242 



QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED. 



2828. Forsythia from Seed. — These hardy shrubs 

 are increased by propagation from cuttings or by laye - 

 ing, like currants, grape-vines, etc. We are not aware 

 that the plants ever seed. Strong plants can be bought 

 at the leading tree and shrub nurseries for 50 cents or less. 



2829. List of the Hardier Shrubs. — For a list of a 

 dozen of the hardiest flowering shrubs, we name the fol- 

 lowing : Barberries, several species and varieties ; flow- 

 ering currants, dogwoods, ornamental elders, bush honey- 

 suckles, mock oranges, lilacs, Japan quince, native 

 spireas, weigelias, native euonymus or spindle-tree. 



2821. Shrubs near House. — All the shrubs and 

 climbers named are so adaptable that they would succeed 

 on either the west or the south side of your house, 



2861. Market for Cut-Flowers in Buffalo.— The fol- 

 lowing florists in Buffalo do not grow the stock they sell, 

 hence are heavy buyers : Adams & Nolan, D. B. Long, 

 R. J. Lawrence. There are in the city several stores 

 who both grow and sell. The names could be found in 

 the city directory. 



2851. Growing Healthy Violets. — It is believed that 

 the cause of yellow spots on violet-leaves, of which so 

 much has been heard in time past, is due to submitting 

 the plants to a growing temperature through the winter, 

 when natural conditions require that violets should have 

 rest by freezing. Accordingly, growers now propagate 

 in the fall, and keep the plants in a coldframe during 

 winter, thus giving them the advantage of a natural 

 winter rest when small. To propagate in the spring 

 from plants that are being forced is to deprive the stock 

 of such rest year after year ; hence is it to be wondered 

 at that ailments should set in ? 



2842. Leaves of Palm Dying. — The trouble with 

 your palms undoubtedly is at the roots. We think that 

 the soil is uncongenial, perhaps as a result of poor 

 drainage in the old boxes. It may be sour from con- 

 tinued or former bad drainage. When an experienced 

 plant-grower finds a plant ailing, nine times out of ten 

 he examines the roots first and in most cases he finds 

 that the trouble is there 



2844. Remedies for Rose-Pests.— The rose -bug or 

 rose-chafer may be fought by hand-picking or by knock- 

 ing off on sheets early in the morning. Clinton grapes, 

 which these beetles prefer to most other plants, may be 

 planted as a decoy. For the rose-slug use kerosene 

 emulsion sprayed upon the bushes ; for the rose leaf- 

 hopper use whale-oil soap, kerosene emulsion, buhach in 

 powder or solution, or tobacco tea. Aphis and most 

 other insects that trouble rose bushes yield readily to 

 spraying with kerosene emulsion. 



2817. Root-Knot on Vegetables and Flowers.— This 

 "disease" appears in the form of galls or knots on the 

 roots of a large number of plants and trees, among them 

 the clematis, rose, begonia, cucumber, potato, tomato, 

 cabbage, turnip, lettuce, beet, radish, parsnip, egg-plant, 

 grape, peach, plum, orange and many others. The knotty 

 swellings are caused by and contain minute worms, known 



as eel or thread-worms [Heterodera radicicola) which 

 multiply and spread from plant to plant very rapidly, 

 German investigators have strongly urged the use oL 

 ' ' catch " plants for the root-gall of the sugar-beet. Rape, 

 for instance, may be sown on the infested fields, and when 

 the roots have become infested, but before the females 

 have begun to produce young, the plants pulled up 

 and destroyed. Several crops of rape should thus be 

 grown and destroyed in quick succession, each succeeding 

 crop tending to entrap the worms remaining in the soil. 

 This method is expensive and tedious, but may be prac- 

 ticable in some cases, especially for land on which high- 

 priced crops such as clematis and other nursery stock are 

 to be grown. For ordinary crops this method will hardly 

 answer. It is probable that the worms require living 

 tissues to develop in, and that, deprived of this, they 

 would die. Hence keeping land clean and free from all 

 growth for two or more years can be expected to free it 

 from all infection. Soil known to be infected should 

 not be planted with any crop subject to the attacks of eel- 

 worms unless means are found and employed to destroy 

 the enemy. Alkaline fertilizers, such as hardwood-ashes, 

 muriate and sulphate of potash, kainit, etc., produce a 

 hard growth that is but little if any affected by the root- 

 knot. Tobacco-dust mixed with the soil has also seemed 

 to be a protection, probably on account of its alkaline 

 nature. These preventive materials should be used in as 

 large doses as would be safe to apply on the respective 

 crops. For pot-plants use fresh, uninfected soil. 



2825. Mixtures for Grape Diseases. — To find carbon- 

 ate of copper you will have to go to a wholesale druggist 

 or paint-shop, or purchase it from one of our manufac- 

 turers of, or dealers in, spraying-machines. You can also 

 buy the prepared ammonical solution of carbonate of 

 copper, now being advertised under the name "copper- 

 dine." This will be found the cheaper way, as druggists 

 charge exorbitant rates for both the copper and the 

 ammonia. Write to W. S. Powell & Co, , Baltimore, Md. 



2767. Spruces from Seed. — One of our evergreen- 

 specialists gives the following directions : Sow evergreen- 

 seeds broadcast in beds four feet wide, in light, sandy 

 loam ; cover very lightly. Shade the beds from the sun 

 for the first year, either with lath frames or brush. The 

 seeds are sown dry. The beds must be carefully hand- 

 weeded the first and second years. The seedlings are 

 then of proper size to be thinned out of the beds and 

 planted in the nursery. In Minnesota, board wind- 

 screens and winter protection will be necessary. If the 

 inquirer will follow these instructions carefully he will 

 be certain to succeed. — B. I. E. 



2668. Haverland Strawberry. — The Haverland is 

 valuable for home use or near-by market, but in a wet 

 season the berries are too soft for shipping. It stands 

 drouth best of all with us. It ripens early and continues 

 late. This enables it to bear immense crops. Michel 

 Early is the only berry that ripens early enough to fertil- 

 ize its first blossoms with us. — L. J, Farmer, Long 

 Island, A'. V. 



