REPORT OF MR. S. A. BEDFORD 303 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The demand for colonies lx?ing large the apiary was run for swarms more than for 

 honey and only about 25 pounds of honey per colony were taken. Sixteen swarms were 

 obtained during the season. These found ready sale at five dollars per colony. Twelve 

 hives were placed in the cellar on November 15. 



HORTICULTURE. 



APPLES. 



Orchard of Siberian Crab (Pyrus baccata). — It is with pleasure that we record one 

 of the best crops of this fruit yet harvested on the Experimental Farm. The trees were 

 covered with bloom in the spring and the total absence of spring frosts, resulted in a 

 splendid set of fruit iu many instances so heavy was the crop that the branches of the 

 trees were bent down under the weight. The most notable feature of this fruit is its 

 extreme variability, specimens of the same vai-iety ranging in size from that of a fair 

 sized pea to a size nearly as large as the Transcendent Crab. While it is proposed to 

 continue the growing of the larger kinds — the small fruited trees have been reserved for 

 top grafting with improved varieties. The varieties of Pyrus grown in this orchard 

 consist of the following : — 



'O 



Pi/Tiis baccata edulis, P. b. macrocarpa, P. b. microcarpi, P. b. bitea, P. b. sanguinea, 

 P. b. aurantiaca, P. b. genuina, P. b. cerasiformis and P. b. yellow. Pyrus prunifolia, 

 P. p. xantJiocarpa, P. p. intermedia and Pyrus mains Ko. 529. 



The most promising of these which have yet fruited are among P. b. sanguinea^ 

 Pyrus prunifolia and Pyrus prunifolia xanthocarpa and even these show very great 

 variation in individual trees — Following will be-found a list of the most promising trees. 



Pyrus baccata sanguinea No. 15. — Fruit, rosy red when ripe, and produced in 

 groat profusion, depth 1 inch, ripe August 15. Of a mealy consistency though pleasant 

 flavour, sweet, calyx in about 75 per cent of the fruit persistent, makes a first class jelly. 



Pyrus baccata sanguinea No. 16. — Colour light red on sunny side light green on 

 opposite. Ripe August 25, flavour pleasantly acid and juicy. Calyx entirely persistent 

 a very good variety. 



Pyrus prunifolia xanthocarpa No. 17. — This was the largest of the pyrus yet fruited 

 having a diameter of 1| inches. The colour of the fruit is a deep green and was not fully 

 ripe before frost. 



Pyrus baccata yellow No. IS. — The fruit of this variety is of a deep yellow colour all 

 over, and is about the same size as Pyrus baccata sanguinea No. 15. The flesh is 

 pleasantly sub-acid and very juicy. 



CRAB APPLE SEEDLINGS. 



In the Pyrus orchard there has been grown a number of seedlings from the follow- 

 ing Crabs — Martha, Transcendent, Piose of Stanstead, Sn3'der, Gideon, and Jumbo. The 

 four last mentioned having proven too tender for us here, have all been destroyed except 

 one or two of the most promising trees of each variety, left for further test. The 

 Transcendents have shown themselves somewhat hardier, although many of these have 

 repeatedly been killed back. The seedlings of Martha are however most promising. Most 

 of them have been quite hardy since planting, make very shapely trees, and this year 

 three of them fruited — following is a brief description of each of these three sorts. 



