FOR THE SMALL FRUIT GROWER. 



the great importance of a good heavy mulch, 

 especially where the plants are thin in the 

 row. This prevents the great damage that 

 results from heavy freezing, or alternate! 

 freezing and thawing. The season vas 

 later than usual and prices ruled higher on 

 account of a light crop. 



CONCERNING VARIETIES. 



As to the best varieties each grower will 

 have, in a large measure, to decide for him- 

 self w^hich are best suited for his soil and 

 style of cultivation. In some places Michels 

 is the best early, in others it gives a very 

 good return. The first to ripen last sea- 

 son were Excelsior, Michels, Van Deman, 

 August LyUther, Camelon, Success, Early 

 Market, but not very much ahead of the 

 bulk of the mid-season varieties. Gandy, 

 Nettie, Hunn, Robbie, Buster and Irene 

 were among the last picked. 



Among the good varieties Monitor did 

 well. It is an early variety. There were 



only one or two pickings of the earliest 

 varieties -before the mediums, viz., Clyde, 

 Monitor and Splendid, were ready ; then 

 Bubach, Tennessee Prolific, Williams, fol- 

 lowed by Glen Mary, Sample Atoma, 

 Gandy, Joe, Nettie. 



Of the new varieties, fruiting for the first 

 tim.e with me, Success, President, Fairfield 

 and Ben Davis did the best. Success is 

 early and makes small plants, but is a good 

 runner and the berries medium in size. 1 

 have a new straw^berry named The Cardinal. 

 It is claimed to be the long looked for " per- 

 fect " berry. The plants are clean and 

 bright, vigorous and strong, large and 

 healthy, no trace of rust on any of them. 

 When it fruits next season, if the berry 

 proves to be as good as the plant, it may 

 turn out to be what its originator claims, 

 viz., perfect. I hope it may have a favor- 

 able season in which to make its first ap- 

 pearance in Canada. 



Berry Bushes in the Orchard 



MR. A. PETTIT, of Grimsby, was one 

 of the fortunate fruit growers who 

 did not lose many peach trees by the severe 

 weather of the winter of 1904. He at- 

 tributes this largely to the fact that he has 

 berry bushes planted in alternate rows in 

 his peach orchard. The bushes, he claims, 

 help to hold the snow and break the sweep 

 of the wind. " W' here the bushes were 

 planted," said Mr. Pettit to a representative 

 of The Horticulturist, " I only lost three or 

 four trees. In another orchard where 

 there were no bushes I lost about 200 trees. 

 The location of the two orchards was prac- 

 tically the same. I have been unable to ac- 

 count for it in any other way." 



" How would mulching with straw, or the 

 use of a cover crop, aflect the trees," was 

 asked Mr. Pettit. "Anything that will 

 hold snow and protect the roots," he replied, 

 " would be of value, but I doubt if it would 

 be practicable in a large orchard." 



Dry Sulphur for the Rot 



ki T AST year was my first experience 

 1 ^ with the black rot in grapes," said 

 Mr. R. H. Lewis, of Hamilton, to The 

 Horticulturist recently. " I never had any- 

 thing serious the matter with my grapes be- 

 fore. My impression is that growers will 

 have to spray thoroughly and at the proper 

 time if they are to prevent the rot seriously 

 injuring their crops. I used dry sulphur 

 last season, which I applied twice, but with 

 no result. This may have been due to the 

 fact that I did not apply it soon enough, 

 although I do not believe sulphur is the 

 remedy. 



" The Bordeaux mixture, I think, is the 

 best to use. This year I intend to apply a 

 copper solution before the buds start and 

 to follow it with two or three applications 

 of the Bordeaux mixture. One applica- 

 tion put on thoroughly is worth half a dozen 

 put on poorly. I am using a power sprayer 

 and have obtained excellent results." 



