ORCHARD MATTERS. 



467 



ton, whose aim has been and is to please and 

 satisfy their customers. The firm's large 

 business has been built up as the result of 

 hard work and careful management. More 

 than once thousands of dollars' worth of 

 tender stock has been destroyed by hail 

 storms, extremes of heat, and cold weather, 

 etc. In spite of this the management has- 



kept right on. Such reverses have in. the 



end only increased the firm's usefulness by 

 the valuable lessons they have taught. With 

 its immense business, established reputation 

 and years of experience the firm of Messrs. 

 Morris & Wellington will undoubtedly play 

 an important part in the further develop- 

 ment of Canada's horticultural interests. 



DUNDAS COUNTY AS A FRUIT DISTRICT 



' W. T. MACOUN, CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL 



I'* HAT part of Dundas county within 

 four or five miles of the St. Law- 

 rence river, and in the neighborhood of Iro- 

 quois, Irena and Dundela, is a fruit district 

 which has not been brought into public no- 

 tice as much as it deserves. A recent visit 

 at the orchard of Mr. A. D. Harkness, of 

 Irena, the energetic director of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association for that dis- 

 trict, and that of Dr. Harkness, his father, 

 as well as others in that district, proved 

 most interesting. 



The principal object of my trip was to see 

 the orchards of Mcintosh Red apples, and 1 

 was not disappointed. Between them Mr. 

 Harkness and his father expected to have 

 about 100 barrels of this delicious apple. 

 The trees at that time were well loaded, and 

 one tree' was pointed out to me which would 

 probably yield seven to eight barrels of 

 fruit, all the apples being perfectly clean and 

 of good size. The crop of Fameuse was 

 also large and the fruit clean and large. 



The method adopted by Dr. Harkness in 

 the care of his orchard is to keep it in sod 

 and top mukh with manure. The trees 

 certainly looiced well. Washing soda is 

 used instead of lime in making the Bor- 

 deaux mixture for spraying, as it stains the 

 fruit much less than the ordinary Bordeaux 

 mixture, is easier to make, and appears to 

 give quite as satisfactory results. 



The orchard of Mr. A. D. Harkness is a 

 young one of 15 acres, part of which is com- 

 ing into bearing, most of the trees being Mc- 



J'ARM, OTTAWA. 



Intosh Red and Fameuse. They are look- 

 ing very well. Both Dr. Harkness and his 

 son make their own barrels, as they find this 

 plan more economical, and they are always 

 sure of having a supply of barrels when 

 needed. A fine fruit storage and packing 

 house is being erected by Dr. Harkness. 

 His method is to get his fruit under cover 

 as soon as possible after it is ready to pick, 

 and then pack afterwards. Both Dr. Hark- 

 ness and his sons are strong believers in the 

 value of bees in the orchard, and there is a 

 large apiary managed by one of the sons. 



In striking contrast to the Harkness or- 

 chards was one visited within an hour after- 

 wards. Here was seen the original Mcin- 

 tosh Red apple tree now many years of age, 

 which a few years ago was almost destroyed 

 by fire. One branch is still alive with a lit- 

 tle fruit on it, but the tree has not long to 

 live. Close to the old tree is an orchard of 

 Mcintosh Red apple trees, the trees of 

 which were loaded with fruit, and the whole 

 orchard containing probably over 200 bar- 

 rels of this variety. While the fruit was of 

 fair size, practically every specimen was 

 spotted, and by picking time would proba- 

 bly be worthless. These trees had not been 

 sprayed. 



Other orchards were seen during the 

 drive, most of the trees being Mcintosh Red 

 and Fameuse. Unfortunately, spraying is 

 not very general in this district, and in most 

 orchards the fruit promised to be more or 

 less spotted. 



