REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



107 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



vine than was best for the proper development and ripening of the fruit. Wliile 

 there were no early frosts in autumn to injure the vines or fruit, the weather was not 

 warm enough to induce rapid ripening, and on this account the grapes were not as 

 sweet as they sometimes are. 



Eed clover seed was sown in the vineyard on July 21, and a good cover crop was 

 formed by autumn. This will help to hold the snow and afford a better protection to 

 the roots of the vines. It will also be useful for ploughing under in the spring. This 

 autumn, the work of renewing the old arms was continued, most of them having now 

 been treated in this way. 



As it is important to know what varieties of grapes are likely to ripen every 

 season in places where only the earliest sorts will mature, the following table is given, 

 in which will be found fifteen of the very earliest sorts growing at the Central 

 Exi)erimental Fann. These varieties have been obtained by selecting them from the 

 earliest twenty-five of the past three years. The year 1898 was very favourable for 

 the ripening of grapes. The year 1899 was just the reverse, September being cool 

 and wet and severe frosts coming early. This year it was intermediate between the 

 other two as, while no severe frosts occurred until late, the weather was not warm 

 enough to cause the fruit to ripen rapidly. The varieties, then, which have ripened 

 earliest in all of the past three years, should be certain to ripen almost every year, 



LIST OF FIFTEEN OF THE EARLIEST VARIETIES OF GRAPES. 



Name. 



Florence 



Champion 



Pattison 



Moore's Early . . 



Moyer 



Golden Drop 



Peabody 



Canada 



Telegraph 



Brant 



Belvidere 



Early Victor. . . . 



Cottage 



Marion 



Janesville 



Date 



of 



Ripening. 



1898. 



Sept. 



2.. 



3.. 



6.. 



6.. 



().. 

 10.. 



6.. 

 10.. 

 12.. 

 13.. 

 10.. 

 10.. 

 10.. 

 13.. 

 13.. 



Date 



of 

 Ripening. 



1899. 



Sept. 7. 



.. 17. 



M 23. 



„ 21. 



n 23. 



.. 17. 



1. 23. 



„ 23. 



,- 23. 



,. 22. 



.. 25. 



II 2i . 



M 27. 



.. 29. 



„ 23. 



Date 



of 



Ripening. 



1900. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Sept. 

 . Oct. 



10. 

 18. 

 12. 

 24. 

 25. 

 26. 

 28. 

 20. 

 26. 

 26. 



4. 



2. 



4. 

 29. 



5. 



Average 



date of 



Ripening. 



1898-1900. 



Sept. 



7.. 

 13.. 

 14.. 

 17.. 

 18.. 

 18.. 

 19.. 

 20.. 

 20.. 

 20.. 

 23.. 

 23 . 

 24.. 

 24.. 

 24.. 



Colour 



of 

 Fruit. 



Black 



Red... 



White. 

 Black . 



Size of Fruit. iQuality of Fruit 



Above medium 

 i< t< . 



Medium . . . . , 

 Above medium 

 Below II 



Small 



Below medium , 

 Small... ... 



Above medium 



Small , 



Medium , 



II 



Above medium 

 Below medium 

 Medium 



Poor. 



II 

 Medium. 

 Above medium. 

 Good. 

 Above medium. 



Medium. 

 Above medium. 

 Medium, 



It will be noticed that only one of these varieties is of good quality but, as has already been stated, 

 these varieties are mentioned not for their quality but for their earliness. By referring to the reports of 

 the horticulturist for former years, descriptions will be found of other and better sorts, but which are not 

 quite .so early. The Cambell's Early grape which will probably prove a valuable early variety has not yet 

 fruited here and comparisons cannot yet be made with it. 



RASPBERRIES. 



A bulletin was published on the raspberry in 1895, in which the culture of this 

 fruit was discussed and descriptions of many varieties given. Since that time, com- 

 paratively little has been published on this subject, the principal reason being that 

 owing to the very unfavourable weather a large number of the bushes which com- 

 prised a plantation put out in the autumn of 1896, failed to grow. As the old planta- 

 tion had been destroyed after the new one was made, there was no stock to draw from 



