REPORT OF THE nORTICVLTVRIST 137 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



at the fourth picking Avliich was August 8, 1906, still an early dat'e with the prices gcx>d. 

 In the case of the Spark's Earliana there were only 18 lbs. from the unpruned and 90 

 lbs. 8 0Z3. and 77 lbs. from the pruned. The proportion in the case of the Chalk's Early 

 Jewel is almost as great. In conclusion, it may be stated that by this method of 

 pruning the first ripe fruit is several days later than the few scattered specimens 

 from the vmpruned. The crop of fruit which is produced in the early part of the 

 season is much trreatcr than that from tlie unpruned. An important point to remem- 

 ber is to have the plants well advanced when they are put out, for it can easily be 

 seen that if the plants are started early enough there is no reason why the six stems 

 bearing the flower clusters should not produce six times as much fruit at the first 

 ])icking' as from the single cluster on ordinary plants. At Ottawa the plants have not 

 yet been quite far enough advanced when planted out to be equal in earliness with 

 those not pruned. It will be necessary to start them still earlier. 



THE FOREST BELTS. 



The trees in the Forest Belts at the Central Experimental Farm continue to malce 

 satisfactory growth on the whole, and every additional year's growth of the trees adds 

 to the value of the experiment begun in 1S87 of planting these forest trees. The ob- 

 jects for vi'hich the belts were planted have been dealt with in recent reports and ..need 

 not be repeated here. 



During the summer of 1906 the lower branches which were dead were sawn off 

 the evergreens in the belts in order to clear the trunks and to make the danger of 

 destruction from fire less. Measurements were taken of average trees in the belts as 

 usual. In the annual report for 1904 a table showing the height and diameter of 

 some of the species up to that time was given. Following will be found a table show- 

 ing the height and diameter in the autumn of 1906: — 



