED SOWING. 



62. Sir, — Will you be kind enough to 

 inform me through The Canadian Horti- 

 culturist, how to save the seed of the 

 Strawberry, Gooseberry, Currant and Rasp- 

 berry, and when to plant the same ; also when 

 to plant Tulip, Gladioli and Hyacinth seed. 

 I saved some of the latter last Fall and 

 planted it in the hot bed this Spring, but not 

 one single plant came up ? By answering 

 the above you will oblige, J. Lawley, 

 Windsor, Box 246. 



The seeds of Strawberries, Gooseberries, 

 etc., are washed from the ripe fruit, merely 

 dried on sheets of paper, and then sown in 

 the open ground, afterward sifting over them 

 an inch of light soil. In the Fall the little 

 seedlings are transplanted and may be ex- 

 pected to fruit in about three years thereafter. 

 Of course, this method of propogation is 

 little used, except for the purpose of raising 

 new varieties. 



THE TETOFSKY. 



63. Sir, — How long has the Tetofsky been 

 in Canada ? — Dr. H. 



About twelve or fifteen years. 



-^ Op^n ® ^etter^o <^^^ 



s 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN APPLE. 

 A Small Boy's Composition. 



I am an apple. 



The first thing of me is the flower. The 

 next thing the flower dropt off and then you 

 will see a little green apple ; and then agreat 

 big round apple. 



Then the men come round and pick me 

 and send me away in baskets and put me in 

 a big thing where I get all joged up. After 

 a long while something put me in a red place, 

 and — I will tell the rest of the story. They 

 put him in a man's mouth and he ate him up. 



DOCTOR NICHOL AND THE POEM 

 "HOME." 



Sir, — Perhaps you have noticed the death 

 or Dr. Thos. Nichol, M.D.. LL.D., DC L., 

 of Montreal. He was a dear friend of mine. 

 He called on me one day,just as I had written 

 " Home." He read the lines, and I have 

 since felt it cruel of me feeling pleased to 

 hear him say, " I wish I had not read that, 

 it makes me homesick." 



Grandma Gowan. 



Mt. Royal Vale. 



