KEPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



(John Craig.)* 



Dr. Wiluam Saunders, 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I beg to submit a report of some of the work carried on by the Division of 

 Horticulture of thf; Central Experimental Farm for the year 1897, being the eighth 

 annual report which I have had the honour to prepare. 



I have found it impossible to condense into the limited space available, a full 

 account of the work of the year. Some of this has been cumulative in results, the work 

 being carried on for a term of years and culminating this season. This is particularly 

 true of two lines of research, viz., methods of root grafting as afiFecting the health and 

 vigour of the resulting tree, and the results of experiments with native and American 

 plums. Both topics would tequire a considerable space to do them justice, besides a 

 generous amount of illustration. 



Blossoming Records. — The work of recording the blossoming period of our leading 

 varieties of large and small fruits throughout the Dominion has again occupied my 

 attention, and has been carried on with the kind assistance of interested fruit growers. 

 The names of these recorders appear at page 101, Report 1896. The work of compiling 

 these records and of reducing them to intelligible and useful form is very great, and it 

 has been found impracticable with the assistance at hand to prepare the data in time 

 for this report. 



Fruit Crop. — As expected the crop of apples throughout the Dominion this year was 

 small, after the phenomenally large yield of last season. Not only was it small as to 

 quantity, but the quality of the product was much below the average — chargeable chiefly 

 I may say to the laxity of growers in putting into practice those principles of fruit cul- 

 ture now so well understood, viz., the necessity of fertilizing adequately, pruning care- 

 fully, and spraying perseveringly. 



TEST orchards AT THE CENTRAL FARM. 



Apples. — These are planted out in two separate blocks. No. 1, contains a collection 

 of named American varieties including a number of others of more remote introduction 

 from Europe. This has been commonly designated the " Standard " orchard, including as 

 it does those varieties which on account of general adaptability have become " standards " 

 the country over. In it is contained a block each of Wealthy, Duchess and Tetofsky 

 apple-trees. The first variety has been used as a top-grafting stock since 1891. There 

 are now a large number of varieties among these top-grafts new to Canada and approach- 

 ing fruiting age. The lines separating " hardy " from " tender " apples are quite closely 

 drawn at Ottawa. Leading varieties of Western Ontario like King, Northern Spy and 

 Greening are entirely unreliable on their own stocks in the Ottawa Valley, Experiments 



* Resigned, November, 1897. 



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