xo8 



ONTARIO GROWERS IN COUNCIL. 



address of the Minister of Agriculture, whose promises 

 the members, in the light of their past experience, take 

 at their par value, not as mere honeyed words. It also 

 so appears from the very substantial financial aid which 

 the society receives from the government. 



Spraying or jarring, which is the better remedy for 

 curculio ? This question came up for discussion. Mr. S, 

 D. Willard of Geneva, New York, warned very empha- 

 tically against spraying stone fruits with arsenical poi- 

 sons, for although effective against the curculio, it has 

 caused him a loss of several thousand dollars through 

 burning of the foliage, and consequent damage to crops 

 and trees. The great majority of the Canadian grow- 

 ers, however were on the other side of the question, and 

 many of them emphatically declare they would not at- 

 tempt to raise plums, if they could not spray. But 

 they all use Paris green, while Mr. Willard has only 

 tried London purple on the stone fruits. He says the 

 cost of jarring is only about 25 cents per tree for the 

 season ; and an orchard is soon gone over. He sprays 

 his apple and pear trees with Paris green, and finds it 

 a protection both against codlin and curculio. The 

 Canadian growers use two ounces of Paris green to 40 

 gallons of water. When part of the mixture is used 

 out of the barrel, more water is added, as the Paris 

 green is all the time settling to the bottom, making the 

 poisonous mixture gradually stronger until there is 

 danger of scorching the foliage with it. If used in the 

 proportions named, and with a proper addition of wa- 

 ter afterwards, no injury to the foliage of plum trees 

 has ever been observed. 



SHALL OUR WILD FLOWERS PERISH ? 



This was the title of a paper read by the new presi. 

 dent, J. A. Morton. He protests against the undue pre- 

 ference given to foreign flowers for public and private 

 lawns and gardens, and against the neglect of the many 

 beautiful natives, unappreciated just because they are 

 "only Canadian wild flowers." The florists and seeds- 

 men could create a taste and demand for our beautiful 

 natives by advertising them in their lists and catalogues 

 as persistently as they do the imported flowers. Among 

 plants for the preservation of which Mr. Morton so elo- 

 quently pleads, are the following : Viola pa/mata, and its 

 variety V. citciillata, also V. pedata ; the blood-root, 

 beautiful while it lasts ; Jeffersonia diphylla, a compact 

 bushy plant, of peculiarly shaped leafage ; Epigcra rcp- 

 cns, of most delicious fragrance, and one of the earliest 

 flowers ; several anemones, among them those known as 

 hepaticas, 2X^,0 Anemon: dicliotottia ; actaeas, bearing clus- 

 ters of red or white berries ; marsh marigold, an ob- 

 ject of delight to our children ; meadow rues and rue 

 anemones ; Virgin's bower ; rhomboid-leaved crowfoot ; 

 columbines (^Aqtiilegia Canadt'nsis and A. foriiiosa') ; tril- 

 liums ; Clinionia horealis, desiring a cool, shady nook ; 

 dog's-tooth violet. Among lilies, Liliuin PhiladelpJiicjirn 

 and Z. Canadense, Zygadeniis elegniis and Z. tivalaria. 

 Among orchids the cypripediums, some of which are 

 prettier than the exotic species ; of gentians, the blazing 

 star ; monardas, Asclepias tulwrosa ; phloxes, spider flower 



(C/foiiie inlegrifo/ia) ; harebell and lobelias; several as- 

 ters ; flowering dogwood ; highbush cranberry ; great 

 St. John's wort ; water lilies, kalmias. In cultivating 

 any of these, we should try to make the environments as 

 nearly like the conditions of their former habitation as 

 we can. But if the change is not too sudden or violent, 

 it is wonderful under what varied circumstances and 

 changed conditions these plants will exist and flourish. 



THE NORTHERN ROSE GARDEN. 



This subject was treated by James F. Webster. He 

 advises to plant roses in beds by themselves, rather than 

 scatteringly throughout the garden. Select well-drained, 

 rather heavy soil. If soil is of a sandy nature, the beds 

 may be mulched with two or three inches of rotted ma- 

 nure, allowing this to remain on throughout the season, 

 and digging it under in the fall or following spring with 

 further additions of well-rotted cow manure. Roses de- 

 light in a sheltered position exposed to the morning sun. 

 In April or early May plant the hybrid perpetuals, moss 

 roses and hybrid teas. Set two-year-old plants 30 inches 

 apart; one-year-old plants 15 to 20 inches apart. The 

 latter have to be replanted further apart two or three 

 years later. October is the best time for replanting. 

 Plants budded on Manetti stock should be set with point 

 of union 2j< or 3 inches below the surface. Shoots from 

 the stock to be removed whenever appearing. They 

 can be told by their seven leaflets, while nearly all the 

 hybrid perpetuals have but five. A mound of soil 8 or 

 10 inches high around the plant is a good winter protec- 

 tion for all roses requiring close pruning. Level again 

 in spring. In pruning, leave only 6 or 8 inches of wood, 

 measuring from the ground, and on weak growing varie- 

 ties even less. Burn at once all the clippings, as a meas- 

 ure against increase of thrip. The few remaining thrips 

 can be easily kept in check by timely applications of 

 soapy water, with a few drops of carbolic acid to the 

 pailful. Tobacco tea is perhaps as good a remedy as 

 any. Regarding varieties, the perfect rose has not yet 

 been found. It is not necessary, either, to look to the 

 lists of novelties for those most desirable. Many of the 

 best varieties of to-day have stood the test of a quarter 

 of a century, and will remain favorites for years to come. 



HARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS FOR THE LAWN. 



Mr. Jas. Goldie, who read a paper on the above title, 

 does not believe in planting Norway spruce and Austri- 

 an and Scotch pines on a small door-yard. Such tall 

 growths have to be kept within bounds by cutting at the 

 expense of their natural beauty. Several varieties of 

 the common atbor-vitae, also dwarf varieties of Nor- 

 way spruce and other spruces and pines, and varieties 

 of the lilac, are better fitted for such purposes than what 

 are often planted. There is a great want in Canada of 

 broad-leaved evergreens ; the laurel, the bay, the holly, 

 the rhododendron are not hardy enough for Canadian 

 winters. Rhododendrons and hybrid azaleas do not suc- 

 ceed on limestone soil ; the Mahonia aquifolia^ the holly- 

 leaved barberry, is our only shrub of the broad-leaved 

 character, and is suited for a shady location. One of 



