158 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



I'm going into, but I am testing varie- 

 ties enough, I think, to make a future 

 report interesting. 



My main crop will be Early Canada, 

 Wilson and New Dominion, but am 

 testing Mount Vernon, Manchester, 

 Bid well, Forest Rose, Hudson Chief, 

 Sharp! ess, Glendale. For these I have 

 to thank Mr. A. M. Smith, of your 

 place, and Mr. Henry Smith, of Mor- 

 risburg. In raspberries I am trying 

 Niagara, Cuthbert and Hansell. The 

 Philadelphia last year fruited well, 

 when all my others were winter killed. 

 I have trespassed too long on your 

 sheet and your reader's patience. 



John Croil. 

 Aultsville, June, 1883. 



FRUIT JREPORT FROM THE OTTAWA 

 VALLEY. 



The spring of 1883 has been the most 

 backward that has occurred for many 

 years in eastern Ontario. At this time 

 of writing (6th June) the trees are 

 hardly yet in full leaf, especially the 

 black and gray walnuts. The wild red 

 plums have just dropped their blosoms, 

 but the blue plums, apples, crabs, straw- 

 berries and cherries are now in full 

 bloom ; the currants and gooseberries 

 have set their fruit. 'Winter weather 

 held on until late in the season and was 

 succeeded by cold wet weather, in con- 

 sequence of which vegetation was un- 

 usually late. Notwithstanding these 

 drawbacks the shew for fruit is unusu- 

 ally good, but with so late a start it 

 may be a question if the grapes, which 

 are only shewing the fruit buds, will 

 overtake their usual time of ripening. 

 Present indications shew that it will 

 take an exceptionally hot season, well 

 extended into the autumn, to perfect 

 the fruit before the frost sets in. Several 

 pear trees which were sent out in past 

 years by the Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion, and had lingered on without pro- 

 ducing any fruit, have at last succumbed 



to the past severe winter. This proves 

 conclusively to me that this is not a 

 pear section. Almost the only variety 

 that has fruited here is the Flemish 

 beauty, but even this tree gave no re- 

 turn on my grounds, and in other locali- 

 ties has proved short lived, only fruiting 

 for one or two years. Many varieties 

 of cherries have been tried, but no suc- 

 cess attended them. A few specimens 

 have been secured from the Kentish, 

 which so far has proved hardy, but does 

 not bear so abundantly as in the west. 

 The robbins are so fond of this fruit 

 that it is difficult to secure even those 

 that come to maturity. Experiments 

 have been made with the peach, but 

 have only gone to shew that it cannot 

 be grown in the open ground. I have 

 tried it on the French Cordon system, 

 covering the arms with leaves and soil, 

 but without success. I have also tried 

 the plan of cutting the roots of one side 

 of the tree, throwing it over and bury- 

 ing it, but with no better success. All 

 attempts to raise fruit have failed, though 

 the life of the tree has in many instances 

 been prolonged for several years. This, 

 as in the case of the pears and the finer 

 kinds of plums and cherries, shews that 

 the fruit spurs, or that part of the tree 

 which is productive of its seed, is the 

 most tender, and the more readily at- 

 tacked by cold, or more susceptible to 

 the changes of temperature. 



I find that raspberries do best with 

 some slight protection. Probably the 

 best thing to do is to weight the canes 

 down with poles, light scantlings or 

 sods, covering them with corn stalks, 

 sorghum or some coarse material, prob- 

 ably cedar brush would be the best 

 where it is easily obtained. Amongst 

 the varieties experimented with here, I 

 find the Cuthbert probably the most 

 hardy, it shews every indication of be- 

 ing a valuable sort for cold localities. 

 The berry is good in quality, firm and 

 of a bright attractive color. All the 



