THE CANADIAN H0BTICULTUKI8T. 



22T 



and a large plantation of apple and 

 peach trees that had already reached 

 goodly proportions, although yet quite 

 young. On the apple trees the branches 

 were hanging heavily loaded to the 

 ground with a reguhxr, clean and very 

 promising crop of fruit. The trees 

 looked better and healthier, with better 

 leaves and cleaner and better fruit, and 

 more of it, than the generality of 

 the neighborhood. Although this season 

 there is not many peaches on the peach 

 trees, the gentleman told us that they 

 had in other years raised many very 

 heavy crops. On the whole this was 



THE BEST THIXG OF THE KIXD 



we had ever seen, and the beau ideal of 

 what we had often tried to picture 

 to ourselves in our frequent com- 

 munications. After a little more ques- 

 tioning, Mr. Thomas said that now he 

 could stand to cut wood in a storm with 

 his coat off and be comfortable, and 

 that he considered it worth to his farm 

 five hundred dollars, nor would he like 

 to sell it at that if not to be replaced. 

 Another point that struck us with a 

 gread deal of convincing force while 

 admiring this belt was 



THE NATIVE BEAUTY 



of our admirable Canadian white pine 

 as a tree. We had often attempted to 

 contrast this pine with the imported 

 Austi'ian and Scotch pines, and hardly 

 being able to sustain the comparison. 

 But this plantation completely turned 

 us over in our judgment and we will 

 now cheerfully vote for the native 

 Canadian boi-n on our hills and tower- 

 ing in our fertile plains. Is not this 

 as it should be and agreeable to our 

 cherished motto, " Canada First 1" 



The points of excellence seem to us 

 to be — 



1. A beautiful clear refreshing green 

 color of leaf, delightful to look upon. 



2. Long swinging or swaying slender 



branches, constantly in motion in the 

 summer breeze. This contrasts finely 

 with the stifi"ness of the other two pines. 



3. A regularity from bottom to top 

 of branches, decreasing in length but 

 with a dense fulness of branch and leaf, 

 giving a deep fulness to each individual 

 tree without any breaks in it, and 



4th. Nationality. It in every case 

 and in every place reminds you at once 

 and forever of our beloved Canada. 



These four points we feel to be valu- 

 able and argumentative points of com- 

 parison, and they have already suc- 

 ceeded in establishing in us a love for 

 the 



CANADA PINE. 



A short distance further to the north 

 of these plantations, and on the same 

 line of road, there is one of the most ad- 

 mii'able blocks of many aci'es of natui-al 

 growth of white pine from seedlings on 

 open pine choppings that is to be met 

 with in great distances. About 25 or 

 30 years ago the large, noble trees from 

 this pinery were removed and the land 

 left merely fenced and protected from 

 the inroads of cattle for a few years is 

 now densely covered with as handsome 

 growth of young and promising pine as 

 could possibly be desired. Their beau- 

 tiful deep green and long slender 

 branches on all outsides and open spaces 

 are very attractive, and the traveller- 

 passing them invariably stops to admire 

 their beauty and wonder at their rapid 

 and astonishing growth. I may sup- 

 pose there may be 25 or 30 acres of 

 this kind of plantation in the block, 

 and the trees have now reached a li eight 

 of 20 to 25 ft., with a good bulky 

 thickness of trunk. This pine in a few~ 

 years more will afford to the people 

 much value in evergreen branches for 

 shades, coverings and decoration, and 

 also in young and valuable timber for 

 many useful and indispensable purposes. 

 In expense it has really cost its owners. 



