REPORT OF M'R. W. S. BLAIR 267 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



abundant crop of fruit, which is distributed evenly over the whole tree. The head has 

 rather a spreading but compact habit. The wood is exceedingly tough, and will sta'-d 

 a crop that many others would break under. The fruit is of exceptionally good quality. 

 It is not large, and on account of its colour and size is not likely to be valuable for 

 f(jreign markets. It has a place for local consumption, and should be grown by every 

 farmer for his own use. Excellent specimens of this fruit have been grown in central 

 Kew Brunswick. The fruit is roundish oblate, slightly conical, medium ; colour rich 

 golden yellow, sprinkled moderately with small gray and light dots ; cavity rather deep 

 and sometimes slightly russeted ; calyx partially open, or closed ; ba^in abrupt, uneven; 

 flesh yellowish, crisp, tender, juicy, rich, fine grained, spicy Jub-acid, with a peculiar 

 aroma. Season December to February. 



HURLBUT. 



Two trees of this variety were planted in the spring of 1897. One of these has 

 made very strong growth the other only fair growth. They fruited this season for the 

 first time, one tree produced a bushel and the other one-half bushel of excellent fruit. 

 The tree is said to be an early and abundant bearer on alternate years. It has a 

 spreading open growth, and the wood is exceedingly tough, and will bear up well under 

 a large crop of fruit. This fruit promises to become a leading early winter sort for 

 market. It is medium to large, oblate, slightly conic, angular; skin yellow, shaded 

 with red striped and splashed with darker red and thinly sprinkled with light dots. 

 Stalk short, inserted in a broad rather shallow cavity, slightly russeted ; calyx, closed ; 

 basin, shallow. Flesh white, crisp, tender, juicy, mild, sprightly sub-acid. Good to 

 very good. Season December to February, 



Gano. 



Two trees of this variety were planted in 1397. They have made very strong 

 growth. The tree is a much more upright and regular grower with us than the Ben 

 Davis, which variety the Gano resembles except that the fruit is much darker in colour. 

 The fruit ripens much better here than the Ben Davis does. Generally speaking, it far sur- 

 passes the Ben Davis grown in the orchard here. The trees do better and produce a 

 better quality of fruit which would seem to indicate that the Gano is better adapt<^d to 

 a heavy soil than Ben Davis. These trees fruited this season for the first time, and 

 produced three pecks of splendid looking fruit from each tree. It has qualities etjual to 

 the Ben Davis for shipment, and in general appearance and quality outside of its colour 

 resembles the Ben Davis from which it is said to be a sport. It is probable that in the 

 future it may largely take the place of Ben Davis. The fruit is round, conical ; skin, 

 green at first but entirely covered with dark red when matured. Flesh greenish white, 

 quite juicy, firm, quality fair. Season February to May. 



CHERRY ORCHARD. 



Forty varieties of cherries are now growing in the experimental orchard. Tliese 

 are, with few exceptions, all making good growth, but unfortunately every vear some 

 trees die. This loss is confined largely to the sweet varieties, which, after "coniing into 

 bearing will die one branch after another until the tree has to be removed. Onl)' from 

 one to three trees of a A>iriety are under test, and the fondness of birds for sweet 

 cherries makes it difficult to get enough ripened fruit for comparative test. Sour vari- 

 ties of cherries will succeed on a heavier soil than the sweet ones, which like a naturally 

 dry, light, loamy soil. The soil of the cherry orchard which is underdrained, is a clay 

 loam with a very heavy clay subsoil, and probably better success would have been 

 obtained had it been possible to have a lighter soil for this fruit. 



The heavy frost of May 19, which caught the sweet clierries just coming into blo;in 

 killed the blossoms completely and no fruit was obtained. The sour cherry blossoms 



