422 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



HEDGES. 



The hedges around the fruit plantations and vegetable gardens were somewhat 

 injured by the dry weather and hot winds in June, but had quite recovered by the 

 end of the season. The leaves remained on till frozen about the middle of September. 



SAMPLE HEDGES. 



All the sample hedges did well this year, and the plantation was a source of 

 much interest to visitors. 



ROSES. 



The rose bushes, planted in 1899, did not make much progress. A few bushes 

 flowered early in the season, but all were affected by dry weather, and it is feared that 

 the second growth, which was made after the rains conmienced in July, will suffer 

 during the coming winter. 



FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES. 



In no year since the farm started have the small fruits promised so well and 

 resulted in such an entire failure, as in the season just passed. 



Currants of all sorts, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries came through the 

 winter perfectly, and starting early, with no spring frost to injure them, made a fine 

 showing. A hot 'wind, howeverj caught the gooseberries and strawberries in blossom 

 and completely destroyed all ckanee of a crop. Currants a»d raspberries, at this 

 time, were further advanced, and escaped injury, only to. have their immense crops 

 of fruit completely cooked by the excessively hot winds of June 21, 22 and 23. A 

 small quantity of fruit on the under side of the bushes escaped, but was of little use, 

 as it was too badly dried up to be worth picking. 



SEEDLING APPLES. 



Two seedlings of Arctic and Tonka, planted in 1899, did not winter-kill, and made 

 fair growth during the season. 



This spring six trees of Hibernal, six trees of Blushed Calville and six trees of 

 Wealthy were planted in a well sheltered inclosure. 



CRAB APPLES (Pyrus haccata). 



The trees planted in 1896, in one of the inclosures, came through the winter in 

 excellent condition, and made fair growth during the season. No winter-killing took 

 place, and growth commenced early in April. From May 5 to 10, seven trees that bore 

 fruit last season came in blossom, and thirty blossomed for the first time. The fruit 

 ripened from August 20 to September 1, and in every case was the finest so 

 far produced on the farm. 



As the condition of the plantation is practically the same as last year, it is not 

 considered necessary to report on the growth and hardiness of the different varieties. 

 The following notes on their fruiting is submitted : — 



Received from Central Experimental Farm, Ottatua. — Planted 1S96. 



Pyrus haccata macrocarpa — 



Tree No. 1. — Bloom, May 5. Ripe, August 25. Light crop. Size of choke- 

 cherry. Red. 



Tree No. 2. — Bloom, May 5. Ripe, August 20. Heavy crop. Size of choke- 

 cherry. Red. Very astringent. 



