110 



THE CA.NAl)IA.N HORTICDLTDKIST. 



and the first of the latest grapes that 

 can be named might be ripening — where 

 they will i-ipen — with the last of the 

 Concords ; so I always look for some- 

 thing more decisive than " with " or 

 " about with." 



EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS IN THE 

 COUNTY OF SIMCOE. 



The last two years have been a sad 

 experience for grape growers iu this 

 locality ; but our discouragement is 

 lessened by knowing that we are not 

 alone in misfortune ; the last season 

 was particularly unfortunate ; the frost 

 of the 9th of Sept. having been so de- 

 structive that a great many growers 

 had not an uninjured bunch left; and 

 still more of them did not taste a ripe 

 grape of their own raising. I and a 

 few others wei-e not quite so unfortu 

 nate ; my ground is not so subject to 

 frost as most of the farms in this 

 neighbourhood, in fact I believe that 

 the County of Simcoe — this part of it at 

 all events — enjoys a climate less severe 

 than a large portion of the Midland 

 Counties, occupying the height of land 

 between Lake Ontario and the Georgian 

 Bay, say foi- instance, the County of 

 Diifferin and a large {)ortion of North 

 Wellington ; in ))roof of which, it is a 

 fact, that the crops in these counties 

 were very considerably injured by frost 

 last fall, while no injury whatever was 

 sufiered in this section. 



The grapes that ripened best with 

 me were Brant, Delaware, Rogers' lo, 

 and Concord, and of these 1 actually 

 sold a few dollars woi-th, though I can- 

 not say that they were perfectly ripe, 

 and am trying to make wine of about 

 fifty pounds that were only half ripe, 

 still I am not discouraged, I take some 

 comfort from the fact as reported in the 

 Olobe that the mean temperature of the 

 year 1883 was 2^ deg. below the aver- 

 age, and those who have given anystudy 

 to Meteorological subjects know what 



that means, it means that the tempera- 

 ture of Toronto was one deg. below the 

 average of Barrie, and that Bai'rie had 

 to endure for that year the average 

 climate of Parry Sound. I have lived 

 here five years, and three out of the 

 five, had not the slightest difficulty in 

 ripening e^ery bunch. I sold grapes 

 in 1879 on 15th Sep., and in 1880 on 

 the 14th; these were from vines on a 

 rented place, and it was there I had my 

 experience in leaving vines exposed all 

 winter on trellises ; but suppose the 

 crop should be destroyed by frost oc- 

 casionally, are we then to give up grape 

 growing altogether I And how much 

 worse are grapes in this respect than 

 other fruits ? The Borer and Bark 

 Lice destroy our apple trees, and the 

 Codlin Moth spoils the fruit ; Blight 

 attacks the pear trees, and the Curculio 

 takes the plums. Might we not just as 

 well lose our crop of grapes once in 

 four or five years as have half our ])lums 

 and apples spoiled every year ? 

 Yours, etc., 



A. Hood. 



"CAN " YOUR RHUBARB IN JUNE OR 

 JULY. 



All fruit seems to be best appreciat- 

 ed when it can be obtained a little 

 earlier than its usual season. At this 

 time of the year, when apples have be- 

 come scarce, all families having a garden 

 (and that family who has not is to be 

 pitied) look forward with much interest 

 and speculation to the time when the 

 rhubarb plant shall be i-eady for the 

 table. All palates are delighted with 

 its delicious acidity when properly teoi- 

 pered with sugar, and it is, therefore, 

 much prized at a season when no other 

 fruit or vegetable may be had. The 

 season when it is so much appreciated 

 is however comparatively short. A few 

 weeks, and other things take its place^ 

 then the rliubarb is neglected and heaps 

 of it is allowed to go to waste in most 



