136 



Perkins (Lahrusca). — Yiiie lacking in vigour; fruit drops badly. Bunch 

 medium. Berry small to medium ; colour greenish white, turning to pale lilac, tinged 

 with red; flesh juicy, with considerable foxiness; has no merits as a keeper. 

 Shrivels and losses flavour i-apidly. 



Pearl (Riparia). — A seedling of Taylor ; very late, and utterly worthless on 

 account of its liability to mildew. 



EoGERs No. 34 (Hybrid). — Vine vigorous and productive ; bunch long loose. 

 Berry large, light yellow; skin thin; flesh tender, rich and melting; first quality. 

 Like a number of the Eogers varieties, it is not a perfect self-fertilizer, and should 

 not be planted in an isolated position. Valuable for home use. 



Taylor {Eiparia). — An old Kentuckian variety brought into notice many years 

 ago. Vine makes satisfactory growth, but is badly affected with powdery mildew ; 

 bunch and berry small ; poor quality ; not adapted to our soil and climatic conditions. 



Triumph {Labrusca hybrid). — A cross between Concord and a foreign variety, 

 by Campbell, of Ohio. Vine not hardy here. Fruit attractive, on account of size 

 and appearance, but its value in Canada is quite doubtful. 



Transparent (Riparia). — A seedling of Taylor. Vine vigorous ; very produc- 

 tive: bunch small, very compact; berry very small, unattractive. As a wine grape 

 it is worthy of a trial in sections to the south of this. 



Wilding (of Riparia and Labru&ca extraction). — Vine a fair grower, apparently 

 hardy. Bunch rather small ; berry medium, green, very thin skinned ; pulp tender, 

 of first quality ; subject to mildew. Home use south of this point. 



Strawberries. 



The spring of 1891 was most unfavourable to fall-set plants, of which the new 

 plantation is composed. Cold weather and high winds, coupled with the sonoewhat 

 sandy nature of the soil, wrought much damage to a " stand " which the previous 

 autumn was almost perfect. On this account reliable comparisons between varieties 

 could not be made. 



METHODS OF PLANTING. 



In setting out the new plantation in the fall of 1890 two methods of planting were 

 adopted. Half of each variety- was planted in the ordinary way, by (1) making a 

 hole deep enough to admit the roots without doubling them up, then spreading them 

 carefully in all directions as much as possible, filling in the soil by hand, and taking 

 care to compact it firmly ; (2) The remaining half was planted by striking a spade 

 across the line of the row. Into this cleft the fan-shaped roots were inserted and spread 

 as much as the opening would admit, and the earth then packed well about them. 

 This method lequires a man and boy — the former to operate the spade, the latter 

 to set the plants — and is much more rapid than the old style. 



Results reached are : 



1. A perfect stand of plants was obtained from both methods. 



2. No difference in the health and vigour of the plants comprising the two sets 

 was noticed. 



3. The spade method being more rapid, cheaper, and equally satisfactory, is 

 therefore recommended. 



RENEWING OLD BEDS. 



When old beds have become run out and lacking in vigour, it is occasionally 

 found convenient to renew them without losing a crop. This may be accomplished 

 by the following plan: As soon as the crop of berries has been picked, i-emove the 

 mulch from between the rows, dress these interspaces with rotted manuie, wood 

 ashes, or some commercial fertilizer, which should be well worked in with a small 

 plough or cultivator ; then train the runners into these spaces. Bj' the middle of 

 September the young plants will have become firmly rooted, when u line is stretched 

 on either side of the old rows, and the young plants separated rapidl}- from the old 



