DIVISION OF EORTICULTiliE 611 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA, ONT. 



CHARAiCTER OF SEASON. 



Every year, since 1898, there has been published in the Annual Report of the 

 Horticultural Division a chapter on the character of the season, especially in its 

 relation to horticultilJal crops. This is very usefiil for reference for prospective 

 fruit and vegetable growers and for those already growing these crops. Those grow- 

 ing ornamental plants are also interested in these records. 



There was ar» early spring in 1915, the ground being free enough of frost to 

 permit digging on April 5, the average for eighteen years being April 11. 



Owing to the light snowfall the strawberries were more exposed to the changes 

 of temperatiire than usual and the plantation suffered considerably. 



The tenderer roses were badly injured by winter for the same reason. Evergreens 

 suffered considerably, several trees of the balsam fir, both on the Experimental Farm 

 and the driveway, dying or being killed to near the ground. Hovey's arbor-vitse has 

 suffered more than other varieties, though the pyramidal arbor-vitse had branches 

 killed on the south side of some specimens. Except for the first week, April was a 

 moderately warm month. The temperature rose to 87-3° Fahr. on the 25th. The 

 lowest temperature was 25° Fahr. on the 4th. It was a relatively dry month, there 

 being only 0-99 inch of precipitation. 



May was a moderately warm to rather, cool month. The highest temperature waa 

 78-6° Fahr. on the 31st. It was below freezing twice during the month: on the 16th, 

 when it was 31-8°, and on the 27th, when it was 31-9°, the last spring frost. This 

 latter frost injured plum and cherry blossoms, the fruit being just setting, and also 

 the flowers of strawberries. This frost was much more severe in parts of Ontario 

 farther south and west than it was at Ottawa. May was a very dry month, there 

 being 1-86 inches of rain, which fell mainly as light showers. 



By June 8 the grass of the lawns was showing the effects of the drought, but on 

 the 14th and the loth there were good rains, nearly half the total precipitation of 

 2-94 inches being on these dates. Cut-worms were particularly troublesome during 

 the latter part of May and early half of .June. The highest temperature was 90-1*' 

 on the 5th, but there was little hot weather during the month. 



The highest temperature of the summer occurred on July 31, when it was 92°, 

 and while the hottest spell of the month was from the 9th ^o the 16th, July was not 

 a hot month on the whole, and the nights were cool. The rainfall was light, there 

 being only 2-12 inches. 



August was only a moderately warm month and the nights were cool. The 

 highest temperature was 86° on the 11th. This was the wettest month of the growing 

 season, there being 7-09 inches of rain, which fell on seventeen days. 



September was moderately warm also. The highest temperature was 88-7° on 

 th 15th, and the lowest 35° on the 2Sth and 30th. There were frequent showers 

 during the month, but no very heavy rain at one time. The total precipitation was 

 2-87 inches. 



October was moderately warm to cool, the highest temperature being 72-4° on 

 the 13th. The first recorded frost was on the lltli, when the temperature fell to 27-8°. 

 Up to that time such tender things as squash and tomatoes on high ground had not 

 been killed, though light frost not recorded by the official thermometer had injured 

 these to some extent previously on the lower ground. Practically all annual flowers 

 had been uninjured up to this date and there was still considerable bloom on October 



