272 



OUR MOWTHLY CROP RR PORTS. 



showing range from 25 to over 50 per cent., and 

 in a few cases even higher. In Elgin county 

 buds are not showing to the same advantage. 

 Estimates of the percentage range as low as 5 

 to 15 per cent., although the hardy varieties are 

 said to be budding freely. 



The percentage of buds on trees in "Welland 

 county ranges from 10 to 15 per cent., and 15 to 

 90 per cent, in Lincoln, depending largely on 

 the location of the orchards. The majority of 

 the correspondents replied that there will at 

 least be a moderate crop on thrifty trees. In 

 Wentworth county the conditions are much the 

 same, most replies indicating that sufficient 

 buds are showing to insure a crop of most of 

 the varieties. 



NOT MANY NEW ORCHARDS. 



In reply to the question. " To what extent are 

 new orchards being planted?" the majority of 

 replies indicate that few or no new trees are 

 being set out. although isolated reports show 

 local activity in this line. In the vicinity of 

 Raleigh, Kent county, it is stated that the num- 

 ber of orchards being planted is the largest in 

 years, while near St. George, in Brant county, 

 large orchards are being set out. numbering in 

 all aibout 5,000 trees. In Lincoln and Welland 

 counties not so many trees are being planted 

 as last year, although quite a few growers are 

 said to be filling in gaps in their orchards. Re- 

 viewing the situation as a whole it seems that 

 the area in bearing peach trees this year will 

 be quite a little less than two years ago. In 

 another month it will be possible to obtain a 

 pretty accurate idea of the fruit prospects in all 

 the counties. 



Strawberry Crop Will Be Light 



The 1904 strawberry crop in Ontario will not 

 be a very heavy one, as plantations in many of 

 the leading counties have been badly destroyed 

 by the severe winter. The southern counties 

 have suffered the most. In the section border- 

 ing Lake Erie and in the Niagara peninsula the 

 yield will not likely be more than 10 to 50 per 

 cent, of an average crop. 



In the northern counties prospects are more 

 encouraging. Where the snow fall was heavy 

 and where the snow remained until late in the 

 season, beds appear to have wintered fairly well, 

 although some reports indicate that where 

 strawberries were mulched heavily the heavy 

 fall of snow had the effect of smothering them. 

 Beds that were at all exposed, unless they were 

 mulched heavily, have been almost completely 

 ruined. Some growers have plowed under as 

 many as 25 to 30 acres of their strawberries. 



The most severe loss seems to have taken 

 place in Welland and Lincoln counties. Esti- 

 wates of the loss range from 50 to 90 per cent. 

 of the average crop, although in a few cases 

 beds have done nicely. A good crop may be ex- 

 pected in Bruce, Durham. Hastings, Grey and 

 Lincoln counties and in the eastern sections of 

 the province, and fair to good crops in Huron 

 rnd Ontario counties, while in Brant, Lambton 



and Northumberland counties the yield is 

 problematical, as in some sections beds have 

 suffered severely, while in others they have 

 come through in good condition. In Essex. 

 Kent. Elgin, Wentworth. Halton. Lennox and 

 Norfolk counties correspondents state the pros- 

 pects are fair to bad. On the whole there 

 seems no doubt but that the crop of strawber- 

 ries this year will be quite a little lighter than 

 usual. 



Light Yield of Plums Probable 



Plum growers this season are not likely to 

 find it as difficult to dispose of their crop as 

 last year, owing to the fact that trees have ap- 

 parently come through the winter in rather 

 poor condition. Reports received by The 

 Horticulturist from the leading plum producing 

 sections show that many trees have been quite 

 baoly injured. In some cases growers are pull- 

 ing up their plum orchards, having become dis- 

 couraged as a result of their inability to dis- 

 pose of their last year's crop at satisfactory 

 prices. Insect pests have also tended towards 

 a decrease in the plum acreage. 



In Huron and Bruce counties the crop is re- 

 ported to be fair to good: conditions in Simcoe 

 county are much the same, while in Lambton 

 county prospects are said to be promising. 

 Along Lake Erie trees in Norfolk and Lincoln 

 counties are doing well, while in Essex and 

 Kent counties only a fair crop is expected. In 

 Wentworth. Halton, York, Ontario, Durham, 

 Hastings, Frontenac and Grenville counties the 

 yield will be light; in Victoria, Peterboro, Len- 

 nox. Leeds, Elgin and Oxford counties a poor 

 crop is looked for. 



Good Prospects for Pear Crop 



Prospects for the pear crop this year are pro- 

 mising in all the chief producing sections. Out 

 of several hundred growers heard from by The 

 Horticulturist the replies indicate that large 

 crops may be expected in Essex, Kent, Norfolk, 

 Welland, Lincoln, Wentworth, York, Ontario 

 and Brant counties, and fair to good crops in 

 Lambton, Huron, Bruce, Simcoe and Halton. 



In Northumberland, Durham and Elgin the 

 prospects are not quite as bright, although a 

 good crop is generally anticipated. Growers 

 in Victoria, Peterboro, Lennox. Hastings and 

 the more easterly counties anticipate a light 

 yield. On the whole the pear trees aprear to 

 have .W'intered in good condition and to give 

 good promise of a very satisfactory yield. 



Cherry Crop Conditions 



Both the sweet and the sour cherry trees give 

 promise of a full fruit yield in most of the pro- 

 ducing sections. In Essex, Kent, Welland and 

 Wentworth sweet cherry frees are reportetd to 

 be in excellent condition, while in Lincoln, Ox- 

 ford., Lambton, Huron, Grey, Simcoe, Halton, 

 Ontario and Durham a fair crop is looked for- 

 ward to. 



