QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED. 



55 



treatment for first rotting or softening the outer coat. Ash 

 seeds, after ripening in the fall, should be placed in layers 

 of light earth or sand for a year to rot the outer coat. 

 Beech-nuts may be kept in dry sand until the following 

 spring, and then be sown in nursery row. Birch-seeds 

 should be treated like those of beech, except that it is 

 recommended to turn over the soil and seeds at intervals 

 until planting-time. Chestnut, maple, walnut and oak- 

 seeds do better for being sown when gathered in the fall. 

 Seeds of elm mature as early as May and June, and may 

 be sown at once — indeed, if the sowing be deferred, ger- 

 mination will not take place until the following spring. 

 Thorn-seeds should be rotted in a heap of sand for twelve 

 months before sowing. Seeds of fruit-trees are usually 

 sown either in the fall, directly in the seedling rows, or 

 else are mixed with alternate layers of sand, and kept 

 exposed to freezing and thawing until spring, when they 

 are planted out as early as practicable. The planting is 

 usually done in thick rows, transplanting the seedlings 

 into permanent nursery rows the spring following. A 

 rule for depth of sowing any kinds of tree-seeds is from 

 three to five times the length of the seed. The ground 

 should be mellow and in perfect condition. If the soil is 

 rather heavy it is well to keep it mulched with fine manure 

 until the seedlings are up, to prevent the surface from 

 baking. 



2638. Night-temperature for Conservatory.— The 

 most suitable temperature for what are known as green- 

 house-plants, such as geraniums, carnations, camellias, 

 abutilons, etc., is about 45° at night. Those known as 

 hothouse-plants do better for having about 15° higher. A 

 temperature of 70° and above will suit any kind of plants 

 when the sun shines, provided some air is admitted at 

 the same time, while in dark cloudy winter weather more 

 than 10° above a suitable night-temperature, is seldom 

 desirable. 



2656. Hotbed-making-.— A hotbed may be made by 

 piling up fresh strong horse-manure some three feet in 

 height, after being firmed and slightly elevated at what 

 is to be the back side of the bed. As a number of loads 

 of manure will be needed for an ordinary-sized bed, it 

 may be necessary to gather the manure for the purpose 

 for a time previously ; in which case it is better that the 

 accumulation be kept from wet, under cover, and be fre- 

 quently overturned to check the escape of heat before it 

 is needed. When the soil is well drained the bed may 

 be sunk a foot or two in the ground, and should be a foot 

 larger each way than the outside of the frame which is to 

 be used. It is important when filling in the manure to 

 tread it not only moderately firm but as evenly as possi- 

 ble, so the surface of the bed later on will keep its shape 

 well. After the manure is in place the frame can be put 

 on at once, and filled in with about six inches of light 

 rich soil for a seed or plant-bed. Sash should be put on 

 at once, and kept closed until the heat has run up through 

 the soil thoroughly. This accomplished, it is better 

 to wait another day before sowing the seeds. Sow in 

 drills extending across the bed, leaving a space of about 

 three inches between the drills. After the bed is properly 

 started, care is required in sunny weather to prevent the 

 heat rising to an injurious degree, a matter to be regu- 

 lated by moving the sash up or down a little to admit 

 some air. A thermometer should be in the bed, and be 



closely consulted. Itshould be placed where the sun will 

 not directly strike it. A temperature of 60° at night 

 would be suited to the average of plants ; and this might 

 run up 15° or 20° higher in the day time without detri- 

 ment. The other extreme of cold in frosty nights must 

 be scrupulously guarded against by covering tl e beds 

 with mats or shutters at all threatening times. By bank- 

 ing-up over the manure on the outside with soil, the heat 

 from the manure will be very materially saved to the bed 

 and the appearance in general be improved. — A. H. E. 



2695. Mice Girdling- Trees. — All sorts of devices and 

 paints, etc. have been tried with more or less success. 

 The best method of protecting young trees, we think, is 

 clean cultivation. Mice are not apt to travel a <;reat dis- 

 tance over perfectly bare ground, in order to find a young 

 tree to gnaw. Weeds, grass and rubbish of any kind in 

 an orchard is pretty sure to bring mice, which in winter 

 work under the snow. Trampingdown thesnow around 

 the young trees immediately after every fresh fall, ihv s 

 packing it solid, will very likely keep the mice away 

 from the trees even in ill-kept orchards. Old neglected 

 fences, especially rail fences, are about the worst things 

 near a young orchards, because they harbor mice and 

 other vermin. Our correspondent has used tarred paper 

 tied around the trees, and banking with earth, with suc- 

 cess, but considers this method too much trouble, as it 

 has to be done and undone every year. We can not 

 agree with such an idea. A man can go over quite an 

 orchard in a day, putting on the tarred paper (wire screen 

 will answer the purpose) and the safety of the trees is 

 thus insured at slight cost. It is worth all the trouble 

 and expense. 



2722. White Grub in Strawberry-bed. — It is ques- 

 tionable whether anything better can be done to destroy 

 the grubs than hunting for them near plants showing 

 signs of attack (lack of gloss of foliage, and ihe wilt- 

 ing of the younger leaves in hot and dry weather) when 

 the grubs are few in number, or giving up the patch when 

 there are many. It is folly to expect that grubs can be 

 killed by any application of ashes, lime or salt which 

 would not also destroy the plants. Nor can the pest be 

 disposed of by fall plowing, except when accidentally 

 brought to the surface and found by some of their num- 

 erous enemies. While in the ground, the grub may 

 freeze into a solid chunk all winter, and yet be full of life 

 after it thaws out. Bisulphide of carbon, inserted into 

 holes in the ground, and covered up, is often recommend- 

 ed. Undoubtedly it would kill all the grubs which the 

 fumes can reach. But the method is hardly practicable, 

 and is certainly expensive. 



2723. The Cabbag-e Root-fly is common, and in 

 its larva stage, then known as " cabbage maggot," de- 

 structive to young cabbage and cauliflower-plants. The 

 onion-fly and radish maggot are near relatives, if not of 

 the same species. The fly looks somewhat like a com" 

 mon house-fly. It lays its eggs at the base of the plants 

 or stalk, and the egg soon hatches into a footless mag- 

 got, which at once makes its way beneath the surface, 

 feeding upon the outer portions of the stalk. It is while, 

 pointed at the head, the body increasing in size towards 

 the hinder end where, it is squarely cut ofi". In full siz.-, 

 it is about >i-inch long. It pupates in the ground, ami 

 soon emerges as a perfect fly. The first brood, appear- 



