The Canadian Horticulturist. 73 



His conclusions are that many varieties of pears require cross-pollination • 

 the pollen from another tree of the same variety is no better than from the 

 same tree. Impotency of the pollen is not due to any deficiency of its own ; 

 pollen of two varieties may be absolutely self-sterile, but perfectly cross-fertile. 

 Plant mixed orchards, or at least avoid solid blocks of one variety. Plant only 

 three or four rows of a variety together, unless experience has shown it to be 

 perfectly self-fertile. Be sure there are bees in the neighborhood or within two 

 or three miles, to properly visit the blossoms. 



WORK AT MAPLEHURST. 



Perhaps other fruit growers would like to compare notes with us about work. 

 So we will keep a kind of journal during 1895. What is done here may be 

 suggestive of work to others and, if so, will repay us well. 



Jan. 1 2th. — In our big orchard the pruning is a gigantic undertaking and if 

 left till spring will never bfe completed. So on principle we begin with the 

 vineyard in the fall, but in practise seldom get fairly at work till mild days in 

 winter, and the days must be mild indeed, or one is chilled to the bone with 

 such a slow job. The foreman is the only man on regularly now, and perhaps 

 he would not be if our time were not so occupied with the work of the Associa- 

 tion. We have pruned our grape vines mostly on the Fuller system, cutting 

 Concords back to fifty or sixty buds. The Wilder we prune longer, as it bears 

 better, with long pruning. The best method is a problem but grapes yield so 

 little money, that we must study the most economical method before the best 



Our foreman is intelligent, studies his work, and tries to follow out our 

 ideas pretty faithfully. So many men want to run things, if placed in charge. 

 We did feel vexed to find about two hundred young peach trees just in bearing 

 age, pulled out by the roots ; but on investigation we found all were touched with 

 yellows, and our rule, now long standing, is to dig out and burn every tree so 

 affected. 



There need be very few vacant hours There is no time to sit around 

 in a bar room or in a village grocery, spinning yarns, even in winter. Our 

 foreman is always busy. When, mild he prunes; when cold, he cuts up the 

 brush and stumps into fire wood, or hauls out manure ; when stormy, he makes 

 barrels, or boxes ; repairs or sharpens tools ; paints wagons, and numerous other 

 things, Last week it stormed, and he re-floored the stables, and thus saved a 

 carpenter's bill. 



We encourage our men to read, especially on our line of work. During 

 January and February we only require eight hours for a day's work, and expect 

 the leisure time to be given to reading the best works on horticulture. It 

 pays too. We only wish gardeners and fruit growers generally would follow 

 out this plan for their own benefit. 



I 



