A PEACH COUNTRY 



MORE NOTES OF THE LEAMINGTON MEETING. 



Mr. W. W. Hillborn, Fruit Experimenter in 

 Essex ; also Orchardist and Gardener. 



^ I ^ HE home of our fruit experimenter, 

 1 Mr. W. W. Hillborn, is situated just 

 outside the town of Leamington, on a some- 

 wliat elevated location, and in the midst of 

 peach orchards which extend as far as the 

 eye can reach. Very few trees -remain of 

 those planted previous to the great Febru- 

 ary " freeze " of five years ago, but the new 

 orchards are now coming into bearing, and 

 in future the output of peaches from Essex 

 must be reckoned with in our already over- 

 stocked markets.. 



After testing about one hundred and fifty 

 kinds of peaches, Mr. Hillborn gives the fol- 

 lowing list as in his opinion the most desir- 

 able for commercial purposes, in order of 

 ripening, viz. : Yellow St. John, Garfield, 

 Early Crawford, Fitzgerald, Engol Mam- 

 moth, New Prolific, Elberta, Bronson, Kala- 

 mazoo, Late Crawford, Smock, Banner and 

 Salway. 



The Longhurst he would not plant, the 

 Bronson and the Kalamazoo being much 

 better ; and in this our Niagara district 

 growers will agree with him, for most of us 

 have too many of this variety, which often 

 grows small in size and is unattractive in 

 appearance. The Banner is a local" variety 

 and quite a favorite in Essex. 



We asked about two varieties which are 

 great favorites with us in our own experi- 

 mental plot, viz., Steven's Rareripe and 

 Champion. While admitting them to be 

 among the very best, he had omitted them 

 from his list simply because they were white 

 fleshed. Now in England the white flesh 

 kinds are the favorites for dessert ; we 

 believe the same is true everywhere, and 

 that the popularity of the Early Crawford 

 for canning purposes explains the prefer- 

 ence for the yellow color in America. 



In this we are supported by Taft, of 

 Michigan, who said that in his state some 

 of the best white varieties are being special- 

 ly grown for a fancy trade. He would not 

 favor, however, any of those ripening ear- 

 lier than the season of the St. John. We 

 quite agree with the professor with regard 

 to most of the early varieties, but would ex- 

 cept a new variety, the Greensboro, a large 

 white fleshed variety of fairly good quality, 

 which we consider very valuable for home 

 use or for a near market. 



Hillborn has had excellent success with 

 the lime and sulphur treatment for scale, 

 which had established itself in his orchard 

 before he was aware of it. One thorough 

 treatment, just before the buds opened, was 

 so effective that he has not since been able 

 to find a live scale. In applying he is care- 

 ful to spray on the windward side, finishing 

 on the other side when the wind changes. 

 With three lines of hose he applies five bar- 

 rels of the mixture per day, one man being 

 always at the steam cooker preparing the 

 mixture. 



Mr. W. A. McKinnon said that the ex- 

 periments conducted by his department 

 went to show that $350 should provide a 

 power spraying outfit, with which one 



