36 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



THE FRUIT CROP OF 1882. 



According to precedents the apple 

 crop in Western New York, this year, 

 ought to have been the largest ever 

 grown. There were more apple trees 

 of bearing age, it was the biennial 

 bearing year, and more blossoms ex- 

 panded upon the trees than were ever 

 before known. Yet we do not hesitate 

 to say that the crop of apples harvested, 

 west of Cayuga Lake, was the smallest 

 in proportion to the area of orchards 

 ever known in this territory. We have 

 heretofore discussed the probable cause, 

 or causes of the failure, and will not 

 now dwell upon that point. No other 

 kind of fruit has resulted in such a 

 complete failure, unless peaches did, 

 and we think there was a larger jdeld 

 of peaches in proportion to the area 

 covered with trees, than of apples. 



The strawberry crop was below an 

 average. The diminution in yield may 

 be attributed to several causes : The 

 severe drouth of last year prevented 

 that growth of plant last season, neces- 

 sary to a maximum crop. The winter 

 was so open and freezings and thawings 

 so frequent, as to heave out and destroy 

 a portion of the plants. Then the 

 spring was so cold and backward that 

 plants grew slowly and failed to form 

 that basis of a crop of fruit which is 

 indispensable. With all these draw- 

 backs there was one favorable condition, 

 viz.: moist weather during the fruiting 

 season, thus making the most of the 

 berries started. There was a plenty of 

 berries for family supply, but the scar- 

 city kept them too high for extensive 

 canning by the factories. Those who 

 were so fortunate as to have good crops 

 must have made well by them. 



Cherries were good in some localities, 

 poor in others. They blossomed well, 

 but in many localities the germs fell to 

 the ground soon after the blossoms. 

 Certain varieties of cherries, notably 

 the Napoleon Bigarreau, are much 



sought after for canning. A larger 

 proportion of the crop than usual was 

 saved, as, owing to the cool, dry wea- 

 ther they rotted less than usual. We 

 allowed ours to retain their full growth 



o 



and maturity, and we are confident the 

 yield was a third more than if picked, 

 as they usually are, when green. 



Kaspberries were a pretty good crop, 

 but were reduced somewhat by the 

 drouth. They were all taken at good 

 prices, the evaporators preventing their 

 running too low. Currants were nearly 

 an average crop, but their value for can- 

 ning and jelly is too well appreciated 

 to allow much depreciation in prices. 



The blackberry crop was one of the 

 best ever raised, and met with the most 

 ready sale at good prices. The mild- 

 ness of last winter saved the canes of 

 all varieties, and the scarcity of peaches 

 made the demand for blackberries good. 



Grapes, though late, have turned 

 out a pretty good crop, the warm Oct. 

 weather, and the postponement of frost 

 bringing nearly all to maturity. We 

 think more than double the number of 

 pounds of grapes have been retailed, 

 by Rochester grocers and confectionei's, 

 and consumed by our citizens than ever 

 before, and we are glad to know that 

 growers have received better prices. 

 Retailers' margins have been smaller. 



Plums have probably been the best 

 crop of any tree fruit grown, and they 

 have been largely canned. Quinces 

 have also been a fair crop, and we have 

 heard nothing of the prevalence of that 

 fungus which alarmed so many quince 

 orchardists last year. Pears were not 

 an average crop, but in some localities 

 the yield was fair. It was hardly the 

 bearing year for pears, in this vicinity. 

 Upon the whole, with the exception of 

 apples and peaches, the fruit crop of 

 Western New York has been but little 

 below the average, but we can better 

 afford to be short in all other fruits 

 than apples. — Rwral Home, 



