24S 



THE CANADIAN HORIICULTURIST. 



of Russia. A new dwarf race of hardy 

 plums here of fair quality. Nomenclature 

 very confused here. At Petersburg we find 

 trees and shrubs of country east to the 

 Amoor valuable for our climate, especially 

 the thick-leaved poplars. There are pears 

 of medium quality here hardy enough to 

 grow as far north as the city of Quebec, 

 that is one sort at least. We have had 

 some curious little fruit meetings among the 

 Tartar dealers.'' 



I sincerely hope that the explora- 

 tions of these enterprising horticultur- 

 ists will result in the introduction to 

 this country of some new and good 

 varieties of hardy fruits, especially 

 adapted to the more northern sections 

 of our province, and capable as well of 

 being cultivated over the greater por- 

 tion of the Northern and North- West- 

 ern parts of the Dominion. 



Wm. Saunders. 

 London, Oct. 6, 1882. 



THE OTHEJR SIDE. 



Dear Sir, — I have just.read in your 

 valuable paper a letter from an Ottawa 

 gentleman praising very highly his 

 success with the Burnet Grape. I was 

 I^articularly pleased to hear that the 

 Burnet would really bear fruit outside 

 of Mr. Dempsey's grounds, where it 

 originated. About six years ago I 

 visited Mr. Dempsey in the county of 

 Prince Edward, determined to see this 

 new grape as it appeared on the orig- 

 inal vine. I was amply repaid for my 

 trouble, first, by the very pleasant 

 visit with Mr. Dempsey and his ami- 

 able family ; secondly, by seeing the 

 vine, the fruit of which I then regard- 

 ed as the best I had ever eaten 

 amongst the outdoor grapes, and I am 

 not sure that I have up to the present 

 time had any reason to change my 

 opinion as to the quality of fruit. 

 The vine with Mr. Dempsey seemed to 

 be a good grower and bearer. It was 

 well loaded with fine fruit, which was 

 ripening a little ahead of the Delaware. 



I at once determined to have this 

 vine in my garden. The grapes so 

 much resembled its parent on the 

 European side, the Black Hamburg, 

 while it showed none of the objection- 

 able qualities of the Hartford Prolific, 

 the parent on the American side. 



The following spring I procured 

 two vines from Mr. Leslie, and two 

 years later procured five more vines. 

 But I am very sorry that I have had 

 no such pleasant experience as the 

 gentleman who writes from Ottawa. 

 While I fully agree with him as to the 

 great superiority of the quality of 

 fruit, I am sorry to say that the quan- 

 tity has been very deficient. Although 

 this is the fifth year for two vines, and 

 the third year for five others, I have 

 not yet had a single full cluster of 

 fruit. All I have this year from 

 seven vines are two strao:£:lin2r half 

 bunches, while Rogers 44 planted at 

 the same time, and in the row with the 

 last lot of Burnets has several bunches 

 of fine fruit now fully ripe; and the 

 Rochester, a new grai>e, planted the 

 same time, from Elwanger & Barry, is 

 loaded with fruit, which has already 

 ripened. The Rochester came tlirough 

 the winter as bright as a cun-ant bush, 

 flowered early and set its fruit well, 

 and is now quite ripe. It is only fair 

 to state that none of my vines had any 

 protection last winter, and while the 

 Rochester and Rogers 44 came 

 through unhurt, the Burnets were 

 either killed to the ground or so badly 

 injured that the late starting shoots 

 gave no fruit, but have made a very 

 good season's growth of wood. I shall 

 this season provide the most ample 

 protection for the Burnet by laying it 

 down and covering it with earth. 

 Should it then bear well I shall not 

 consider the trouble too great if I can 

 only obtain the excellent crops of fruit 

 such as I saw grow upon the original 

 vine. But should my efforts fail I 



