98 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



rule, white varieties have not been satisfac- 

 tory, and many growers have removed them 

 from their orchards, while very few are be- 

 ing planted ; and yet the better white varie- 

 ties grown at the station grounds, well 

 packed in open slat, one-fifth bushel baskets, 

 sold for a higher price than many of the 

 later yellow varieties on the Chicago mar- 

 ket." 



The Champion, which we describe in this 

 issue, is large, handsome, and of the highest 

 quality for dessert. It is a fair shipper and 

 moderately productive, and for our own 

 table it is a special favorite. To be profit- 

 able for market it would need to command 

 a price above the average. 



The Stevens Rareripe is a white flesh 

 peach of sprightly vinous flavor, coming in 

 late in September, and is more promising as 

 a profitable market variety than Champion; 

 another season we hope to secure a photo- 

 graph of this peach for our journal. Of the 

 other white varieties, two very early ones 

 have done well at Maplehurst for three 

 years past, viz., Sneed and Greensboro ; the 

 former, the earliest variety we know, of fair 

 quality and of some value for a near mar- 

 ket ; the latter ripening a little in ad- 

 vance of Rivers, and, though quite as 

 tender in flesh, in our opinion is a more 

 desirable variety for table use, or for a near 

 market. 



%^i\oxm\ ^0t^s 



March is a changeable month, and no 

 definite plans for work can be laid down for 



the guidance of the gardener. 



* * * 



Pruning is usually finished during this 

 month, because as soon as the frost is out of 

 the ground the work of plowing and plant- 

 ing will begin on well drained soils. Gather- 

 ing the brush is a tiresome job in a large 

 orchard, and much labor would be saved if 

 the former could have a horse and brush 

 boat with him and throw on it the prunings 



as he makes them. 



* * * 



Brush should be gathered and burned as 

 fast as it is drawn to the burning place. 

 Once get a good fire going and even the 

 green brush, if carefully placed, will be con- 

 sumed. 



* * * 



Old trees, past their usefulness, should 

 be dug out by the roots. Cut oflF the upper 

 limbs and leave as high a trunk as possible 



for leverage. Attach a log chain high up, 

 and a span of horses will materially assist 

 the work of taking out the old trunks, roots 

 and all. 



* * * 



Grape pruning also should be finished ?,s 

 soon as possible, and the arms tied in place. 

 Then a harrow drawn between the rows will 

 remove the prunings to the ends, where it 

 can easily be forked over on to the brush 



boat and drawn away to the burning place. 



* * * 



The ashes from the burnt brush is valu- 

 able as a fertilizer for the fruit orchard, and 

 should not be wasted. The sooner it is scat- 

 tered over the ground underneath the trees 



the better. 



* * * 



Barn manure is the very best fertilizer 

 for the orchard, and, if procurable, leaves 

 all commercial fertilizers out of sight. It 

 should be drawn out and spread about the 

 trees while the frost is still in the ground : 



