REPOUT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 121 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Now, coming to the small fruits, we make our selected lists as follows: — 



Gooseberries. — Out of twelve varieties we consider as the best : Columbus, Down- 

 ing, Houghton, Pearl, Smith improved. 



Currants. — Out of ten varieties, we have selected as the best: Champion^ black; 

 Fay's Prolific, red; Versaillaiso, red; White Dutch. 



Raspberries. — Out of eight varieties we have kept as very valuable: Antwerp 

 red; Golden Queen, yellov*-; ;^^a^lboro, red; White raspberry, yellow. 



No success to speak of with Black Cap raspberries and Blackberries. 



Strawberries. — We intend to grow, of the seven varieties tested, the Lovett, Red 

 Alpine, Red Bush Alpine, Sharpless, Wlaite Alpine, White Bush Alpine. We have 

 discarded only the William Belt because it is infested with leaf rust. 



We plant our apple trees 25 feet apart in the rows and 30 feet between the rows. 

 This is contrary to all instructions generally given by orchardists. The reason, how- 

 ever, that has made us resort to that system, is that, under our severe climate, the 

 trees must be planted close together, in order to offer protection the one to the other 

 against the heavy damp winds prevailing in our region. We have found that, though 

 in Essex county, Ontario, apple trees planted 40 feet apart, 20 years ago, intermingle 

 their branches, in our district our apple trees planted 20 years ago, 25 feet apart only, 

 don't yet intermingle their branches. This shows that there is a great difference in 

 the growth caused by the difference of climate and that the reasons which are invoked 

 necessitating a distance of 40 feet between apple trees, viz. : that when planted closer 

 they soon intermingle their branches, prevent the fruit from getting enough air and 

 light and are an obstacle to the cultivation and spraying of the orchard, don't exist 

 in Eastern Quebec. 



J. C. CHAPAIS. 



FUNGOUS DISEASES AND SPRAYING. 



Fungous diseases did considerable injury to fruit in 1906. The Apple Spot was 

 not nearly so bad, however, as usual, doubtless owing to the dry season. The Sooty 

 Fungus of the apple, a disease whicli has been more or less troublesome during the 

 past five years, was somewhat worse than usual in 1906. This disease was not before 

 noticed by the writer east of Toronto, but this year it was seen on a specimen grown 

 at Lachine Locks, Que. The Dry Rot on summer apples was worse than usual. It 

 has been observed that this disease or injury to the fruit is more pronounced in dry 

 seasons. In the pear districts, particularly in the Niagara Peninsula, the Pear 

 Blight did great harm, ruining many trees. No practical preventive or remedy has 

 yet been discovered for this disease except cutting out the diseased branches. Peaches 

 and plums did not suffer much from rot in 1906 in Western Ontario. At Ottawa there 

 v/as considerable injury to Americana plums from Ripe Rot, notwithstanding 

 thorough spraying. The Shot-hole Fungus affected some of the varieties of Ameri- 

 cana plums and although the trees were sprayed constantly and thoroughly with 

 Bordeaux mixture it was impossible to control it. 



Grapes did not suffer much from mildew and rot in Western Ontario, although 

 in individual cases the Black Rot did considerable injury. Where well sprayed with 

 Bordeaiix mixture, little injury was experienced. At Ottawa there was practically 

 no disease on the grapes. 



Among vegetables, the Tomato Rot did probably more harm than any other disease 

 except the potato blight. In the Ottawa district tomatoes were badly affected but at 

 the Experimental Farm thorough spraying with Bordeaux mixture prevented the 

 spread of this disease and little harm was done by it. The Potato Blight was present 

 as usual, but owing to the extremely dry season there was little rot 



PEAR BLIGHT. FIRE BLIGHT {BacUlus amylovorus). 



The Pear Blight was more than usually destructive in the pear districts of On- 

 tario in 1906, whole orchards being practically destroyed and many trees so badly 



