REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 137 



slightly acid : quality good ; stone, medium to small, partly free. On the whole a pro- 

 mising variety. 



John A . 



From Richard Trotter, Owen Sound, Ontario, received September 10th ; 

 Mr. Trotter says this variety is the result of a cross between a local seedling called 

 " Evelyn" and " Fellenberg," the latter being the male parent. It is a rapid, stronc 

 grower with heavy foliage, which it retains late in the season. The fruit keeps well. 



Description of fruit. — Large, oblong or egg-shaped, slightly flattened laterally ; 

 tapering towards stem ; colour, dark bronzy red with brighter blush near calyx ; bloom, 

 heavy purplish blue ; suture, quite deeply marked ; cavity, one sided with swollen lip 

 on side opposite suture ; stem, one and a quarter inches in length, stout ; flesh, greenish 

 yellow, firm and juicy, a pleasant sub-acid ; pit, large and semi-clinging ; the prune 

 characteristics are strongly marked ; as a keeper it may be valuable. 



A. M. Smith, of St. Catharines, Ontario, sends, under date of October 5th, a sample 

 of blue plums which I have described as follows : — 



Size, one and three eighth inches, by one and a quarter inches ; nearly round ; 

 colour, blue with a thick blue bloom ; suture, indistinctly marked ; stem, three quarters 

 of an inch long ; cavity, narrow and small ; skin, thin ; flesh, firm, dark coloured, juicy, 

 moderately sweet ; fair quality ; stone, small, round, adherent to flesh. This is pro- 

 bably a Damson seedling, and may be valuable on account of its lateness. 



SOME DESIRABLE CRAB APPLES. 



The Siberian crab, Pyrus prunifolia, has played a most important part in the ame- 

 lioration and improvement of pomaceous fruits adapted to cold latitudes. Contempor- 

 aneously with the early settlers of Canada came the red and yellow Siberian crabs, and 

 in nearly every old seedling orchard may be found venerable trees bearing this useful 

 kitchen fruit, contributing their quota year after year to the housewife's store of jellies and 

 preserves. In the tree we have a rare combination of vigour and productiveness, but 

 also a tendency to blight. The most important development among apples from this 

 race is the Wealthy, which was given to the public by Peter M. Gideon, of Excelsior, 

 Minnesota, after years of patient labour. October, Peter, and Gideon are other varie- 

 ties originated from the same stock and therefore supposed to be true hybrids between 

 the cultivated American apple and the Siberian crab. 



The late Chas. Gibb, writing in 1884 said : "The Russian apple will undoubtedly 

 enable us to extend our area of apple culture northward. Let us remember, however, 

 that the hardiest known form of the apple is the Cherry crab of Siberia." 



In weighing their merits and demerits he says, " their good points are 1st, hardi- 

 ness and productiveness ; 2nd, early bearing ; thinness of skin of the fruit ; 4th, brisk, 

 sprightly flavour. The weak points are, 1st, smallness of size of fruit ; 2nd, an astrin- 

 gent or ' puckery ' flavour, and I would add, a tendency to blight." 



It is well to remember, as Mr. Gibb adds, " that the smallest crab can produce as 

 good a codling worm as the largest apple, and that inferior crabs, whose fruit is not 

 worth picking, may produce large numbers of codling moths, and may thus be a source 

 of great loss to the owner of the orchard." 



The following is a descriptive list of those which have fruited during the past three 

 years. They are all true Siberians or their descendants, with the exception of Soulard 

 (Pyrus coronaria.) 



