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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



l-ioral IJdltion. 



This patriotic (JesiKti was much appreciated by the public who attended the Fredericton X.B. 

 Kxhibition last fall. A description of it is published on this page. 



of a watering can to the rows of 

 radishes and similar plants, to destroy 

 the eggs and young maggots. In small 

 gardens, three applications made once 

 a week from the time the plants ap- 

 peared, of two ounces of white helle- 

 bore to one gallon of water, or fresh 

 pyrethrum insect powder in the same 

 strength, again gave fair results, as 

 did also mixtures containing borax. In 

 one experiment in which borax was 

 used at a strength of one and one-half 

 ounces to the gallon of water, only nine 

 per cent, of the radishes were found to 

 be infested by the maggot, while in a 

 check row close by as high as sixty per 

 cent, were infested. 



White Grubs, 



In co-operation with the United 

 States Bureau of Entomology, we are 

 making a study of the various species 

 of white grubs which are so destructive 

 to garden and field crops. These grubs 

 feed naturally on the roots of the vari- 

 ous grasses, and where grass land is 

 ploughed up and used for agricultural 

 purposes, their natural food is thereby 

 reduced and crops planted on such land 

 is often attacked, particularly if the 

 same is potatoes or corn. During 19j5, 

 white grubs caused much damage in 

 Canada. In the United States, in Iowa, 

 Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, 

 corn growers have this year lost mil- 

 lions of 'dollars owing to these grubs. 



The species of grub which this year 

 was so destructive requires three years 

 to complete its life cycle, and a warning 

 was recently issued by the entomo- 

 logists of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture for the year 1918. The 

 grubs of this particular species will be 

 more or leSs destructive up to the end 

 of May or early June in 1916. They 

 will then make earthen cells in the 



ground preparatory to changing to the 

 beetle state. The beetles from these 

 grubs do not leave the soil until the 

 spring of 1917, when they will appear 

 and lay eggs in land covered with vege- 

 tation, such as where such crops as the 

 small grains and timothy are being 

 grown. Land overgrown with weeds 

 will also attract the beetles. In 1915, 

 therefore, such land to which the beetle 

 will likely be attracted in 1917 should 

 not be used for such crops as corn, 

 potatoes, or strawberries. 



Land in which white grubs are now 

 known to be injuriously present should 

 be ploughed, if at all possible, as soon 

 after the middle of July, 1916, as is 

 practicable. The date, July 15, is re- 

 commended by the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture for the above- 

 mentioned States, and will doubtless 

 apply also to Ontario, particularly the 

 southern portions. The ploughing of 

 course is to break up the tender pupal 

 and beetle cells, which results in the 

 death of the insects. A plough which 

 will break up the soil is, of course, pre- 

 ferable, but if such an implement is not 

 at hand the ground should be deeply 

 disked. Chickens are fond of these 

 grubs, and if available should be al- 

 lowed to remain in the field during cul- 

 tivation. Hogs are also useful in 

 ridding small areas of white grubs. 



A Striking Design 



THE exhibit of the fruit division of 

 the New Brunswick Department 

 of Agriculture at the Frederic- 

 ton Exhibition this fall consisted of the 

 striking patriotic design illustrated on 

 this page, which was erected in a booth 

 about twenty-four feet long and ten 

 feet wide. The design was worked out 

 in apples and consisted of a large Union 



Jack, nine feet by five feet, surrounded 

 Ijy ten maple leaves, one for each 

 province of Canada, and one for the 

 Yukon Territory. The background was 

 covered with dark green cloth, which 

 contrasted eiTectively with the brilliant 

 colors of the flag, which was in itself 

 almost a perfect representation, both 

 as to color and shape. The blue and 

 white was obtained by wrapping the 

 apples in paper. 



The maple leaves were in various 

 colors. The following varieties of ap 

 pies were used in their make-up : 

 frolden Russet, semi-matured Wealthy, 

 Crimson Beauty, Switzer, and Hallett's 

 White (a local apple). The sign: 

 "Canada Will Never Let the Old Flag 

 Fall," was worked in Montreal Beauty 

 crabs. The centre design was flanked 

 on each side by a pyramidal display of 

 apples in half boxes and baskets, and 

 in cones, and trimmed with dark green. 



Fall Care of Strawberry Patch 



A. C. Gorham, Macdrnald College, Que. 



STRAWBERRIES may be planted 

 either in the fall or spring, pro- 

 viding the soil conditions are fav- 

 orable. But I prefer, especially for 

 colder sections, to plant in the spring. 

 Then if they are planted in May the 

 season as it advances becomes more 

 favorable, the young plants become es- 

 tablished and throw ofi" runners which 

 will take hold before fall, whereas the 

 fall set plants do not have as great an 

 opportunity to become established, and 

 in this condition are not so likely to 

 come through the winter. The later 

 they are planted the less is their chance 

 of coming through. 



A deep clay loam or sandy loam well 

 supplied with humus is best. They 

 should never be planted where water 

 stands on the land or where water runs 

 down and freezes over them, as they 

 are sure to kill out. Cultivation should 

 be kept up through the first season to 

 keep down the weeds, conserve the 

 moisture and turn the runners in to 

 make a more compact row. 



Strawberries need some winter pro 

 tection. Late in the fall, after growth 

 has ceased and the ground becomes 

 frozen, cover the plants well with some 

 good clean straw, hay or spruce boughs 

 if they can easily be obtained. These 

 boughs can be removed in spring, giv- 

 ing a chance for further cultivation, 

 but in the case of the straw or hay it 

 is lifted from the plants and placed be- 

 tween the rows. This should not be 

 done too early, as it would allow the 

 plants to develop buds which would be 

 killed by early frosts. The straw makes 

 a mulch which holds the moisture, and 

 makes cultivation unnecessary. It also 

 helps to keep the berries clean and pro- 

 vides a soft mat for pickers to kneel 

 on. 



