THE ^^ 



CanIIan Horticulturist 



THE ELBERTA PEACH. 



BOUT forty years ag"o, when our As- 

 V^ sociation was first organized, fruit 

 \i growing- could scarcely be called a 

 '-ii^;-^ distinct vocation ; and the small 

 crops harvested in the garden or orchard 

 were taken to the nearest market along with 

 the butter and cheese. In the oldest Report 

 of our Association, published in 1863, re- 

 ports were collected from the various coun- 

 ties, showing what fruits could be grown ; 

 and, in those from the County of Wentworth, 

 we read, " The peach crop is uncertain. 

 Severe cold destroys the fruit buds, and it is 

 sometimes sufficient to destroy the trees. 

 It is recommended to train them on walls, 

 or trellises, and protect them ; " and even un- 

 der Lincoln County we read "the peach 

 crop is uncertain." 



A great change has come over this whole 

 district, and peach orchards of large acreage 

 have been planted, until the crop now moves 

 in car loads, all our large markets are 

 glutted with this delicious fruit, and prices 

 have dropped from $3.00 to 50c. a bushel. 

 Naturally this condition of things led us to 

 try exporting the peach, and the magnificent 



Crawford was first packed for export. It was 

 a magnificent failure, for it was too soft for 

 carriage to a distant market. Just at this 

 time the Elberta was introduced from Geor- 

 gia, a cross between the Chinese Cling and 

 Crawford's Early. It was planted with cau- 

 tion, because originating so far south, but 

 it surprised everybody with the hardiness of 

 the tree and the good shipping quality ot 

 the fruit. Then we proposed that it be tried 

 for export, and a few boxes were timidly 

 forwarded in cold storage. The result was 

 surprising ; it carried in perfect condition, 

 and now it is looked upon by the shippers as 

 the peach for export. The fact is that for 

 this purpose the many- variety system, which 

 is well enough for home markets, is all 

 wrong ; and instead we want just about one 

 first-class, high grade variety of peach, pear, 

 apple and grape, and ship that variety in 

 such quantity as to make an impression on 

 the English market, and make it known as 

 the characteristic sample of that fruit from 

 Canada. It may interest some readers to 

 have a brief technical description of this 

 comparatively new and valuable variety. 



