194 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



first fruiting. It has so far endured 

 our changeable winters remarkably well, 

 and has yielded large crops of fruit. It 

 does sucker too freely, and the grower 

 of fruit for market will find it neces- 

 sary to keep the suckers in careful sub- 

 jection in order to secure large crops. 

 The berries are large, of a good bright 

 color, firm enough to carry well if 

 properly handled, and sell readily. The 

 flavor is good, reminding one of our 

 common red raspberries. 



Davidsons Thornless. An early 

 ripening variety of black cap, valuable 

 because it is so nearly free from the 

 disagreeable thorns that tear ourclothes, 

 scratch our hands and lacerate our feel- 

 ings. The canes are hardy and prolific. 

 The berries are only of medium size, 

 sweet and of fair flavor. 



Franconia. This old variety is a 

 profitable market sort when properly 

 cultivated, and that means strong loamy 

 soil well enriched, and the ground kept 

 scrupulously clean. It is very produc- 

 tive, nearly hardy, and the fruit is of 

 good color and carries well to a not too 

 distant market. By nearly hardy is 

 meant that it sometimes gets killed 

 back by our winter, but it is not very 

 often that the crop is materially injured 

 from this cause. 



Gregg. Thus far this is the largest 

 black cap in cultivation, and the fruit 

 finds a ready sale in our markets. The 

 canes have never been injured by the 

 winter in our grounds, and have yielded 

 a large crop of fine fruit every season. 

 The berries are covered with a peculiar 

 bloom that detracts somewhat from their 

 api earance, but their large size, meaty 



pulp and good flavor have made them 

 popular, and they usually sell for a cent 

 or so more per quart than other black 

 caps. The crop ripens up rapidly and 

 is harvested in a short time. 



Hansell. It is too soon to speak con- 

 fidently of the qualities of this new sort, 

 yet a few things are already settled by 

 the first fruiting in our grounds this 

 season ; namely, it is an early ripening 

 sort, of good color, and better in quality 

 than the Highland Hardy or Brandy- 

 wine, but whether it will prove the first 

 to ripen is not yet ascertained, nor 

 whether it will prove perfectly hardy 

 here and sufficiently productive to be a 

 paying investment. 



Highland Hardy. After some years 

 of trial of this variety one can only say 

 that it is to be hoped that a better will 

 yet be found to take its place. It is 

 hardy and ripens its fruit quite early, 

 whicJi is of a bright color and of medium 

 size, but seriously lacking in flavor, and 

 yet it finds a ready sale in market be- 

 cause it comes in so early as to have no 

 competitor. 



Hopk'infi. One of the early ripening 

 black caps, of good size, good flavor and 

 good appearance. The fruit sells readily, 

 being early, for the crop is all gathered 

 before the Gregg ripens. The canes 

 have thus far stood our winters unin- 

 jured, and have been well filled with 

 fruit. 



Niaga/ra. Although this has not 

 proved to be perfectly hardy, yat so far 

 the injury has been so slight as only U) 

 affect the extremities of tlie canes. It 

 bears an abundant crop of fine, large 

 berries, of a dark crimson color, good 



