FRUIT PROSPECTS THROUGH THE PROVINCE 



Althougrh the winter has been the most severe 

 on record, the damage to orchards in the com- 

 mercial fruit growing districts does not appear 

 to have been as severe as at first feared. 

 Peaches in many sections have suffered severe- 

 ly, some growers having lost their entire or- 

 oharas. On the other hand, the buds in many 

 orcharus are reported to be in a promising con- 

 dition, with prospects for a fair crop. The 

 damage has been sufficiently heavy to make it 

 certain the crop will not be a large one. Should 

 further damage occur, it is possible the yield 

 this year will be quite small. The plum, pear 

 and apple orchards are generally considered to 

 be in a pretty fair condition, in spite of some 

 injury by mice and frost. 



Mice have caused more damage this season 

 than for many years. In some districts or- 

 chards have been almost entirely destroyed by 

 them, although the total injury will not ma- 

 terially affect (.he crop of the province in any 

 line of fruit. The Horticulturist had hoped to 

 give in this issue a detailed statement of the 

 fruit prospects of all the leading crops in the 

 principal fruit producing counties of the pro- 

 vince. It has, however, (been unable as yet to 

 complete its list of correspondents in the 

 various counties, with the result that the re- 

 turns for this month's report have not been as 

 complete as it was hoped they would be. For 

 this reason no definite conclusions have been 

 drawn concerning present conditions. The 

 statements of the correspondents have, instead, 

 been given in considerable detail, so that grow- 

 ers will oe able to, draw their own conclusions. 

 During the summer months the Horticulturist 

 hopes to be able to give its readers complete 

 and accurate reports concerning all the princi- 

 pal fruit crops. « 



But Few Plum Trees Being Planted. 



The great majority of plum orchards are ap- 

 parently in very fair condition, although in 

 some sections the severe winter caused heavy 

 damage. Most of the correspondents of the 

 Horticulturist made out their reports during 

 the week ending April 23, at which time they 

 claimed it was too early to state definitely just 

 what the injury to trees would amount to. 



One correspondent in Lambton county placed 

 the number of trees killed by frost at 25 per 

 cent., while several in Lincoln county, without 

 making any definite estimate, state trees have 

 come through the winter in very poor condition, 

 many of them being badly frozen. In the 

 northwest and central counties trees are said 

 to be in fair to excellent condition. Quite a 

 little damage occurred in Whitby townsihip, On- 

 tario county, where one man reports losing 200 

 trees. 



Mice have. done more damage than for many 

 years past. . In a number of sections the crop 

 will be materially affected through their rava- 



ges, although the total crop of the province will 

 hardly be affected by this cause. In a number 

 of cases correspondents state mice have caused 

 no damage at all to orchards, while others state 

 40 per cent, of the young trees have been de- 

 stroyed. It seems safe to state that the com- 

 parative number of trees in the province in- 

 jured by mice will be very small. 



The heavy crop and low prices last year has 

 apparently affected the amount of planting 

 which will be done this season. Out of the 

 many correspondents heard from not one re- 

 ports any new orchards being set out. Grow- 

 ers apparently were greatly discouraged by the 

 returns from their crops last year. 



On the whole, more spraying is contemplated 

 this season than last, although the number of 

 growers who intend to spray, compared with 

 those who do not, is very small. While more 

 spraying will be done than formerly in most 

 sections, in many districts no spraying is likely 

 to be done at all. One correspondent states 

 that farmers will not spray unless they are 

 mad,e to, and suggests that the government offer 

 a bonus to growers who will spray, instead of 

 paying ibonuses to railroads. The compara- 

 tively small number who will spray, as indi- 

 cated by the reports of the correspondents, 

 shows plainly the need for much energetic edu- 

 cational work along these lines. 



A Liberal Apple Crop Looked For. 



Prospects for the apple crop, at this early 

 date, appear bright. Letters received from 

 correspondents to the Horticulturist, in all 

 parts of Ontario, show trees generally have 

 come through the winter in good condition. 

 While reports of injury have been received 

 from a number of sections, a great many corre- 

 sponuents announce that orchards are" appar- 

 ently all right. Mice in some sections have 

 done great damage, but in others they have ap- 

 parently done no appreciable harm. A few 

 growers have lost almost their entire orchards. 

 In the majority of cases growers state that only 

 1 per cent, to 5 per cent, of the trees have been 

 injured by mice. A few run the per cent, up as 

 high as 25 per cent., and in one or two cases to 

 30 per cent. 



In a number of counties, including Ontario 

 and Durham, as well as in the eastern and 

 northern sections, a large number of trees are 

 being set out. In many other counties the 

 acreage will be increased little, if any. Re- 

 ports from four townships in York county, five 

 in Grey county, and almost equally as many in 

 Bruce, Victoria, Peterboro', Northumberland, 

 Wellington, Leeds and others, show the acreage 

 of new trees will be very small. Some corre- 

 spondents in Simcoe county state growers there 

 will not set out any more new trees this year, 

 as they have found it difficult to give orchards 

 now bearing proper attention. Only one grower 



