80 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



wood, Jersey Queen, Gipsy, Orient, 

 Satin Gloss, Primo, Longfellow, War- 

 ren, Shirts, Brilliant, &c., &c., how 

 many will survive the third seasoi) 

 from now 1 Without a doubt most of 

 them will disappear, to be replaced by 

 others of as high sounding pretensions. 

 There are two new sorts now claiming 

 attention that seem to be above all 

 ■others in the uniform praise bestowed 

 by men who have seen and tried them. 

 They are Bidwelland Manchester — the 

 former early, the latter late. Bidwell 

 has been out longer, and its record is 

 exceedingly good. After these Jersey 

 Queen and Primo are of considerable 

 promise. I expect to test Bidwell 

 thoroughly next season, and Manches- 

 ter slightly, and I have consider-able 

 hopes of both. One thing is certain, 

 there is wide room for improvement 

 yet in the strawberry. That some of 

 the new sorts will fill the bill better 

 than the old ones, all must hope who 

 believe in the improvement of fruits, 

 but which will be the variety to da so, 

 is a question that needs considerable 

 testing yet to determine. 



SAUNDERS' HYBRID RASPBERRIES. 



My Saunders hybrid is a great suc- 

 cess. It stands the winter without 

 protection, and is a heavy bearer of 

 fine flavored berries, and is a strong 

 grower. I noticed some complaint of 

 it being difiicult to propagate ; mine 

 must be diflerent from the rest, as it 

 threw up shoots for three or four feet 

 around the old plant ; I got eight good 

 strong plants from it. The Bui-net 

 . grap3 has not turned out well with me. 

 It had only a few very straggling 

 bunches on it, with a large proportion 



• of the berries the size of peas. How- 



• ever, it made a great growth of wood 

 last summer and may do better this 



vyear. R. B. Whyte. 



^ Ottawa. 



SHAFFER'S COLOSSAL RASPBERRY. 



From all accounts this must be a 

 most remarkable raspberiy. It is said 

 to have originated in the State of New 

 York in the year 1869, and that the 

 original plant, now over twelve yeai-s 

 old, is yet growing with wonderful 

 vigor, and yields extraordinary crops 

 of fruit. Plants raised from it, with- 

 out receiving any special care or high 

 manuring, have grown to the height of 

 ten feet, with corresponding breadth. 

 And M^hat is particularly surprising in 

 a plant of such immense and rapid 

 growth, it is claimed for it that it is a 

 perfect iron-clad, surviving the most 

 severe winters, unprotected, without 

 the least injury. Its season of ripen- 

 ing is the same as the Gregg, yet con- 

 tinuing somewhat longer. Some who 

 have grown it say they have no hesita- 

 tion in claiming for it as it appears on 

 their ground that it is the largest rasp- 

 berry in the world on the average, as 

 gathered by the bushel from the field. 

 It is also very productive. The color 

 is a rich, reddish purple. It belongs 

 to the black-cap family, being propa- 

 gated from the tips. 



Of course it remains to be ascer- 

 tained by actual trial whether this new 

 variety will prove to be hardy under 

 the severity of our Canadian winters, 

 and whether, with all its wonderful 

 size and productiveness, it will prove 

 to be a profitable market berry. 



A Hardy Raspberry. — The severe 

 winters of the West afford a strong test 

 of the hardiness of raspberries. D. B. 

 Wier, of Illinois, says he has found from 

 experience that the old Seneca black-cap 

 is the hardiest of all the black raspberries, 

 and able to withstand the most intense 

 cold. The handsome, glossy appearance 

 of its fruit, and its excellent flavor, in 

 addition to its hardiness, should give it 

 more attention than it has received of 

 late years. — Country Gentleman. 



