The Canadian Horticulturist. 



One thing sure, I have made more this 

 year from my orchard than 1 have in at least 

 the last ten years together, and I needed it. 



Oh, what rains we have had ; it rains ail 

 day, all night and most of the rest of the 

 time. I have been proposing to some 

 of my friends to buy in the " (ireat 

 lilastern " (if she is not destroyed) as a place 

 of refuge ; if worse comes, I know you'll 

 take some stock in the speculation. If she's 

 not as fine in her lines as some of the ocean 

 racers, I think she would compare well with 

 Captain Noah's craft. I got my garden 

 ploughed, grape vines pruned and covered, 

 and am as much in readiness for winter as 

 usual. We're never ready for its arrival 

 any more than we are for its leaving us. 

 Not that we're such shiftless beings, but we 

 have to contend with short seasons, and 

 much to do in them, so much so that much 

 of our work is but half done. — John Ckoil, 

 Aultsville, I2th Nov., 1888. 



Fruit in Perth Co. 



Sir, — I have been carefully watching your 

 fruit crop reports from various sections of 

 the Province, and from what I have gathered 

 from The Horticulturist and other sources 

 I am fully persuaded that in the one item 

 of apples, this county has been more pro- 

 ductive, and has sent more to foreign ports, 

 than any other county in Ontario. The 

 general complaint in the early fall was that 

 the sample was unusually small on account 

 of the drought, but after the rainy season 

 set in the weather continued mild well on to 

 the middle of November, and the result was 

 a considerable growth in the size of all the 

 later varieties. The sample, when gathered, 

 was consequently a fair average, while the 

 yield was abundant beyond that known for 

 many years. Many car loads were shipped 

 from this point, St. Mary's, Stratford and 

 Shakspeare, to Manitoba, as well as several 

 to the British markets, at an average price 

 of 81 10 per barrel. 



Plums were altogether a failure ; cherries 

 very small, and pears below the average in 

 both size and yield. I have lost faith in the 

 iron-filings theory in pear culture. 



Strawberries were a very short crop. The 

 largest yield and the finest berries that I had 

 was from a matted patch of three years 

 standing, on which I applied a heavy coat of 

 ashes the fall before. There is, in my 

 opinion, no fertilizer equal to ashes for old 

 matted beds when properly applied 



Raspberries (red) were an abundant crop, 

 Init blacks were scarcer. My bushes — 

 especially the Gregg — blighted badly and 

 died away shortly after the blossoming 

 season ; and I have not yet learned the 

 cause. Gooseberries were a partial failure, 

 everybody complaining more or less of 

 mildew. I picked from my garden about 

 twelve pails full, compirising Downings, 

 Smith's Improved, Industry and an excellent 

 variety, and there was not a specimen 



affected with mildew in the whole lot. I 

 attribute this to plenty of air and sunlight, 

 and a plentiful application of ashes. 



Currants were an abundant crop, though 

 few, as yet. have gone into growing them in 

 this locality ; and although I have done so 

 purely for the love of the thing, my family 

 disposed of about four hundred (fuarts at 

 10 cents per ([uart. Of the varieties I prize 

 Fay's, when its growth is confined to one or 

 two years' old wood. On older wood it is 

 disappointing. Moore's Ruby has one 

 special merit, and only one over other 

 varieties. It is sweeter than any other 

 variety, and more pleasant to eat off the 

 liush or with cream and sugar. 



The grape crop has been a fair average 

 With me the Brighton and Rodgers' y and 

 15 did well, but the Moore's Early will 

 not grow enough wood, and is a poor- 

 bearer. I threw out the Prentis and the 

 Pocklington as worthless after a four 

 years' trial. The Empire State, Niagara, 

 Amber Queen and Moore's Diamond have 

 not fruited in this section yet. 



I am looking forward with much pleasure 

 to meeting with the fruit growers of Ontario 

 at the City of Hamilton in Februarv next — 

 T. H. Race, Mitchell. 



The Idaho Pear. 



Sir, — We have a pear that we think is 

 destined to succeed over a wide range of 

 latitude. We are further north than your 

 place, and yet the Idaho, so far as tested in 

 the far south, gives great promise of success. 

 Our correspondent in Texas writes that 

 buds set last May made a growth of 7 feet, 

 and that the growth seems perfectly healthy. 

 We have the same report from New Orleans 

 and Arkansas, while Prof. I^udd writes 

 very encouragingly from Iowa. Some parties 

 to whom we ha\e sent specimens of the 

 Idaho, report it fully equal to the Bartlett or 

 Seckel, which they regard as the best. 

 Others do not give it quite so high a rank 

 Of course those receiving the sample speci- 

 mens compare them with those grown in 

 their immediate community, which is a 

 pretty trying test to the Idaho, after having 

 probably made a trip of 2,000 miles in a 

 mail sack. It will probably fruit next season 

 in Penn., NY and N J , when it will speak 

 for itself, and we have no fear of the result 



With an apology for having intruded upon 

 your time and attention at such length. — 

 The Idaho Pear Co.. per. J. H. Evans, 

 Lewiston, IT, nth Dec , iSSS 



Longfleld and Blushed Calville. 



Sir, — Vou ask if I think it would be well 

 to distribute Longfield and Blushed Calville 

 to members of the Ontario Fruit Growers ' 

 Association. 



Longfield is a young and abundant bearer. 

 a good grower, but strangling and pendulous 

 and bothersome if you feed sheep. Color, 



