2-3 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1903 



REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



(W. T. Macoun.) 



Du. Wm. Saunders, 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 



Ottawa. December 1, 1902. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the Sixteenth Annual Report of thia 

 Division. In the following pages will be found the results of some of the most important 

 experiments conducted during the past year, and the conclusions reached regarding others 

 which have been carried on for a number of years. 



Notwithstanding the severe frost on May 9, the season, on the whole, was satis- 

 factory and good progress was made in the work of this division. 



Character of Season. — Although the temperature did not fall as low during the 

 winter of 1901-2 as it usually does, it was moderately cold most of the time. The winter 

 set in on November 14, 1901, with a fall of 4 inches of snow and the ground unfrozen. 

 It was very cold during the third week of December, the temperature falling to 14 ■ 3° F. 

 below zero on the 16th, but later it was mild. January was moderately cold, on the 

 whole, but the lowest temperature of the winter was on the 17th, when it went to 19°F. 

 below zero. There was a very heavy snowstorm from January 21, to January 2.3, when 

 19 inches of snow fell. Another heavy snowstorm from February 1 to 3, added 15 

 inches more snow, which made a fine protective covering for plants and trees. February 

 was moderately cold. It did not thaw from January 22 to February 22, but on February 

 25 the snow began to go rapidly, and by March 8 the sleighing was practically gone. 

 On March 24 the frost, which had not reached a great depth during the winter, was out 

 of the ground in many places and the soil was drying fast. Work outside was begun on 

 April 1. On March 31, ploughing was begun in the apple orchard, the soil being in good 

 condition and frost in a few spots only. The early spring was very fine for work, the 

 weather being comparatively cool with little rain. Trees did not leaf out rapidly and 

 were not much in advance of other years. It was an exceptionally favourable spring for 

 tree planting. The winter injury to trees and shrubs v/as less than the average. 



The most serious spring frost which has been felt in this neighbourhood for years 

 occurred on May 9, when there were 13 degrees. This caused great destruction to early 

 planted vegetables and badly injured herbaceous perennials and the leaves of trees and 

 shrubs. The flowers of native plums, which were in bloom, suffered badly and the crop 

 was much lessened ; the Americana plums did not suffer as much as most of the flowers 

 were still in bud. Cherries suffered badly where the buds were enough expanded to 

 show white. Little injury was caused to apple blossoms. Gooseberries and currants, 

 though in full bloom, were practically uninjured. Where strawberries had been unco- 

 vered early or had not been covered at all the injury to the flowers was very great. The 

 grape crop was practically a failure where the vines had been uncovered, the buds being 

 destroyed. The leaves of raspberries were badly hurt, thus weakening the plants and 

 lessening the crop. Many herbaceous plants were injured which might be expected to 

 stand the frost, among these being a large number of native plants. Rhubarb and 

 asparagus, which had made considerable growth, became quite soft and useless, but grew 

 again. Tulips and n.-ircissus, which were in full bloom, suffered considerably, but the 

 flowers were not destroyed. Flowering shrubs were badly hurt, a large proportion of 



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