400 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4-5 EDWARD Vil., A. 1905 

 GOOSEBERRIES. 



Twenty-five varieties of gooseberries were received from the Central Experimental 

 Farm, Ottawa, and planted here on April 22, 1903. Nearly all of these survived the 

 winter of 1903-4, and only a slight amount of winter-killing was- noticeable. The plants 

 beir>g quite small, only one variety fruited this year, viz. : the Downing. The fruit of 

 this was quite large, of an elongated shape, and with a perfectly smooth skin. The 

 flavour was excellent. 



RASPBERRIES. 



The raspberry crop this season was much superior to that of recent years, and it 

 may be that much of this improvement may be attributed to the following cause: For 

 some time past it has been customary here when laying down the canes in the fall of 

 the year for winter protection to use a plough for throwing a furrow over the tips of 

 the canes. Though this method was effective in so far as protection was concerned, it 

 appeared to seriously injure the fibrous roots which are so near the .surface, and the 

 following year the canes showed a more or less stunted growth. Two years ago this 

 mode of operation was changed by pressing the canes flat with a long scantling and 

 throwing green manure over the tips. This has resulted in, a great improvement in 

 both canes and fruit as compared with the old method, and, as the strawy manure is left 

 on the gromid during the ensuing summer, it acts as a mulch, conserving the moisture, 

 and adding in no small degree to the success of the experiment. 



STRAWBERRIES^ 1904. 



A number of plants of tlie Alpine ever-bearing strawberry v^'ere received from the 

 Central Experimental Farm in the spring, and all "were quite vigorous before winter 

 set in. Though not as large as the standard varieties these are extremely hardy, and 

 continue their fruit production throughout the entire season, which should make them 

 specially valuable for Manitoba and the North-west. 



HEDGES^ 1904. 



All the small test hedges on the farm continue to do well, one composed of the 

 native Buffalo berry (Shepherdia argentea) calling forth much favoiirable comment 

 from visitors. This hedge is now about 5 feet in height, and is very compact and 

 symmetrical, lending itself readily to the pruning shears, and as it produces thorns 

 abundantly it is almost impenetrable. 



The shelter blocks in the south-west corner of the farm surrounded by double 

 maple hedges having become too crowded, every alternate hedge was cut out during the 

 past season, thus reducing the number of blocks about one-half, and giving increased 

 space for planting. 



FALL SOWING AS COMPARED WITH SPRING SOWING OF CARAGANA ARBORESCENS. 



Until last year, we have invariably sown the seed of this desirable shrub in the 

 spring, but an experiment was made durmg the fall of 1903 to ascertain if any ad- 

 vantage accrued from fall sowing. A number of drills were sown in the fall of 1903, 

 and sufiicient space left alongside for a duplicate sowing the spring following. The 

 results point strongly to the advisability of fall sowing; the plants from the fall sown 

 seed averaging 6 inches taller than those from the spring sown seed, and sho.wing a 

 much greater vigour. 



EXPERIMENTS IN COVERING TENDER SHRUBS FOR WINTER PROTECTION, PHILADELPHUS (mOCK 



ORANGE.) 



Mention was made on page 344 of last year's report of experiments made to ascer- 

 tain the possibility of flowering this beautiful, but tender shrub, by means of winter 

 protection. During the fall of 1903 a further test was made, the following varieties 

 being included: — 



