REPORT OF MR. THOMAS A. SHARPE 417 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



.and many gray dots. Flesh white, very juicy, fine gra-ined, ahiiost buttery, very 

 sweet with a fine pleasant flavour. Season January to March. 



President Fortier. — A free grower and producer. Fruit above medium size, 

 obovate, acute, pyriform; skin smooth, yellowish green, freely sprinkled with gray 

 dots. Flesh whitish, very juicy and very sweet, with a rich pleasant flavour. Sea- 

 son, January and February. 



L'Ineonnue. — Tree a vigorous, upright grower, and an early and very free pro- 

 ducer. Fruit of medium size, oval pyriform. Skin, yellow with a few patches of 

 russet and freely sprinkled with russet dots. Flesh white, juicy, melting, very sweet 

 with a rich pleasant flavour. Season, January to March. 



There are several others of very considerable merit which require two or three 

 years longer to show whether they would be commercially profitable, or only suited 

 to the amateur. 



PLUMS. 



The plum crop was light in some varieties, especially those which bloomed the 

 earliest, but the dry, clear summer developed the fruit in a healthy way and there was 

 very little rot. Many of the varieties in our experimental orchards are too small to be 

 profitable and not small enough to be classed with the damsons. There are, however, 

 a number of very superior plums in the newer varieties of the ' domestica ' class and 

 these will be propagated and given a more extended trial in the commercial plum 

 orchard. 



COMMERCIAL PEAR ORCHARD. 



A commercial pear orchard was begun in the spring of 1907 and will be added to 

 from time to time as varieties of suflicient merit are tested in the experimental orchard. 

 The following varieties are planted: Doyenne du Cornice. Bartlet, Beurre Clairgeau, 

 Princess, Dr. Jules Guyot, Howell and Emile d'Heyst. Several varieties have been 

 grafted and are in nursery and will be planted later on. 



COMMERCIAL PLUM ORCHARD. 



A small commercial orchard of select plums of good size and quality, and resistent 

 to the rot, has been planted and the trees have mostly done very well. This orchard 

 will be enlarged with several of the newer European varieties. The following varieties 

 are already in this orchard : Niagara, Duane's Purple, Washington, Curlew and Prince's 

 Red Gage. All these are strong growing and productive varieties, fine looking and 

 good shippers, and are very regular and free producers and fairly resistant to the plum 

 rot. A number of other valuable varieties are being propagated and will be planted out 

 later on. 



CHERRIES. 



The weather was wet and cold for some time previous to, during, and after the 

 cherries blossomed and the crop of fruit was very small in consequence. No new 

 varietios fruited, for, although several young trees blossomed, no fruit set. 



The Heart and Bigarrcau cherries are not a commercial success in this valley, 

 owing to the frequent recurrence of unfavourable weather in spring when the trees 

 are in bloom and also to the showery weather when the fruit is ripening. 



The following is a list of the most satisfactory sorts : Angleterre Ilative, Olivet, 

 Empress Eugenie, De Planchoury, Von der Natte, Shadow Amarelle and Vladimir. 



16—27 



