Aug'ust, iqii 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



183 



An Irrigated Orchard 



M. Barwell, Grand Forks, B. C. 



We grow largely apples, but some 

 plums and pears. Flemish Beauty is our 

 best pear commercially and the fruit is 

 learly always good size and free from 

 |any blemish. We also grow to a limited 

 extent Bartletts. Anjou, Clairgeau, and 

 :iapp. 



In plums, we grow Burbank, peach 

 plum, Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and 

 'ond's Seedling. Pond's Seedling sel- 

 dom or never rots with ys, and it and 

 the peach plum are two of the most pro- 

 fitable. 



In apples we grow Mcintosh and 

 Wealthy chiefly for fall, both of which 

 do extremely well. For winter we have 

 King, which turned out a fine crop of 

 clean, highly colored and large fruit 

 this year . Grimes Golden did well and 

 was loaded heavily. Wagener also did 

 well, and we have a block of six year 

 olds,, which this year averaged three 

 or four cases to the tree of an excellent 

 sample. In addition we grow Spy, Red 

 Cheek Pippin, Jonathan, and a sprink- 

 ling of other varieties. 



Amongst those varieties which are 

 now most hi<jhly regarded in British 

 Columbia I should place Mcintosh Red, 

 Wealthy, Gravenstein, and Cox's Or- 

 ange for fall; and for winter, Jonathan, 

 Spy, Wacener, Spitzenburg, Grimes 

 Golden. Winesai), and Rome Beauty. It 

 shoi'Jd be said, however, that the be- 

 haviour of varieties differs very much 

 in the various districts, a mountainous 

 country such as British Columbia lack- 

 ing the uniformity of condition which 

 obtains over large sections of other por- 

 tions of the continent. 



Our rainfall here is usually light, and 

 we aim to cultivate very early in the 

 spring and very frequently, and usually 

 irrigate two or three times a season. 

 This is done bv the furrow system, the 

 water being run down the furrows for 

 twenty-four or thirty-six hours, and cul- 

 tivation following as soon after as pos- 

 sible. 



Heading Back Young Trees 



R. R. Wadillr, Ontario 



Finding several growers with the opin- 

 ion that young trees should not be head- 

 ed back th<' first year, or not at all, which 

 in the majority of cases, is a great mis- 

 take, I am giving you the results of :n' 

 experiment which we carried out in On- 

 tario County last season. Probably aboui 

 two himdred trees were cut back at time 

 of planting. Later in the season the 

 unprunod portion suffered so greatly th.-il 

 we were compelled to prune some of them 

 in order to save the trees, as so many died 

 back further than thev should have been 

 cut. 



This season, the foliage of the trees, 

 which were cut back at the time of plant- 

 ing, is in the very best condition. The 



The Orchard of J. D. Honsberger, Grand Forks, B. C, Irrigated. 



Six carloads of prunes were shipped from this orchard in 1909. 



trees stand erect and have made a won- 

 derful root and body growth. The dy- 

 ing trees cut back late in the season ate 

 locking equal to those not cut back, 

 which all show a sickly condition. 



The remainder which were cut back 



have made no body growth and appear 

 to be a year l>ehind the portion headed 

 back. During the winter the trees suf- 

 fered very little from freezing back, all 

 portions being equal in this respect. The 

 loss in trees seemed to be sustained bv 



this spring show the effect of having loo the unpruned portion, which goes to 

 heavy a top for the roots. They have prove trees are better cut back at time 

 been whipped back and forth by the wind, of planting. 



Pick Over Trees Twice 



W. H. Gibson, 



We have always been able to get 

 local help for picking. Thus we get an 

 hour's start of the gang that is sent out 

 by dealers, who have to drive out often 

 from six to twelve miles from town. I 

 make two pickings and with such apples 

 as the Wealthy, go over the trees three 

 times. Pick the top and south side first, 

 when the strength of the tree is turned 

 into what is left ,and they color up. I 

 am satisfied that the improved quality of 

 the apples pays well for the extra ex- 

 pense in picking. 



I have a rough shed in each orchard 

 with light roof and boarded up on three 

 sides, which is very convenient for stor- 

 ing barrels and machinery. The drops 

 are all hauled into this shed, when in a 

 few days any bruises will show ; then 

 when a wet day comes they are sorted 

 over. The strip of grass under each 

 row saves a great many apples that other- 

 wise would be wasted. I use the ordinary 

 cradle shaped basket for picking and 

 light ladders, and pick entirely from the 

 outside of the tree. 



The early varieties are packed in the 

 orchards, the winter varieties put in bar- 

 rels just as they come from the tree. 



Newcastle, Ont 



pressed lightly and led to the storehouse 

 in a spring wagon to prevent bruising. 

 Our co-operative store house will hold 

 nine thousand barrels. The apples are 

 all inspected at the station they are 

 shipped from. At Newcastle the inspec- 

 tor comes twice a week through the sea- 

 son. The Newcastle association has not 

 had a bad mark against it in four years. 

 I prefer a small association to a large 

 one as it is easier for the growers to get 

 together, and there is no danger of fric- 

 tion. I am growing both cherries and 

 pears extensively, and have found them 

 both profitable. In cherries the Early 

 Richmond and Montmorency give best 

 results. In pears, fifty per cent, are Bart- 

 lett, the balance are Clairgeau, Anjou, 

 Duchess and Wilmot. The Wilmot is a 

 native seedling, medium sized, very pro- 

 fitable and hardy, but scarcely as fine in 

 quality as the Bartlett. Dr. Farncomb 

 had two trees of this variety, from which 

 he sold five barrels at eight dollars per 

 barrel. The f)ears from this district come 

 in just after those of the Niagara penin- 

 sula, thus missing the usual glut, and 

 realized last season from .seven dollars to 

 ten dollars a barrel. 



