The Canadian Horticulturist. 163 



In this connection it is interesting to quote a letter recently received from 

 J. C. Plumb, of Milton, Wisconsin, an authority in that state on fruit. He says : 

 " Mr. Hoxie (who was in charge of the Wisconsin fruit), brought from the 

 World's Fair several specimens from the Canada fruit, one labelled "Red 

 Canada," which is our Baltimore — See Downing, pages 86 and 322. The tree 

 Red Canada is much less hardy and vigorous, but bears double the fruit here, 

 and in quality far better than the Baltimore. If the Baltimore bears well with 

 you it is valuable. Its fruit is larger, cavity smaller, stem shorter, calyx closed, 

 basin much more shallow than Red Canada. It bears almost entirely at the 

 extremity of last year's shoots, which are thus enlarged at that point, making 

 quite a bunch, where last year's fruit w^as borne." 



I wrote Mr. Plumb and stated that the specimens taken to Wisconsin in 

 the fall of 1893, by Mr. Hoxie, could not have come from the Province of 

 Quebec, but probably from Ontario — and, furthermore, I am of the opinion that 

 Downing's description of Red Canada more correctly corresponds with the fruit 

 as grown at Hudson than that of Baltimore. 



Downing, however, says " Red Canada is not now much planted on account 

 of its small size and poor fruit." This has not been the experience of those 

 who have grown that variety here. Under the most careless cultivation, and the 

 disadvantageous conditions above mentioned, the fruit is, at least, viediiun in size 

 and often above medium. It will be interesting to hear something from grow- 

 ers in Ontario who have had experience with both Red Canada and Baltimore. 



Montreal, Que, R. W. Shepherd, Jr. 



A Profitable Combination. — Villagers or persons who have but a small 

 acreage will find the following plan a very good one if they desire to economize 

 their space, which it is very often necessary to do, and always a good practice : 

 I propose to plant a piece of ground fourteen by six rods to pear and plum 

 trees, setting them about one rod apart each way, which will give six rows with 

 fourteen trees in each, or eighty-four trees in all. Around this I shall construct 

 a fence of wire netting six feet high. Just on the outside of this fence I build a 

 chicken house large enough to accommodate about 200 hens (Plymouth Rock 

 and Buff Leghorns), having the north side on the line with and forming part of 

 the fence, and the south or front side freely exposed to the sun. The hens are 

 allowed free range of this orchard — chicken park — and I expect the chickens 

 and trees to be of mutual advantage to each other. The hens furnish nearly or 

 quite all the fertilizers the trees require, while the trees will provide shade for 

 the chickens. We are thus making good use of the ground while the trees are 

 small. After they once come into bearing, with fairly good care, you have a 

 right to expect largely increased profits. Pears and plums are seldom, if ever, a 

 drug on the market. The chickens are also a great benefit in preventing the 

 depredations of the curculio. We also keep bees, and thus add another element 

 of profit and mutual benefit. — Gardening. 



