OPEN LETTERS. 



209 



walnut [Juglans sieboldiana), and shell black 

 hickory, all of which should be perfectly 

 hardy at Toronto and produce fruit nuts. 

 There are two kinds of hazel nuts which 

 w'ould also be quite hardy, namely, Corylus 

 rostrata and C. Americana. The European 

 filbert or hazel, though it would probably 

 prove hardy at Toronto, so far as the wood 

 \vas concerned, would not be likelj' to set 

 fruit. The reason why the nuts do not set 

 is that the pollen from the male flowers is 

 shed before the female flowers are in a con- 

 dition to receive it, the result being- that 

 the latter are not fertilized and no fruit 

 forms. If the pollen were saved and 

 applied artificially it is possible that the 

 fruit would set. The American sweet chest- 

 nut is not perfectly hardy here. VVe have, 

 however, a few trees which have not been 



injured by winter and have produced nuts, 

 but there were no kernels developed. The 

 conditions at Toronto should be more 

 favorable for growing the sweet chestnut 

 than at Ottawa. The Salisburia is hardy 

 here, and should succeed near Toronto. 



W. T. Macoun. 

 Horticulturist C. E. F. Ottawa. 



Scions of Canada Red. 



1218. Sir, — This last spring I put in about a 

 dozen grafts of Northern Spys into a Canada Red 

 tree, and they grew to nearly three feet in lefigth 

 but very small around. Will you please say through 

 the Horticulturist what I had better do with them? 



Norval. F. F. Bradford. 



The Northern Spy is inclined to grow 

 rather slender wood. We would advise 

 thinning out the growth, and cutting back 

 from one-half to two-thirds its lenerth. 



©[pdO^ LdtttD-S, 



Hillcrest Orchards. 



Sir. — From your note at the end of the article 

 on Hillcrest Orchards, Kentville, X.S., in j'our 

 March number, it might appear that the writer. 

 Prof. Macoun, had been incorrectly informed as 

 to the value of the oldest part of the orchard. To 

 substantiate the figures which Prof. Macoun quot- 

 ed I wish to say that this valuation of i|i,' 00 per 

 acre has been placed upon the oldest part of the 

 orchard by at least a half dozen orchardists well 

 qualified to judge. Different blocks have different 

 values according to age of trees. On the block of 

 twenty acres referred to, the apple trees, 40 to the 

 acre, are eleven years of age, and the additional 

 intermediate trees, 280 to the acre, of the most de- 

 sirable varieties of plum, peach, pear, cherry, apri- 

 cot and quince, are from five to seven years of age, 

 each one ready for work and not interfering in the 

 least with the apple trees. Had there been but 

 the forty apple trees to the acre it would not have 

 been valued at more than $400 to $500 per acre at 

 its age, but in its present condition it is not re- 

 markable that it has been considered worth double 

 that amount, 



I am aware that this is 'the highest figure for 

 orchard land, still some well cared for apple or- 

 chards of full grown trees of the usual number, 

 forty to the acre, have changed hands in Kings 

 county at that price and if you will do us the honor 

 of a visit some time I will be pleased to show you 

 from 20 to 40 orchards of from five to ten acres 

 each, within a radius of seven miles of Kentville, 

 whose owners will tell you, I think, that they 



would not take less than that figure for them. 

 There would, of course, be man}- in the same area, 

 equallj^ as old, that would not be worth more than 

 from -$300 to $!6oo per acre, but when our best 

 fruit men are getting from 100 to 125 barrels of 

 shipping fruit per acre yearly and receiving direct 

 from the London commission men an average of 

 $2 25 per barrel for their season's crop you will 

 understand the appreciation our orchardists have 

 for such property. Respectfully, 



Ralph S. Eaton. 

 Kentville, N.S., March 27th, 1901. 



Grapes in Waterloo County— Three Good Ones 



Sir,- Ten years ago I planted a few grape vines, 

 among others, the Brighton, Worden and Moore's 

 Diamond, three grand grapes, for the home gar- 

 den. They have done exceedingly well here bear- 

 ing fine crops every year. 



Brighton, red, clusters large and long, finest 

 flavor of any grape I have. Worden. black, the 

 first to ripen, about the first of September ; verj- 

 good berries, large as Cpncord. Moore's Diamond, 

 white, very good beriy and cluster large and fine — a 

 sight to see. For the farmer's garden these three 

 would make a fine collection and give abundance 

 of that fine fruit for the home. 



The Green Mountain grape I received from the 

 Association of Fruit Growers is a good grape and 

 is doing well ; early as Worden and very sweet. 



Gait, Ont. Walter M. Turnbull. 



