5-6 EDWARD VII. 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 10 



A. 1906 



REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST, 



(W. S. Blair.) 



Nappan, N.S., November 30, 1905.- 

 To Dr. Wm. Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director Dominion Experimental Earms, 

 Ottawa. 



Snr, — I have the honour to submit herewith a report of some of the work done in 

 the Horticultural Department of the Experimental Earm for the maritime provinces 

 during the year 1905. 



The winter of 1905 was a severe one and the months of January and Eebruary 

 were accompanied by an unusual fall of snow. The fruit and ornamental trees did not 

 suffer from winter killing, but on account of snow drifting over them many were more 

 or less injured by being broken when the snow settled. This trouble, however, was 

 overcome in many cases by shovelling the snow away from a number of the fruit ti'ees 

 that were liable to injury, and in this way the branches were relieved of the heavy 

 weight of snow. Some orchards in these provinces suffered greatly from being broken 

 by the snow which drifted in some cases 10 to 15 feet deep around them, so that when 

 the snow settled trees were in many instances practically stripped of branches. 



The early spring was exceptionally late and backward, retarding the blossoming of 

 fruit trees several days. The mean average temperature for May was 1° lower than 

 the average for the past 5 years: Eor June 1^° lower than that of the past 5 years. 

 The month of July was up to the average in temperature, and August was about 1° 

 lower than the mean average for the past 5 years. September, on the other hand, was 

 somewhat warmer than that of the past 5 years by about 4° in the mean average. The 

 following table gives the mean average temperature for the months of May, June, July, 

 August and September for the past 5 years as compared with that of this season. The 

 rainfall during these months for the past 3 years is also given: — 



Month. 



IVray 



June. . . . 



July 



August 



September. 



Total . 



Mean Temperature 

 at Nappan. 



Average, 

 5 Years. 



48 

 56 

 64 

 62 

 56 



1905. 



'•07° 

 ^■52° 

 1-25' 

 [-41° 

 )53° 



1905. 



Inches. 



02 

 30 

 56 

 53 

 38 



U-C3 



Kainfall. 



1904. 



Inches. 



1^ 

 1- 

 2- 

 3- 

 4- 



13 68 



1903. 



Inche 



•68 

 •29 

 ■07 

 •40 

 63 



II 07 



The latter part of June and the first half of July was practically ideal weather 

 for all crops. The summer, however, continued too dry after the middle of July and 

 during August for crops to develop properly. Good cultivation during the early part 



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