♦ REPOh'T OF MR. 8. A. BEDFORD 395 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Forty pounds of extracted lioney was produced per colony, spring count, and eight 

 now swarms obtained. 



Bees have now been successfully kept on the farm for a number of years, and I 

 see no reason why the average farmer should not succeed equally well, providing he is 

 located near thickets of wood, where the bees can obtain ready access to abundance 

 of native flowers, most of which secrete nectar, but out in the open prairie at a dis- 

 tance from tiiiiljer, it may be more difficult to make a success of bee-keeping. 



Parties supplied with colonies from this farm last year report having had good 

 success with them. 



IIOETICULTUEE, 1904. 



The past season was in nearly every respect an ideal one for the horticulturist. 

 April opened with bright sunny weather, which conditions were very favourable to 

 the successful gi-owing of plants in the hot-bed, and remarkably strong seedlings were 

 ready at planting out time Perhaps the most gratifying feature in the climatic con- 

 ditions is the continued absence of spring frosts. Formerly this v/as the most dis- 

 couraging factor we had to contend with in horticultural work, resulting, as it fre- 

 quently did, in the total destruction of the fruit blossoms, and seriously damaging 

 such vegetables as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, corn and tomatoes. For the past 

 four years these frosts have not been in evidence, and it seems reasonable to hope 

 that in this connection climatic conditions are permanently ameliorated. In the vege- 

 table garden a bountiful crop was harvested. Continuing the practice established some 

 years ago, a complete test was made of one or two kinds of vegetables, this year 

 squash, pumpkins and onions being the vegetables selected. 



Such extensive records as these must necessarily be of considerable value to the 

 farmer and. markel gardener. The fruit crop was also a very satisfactory one. Cross 

 Ired apples and Siberian crab apples set heavily, and many varieties of considerabl'j 

 merit fruited for the first time. Plums also produced an abundant crop, among which 

 were some of the best ever fruited on this farm. In the small fruits raspberries gavo 

 a very fair crop and showed much improvement over the product of previous years, 

 due principally (in our opinion) to the mulch of green manure given them the pre- 

 ceding fall. Currants also set well, and a moderate crop of excellent quality was 

 g: thered, fuller particulars of which will be found under the heading of currants. In 

 the Arboretum the trees have become so thick as render a generous thinning necessary, 

 and a considerable amount of this work has been accomplished. 



APPLES, 1904. 



Last season again proved favourable for testing these fruits in Manitoba. The 

 absence of spring frosts was followed by a heavy setting, and the somewhat open fall 

 assisted in the ripening of some of the late varieties. The winter of 1903-4 was one of 

 the most severe experienced here for some time past and some damage was occasioned 

 by sun-scald. No permanent injury, however, was sustained, and by cutting off a few 

 of the branches all traces of the trouble was removed. A large number of the vari- 

 eti<?s under test at the farm are rapidly coming into bearing condition, and each year 

 shows a decided progress in this important branch of woik. 



STANDARD APPLKS. 



The following varieties of standard apples, root grafted on Pyrus haccata, to- 

 gether with some Russian seedlings, were received from the Central Experimental 

 Farm at Ottawa, in the spring of 190.']. The following table shows their condition 

 after having passed through one winter: — 



