302 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Undersized Baldwin Apples 



fct A GREAT many orchards, especially 

 x\ those in which ])aldwin apples 

 are being grown, are producing undersized 

 fruit," said Mr. Joseph Tweddle to an edi- 

 torial representative of The Horticulturist. 

 " The question," continued Mr. Tweddle, 

 " is what is the cause ? Several years ago 

 I was handling lo or 12 orchards on shares. 

 For two or three years parts of them bore 

 some fruit, which was off in color and small 

 sized, while others produced fruit of nor- 

 mal size and fair color. The trees in all 

 the orchards were sprayed in the same man- 

 ner. 



" I found that the orchards which were in 

 cultivation during the winter of 1878 and 

 1879, when so many peach and plum or- 

 chards and vineyards were destroyed by 

 root freezing, were the ones which bore the 

 small sized off-colored fruit. Those which 

 were in sod that winter escaped the root 

 killing and bore medium sized well colored 

 fruit. When I found this out I commenced 

 heading in severely the orchards which were 

 root killed, and they immediately responded 

 by vigorous growth. In my opinion that 

 is what is the matter with many poor or- 

 chards. I now grow crimson clover and 

 rye and vetch, and after it has served its 

 purpose as a winter cover it is plowed im- 

 der for a supply of nitrogen and humus. 

 Some kind of crop is sowed every year for 

 this purpose. 



A Plum and Cherry Disease 



T. D. JARVIS, B. S. A., O. A. C, GUELPH. 



Something' has happened to many oherry 

 and some plum trees in this section. The 

 leaves turn yellow and have brown or blackish 

 sipots on them. Tihey Anally fall off. I un- 

 derstand it is a fungous disease that is the trou- 

 ble. What is the remedy ? — (E. C, Essex Co. 



The fungous disease attacking the plum 



and cherry leaves is popularly known as the 



Shot Hole Fungus. It does considerable 



injury each year to the plum and cherry 



trees of Ontario. If the trees are sprayed 

 in the early season with Bordeaux mixture 

 it will reduce the disease considerably. 



Wanted — A Fruit Commissioner 



THAT leading fruitmcn feel strongly 

 regarding the action of the Dominion 

 Government in placing the fruit division 

 imder the supervision of the Dairy Commis- 

 sioner is shown by many forcible letters and 

 expressions of opinion on the subject which 

 continue to reach The Horticulturist. Here 

 are two: 



A. E. Sherrington, manager Bruce Fruit 

 Growers' Association : Owing to the vast 

 importance of the fruit industry, I believe 

 that it is absolutely necessary that it should 

 have a commissioner of fruit, who shall be 

 entirely separate and distinct from the dairy 

 division and who shall have entire charge 

 of the fruit branch of the Dominion depart- 

 ment of agriculture. It is important that 

 we shall have a fruit commissioner through 

 whom we will be able to come in direct 

 touch with the Minister of Agriculture, 

 which is impossible at present, owing to its 

 being necessary for the chief of the fruit di- 

 vision to consult with the dairy commis- 

 sioner in regard to all matters concerning 

 the fruit industry. We should push this 

 matter until our desires are complied with. 



D. Johnson, president and manager For- 

 est Fruit Growers' Association : The ac- 

 tion of the Dominion Minister of Agricul- 

 ture in placing the chief of the fruit division 

 under the control of the dairy commissioner 

 places the former in an awkward position. 

 It seems to me that if the chief of the fruit 

 division was brought in direct contact with 

 the minister he would be able to do more for 

 the advancement of the fruit industry, which 

 is in a discouraged condition. The large 

 quantities of fruit which go to waste every 

 year show the great need of something be- 

 ing dene to improve the fruit industry. 



