248 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



they may be captured by visiting the bushes 

 very early in the morning, and while torpid 

 with cold brushing them off into a pail partly 

 filled with water, on which a little coal oil 

 has been poured. 



THE RED RUSSET. 



68. Sir, — Will you kindly inform me 

 through the Horticulturist if you know 

 any parties who grow the Red Russet. We 

 are trying to introduce it here. It originated 

 on the farm of Mr. Sanborn, Hampton 

 Falls, N.H. It is a very vigorous tree, 

 upright, spreading and productive. Young 

 wood, clear reddish brown fruit, large, 

 roundish conic yellow shaded, with dull red 

 and deep carmine in the sun, and thickly 

 covered with grey dots, with a slight appear- 

 ance of rough russet on most of the surface, 

 stalk rather short and thick, inserted in 

 medium cavity surrounded with russet calyx 

 nearly closed ; segments, long recurved in a 

 narrow uneven basin. Flesh, yellow, solid, ■ 

 crisp, tender, with an excellent rich sub-acid 

 flavor, somewhat resembling Baldwin. Very 

 good, January to April. — Yours truly, F. b. 

 Fairfield, Orotto, Ont. 



We have been growing the Red Russet 

 .apple for some years at Maplehurst, and 

 have found it a satisfactory apple for dessert 

 purposes. The tree is a good bearer, though 

 somewhat more subject to the borer than 

 some other varieties. The fruit is seldom 

 affected by scab, and is usually of even size 

 and an especial favorite as an eating apple. 



SALT AS A FERTILIZER OR 

 FUNGICIDE. 



69. Sir, — Will you please inform me as 

 to the effect salt would have sown now 

 broadcast in a vineyard. Whether it would 

 act as a preventive of mildew ? If so, in 

 what quantity should it be used per acre ? 



Some of my neighbors have used sulphur, 

 but the results have not been satisfactory. 



Please answer as soon as convenient, as 

 the disease has already made its appearance. 

 — J. H. P., Niagara Falls South. 



As a fertilizer, salt has no direct value as 

 soda is not an essential element in plant 

 growth. Indirectly, however, it does act 

 upon plant growth, and chemists explain it 

 by saying that it effects the decomposition 

 of substances already present in the soil, as, 

 for instance, lime and magnesia. They tell 



us further that salt and lime react upon one 

 another in the presence of porous bodies, 

 forming carbonate of soda which is very 

 efficacious in promoting the decay of humus. 

 In the case of asparagus, salt may be used 

 to good advantage as a fertilizer, though on 

 the other hand some plants are injured by it . 



Whether it would act as a preventive of 

 mildew is an open question, as we have 

 neither our own experience nor that of others 

 on which to base any conclusions. Strong 

 brine is destructive to many fungi when 

 placed in contact with them, but how it 

 could be used for this purpose on the grape 

 vine we do not see, neither do we believe 

 that it would be of any value. 



As to the quantity that may be used, it 

 should not be applied more heavily than at 

 the rate of five or six hundred pounds to the 

 acre. 



Powdered sulphur is the best known 

 remedy for the powdery mildew of the grape. 

 Its effectiveness consists in the fact that at 

 a certain temperature the flowers of sulphur 

 emit fumes which are destructive to the 

 powdery mildew. These fumes are formed 

 most rapidly, when the temperature is above 

 77 degrees Fahr. Where the mildew is very 

 serious, several applications need to be made 

 during the season. It is not necessary that 

 it should be applied directly to the affected 

 berries, but if sown upon the ground under 

 the vines it will suf&ce. 



GIRDLING THE GRAPE VINE. 



70. SiR,-On page iggof the July number of 

 the Horticulturist, a paper is published 

 on the " Girdling of the Grape Vine"; before 

 doing anything in the matter I want more 

 light on the subject— now, whether is the 

 girdling done by cutting into the bark with 

 a knife or by tying something around the 

 vine — if the operation is done by cutting 

 into the bark, should it be done any deeper 

 than the outer bark, and if done by tying, of 

 what material is it to be done ? In northern 

 Ontario, if girdling can be done safely with- 

 out injury to the vine, it will be of great 

 advantage. Kindly favor me with a reply 

 at your earliest convenience. — Jas. Rosa- 

 mond, Almonte, July 14, 1890. 



The operation of girdling the grape vine 

 may be done either by removing a ring of 



