FRUITS AT SIMCOE STATION. 



RASPBERRIES. 



UTHBERT still stands at the 

 head in point of quality. The 

 Columbian is the greatest 

 bearer. Fruit large, excellent 

 for canning, but would not ship well, I 

 fancy, as it is not very firm when quite 

 ripe, and it must not be picked before 

 it gets its purple color, or it lacks flavor. 

 But it is a prodigious bearer and should 

 find a place in every garden. 



Turner is simply a wild berry, of good 

 flavor, but too small and soft for market. 

 '' Louden '' and " Miller " bore a few 

 berries this year and they seem to be 

 very fine. We still favor "Shaffer's' 

 for canning, it is quite hardy and bears 

 well here. 



Of the Black Caps I have tried so 

 far, I think " Smith's Giant " takes the 

 lead. I have fruited it two years. I 

 like it better this year than last ; it is a 

 good bearer. Fruit large and quite firm, 

 resembles the Gregg, but is of better 

 quality. Canes only slightly affected 

 with anthracnose, and quite hardy. 



Lovett is a failure here ; Palmer very 

 good, but not so productive as Smith's 

 or ''Older." Hillborn is of good qua- 

 lity, but too small. Older is a splendid 

 berry for home use, very productive, 

 quality first class, but too soft to ship 

 very far. But I would advise anyone 

 planting for home use, to be sure to 

 plant a few of the " Older," as, for using 

 fresh on the table, they are far and away 

 the best of all the Black Caps. 



BL.ACKBERRIES. 



Agawam has fruited well this year, 

 and I do not quite agree with Mr. 

 Peart, as to its quality, though it cer- 

 tainly lacks flavor until quite ripe. The 



* Eldorado is not going to be so productive as 



367 



canes are healthy and have proved quite 

 hardy so far. The fruit is large and 

 fine looking. "Taylor," growing along- 

 side of it, makes a very poor showing 

 in comparison. I only succeeded in 

 growing one plant of the Gainor. It 

 has not fruited yet, for which I am sor- 

 ry, as Mr. Peart praises it highly. I 

 am anxious to know if it will do as well 

 here as at Burlington. 



" Wilson, Jr." is so badly affected 

 with anthracnose, as to be almost use- 

 less. But I believe we have struck 

 something fine in the "Eldorado.'* 

 The canes are very healthy and just as 

 hardy as the Snyder. The fruit is large, 

 firm, and the quality all that could be 

 desired I am highly pleased with this 

 variety and expect great things of it. 

 Erie has not fruited yet, and from the 

 appearance of the canes, I should judge 

 it will not amount to much here. 



Of course all these varieties of berries 

 need further trial, as nothing conclusive 

 is proved from one or even two years' 

 fruiting. It is the varieties that give 

 the best results for several years, that 

 are going to be the most valuable. One 

 important fact I have learned and would 

 wish to emphasize, is that those who 

 wish to succeed in growing Raspberries 

 and Blackberries, will have to spray their 

 bushes with Bordeaux mixture. 



I notice the disease known as an- 

 thracnose getting worse every year. It 

 does not seem to affect the vigor of the 

 young canes, the first year, but, by the 

 next year, it has spread over a large 

 part of the surface like a rust, and the 

 canes turn yellow and often die before 

 fruiting. I am planting my rows now 

 eight feet apart, so as to be able to 

 drive between them with a spraying rig- 

 A low- wheeled truck would be the thin^i 



Agawam. 



