REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 27 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 



During this year, perhaps the chief feature of interest in the Horticultural Divi- 

 sion was the erection at Ottawa of the new greenhouses which had been badly needed. 

 Foui- houses have been erected of the Pierson U-Bar, flat iron frame construction 

 with curved eaves, and giving about 7,500 square feet of glass. Experiments were 

 begun in these houses before the close of the year with tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, 

 grapes, and many kinds of flowers, and it is expected that valuable experimental 

 work will be done in the future. 



The work of the Horticultural Division is subdivided under the heads of 

 pomology, vegetable gardening, ornamental gardening, and plant breeding, and the 

 office work as in tlie otiier Divisions. Space will allow for a few facts only in regard 

 to each. 



POMOLOGY. 



Although the season was not a very favourable one for fruits, on the whole the 

 apple crop at the Central Farm was fair. Owing to the manner in which the greatei 

 part of the orchard was originally laid out, by which only a few trees of each sort 

 are grown, variety tests haye been more prominent than cultural experiments in 

 these orchards, but the amount of information gathered in regard to a large numbf r 

 of varieties has been very great) and varied, and the Central Farm is looked to more 

 and more each year for information in regard to apples. At the newer Farms, more 

 attention is being given to cultural work. The outstanding features in the pomo- 

 logical work for 1913-14 were the appointment of an Assistant to the Dominion 

 Horticulturist to devote most of his time to this work; and the promising character 

 of some of the newer varieties of apples and strawberries originated at the Central 

 Farm, such as Melba, Joyce, Thurso, Glenton, Rocket, Bingo, and Niobe among 

 apples, and Cassandra, Cordelia, Desdemona, Ophelia and Portia among strawberries. 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



^^'fore attention is being paid each year to vegetable gardening in the Horti- 

 cultural Division, and at the Central Farm a specialist is now in charge of this 

 work. The same varieties are being tested at Ottawa as at practically all the branch 

 Farms and Stations, and the average results from these tests should prove of great 

 value to vegetable growers in different parts of Canada. The desirability of using 

 home-grov/n seed where good strains are available, was particularly noticeable in 

 1913. The germination is usually better from home-grown seeds, and where earli- 

 ness is important, as it is where vegetables are sold, the advantage of having seed that 

 one can i-ely on is apparent. The Early Malcolm corn and Alacrity tomato, two 

 varieties selected in the Horticultural Division, gave very satisfactory results. 



OUXAMENTAL GARDENING. 



At all the Exi->erimcntal Fanns and Stations, a strong effort is being made to 

 make the grounds attractive, as there is great need for improvement in the surround- 

 ings of the rural homes of Canada. These dcmonstratior.s of w;;at can be done under 

 the various climatic conditions in the Dominion should be an inspiration to Cana- 

 dians. Tn conjunction with the endeavour for pleasing effects is, of course, the 

 experimental work with ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, both as to 

 varieties ajid methods of culture. One of the most striking things at most of the 

 Farms in 191?. was the fine display of bulbs which, at the Prairie Farms especially, 

 were much admired. 



