90 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



STKAWBERRY PROSPECTS FOR THE 

 SUMMER OF 1884. 



Dear Sir, —Being a subsci-iber to 

 the Horticulturist, and a grower of 

 small fruits for marketing purposes, 

 and desiring to open up correspondence 

 with other fruit growers throughout 

 Ontario on the prospects of the straw- 

 berry and other small fruits this year, 

 through the Horticulturist, so that we 

 growers may form some idea of the 

 probable yield of strawberries and 

 other small fruits, and thereby regulate 

 the price according to the supply and 

 demand, and not be left to the mercy 

 of fruit dealers, I have taken the 

 liberty to report the prospects of the 

 strawberry crop as gathered at the 

 annual meeting of the Small Fruit 

 Growers' Association of the Counties 

 of Oxford and Brant, held at Burford, 

 Jan. 24th, 1884. The general opinion 

 of the meeting was that the prospects 

 of the strawberry crop this year are not 

 as good as last year, for the following 

 reasons : — The old plantations, on ac- 

 count of the early frosts and cold wet 

 weather last fall, made little after- 

 growth, and looked weak and sickly 

 when winter set in. New plots, as a 

 rule, are not promising a very good 

 yield on account of being badly thin- 

 ned out by the white grub. The Wil- 

 son strawberry, from some cause, ap- 

 pears to be failing with us for the last 

 year or two. The plants are less 

 hardy and not as productive as they 

 were a few years ago. The Ci'escent 

 Seedling is the most reliable of the 

 old varieties for marketing purposes 

 with us. It is more })roductive than 

 the Wilson and is growing in favour 

 with consumers. Of the new varieties 

 the Manchester and James Vick were 

 highly recommended, by those who 

 have fruited tliose varieties, for hardi- 

 ness and pi'oduetiveness. 



The raspberry bushes, when winter 

 set in, looked strong and healthy. 



The grape crop was a failure last 

 year on account of the early frost de- 

 stroying them before ripening. The 

 principal varieties grown are the Con- 

 cord, Delaware, and Clinton. 



Those of the members who grow 

 currants and gooseberries for market 

 seem to be satisfied with the invest- 

 ment. Yours truly, 



S. CORNWELL. 

 Norwich, March 8, 1884. 



THE GROSBEAKS. 



Mr. Editor, — In the March num- 

 ber of your Magazine, which has just 

 come to hand, Mr. Bissell, of Thedford, 

 expresses a wish to know "if the gros- 

 beak (Coccothraustes ludovviana) has 

 made its appearance in any part of On- 

 tai-io this winter." 



It is very desirable that our fruit- 

 growers should interest themselves in 

 the birds and their "economic rela- 

 tions," as these are of far greater im- 

 portance than most people imagine. 

 About ten years ago a specialist was 

 appointed to report on this subject to 

 the State of Wisconsin, and the report 

 has only recently been published. It 

 shews that the writer, Dr. King, has 

 given great attention to the matter in all 

 its bearings, including the microscopic 

 examination of the contents of the 

 stomachs of 1,800 birds. This was 

 done with a view to ascertain from the 

 nature of their food whether they hurt 

 or help us, and to what extent. '' A 

 good deal has been said on both sides," 

 and the English sparrow comes in for 

 a share of odium, yet after all the Dr., 

 has done, he admits that our know- 

 ledge of the suVjject is far too incom- 

 plete to war-rant us in advocating the 

 total extermination of any one of the 

 numerous species we have among us. 



R(^garding the grosbeaks there are 

 eight difi'ei-ent species peculiar to North 

 America, four of which hav(^ lieen found 

 in Ontaiio. There is the Cardinal, 



