REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 109 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Ethel : — Bush a strong grower and productive. Bunches large. Fruit above 

 medium size; skin, rather thick; briskly subacid. Quality above medium. Fruit 

 ripens evenly. Season medium. Promising on account of productiveness and size of 

 fruit. 



Climax: — ^Bush a strong grower and productive. Bunches large. Fruit above 

 medium to large. Skin moderately thick, fairly tender, briskly subacid, good flavour; 

 Quality good. Season medium late. One of the most promising. 



Success: — Bush a medium grower, but productive. Bunches medium size. Fruit 

 large ; skin moderately thick, tender, subacid, good flavour ; quality good to very good. 

 Ripens evenly. Season very early. Promising on account of earliness, size of fruit 

 and quality. 



Clipper: — ^Bush a strong grower and productive. Bunches large. Fruit medium 

 to large; skin moderately thick, tender; briskly subacid, good flavour. Quality good. 

 Fruit ripens somewhat unevenly. Season medium late. Promising. 



Winona : — Bush "a. medium grower, productive. Bunches small to medium. Fruit 

 above medium to large; subacid; quality good. Ripens evenly. Season early. 



Topsy: — Bush a strong grower, moderately productive. Bunches large. Fruit 

 above medium to large; clings well. Skin rather thick; briskly subacid; good flavour; 

 quality good to very good. Season medium. This originated as a hybrid between 

 Dempsey's Black Currant and a cross-bred gooseberry (Houghton X. Broom Girl). 

 From this cross five plants grew. Of these, four had gooseberry foliage and one, the 

 Topsy, black currant foliage and fruit. 



RASPBERRIES. 



The raspberry canes were bent down in the autumn of 1904 for protection as usual 

 and came through the winter, in most cases, in fine condition. The crop of fruit was 

 good this year. 



Of all the varieties under test, the Herbert, a seedling originated by Mr. R. B. 

 Whyte, Ottawa, Ont., is decidedly the best for tliis district. This variety has already 

 been referred to and described in the previous reports, but a few more words may be 

 said of it hera It is hardy, vigorous and very productive. The fruit is of the largest 

 size and of good colour, and good quality. It is not quite as firm as Cuthbert, but in 

 every other respect is superior to that variety at Ottawa, The Herbert is now for sale 

 in Canada and the United States. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



There were 203 named varieties of strawberries under test this year. The crop, on 

 the whole, was a medium one, but not so large as in some seasons, the plants of most 

 varieties not having made many runners in 1904, when the plantation was made, and 

 there being some injury from winter. In the variety tests a plantation is usually left 

 to fruit for two seasons, as when the plants are not set very early in the spring the 

 crop, the first year after planting, is not so large as the second. For commercial plant- 

 ing, however, it usually pays best to set the plants as early in the spring as possible, 

 leaving a long season for making runners and taking only one crop from a plantation, 

 jis when many runner^ are made the plants become crowded the second year and the 

 fruit is often small. 



