July, 191 1 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



159 



The New Cherry— The Early 

 Rivers 



Linn> WoolvertoD, Grimtby, Ont. 



Among the many novelties furnished 

 me for testing while I was doing experi- 

 mental work in fruits for the Ontario 

 Department of Agriculture, there was 

 one new variety of cherry, recently origi- 

 nated by Thomas Rivers, the celebrated 

 nurseryman of Sawbridgeworth, in 

 Hertfordshire, England. I had almost for- 

 gotten the high value set upon this cherry 

 by Mr. Rivers, until one day this month 

 (June 15th) when walking through the 

 cherry plot, I was attracted by three 

 trees of remarkably fine looking fruit. 

 On looking up my records I found that 

 they were the Early Rivers, planted in 

 1904. As I sampled them I thought to 

 myself, "No wonder Mr. Rivers gave 

 the cherry his own name; he may well 

 be proud of it." 



Here is a cherry beginning to ripen 

 about the middle of June out of doors in 

 Canada, fit for use along with our Early 

 Purple, and superior to it, and continu- 

 ing in season for a month, according to 

 Mr. Rivers. At first it is a rich dark red 

 in color, but it becomes darker and 

 darker the longer it hangs on the tree. 



Of course, my remarks on the value 

 of this cherry for Ontario must be taken 

 "cum grano salis," until it has been 

 longer under test; but from its showing 

 this sea.son, I should expect it to become 

 a very valuable commercial sort for us. 

 It appears to be resistant to monilia rot, 

 it is plump and roundish, heart-shaped in 

 form, the stems are long, an inch and 

 a half, and hang in clusters, making 

 them ea.sy to gather, and the pits are very 

 small . 



The largest samples I have grown this 

 year measure scarcely one inch across, 

 but have not yet swelled to their fullest 

 size. I may report further about it 

 later, for the cherry may develop faults 

 that do not yet appear. It should be 

 tested on a larger scale than I have done 

 before we can advise our growers to buy 

 it, especially at the extravagant price 

 asked for it. In 1904, I think the price 

 was a guinea. 



Summer Pruning 



Among horticulturists the summer 

 pruning of fruit trees has become a com- 

 mon practice. If it is done judiciously 

 the plants are sure to be benefited. 



The well managed fruit garden re- 

 quires very little trimming at any season 

 of the year, and the work can probably 

 be more advantageously done now than 

 during the early spring. Neglected trees 

 often require the removal of very large 

 limbs, and the thinning out of numerous 

 interlocking branches. Such extensive 

 pruning in summer would be a disadvan- 

 tage to the trees. Peach and plum trees 



Gathering Elberta Peaches in the Orchard of J. W. Smith & Sons Winona, Ont. 



The troes in this orchard averaged ten baskets of peaches each. The ground is a deep, black 

 earth. The trees have never failed to give a crop since they were planted four years ago. 

 Mr. Smith likes the type of ladder here shown they being strong, light and durable. They 

 are three legged and can be stood on any kind of a hill without toppling over. 



have a habit of making a rank growth, 

 and if this is not checked, the plants tend 

 toward wood rather than fruit. Cut- 

 ting back the leading shoots immediately 

 has a tendency to throw young trees in- 

 to earlier bearing. 



The black knot appears on plum trees 

 at this season, and should be cut out in 

 its earlier stages. At first it appears as 

 a swelling of the branch. Later it bursts 

 through the bark, and shows a greenish 

 color, which next ■ turns to brown, and 

 then black. Remove and burn all sus- 

 picious looking branches. 



Apple and pear trees should have all 

 interfering branches cut away, and all 

 diseased or dead wood removed. Do 

 not, however, cut off large limbs from 

 these trees at this time. Dwarf fruit 

 trees should have some of the more rapid 

 growing shoots pinched back to make 

 them acquire the desired form, and to 

 keep them within bounds. Trained fruit 

 trees need constant attention to prevent 

 the side shoots and fruit spurs from de- 

 veloping wood. Allow the leading shoots 

 to grow. The plants are sustained prin- 

 cipally through these branches. 



(jrape vines growing in rich soil often 

 run to vine and leaves, and if they are 

 not summer pruned the fruit is of an in- 

 ferior quality and quantity. Check the 

 wood growth by cutting back the lead- 

 ing shoots and remove some of the rank 

 foliage that prevents the sunlight from 

 gaining admittance to the fruit. All sum- 

 mer pruning should be done now if it 

 has not been accomplished before. 



Peach Growing and Diseases of 

 the Peach 



A. G. Pettil, Grimsbr, Ont. 



After prpcuring the best soil possible, 

 the three most essential things for grow- 

 ing peach trees are manure, cultivation 

 and pruning. The best soil is deep, 

 sandy loam. I have never seen a suc- 

 cess in growing peach trees on a shal- 

 low soil, or on land that has water close 

 to the surface. You can underdrain such 

 land, and grow good crops of grain, but 

 to grow peach trees on the same land, 

 about the fourth year, the fibres from 

 the roots will completely fill up the tiles. 

 Then look out for dead trees. I have 

 had as many as ten or twelve trees killed 

 adjoining an underdrain. I have taken 

 out the trees, and used the land for 

 other crops. 



PREPARATION OP THE SOIL 



In the preparation of the soil for 

 planting, do as you would in preparing 

 land for a crop of corn. After it is mark- 

 ed, my method is, use a board with a 

 hole in each end and a notch twelve 

 inches from the centre. This does away 

 with sighting. 



F"or preparing trees for planting, cut 

 off broken roots, shorten long ones, and 

 I prefer to trim trees after planting. I 

 also, prefer to have the stocks of trees 

 from two and a half to three feet long. 

 Some make objection to this and say 

 that one foot to one and one-half feet is 

 the correct thing. We shall leave this 

 for growers to decide. If the branches 

 come oi^t cjose together at the right 



