ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



(John Craig.) 



To Wm. Saunders, Esq., 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith a report of the work carried on in 

 the hoiticultural department, for the year 1891. 



The season while on the whole unfavourable to nursery work and transplant- 

 ing operations, will long be remembered throughout the Dominion as a year marked 

 by a fair ciop of fruit of first quality, the dryness of early spring being unfavour- 

 able to the development of apple scab and other fungous diseases. The unusual 

 heat of September had the effect of hastening the maturity of late summer and 

 autumn varieties, which lead to a lowering of market prices, by the consequent 

 haste on the part of growers to get rid of this class of fruit. To provide against 

 such contingencies, more attention will need to be paid by growers to the produc- 

 tion of a commodity of higher quality, placed upon the market in the neatest, m.ost 

 convenient and attractive way. This in part may be accomplished by closer atten- 

 tion being jiaid to cultivation and spraying of trees, thinning, grading and packing 

 of fruit; and as our fruit interests develop, cold storage will undoubtedly play an 

 important part in the profitable disposal of the different orchard products. 



In drawing up this report, which has been done in as concise and brief a form as 

 possible consistent with clearness, I have followed the plan adopted last year — that 

 of dividing the work and placing it under different heads. 



I. Large Fruits. — Gives notes on orchaid culture with special reference to the 

 needs of northern planters, together with suggestions, preventive and lernedial, for 

 the treatment of trees injured by mice or rabbits during winter. Particular atten- 

 tion has been given during the year to collecting information in regard to the most 

 valuable varieties of the Russian apples, so far as experience up to this point can 

 guide. The varieties mentioned have been carefully selected, and are commended 

 to the attenion of northein orchardists. 



II. Small Fruits. — Under this head will be found some conclusions i-eached in 

 regard to methods of planting; facts conceining winter protection, and relative pro- 

 fitableness of varieties. Consideiable space is given to grapes, covering tabular 

 information, as to time of colouring and ripening ; also descriptive notes of varieties. 



III. Vegetables. — Giving the names and descriptions of vaiieties in the follow- 

 ing classes, which succeeded best in the experimental plots: Beets, cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, celery, pease, peppers and tomatoes; also some results from the use oS> ferti- 

 lizers upon the latter. 



IV. Forestry. — A report upon the work of distributing young seedlings, and 

 tree feeds to the piairie provinces. 



V. Fungicides. — Giving results of experiments in spraying to prevent ** apple 

 scab," " grape " and •' gooseberry mildew." 



acknowledgements. 



I beg gratefully to acknowledge the following donations : — 



Mr. W. W. Dunlop, Montreal— -^mall fruit plants, plum trees and scions ; seeds of 

 East India plants. 



Stay man & Black, Leavenworth, Kans. — Ten new varieties of grapes for trial, 

 six Slayman raspberry plants. 



W. P. Eupert & Son, Seneca, N.Y. — Two trees of Vermont Beauty Pear. 



