ENGLISH FRUIT GROWERS AND FLORISTS FOR ONTARIO 



wk f~\ URING the past two years 150 to 

 I—-' 300 British people have emigrated 

 to Ontario as a result of the work of the 

 agents of the Ontario government in Eng- 

 land. I know personally of at least 160 

 who have come out this year, and while it is 

 difficult to give any estimate, I feel satisfied 

 that upwards of 300 have actually come 

 over. Of this number, possib-y one-third 

 have been men interested in fruit raising 

 and the growing of vegetables under glass 

 and cloth." These remarks were made to 

 The Horticulturist recently by Mr. M. E. 

 Kyle, of Oakville, Ont., who has just re- 

 turned from Great Britain, where he has 

 been since last November in the interests of 

 the colonization department of the Ontario 

 government. 



" I find," continued Mr. Kyle, " that a 

 great many people living in the Channel Is- 

 lands of Jersey and Guernsey, who make a 

 specialty of raising potatoes, tomatoes, and 

 early vegetables and grapes all under glajss, 

 are becoming deeply interested in. the 

 chances for fruit and vegetable raising in 

 Ontario. While I was in their sections 

 these people asked me a great many ques- 

 tions about Ontario, and a number decided 

 to come over. As a result of our work a 

 year ago 50 to 60 families from these sec- 

 tions are already located on some of our 

 Ontario farms. When I am asked for in- 

 formation regarding openings for this work 

 in Canada I always advise intending settlers 

 to arrange to work for a year at least for 



Cultivate Plum Trees. — Some of my 

 plum trees are growing in the fence rows 

 and receive no cultivation, but seem quite 

 healthy. Others receive the same cultiva- 

 tion as my apple orchard, viz. : one orchard 

 is sown with peas during the last of May. 

 The hens and hogs are allowed to harvest 

 the peas, which are not plowed until the fol- 

 lowing May. The other orchard is well 

 cultivated during June and part of July, and 



some of our practical fruit growers before 

 buying ground and starting for themselves. 



ORCHARDS NOT WHAT THEY MIGHT BE. 



'■ While travelling through Somerset and 

 Hereford I was greatly surprised at the 

 condition in which I saw many of the fruit 

 trees. It is scandalous the way they are 

 neglected. Many of the trees were cov- 

 ered with moss and apparently had never 

 been pruned. I did not see a decent or- 

 chard. The growers informed me that they 

 simply raised apples for cider, and that 

 therefore they did not give the trees the care 

 and attention they otherwise would. Of 

 course this lack of attention on their part is 

 all the better for our Ontario growers. 



" English farmers never grow Spy, Bald- 

 win or Greening apples, and do not seem to 

 want these varieties. It may possibly be 

 that these apples do not grow well there. 

 The most popular local varieties seem to be 

 the Russets, Blenheim Orange and Ribston 

 Pippin. Even in the good orchards, the peo- 

 ple do not seem to give the trees the same 

 care and attention we do in Ontario. I 

 think this is largely due to the fact that most 

 of the farms are rented, and the tenants do 

 not feel like improving land which does not 

 belong to themselves. 



" There are some extremely large straw- 

 berry plantations. I visited one place near 

 Chester where a man had over 800 pickers 

 employed yearly. Near Stanley, in Kent 

 county, is another large strawberry center, 

 as well as in Cambridgeshire." 



then seeded to crimson clover mixed with a 

 small quantity of red clover and allowed to 

 stand until the following June. — (D. James, 

 Langstafif, Ont. 



To make apple raising profitable we must 

 be able to secure a crop every year, and with 

 proper care and attention there are plenty of 

 varieties that will bear annually. — (J. S. L., 

 Bartonville, Ont. 



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