122 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



the surface of the ground, and a slanting cut made upward and lengthwise, about 

 half through the branch, forming a sort of tongue from one to two inches long, 

 on the back part of the shoot right opposite the bud ; a chip or some of the 

 soil can be placed in the slit, to prevent it from closing, and the shoot can then 

 be carefully laid in the hole, and pegged down at a point some two inches below 

 the cut, keeping, at the same time, the top of the shoot some three or four 

 inches out of the ground, and making it fast to a small stake to keep it upright. 

 Care should be taken not to make the angle where the branch is pegged at the cut, 

 as the branch would be injured and perhaps broken off; the best place is about 

 two inches below the incision. The soil can be replaced in the hole, and where 

 it is convenient, covered with some moss or litter of any kind. This will pro- 

 tect the soil from the sun and keep it moist, and will materially aid the formation 

 of new roots. 



PLUMS AND SMALL FRUITS. 



Sir, — I have bought me a small place, eighteen acres in extent, near the town of 

 Norwich, which I propose to devote to the cultivation of fruit. It is an excellent piece of 

 clay loam, and on it two acres of an old orchard, consisting of about forty trees. These I 

 have trimmed and scraped, and shall tile drain the ground in the spring. How do you 

 think plums and blackberries would do to fill up these two acres, or do you think currants 

 and gooseberries would be better ? The land has been in meadow for some years, but I 

 have had it fall plowed and will give it a good dose of ashes in the spring. 



J. A. TiDEY, Norwich. 



Unless the old apple trees are of desirable varieties, it would be wiser to take 

 them out root and branch, in order that the two acres might be planted wholly 

 with plums, for no young trees will be able to make a good vigorous start in the 

 shade of old apple trees. The same may be said of almost any of the small 

 fruits. Plums ought to succeed well on such a soil as is described by our 

 correspondent, but in our experience, blackberries do not succeed upon clay 

 loam as well as upon sandy loam. We have found gooseberries and currants 

 better adapted to clay loam than blackberries, indeed, the currant is much more 

 productive upon heavy than upon light soil. 



SALT FOR WIRE WORMS. 



Sir, — Could you give me any information through the Canadian Horticulturist, as 

 to what amount of salt would be necessary to destroy wire worms in new land, without 

 injuring other crops. The land was broken up last year, and my potatoes were badly eaten 

 with them. I am told they are usually worse the second year. Please prescribe the dose, 

 and oblige, 



I. Langstkoth, Seaforth, Ont. 



Reply by Prof. James of the Ontario Agricultural College. 

 I. The usual dose of common salt is about .300 lbs. per acre. It is very 

 doubtful whether this would ensure the results desirable, though some benefit 

 might result. I would advise increasing this amount by fifty per cent., but even 



