336 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



From the experience gained in keeping bees for ten seasons in this country, I see 

 no difficulty in keeping them in Manitoba with profit. Bees can be wintered in any 

 fairly dry cellar if sufficiently warm to keep vegetables from freezing, and sufficient 

 plants giving honey can be found near all well watered or wooded sections. The honey 

 obtained from native plants is excellent in quality, and sufficiently plentiful to make the 

 business both pleasant and profitable. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH APPLES. 



Although a very large number of so-called hardy varieties of apples have been tested 

 here and all have been found too tender for this climate, we still think it is advisable to 

 give any very promising kinds a trial. 



Four standard apple trees — two Tonka and two Wealthy — were received from Mr. 

 A. P. Stevenson, Nelson, Manitoba, in the spring of 1896. These were grafts of trees 

 that have become acclimatized at the low altitude in which Nelson is situated, namely, 

 900 feet above sea level. They have so far proven hardy, and we trust that, coming 

 from this source, they may succeed even at this altitude — 1,231 feet. 



PYRUS BACCATA — WILD CRAB OP SIBERIA. 



Specimens of this tree were sent here from the Central Experimental Farm at 

 Ottawa in 1890, and they have proved perfectly hardy; additional varieties from the 

 same source have been added from time to time, until at this date we have a very 

 promising collection ; the oldest trees, which are Pyrus Baccata-aurantiaca, produce a 

 fair amount of fruit each season, and are found to be most useful for the making of jelly, 

 the fruit being rich in pectin. 



The number of trees in this block were increased last year by 100 very fine seedlings 

 — 25 Pyrus Prunifolia and 75 Pyrus Baccata Yellow. These were raised at the Central 

 Experimental Farm, Ottawa, from selected seed, and many of them are expected to pro- 

 duce larger fruit than the varieties already fruited here. 



The Yellow Siberian crab apple seedlings give great promise of future usefulness, 48 

 of which were raised from seed in 1893 are now vigorous trees, and, although growing in 

 the open valley, have successfully stood the severity of four winters. 



Jdany seedlings of the Transcendent Crab have been raised here this season from 

 Manitoba grown seed, the fruit having been raised by Mr. A. P. Stevenson, of Nelson. 

 These will be carefully transplanted in the spring, and we think that with trees from 

 this source greater success may be had. 



PLUMS. 



In the spring of 1896, 72 trees of 36 varieties of improved native kinds were 

 received from Charles LuedloflP, Carver, Minnesota. Having been grown so near to 

 Manitoba, it was hoped that these would all prove hardy here. They were all root 

 grafts and the hardiest sorts have made a fine growth, and have wintered well while 

 others have been killed to the ground by frost and are at present growing from below 

 the graft. A list is given below with notes on their present condition. 



