The Canadian llorticulitirist. 



55 



Transportation. 



Sir, — I am glad to see that our mutual 

 friend Mr. Thom, of the " Heaver Line," has 

 discovered that Montreal Shipping Com- 

 panies handle our apples better than New 

 York Oimpanies. The information I get to 

 date for this season certainly agrees with 

 Mr. Thorn. Hut this is only as regards this 

 season and I am sure our shippers will be 

 greatly pleased to know that our carrying 

 companies have greatly benefited by the 

 scourging administered last year. There 

 is still some room for improvement and I 

 trust our friends at Montreal, as well as our 

 Canadian Railway Companies, will con- 

 tinue to improve and keep well ahead of the 

 American Railways and the N. Y. Steamship 

 Companies. The Canadian carrying com- 

 panies certainly deserve the patronage of 

 our shippers for their conduct this past 

 season and if they continue their good 

 behavior we will be inclined to turn all 

 traffic via Montreal. Hut they must not fall 

 back next season, for we have reason to believe 

 that an attempt will be made next season to 

 draw freights via N, Y. both by extra careful 

 handling as well as lower rates. — A. McD. 

 Allan, Goderich. 



Plants Tested in Renfrew County. 



Sir, — I will try and report on plants, etc. 

 I received from the Fruit Growers Associa- 

 tion in 1884, a plant of the Prentiss Grape. 

 I think it is too tender for this part as it gets 

 killed nearly to the ground every winter, 

 with the same care and protection as the 

 other vines. In 1885, I received a yearling 

 plant of Fav's Prolific currant. It is living 

 and doing well ; it had a few bunches of fine 

 large currants on this year. The next I re- 

 ceived was a yearling vine of the Early Vic- 

 tor Grape ; it is hardy and it is doing well. 

 The next I received was the Niagara Grape- 

 vine ; it stood the winter well and grew 

 splendidly this summer ; then I received a 

 package of spring flowering bulbs ; they all 

 lived but none of them flowered. — A Stew- 

 art, Stewardville, Ont. 



From Quebec. 



Sir, — For the benefit of those of us who 

 live to the far north (for fruit raising) I would 

 beg of you when describing fruit trees or 

 plants, specially new ones, to particularly 

 state if they are hardy, or very hardy, and 

 also for grapes if they are early or \ery 

 early 



If it was not so difficult now for me to 

 write, especially in P^nglish, I would have 

 sent you some notes on my small experience 

 here in fruit culture, but I will try by and by 



Then if you send out the Mover grape for 

 trial, I would be thankful to get one and to 

 cultivate it side by side with the Wyoming 

 (very valuable here), and which it seems to 



resemble muc:h, I laving been brought up as 

 a worker in the l.irgest vineyard on Geneva 

 Lake, Switzerland, and having now twelve 

 years experience here with kj varieties, I 

 hope to be able to give it a fair trial. — L. 

 Pasche, Hryson, P.Q. 



Compllmentapy to Ontario. 



Sir, — Please send ine the I Iokticci.i ckist 

 for 1889, as I have got settled down in my old 

 home, after tasting the fruit from here to 

 Mexico and the Pacific coast and on the 

 prairies and even among the Mormons. I 

 have failed entirely to find any place that 

 can produce the kinds and quality that we 

 have at home or that can preserve it in its 

 natural state and flavor as we do. Of course, 

 they have their oranges, but we can buy 

 them as cheap here as there, and their won- 

 derful grapes (to let them tell it), but we 

 have just as fine fruit, as many varieties, of 

 a better flavor, and we can keep them perfect 

 for six months or longer, while they can't keep 

 them at all except as raisins or dried. What 

 they lack in most of their fruit is flavor ; it is 

 with a few exceptions, utterly flat. So send 

 along the Horticulturist, for we have got 

 the finest country, the finest homes, the 

 nicest people and the best and largest \ariety 

 of fruit to be found on the continent, and as 

 Canadians we are bound to keep and improve 

 our goodly heritage. — Free.man Cooper, 

 Picton Ont. 



Fruit Trees Tested in Russell County 



Sir, — The two Russian cherry trees I 

 have do not grow very fast, and the one I 

 had last year got killed back considerably. 

 My two Haas apple trees were almost totally 

 killed with frost and cold, and Baxters Red 

 partly. Grimes' Golden altogether, and 

 (liPEON either killed with cold or something 

 worse. Scott's Winter, Yellow Trans- 

 parent, Wallbridge, Peach, Macintosh, Red, 

 Wealthy and Duchess of Oldenburg, are 

 all right yet. Crops and hay very light here 

 this year, potatoes good. — A.Walker, Met- 

 calfe, Ont. 



The Wire Field-Miee Protector 



Sir, — Seeing your notice of the wire field- 

 mice protector, I give you my experience. 

 A friend of mine had about ten trees lately 

 nibbled and spoiled, when for three cents 

 per tree they would have been safe. Since 

 I put the protectors around my trees I have 

 seen no trace of nibbles or any other injury : 

 besides they keep away other insects 1 have a 

 woolen cloth fastened around my trees 

 about two and a half feet from the ground, 

 plastered over with Stockholm tar : well, 

 every season the cocoons used to be quite 

 thick underneath the ring of woolen rag and 



