80 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



free from spots, others said they had not 

 a spotless apple. It was admitted on all 

 hands that the disease was much more 

 prevalent this year than formerly, but 

 I am sori-y to say that neither the cause 

 nor the cure of the disease was discover- 

 ed. One said the disease was mostly 

 confined to old and ill pruned trees, an- 

 other that it was from the want of shel- 

 ter, while a third would have it from 

 over crowding ; neither of which theo- 

 ries met with support. That cold, wet 

 or frosty weather coming when the trees 

 were in blossom, and over manuring in 

 some cases favored the disease was gen- 

 erally believed. The reason why some 

 kiuds, such as the Russets, were less in- 

 jured by the disease last year, we don't 

 think was satisfactorily accounted for, 

 but it is quite evident that they and 

 some others are much less liable to the 

 disease than others. I am not pi-epared 

 to give a full list of these, but from ex- 

 perience can recommend the American 

 Golden Russet spotting none ; the Tal- 

 man Sweet, spotting little ; the Weal- 

 thy promising well, hardy and free from 

 spots. These three are all hardy and 

 reliable in our district. Let readers re- 

 member I don't recommend but a few 

 kinds, not more than a dozen as profit 

 aMe in our cold north — the tree pedlar, 

 much more accommodating, will giveyou 

 th'un, hardy trees, he says, by the score. 

 Pity tliat the Faineuse, our favorite and 

 formerly best paying apple, should suf- 

 fer so severely from the disease. I am 

 afraid the Mcintosh Red is not much 

 better in this respect. 



Another subject was grape growing. 

 Can we make the cultivation of grapes 

 proHtable and with what varieties'? 

 That they are profitable for market use 

 was agreed to on all sides, as well as that 

 we should all sit under our vines if not 

 our own fig tree. The kinds recom- 

 mended as e.iriy, hardy and suitable to 

 our location were, Concord, Delaware, 

 Moore's Early, Brighton, Worden, Hart- 



ford Prolific, and I think T may add 

 the new grape Jessica, now offered by 

 our enterpi-ising secretary, Mr. Beadle, 

 of St. Catharines. Some one said better 

 have poor grapes tlian none, and put 

 the Talman, alias the Beaconsfield, on 

 this list ; it is hardy and will surely 

 ripen. This is the best we would like 

 to say of it. 



Our association deals too with for- 

 restry, although not appearing in our 

 title now, it will presently. A bill just 

 })assed entitled the Ontario Tree Plant- 

 ing Act, will much encourage tree ))lant- 

 ing. It authorizes the planting of trees 

 on the highways adjoining our farms, as 

 also on the boundary lines, and makes 

 provision for a bonus of 25c for each 

 tree so planted under cei-tain restric- 

 tions, and [)roviding for the preservation 

 of the same l>y a tine not exceeding $25 

 and costs, or imprisonment for 30 days, 

 for any one injuring or allowing to be 

 injured by his cattle any such tree. 



Who is to be responsible now for the 

 widow's cows, the great bugbear to no 

 fences ] We will have to find her less 

 expensive pasture than the Queen's 

 Highway. 



To convince us that such societies as 

 the Fruit Growei-s' Association are 

 doing good, we have only to compare 

 the fruits and flowers of to day with 

 those of our boyhood. It is like com- 

 paring the apple with the crab. 



Mr. Charles Arnold the celebrated 

 agriculturist and hybridist of Canada, 

 succeeded a few years ago in raising a 

 new dwarf pea, a cross between the two 

 favorite varieties. Champion of England 

 and Little Gem. It is named Bliss' 

 American Wonder. I would not ask 

 space to describe itmore than to say, that 

 when introduced it was believc^d by 

 competent judges to be the best dwarf 

 pea in the world. He soil his right to 

 the well known firm, B. K. Bliss k Sons 

 New York. Last year I planted four 

 and a half quarts of these peas for which 



