502 ■ EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1-2 EDWARD VII., A. 1902 

 PLUMS. 



The crop of plums was the heaviest so far grown on the Farm. In many cases the 

 branches had to be propped up to prevent breaking from the weight of fruit, and in 

 some instances even this did not save them. 



Sixty per cent of the fruit ripened before frost came. The Aikin plum which was 

 so early in 1900, was again the first to ripen ; but did not prove to be of first-clasa 

 quality, the fruit being soft and rather tasteless. 



Seedlings of Hungarian — Planted 1894. — Came through the winter in good con- 

 dition. Eleven trees blossomed for the first time, May 19, and set a heavy crop of fruit. 

 Only three trees ripened before the heavy frost on September 17, and it is feared that 

 these are too late to be valuable for the Territories. 



Notes. — Row 2, No. 6 — Ripe September 15 ; medium crop ; small, yellow, acid. 



Row 4, No. 4 — Ripe September 13 ; light crop ; medium size ; yellow, of good 

 flavour, but coarse in texture. 



Row 4, No. 5 — Ripe September 15 ; a light crop ; size, medium ; yellow ; of ex- 

 cellent flavour and texture. ► 



Seedling of Speer — Planted 1895. — Wintered in good condition. Blossomed lightly 

 on May 17, and fruited lightly for the first time. There was no fruit ripe on this tree 

 on September 17. 



Seedling of De Soto — Planted 1895. — This wintered in good condition, and 

 blossomed and fruited heavily. The fruit was of good quality and flavour. Ripe Sep- 

 tember 13. 



Seedlings of Weaver — Planted 1894. — Wintered in good condition and came in 

 bloom May 20. Fifty-one trees fruited, and on tha whole the crop was an excellent 

 one. The fruit was generally a little later in ripening than the Manitoba Native 

 Plums, but that on 27 trees was ripe and pulled before the frost came on September 17 ; 

 on twelve others nearly ripe and picked on the 16th ; consequently there was a large 

 proportion of the fruit secured in good condition. 



About 25 per cent of the trees produced fruit of good size and excellent quality 

 and flavour. Fifty per cent were of medium size, generally thicker in the skin, but 

 of good flavour and texture ; and the balance were small and of poorer quality, al- 

 though there were exceptions in all the cases. 



The following notes on individual trees are chosen as being fairly representative 

 of the three classes :— 



Large Sized Sorts. 



Row 1, No. 4. — Ripe September 10. A heavy crop of large, fine fruit ; yellow 

 sweet, juicy, with a thin skin. 



Row 1, No. 10. — Ripe September 12. A heavy crop, large, pear-shaped, yellow, red 

 on the sunny side, juicy, and of very fine flavour and texture. Skin, medium. Pro- 

 bably the best plum grown on the Farm this year. 



Medium Sized Sorts. 



Row 4, No. 15. — Ripe September 15. A heavy crop of medium sized fruit, yellow, 

 juicy, slightly acid, but of good quality ; skin medium. 



Row 2, No. G. — Ripe September 17. A medium crop ; fruit of medium size, yel- 

 low and red, juicy, good flavour, sweet ; skin of medium thickness. 



Small Varieties. 



Row 2, No. 17. — Ripe September 15. A medium crop ; fruit of small size, yel- 

 low, and of fair flavour and texture ; thick skin and very small stone. 



