IN THE ORCHARD. 



289 



Best Fruit for Eastern Ontario 



fc* A PPLES are certainly the most pro- 

 x\. fitable fruit to raise in the St. 

 Lawrence valley, particularly the Fameuse 

 and varieties of that family, such as the Mc- 

 intosh, Scarlet Pippin and Shiawasie. These 

 varieties attain a greater state of perfection 

 in this section than in almost any other part 

 of the province." These views were ex- 

 pressed recently by Mr. Harold Jones, of 

 Maitland, to an editorial representative of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist, who visited 

 his place. 



Mr. Jones conducts one of the fruit ex- 

 periment stations, and is doing an invalu- 

 able work. It is probable not another sta- 

 tion in the province is obtaining better re- 

 sults. Mr. Jones has devoted five acres of 

 the best land on his fargi to experimental 

 work, and is thoroughly versed in the results 

 of all the experiments he has conducted. 

 Some of the results he has obtained 

 have already been of great value to the fruit 

 growers in the eastern part of the province, 

 some of whom have driven distances of 25 

 miles to secure his advice as to the best 

 varieties to grow. 



" The Fameuse and kindred apples," 

 continued Mr. Jones, " from a commercial 

 standpoint, are of as much value to the 

 growers of eastern Ontario as the Bald- 

 wins, Spys and Greenings are to the grow- 

 ers in the rest of the province. Most of the 

 varieties of apples in my experimental or- 

 chard are proving hardy. Winter injury is 

 noticed on the Ontario, Blenheim, Pippin, 

 Downing, Winter's Maiden Blush, Sutton 

 Beauty, Stark and Rolph. In this part of 

 the province there has been some serious in- 

 jury by frost to the Fameuse and Scarlet 

 Pippin, which were overloaded in the sum- - 

 mer of 1903. Where trees were not debili- 

 tated by over loading they are in fairly heal- 

 thy condition, with good prospects for a full 

 crop this year. 



As a result of the severe winter it would 

 appear that as a whole European plums are 

 not satisfactory for this section of the pro- 

 vince, 'ihe Japanese plums, with the ex- 

 ception of one or two varieties, are proving 

 almost as tender as the European. 



Very good plums of the Americana class 

 can be grown here successfully, as they are 

 proving hardy in wood and bud. Some are 

 of very poor quality. Among the better 

 varieties may be mentioned the Whittaker, 

 Hammer, Stoddard, Wolfe and Wyant. 

 Among the better known European plums 

 that were winter killed are the Communia 

 and Coe's Violet. 



PEARS have; been injured. 



All the varieties of pears have been more 

 or less injured in the fruit buds, except the 

 Russians. The hardiest varieties, or varie- 

 ties that came through with the least injury, 

 are the Flemish Beauty, Clapp's Favorite, 

 Ritson and Sudduth. These are pears of 

 good quality. Experiments with five or six 

 varieties of the Russian pears indicate they 

 are not a desirable fruit for Ontario, as their 

 flavor and texture are very inferior. 



When to Stop Cultivating 



PROF. H. L. HUTT, ONT. AGRI. COLLEGE, 

 GUELPH. 



What time of the year should I cease culti- 

 vating my orchard ? — (W. T. Nutt, Zenda, Ont. 



Cultivation in the orchard should cease 

 about the middle of July, depending some- 

 what upon the locality and nature of the 

 season. If continued too late it stimul .Les 

 late growth of wood, renders the trees 

 liable to winter killing, and does not allow 

 of a good catch of cover crop, which should 

 be sown as soon as cultivation ceases. 



If we leave our apple trees to take care 

 of themselves they will produce a large crop 

 of inferior fruit one year and none the next. 

 The orchard that is managed In this way 

 will be very unprofitable. — (J. S. L., Bar- 

 tonville, Ont. 



