SOME OF THE NEWER FRUITS.— II. 



Bv E. MORDEN, NlACARA FaLLS SOUIH. 



Russian Apricots. — Those who some 

 years since listened to glib tongued 

 agents, and planted large areas with 

 these trees lost a lot of money. After 

 years of trial they are mostly dug out, 

 and the planters ought to be wiser men 

 if they are not. These apricots blossom 

 very early, but the fruit rarely sets, and 

 even when set seldom endures to the 

 end. Apricots, in general, seem to be 

 a delusion. Curculios favor their con- 

 tinuance. 



Mulberries. — If we imagine a very 

 sweet blackberry without its seeds, w^ 

 have a mulberry. For those who like 

 sweet, rich fruit, the mulberry will be 

 ranked as delicious. The large fruited 

 varieties seem to be rather tender for 

 Ontario. 



, The Russian mulberry gives in some 

 cases a large crop of small berries. As 

 they fall about as soon as they ripen, we 

 need sheets in order to gather the fruit. 

 The birds are willing in this case to 

 assist. 



By planting several trees, some pistil- 

 late ones will be secured, and from these 

 we may get delicious fruit. The tree, 

 too, has remarkable foliage. Some ot 

 the leaves are entire, and many of them 

 are notched and lobed in a great variety 

 of ways. 



JapanesePlums. — The Japanese plums 

 are quite different in foliage from the 

 European and American varieties. They 

 blossom very early, hence, are not likely 

 to be reliable every year. 



In appearance, quality and season of 

 ripening, the fruit varies greatly. As 

 there is some confusion in their nomen- 



clature, there is naturally a conflict of 

 opinion in reference to varieties of 

 merit. 



The Ogon with me is a very early 

 white plum with a deep suture. It 

 ripens and drops from the trees much 

 in advance of the ordinary plums. Its 

 quality is nothing to boast of. The 

 Abundance, which ripens later and is 

 sometimes quite large, is likel> to take a 

 place and hold it. The Burbank seems 

 to be gaining in favor. 



Hataukio, a late reddish plum with 

 a white bloom is worthy of trial. The 

 fruit resembles the Lombard, but is 

 handsomer and of better quality, I 

 think. Some of the fruit falls, but some 

 of It remains on the trees for three or 

 four weeks. Picked in season it ought 

 to bear shipping well. As many of the 

 Japansripen with the European plums, 

 and must compete with them, it will be 

 seen that they must possess a good 

 supply of all around merit, if they hold 

 a place permanently. Some of them 

 may do this, while I think that growers 

 should try them, I do not see how they 

 can displace the older varieties. 



In summing up the newer kinds of 

 fruit, we cannot claim any commercial 

 value for any of them, that would justify 

 large plantations. Fruit growers with 

 some enterprise and some spare space, 

 should plant nearly all of them for home 

 use and ornament. Should any of 

 them develop commercial value, larger 

 plantings may follow. He who, upon 

 the advice of some agent, plants largely 

 of a new fruit, in order to get ahead of 

 the other fellows, need not be surprised 

 if he finds himself in the rear. 



231 



