548 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



HORTICULTURE. 



The relation of winter apples to hardiness of trees, W. T. Macoun {Canad. 

 Hort., 29 (1906), No. 12, pp. 291, 292, fig. i).— As the result of 17 years' experi- 

 mental tests with over 3,000 species and varieties of trees and shrubs other than 

 cultivated fruits, the author states that a tree or shrub which will withstand 

 a winter at Ottawa must be one that ripens its wood early. During the period 

 of experimenting no apparent increase in hardiness has talcen place in any of 

 the individual specimens. " Plants which killed to the ground 17 years ago, 

 kill to the ground still. Those which killed to the snow line, kill to the snow 

 line still. Those which were killed back one-half or merely a few inches at the 

 tip, do so still. Sometimes a tree will remain hardy for several years and then 

 kill back near to the ground. It is possible that they are getting hardier very 

 gradually, but if so this increasing hardiness is imperceptible so far." It has 

 been noticed that following a season of strong growth in the trees winterkilling 

 is more severe than when the growth is medium. Individual specimens of a 

 species have been found hardier than others. This has been the case especially 

 with Catalpa bigiiontoidcs. 



Out of 700 named varieties of apples which have been tested at the station, 

 the hardiest have come from the Northeastern and Northwestern States and 

 Canada. The hardy varieties from Great Britain, France, and Germany are 

 few as compared with those from the colder parts of Russia. Following the 

 test winter of 1903-4, 164 varieties of apples were winterkilled. Of this num- 

 ber 130 were early winter and winter varieties and only 34 summer and autumn 

 varieties. Summer and early- autumn varieties stop growth and ripen up their 

 wood sooner in the season than the late-growing winter apples, and on this ac- 

 count are more able to withstand the severe winters. Fruit trees which origi- 

 nated in sections where the growing season is long usually winterkilled when 

 grown in tlie short seasons of the north. 



The larger part of the apples of merit which have been originated recently 

 from seedlings in Canada are summer and autunni kinds. In order to secure 

 new varieties which will mature in short seasons it is considered of vital impor- 

 tance that the ancestors of the seedlings be short season varieties. It is believed 

 " that the basis for the production of the desired winter apple for the north 

 should be a variety or varieties which have withstood test winters in the north 

 and are also the latest keepers of such varieties." 



A list is given of the varieties of apples which originated in the north and 

 which stood the tQst winter of 190.3-4. The list includes Canada Baldwin, 

 Winter Rose, Calumet. Baxter, La Victoire, Stone, Scott Winter, and Milwaukee. 

 From these varieties and other hardy seedlings growing at the station it is 

 believed the prospect is bright for the origination of a hardy, long-keeping winter 

 variety of good color and best dessert quality for the north. 



Further experiments in the cool storage of fruit, G. Quinn (Jour. Dcpt. 

 A(jr. So. Atist., 10 (1906), No. 2-3, pp. 75-7S). — Accounts are given in continu- 

 ation of those previously noted (E. S. R., 17, p. 7G8) of storing plums, apples, 

 and pears in cold storage for different lengths of time. 



Burbank and Wickson plums were gathered when nearly matured, carefully 

 wrapped in tissue paper and embedded in softwood wool in shallow trays, and then 

 placed in cool storage for 8 weeks. The results were very unsatisfactoi'y. The 

 Burbank plums wheii withdrawn from storage, though not rotten, were shrunken 

 in spots, the tissue l)eing hard, brown, and tasteless, while the intervening spaces 

 were practicall.v iioi'mal in a]>i)earance. The Wickson fruits were practically 

 flavorless and exhibited a brown discoloration around the pits. After a week 



