REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 111 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



It has been found that a far larger proportion of those which originated in the 

 Eastern and Southwestern States arc tenderer than those which originated in the 

 Northeastern and Northwestern States and in Canada. The same may be said of 

 Europe. The hardy varieties from Great Britain, France, and Germany are few 

 compared with those from the colder parts of Russia- It may be safely stated that 

 the hardiest apples are those which have originated in Russia. They are the hardiest 

 survivors of the hundreds and thousands of varieties which have originated in Russia 

 during the past centuries and have shown their ability to withstand the winters tliere 

 as far North as latitude 55°, or further, in a continental climate. In America, and 

 especially in the colder parts of the country, the origination of varieties has been 

 more recent and we believe that it will be some time before such hardy large apples 

 as Hibernal, Charlamoff, and Duchess will be obtained on this continent, although 

 some quite hardy varieties have already been originated. 



By again analysing the list of varieties tested, we find that the season of all the 

 hardiest varieties is summer or autumn. The winter of 1903-4 was a very severe one 

 in the province of Ontario, and in the orchards at the Central Experimental Farm 

 164 varieties were winter killed. An analysis of these varieties, a list of which was 

 published in the annual report for 1904, shows that 130 of these were early winter 

 and winter varieties, and 34 summer and autumn. We believe that this is suiScient 

 evidence to prove that summer and autumn varieties are hardier than later keeping 

 sorts. 



Let us now consider the difference between a summer and a winter apple. 



A summer apple is one which is ready for use in the summer; a winter apple 

 is one which is not ready for use until winter. The season of the first is much shorter 

 than the second, mainly, we believe, because it reaches maturity in a hotter time of 

 the year than the others. Duchess and Wealthy apples will keep much longer on 

 Prince Edward Island, where the climate is cooler and development slower, than they 

 will at Ottawa. Winter apples will also keep better there than they will in those parts 

 of Ontario where they succeed. 



It has been frequently observed that apples which mature early and are in condi- 

 tion for eating in summer and autumn are grown on trees which ripen their wood 

 early, and on the other hand an apple which is not ready for use until vHlnter is 

 usually grown on a tree which does not ripen its wood early. A fact which many have 

 observed and which we believe is perfectly natural. The fruit of most varieties of 

 winter apples has to be kept on the trees at Ottawa until there is danger of severe 

 frost, in order to get the apples sufficiently mature that the flavour will develop and 

 that there will be a fair colour. The wood of such trees is also equally slow in arriv- 

 ing at that stage of ripeness which will enable it to withstand the winter, as has been 

 proven by the figures given above. 



Some winter apples are hardier than others, but from our experience with a large 

 number of varieties we aro forced to conclude that unless the fruit of a variety reaches 

 a certain stage of development or maturity every season a certain time before it has 

 to be picked, owing to danger from severe frost, that variety is not a safe one to 

 plant. What that stage of maturity is we cannot at present definitely say. 



In brief, then, we believe that it is a physiological impossibility for the majority 

 of winter apples which have yet been produced to prove hardy in the colder apple 

 districts of Canada because the trees having originated where the season is longer, 

 gro\7 too late for our short season. Must we then conclude that the origination of a 

 hardy winter apple for the north, of good colour, and the best dessert quality, is an 

 impossibility? We believe not. Apples which will keep nearly all winter when grown 

 in some districts are autumn apples elsewhere. Some of the hardy varieties of 

 Russian apples which have been introduced are found to be much earlier in season in 

 America than they are in Russia. We believe that the growing and ripening season 

 in Uvo countries^ or districts, while about the same length of time, may vary suffici- 

 ently to cause a marked difference in the season of a variety. As an example, take 



