124 



Btem thick, set in a deep wide cavity; flesh white, mild, sub-acid; season, early 

 winter. Ti-ee a strong grower, perfectly hai-dy here and at Abbotsford. It is suc- 

 ceeding admirably in Minnesota and Northern Iowa. 



GiPSEY (1,227 -De/?.) — This was noted in the report of la«t year, and is repeated 

 heie to emphasize its value. About the season of Fameuse. 



Silken Leap (32*7 Z>ep., 75 m.) — A very hardy tree, bearing large, coarse-fleshed 

 apples, of value only for culinary purposes. As in the case of Hibernal, the planting 

 of this should be confined exclusively to extreme northern situations. Valuable as 

 atop-working stock. 



Arabka (257 JDep. Imported by Elwanger & Barry, Rochester, N.T.) — This 

 was also mentioned in my report for 1890, and should have a place with planters in 

 northern Ontario. (No. 315 Dep. Herren, as fruited at Abbotsford, seems to be 

 identical with the above.) 



EoYAL Table (5 m.) — See report for 1890. 



Zusopp (585 Dep.') — Prof. Budd reports this not quite hardy at Ames, but Messrs. 

 Somerville and Harris, of Minnesota, pronounce it satisfactory, and Mr. Tuttle, of 

 Wisconsin, gives it three stars, and says it is equal to Fameuse in quality. It is 

 certainly one of the handsomest large winter apples I have seen. I cannot speak of 

 its hardiness at Ottawa, as it was only added to the collection last year. I feel 

 jutisfied in saying, however, that where the Fameuse is hardy it can be safely 

 planted. Fruit large, round and symmetrical, almost entirely covered with a rich 

 <lark red colour ; flesh coarse, but not as stringy as Alexander ; a pleasant acid. 

 Season, mid-winter. 



Plums. 



A number of varieties of the Prunus Americana type (the De Sota class) fruited 

 the past season, although planted only the previous year. While these cannot 

 compete with the finer varieties of P. JDomestica as shipping and market fruits, yet 

 they will, in the north, fill a very important place for home use, being excellent for 

 canning and preserving. Some of them, for example, Forest Garden, Wyant and 

 Yoseraite Purple, need annual shortening-in to keep the branches from becoming too 

 long and unmanageable. Another important point towards attaining the best results 

 with this class is the mixing of varieties in the orchard, for the purpose of more 

 complete fertilization. Some kinds, Speer and Miner, for example, are said to be 

 imperfect self-fertilizers and need a supply of pollen from other varieties in order 

 to perfect their fruit. Very few belonging to the class P. Domestica came through 

 the winter without greater or less injury, the condition of varieties in a general way 

 corresponding with statements made in the j'eport for 1890. 



Pears. 



The varieties of Euesian pears noted in last year's report have grown very 

 vigorously the past year, and their dark-green glossy foliage has attracted the atten- 

 tion of many visitors while looking over the farm. 



The question of hardiness seems to be, in the case of a large number of varieties, 

 quite assured, but I do not anticipate that the fruit in any case will approach in 

 quality Bartlett, or even Flemish Beauty. Bessemianka and Gakovka gave again this 

 year a few specimens of fruit; in size medium to small, below medium in quality, 

 showing too much tendency to drop prematurely and also to decay at the core — even 

 before Mling — without being apparently ripe. This, especially, was the case with 

 Bessemianka. Dr. Hoskins, of Vermont, however speaks very favourably of the 

 quality of this variety as fruited on his grounds. As it has been imported trom 

 several points in Russia, it is quite probable that variations will be found to exist, 

 and time is needed to bring out the best. 



