142 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



varieties. One of these is the Louise, a 

 beautiful autumn pear, when grown as a 

 dwarf on good rich soil ; another is the 

 Howell, a large yellow pear, following the 

 Bartlett, and succeeding best as a standard. 

 The dwarf Duchess is an admirable export 

 variety when grown on thrifty trees, so as 

 to be free from knots and scabs. It is large 

 and has already made for itself a market in 

 Great Britain. Another is the Anjou, a large 

 yellow pear of delicious buttery flesh, which 

 is easily kept until Christmas. The Bosc 

 is another excellent export variety ; it is a 



large and beautiful russety pear, with a long 

 neck, of a delicious flavor when fully ripe. 

 It does not succeed as a dwarf, neither does 

 it make a good trunk when grown as a root 

 graft on pear stock, and therefore it should 

 be top worked on some good upright grow- 

 ing variety. For this some recommend the 

 Kieffer ; and we hope wisely, for there is no 

 question that we have too many orchards of 

 this miserable pear already planted in On- 

 tario, and the owners will soon need either 

 to root them out or to use them for top 

 working with better kinds. 



%&Atoxm\ %otts 



April is a busy month for the fruit 

 grower. Winter has relaxed her icy grip 

 and the fields and the orchards call for the 

 owner's undivided attention. 

 * * * 



Furrows and ditches should be kept open 

 for the rapid escape of the surface water, so 

 that the land may be the sooner ready for 

 use. Stakes should be set along low places 

 where water stands to mark where drains 

 are needed. 



Any land that remains too wet to spade 

 or plow for more than a week after frost 

 and snow have disappeared in spring needs 

 draining ; and the same may be said of land 

 in which water is found in holes dug two 

 feet deep for two or three days after a soak- 

 ing rain. 



5jc :*: 3)« 



Packages for fruit should be secured 

 early in the season. This lesson was well 

 learned last season, when barrels that could 

 be purchased in July or August at 30 cents 

 advanced in October to 50 cents, and were 



almost impossible to buy at that price. The 

 basket makers will now store with the fruit 

 grower as many baskets as he chooses to or- 

 der, and wait until the fruit harvest for his 

 money ; and this opportunity is worth tak- 

 ing advantage of. 



There is plenty op work for the rainy 

 days, cleaning up and grinding tools, paint- 

 ing the woodwork of plows, harrows, culti- 

 vators and old wagons. Besides all the farm 

 harness, much of which has been unused for 

 months, now needs cleaning and oiling with 

 great care. 



The Raspberry Plantation 



INTEREST in the growing of this fruit 

 has again revived, owing to an im- 

 provement in prices, which a few years igo 

 were so discouraging that many rooted up 

 their plantations. Notwithstanding the 

 many new varieties, the Cuthbert is still the 

 leading commercial raspberry for main crop, 

 though the Phoenix is worthy of a place 

 with it in the opinion of Mr. Sherrington. 



