DIVISION OF HOItTICVLTURE 



655 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



TURxVlPS. 



Two varieties of early turnips were sown on ]\[ay 14 and were ready for use on 

 August 1. 



FRUIT TREES. 



The season of 1913 has, on the whole, been a favourable one for fruit trees. No 

 serioijs injury from weather conditions was noted in the spring. However, a num- 

 ber of trees died from the effects of sunscalding in 1912. A number of trees were 

 affected by^fire blight. No im]flortant damage from insects was noted. 



APPLES. 



Not much success can be reported with standard apples. A couple of trees of a 

 variety called Sweet Russet bore fruit, but the quality of the fruit was not very 

 good. 



A large number of trees of Dr. Saunders' cross-bred varieties are doing well. 

 These varieties were produced by crossing standard apples with Pyrus haccata, a wild 

 Siberian type of crab apple, as the mother. This is very hardy, but bears small, astrin- 

 gent fruit. These cross-bred apples are about the size of a crab apple, and, while 

 they are not of sufficiently good flavour to be eaten raw with much pleasure, they make 

 very good preserves or jelly. Some of the most successful varieties this year are 

 Silvia, Alberta, Elsa, Columbia, Ruby, Northern Queen, Eve, and Carleton. 



There are quite a number of seedlings of cross-bred apples growing in the orchard. 

 Most of these produce fruit abundantly, but the fruit is very inferior. A few trees 

 have borne fruit of good quality, two in particular, a seedling of Cluster and a 

 seedling of Sparta being deseiwing of mention. 



The young seedling trees of standard varieties planted in 1912 have done well. 

 Additional seeds and seedlings of the Charlamoff, Blushed Calville, Repka Ivislaga, 

 Hibernal, Patten's Duchess, and August have been planted this year. As was done 

 last year, these are planted in large numbers in nursery rows, 1 foot apart in the row, 

 and the rows 3 feet apart. Thus a large number can be growTi on a small area. Tlie 

 object is to test the hardiness of the individual plants before they are set out in per- 

 manent locations. Large numbers are used so that a greater selection is possible. 

 By starting with the seeds or with yearling trees, a longer period is possible for selec- 

 tion and acclimatization than is possible with the usual size of trees obtained from 

 nurserymen. 



PLUMS. 



The plum orchard bore very prolifically this season and, with one or two exceptions, 

 the fruit ripened before the frost became severe. A number of young trees of the 

 Cheney variety which were set out only last season bore small quantities of fruit. The 



16 — 43^ Brandon. 



