REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 95 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 

 THE TESTING AND THE ORIGINATION OF NEW FRUITS AT THE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM. 



There is a large collection of promising new fruits at the Central Experimental 

 Farm, the result of eighteen years' work in gathering together the varieties advertised 

 by nurserymen and the best seedlings not yet offered for sale. Many seedlings have 

 also been raised from the best varieties which have fruited at Ottawa, and many others 

 from seed imported from Russia. Work in cross-breeding has also been carried on, 

 and varieties originated in this way are now beginning to fruit. If a man sends a 

 seedling fruit for examination and it is considered promising, scions are asked for 

 and if received are propagated and later on the young trees are planted in the orchard. 

 At the present time there are over 100 such promising seedlings of apples alone which 

 are being tested in this way. The results of these experiments take time, and it has 

 always been the policy of the Horticulturist to thoroughly test a variety before re- 

 commending it for general planting. For this reason, there have been comparatively 

 few additional kinds added in recent years to the list of those recommended. When 

 we are convinced, however, that a variety is a decided acquisition, the planting of it 

 is strongly recommended. The Mcintosh Red apple is an example of this. The in- 

 formation furnished regarding this fine variety has undoubtedly done much to ex- 

 lend the planting of it during recent years. 



Nearly 2,000 seedlings of Mcintosh Red, Fameuse, Swayzie Pomme Grise, Lawver, 

 Northern Spy, Winter St. Lawrence, Wealthy, Salome and other varieties are under 

 test. This year 37 of these fruited. Few of them were promising, but the majority 

 of them were apples of good size and fair quality. An orchard of 3,000 trees of seed- 

 ling apples from seed imported from Russia has, after testing the fruit, been reduced 

 to 75 trees, which have borne the best fruit, the rest having been destroyed. While 

 but few of these will prove of value in the warmer parts of Ontario and Quebec, a 

 greater number may be found valuable for the North. In a few years the crosses 

 mnde with Mcintosh Red, Lawver, Northern Spy, Milwaukee and North Western 

 Greening Avill begin to fruit and from these something good should be obtained. There 

 are also spedliii"" plums, currants, raspberries, grapes and strawberries in the Horti- 

 cultural Department, of which there are some that we are confident will yet find a 

 place among commercial varieties. Descriptions of the most promising varieties 

 originated and tested at the Central Experimental Farm have appeared from time to 

 time in the annual reports. 



SEEDLING FRUITS RECEIVED FOR EXAMINATION — 1905. 



The following seedling varieties were received for examination this year. Full 

 descriptions are published of those considered promising, and only a partial descrip- 

 tion of tlicse of less merit. These descriptions are valuablle because they constitute a 

 record of all the promising seedling fruits which come under our notice. If any of 

 these varieties should in future years be grown in the commercial nurseries of Canada 

 their history can be traced and the description given by the nurseryman compared 

 with the original description published in these reports. Those descriptions not only 

 serve as a record, but they bring these varieties and their characteristics under the 

 notice of many fruit growers who, if they desire, can test the more promising ones 

 themselves, providing of course, that scions can be obtained. 



Fruit growers are asked to continue to send in specimens of promising varieties, 

 as in this way those of exceptional merit will find recognition. 



