92 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2-3 EDWARD VII., A. 1903 



the flower buds being killed. Spiraea Van Houttei, which usually blooms profusely, had 

 practically all the flower buds destroyed. The May flowering shrubs which noticeably 

 escaped injury were the Tartarian Honeysuckles, Caraganas, Spiraea arguta, and the 

 double flowering almond. Trees such as birch and beech did not recover from the effects 

 of the frost till July. The flowers of the American elm were destroyed and no fruit set. 

 Tliere were only two days in May when the temperature was above 80° F., the highest 

 temperature being 86° F., on the 23rd. The rainfall in May was light. June was a 

 very showery month and growth was much retarded by cool weather. The highest tem- 

 perature in June was on the 3rd, when it was 84° F. July was the warmest month of 

 summer, but there were few really hot days. The highest temperature for the summer 

 was 92° F., on the 8th. On July 15 there was a terrific storm of wind, rain, and hail, 

 which blew^down and broke a number of the fruit and ornamental trees at the farm, and 

 did much damage in the surrounding country. Nearly 1^ inches of rain fell in fifteen 

 minutes. On the 17th there was another great storm with very heavy wind and rain, 

 which blew down and broke more trees. August was only a moderately warm month, 

 the highest temperature being 87*5° F., on the 21st, and comparatively little rain fell 

 during that month, nor in September, which was very fine, but not very warm. The 

 first frost which was a killing one occurred on October 9, when 8 degrees were recorded. 

 Everything at all tender was killed. October was a cool and frosty month, but there 

 were no heavy rains. November was a fine month for work, the weather being com- 

 paratively mild up to November 25, when winter set in with the ground frozen. On the 

 26th and 27th, five inches of snow fell, and this gradually increased. 



Fruit and Vegetable Crops. — The fruit crop in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec 

 was large this year, on the whole, though in some districts it was better than in others. 

 The apple crop was very uncertain during the early part of the season, for although the 

 bloom was abundant, the fruit dropped much more than usual during the latter part of 

 June and early in July. As a result of this thinning, however, the fruit grew larger, 

 and what looked like a light crop in the early part of the season developed into a very 

 fair one. The black spot was bad in many places and lessened the value of the crop 

 very much, making the percentage of number one apples small. Pears, peaches, plums 

 and cherries were all good crops in most of the districts where they can be grown suc- 

 cessfully. Grapes did not ripen as well as usual this year. Small fruits were good. 

 At the Central Experimental Farm the apple crop was good and the fruit clean. The 

 plum crop was fair but the fruit smaller than usual. European plums fruited much 

 better than usual this year. The crop of cherries was light but better than it has been 

 since 1898. Seven rov/s of grape vines were uncovered before the severe frost of May 

 9 and the crop on these was in most cases little or nothing. The vines in the greater 

 part of the vineyard, however, which were not uncovered at that date, produced good 

 crops, but the autumn being cool, comparatively few kinds ripened. The crop of goose- 

 berries and currants was good, but the injury to the raspberries in spring lessened the 

 yield of that fruit considerably. Strawberries did well at the farm, though in the 

 neighbourhood the crop was much lighter than usual. 



Although most vegetables in the vicinity of Ottawa were badly injured and in 

 some cases destroyed by spring frosts, few kinds suffered at the Experimental Farm, as 

 the tender things were not put out untit' after the severe frost of May 9. Melons, how- 

 ever, were a total failure. Tomatoes, although not ripening as early as usual, were a 

 good crop, and potatoes, which were sprayed, gave the best crop in the history of the 

 farm. 



Meetings attended and places visited. — As in the past, a portion of my time during 

 the year was devoted to attending meetings and visiting places where I could be of ser- 

 vice to the fruit growers, and also acquire information which would be helpful in my 

 work here. On December 18 and 19, 1901, I attended the meeting of the Quebec 

 Pomological Society at Coaticook, Que., and gave an address on " The Work of the 

 Horticultural Division at the Central Experimental Faim." 



