272 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



The prize apples to become the property 

 of the pei'son offering the prize in each 

 case. This prize was well contested, 

 there being four or five barrels com- 

 peting for each. One of the competing 

 barrels for the Ribston Pippin prize 

 was not of that variety. 



All the in-door portion of this Exhi- 

 bition was well conducted, and reflected 

 much credit on the Managing Directors. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



Thos. Beall. 



Lindsay, Nov. 1st, 1884. 



SHEPHERDIA ARGENTEA. 



Dear Sir, — Thanks for the Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist, Nos. 9 and 10, 

 now received. Some time ago I re- 

 ceived a letter from you, asking about 

 the locality of the Shepherdia argentea 

 or Buffalo berry. Ever since 1876, I 

 have been looking for it, and never 

 found it until this season. As far as I 

 have observed it finds its eastern limit 

 about Walhalla, on the steep banks of 

 the Pembina River. It is spoken of 

 as the future hedge shrub of the North- 

 West. Its narrow silvery leaves and 

 edible, acid scarlet fruit (like red cur- 

 rants), mark it as a tree or shrub 

 worthy of introduction into the orna- 

 mental grounds of Canada and the 

 Eastern States. Its sweet scented 

 flowers (if like the S. Klpeagnus argen- 

 tea) and scarlet berries make it an 

 object of interest in grounds, borders or 

 hedges. It abounds here and on the 

 Upper Missouri, and has been intro- 

 duced into Minnesota. It attains quite 

 a size in the ravines of the Yellow Stone. 

 Prof. Macouin speaks of the berries as 

 the most suitable for preserves of all 

 the small fruits of the North-West. 

 Its long, sharp, partly concealed spikes, 

 make it a terror to beasts of all kinds 

 The Buffalo berry, its common name, is 

 a contrast to its near relative the Silver 

 berry. The fruit of the one is small, 



the other large ; the one scarlet, the 

 other white and silvery ; the one 

 strongly acid, the other a mealy sweet. 

 The contrast is as great as between the 

 fruit of the Pembina berry (Viburnum 

 Opulus, Cranberry tree) and the Sheep 

 berry (Viburnum Lentago', both very 

 common on the banks of the Pembina 

 River. The town of Pembina on the 

 Red River gets its name from the V. 

 Lentago. 



One of the most abundant berries 

 here is the Amelanchier Canadensis 

 (Shadbiish, June berry or Service 

 berry), the famous Satcatoom of the 

 Indians. It extends from the Red to 

 the Peace River, and is universally 

 eaten by bears, half breeds, Indians and 

 settlers. It is said to be the healthiest 

 berry in use in Dakota. It has marked 

 medicinal qualities. On the Laiirentian 

 Range, in the back woods of Canada, 

 they ai-e used for pies by the settlers, 

 under the name of " Sugar Plums.'* 

 In Canada I never saw them in such 

 quantities as out here. 



I enclose for you seeds of the Amor- 

 pha canescens (Lead Plant), and Peta- 

 lostemon violaceum (Prairie Clover), 

 both perennial herbs, and distinctly 

 marked in dry parts of Western prairies. 



If you wish I can send you seeds of 

 Shepherdias mentioned above. 

 Ever truly, 



John Scott, 



Presbyterian Missionary, 

 Formerly of Emerson, Manitoba. 

 Walhalla, Dakota, U.S., 

 Oct. 31st. 1884. 



The Editor gratefully acknowledges 

 the receipt of the seeds enclosed, and 

 would be greatly obliged to our corres- 

 pondent if he would not only send us 

 some seeds of S. argentea, but express 

 to us in the Spring at our expense some 

 of the plants. 



