m 



92 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral tiuition 



Horticultural Research at O.A.G. 



IN view of recent criticisms of the horti- 

 cultural department at the O.A.C., Guelph, 

 and of developments which culminated 

 last month In Prof. Crow's dismissal, a brief 

 record of research and experimental work 

 performed an* In progress by that depart- 

 ment is of Interest at this time. Through- 

 out the past decade, Prof. Crow and his 

 assistants, handicapped as they claim and 

 have been by lack of funds, equipment and 

 men, have not only performed the duties 

 of teaching horticulture in all its branches 

 to the large classes, regular and special, 

 and of maintaining the extensive gardens 

 and ornamental grounds of the college and 



campus, but have also either completed or 

 have under way investigations of much Im- 

 portance to the fruit and vegetable growers 

 of the province, whether commercial or 

 amateur, and to a less extent, the flower 

 and ornamental plant growers. The nature 

 of much of this work, with results, was 

 learned by a special enquiry made at the 

 college by The Canadian Horticulturist on 

 March 23 and 24. Some of these facts have 

 been made public this winter and before at 

 fruit and vegetable growers' meetings by 

 Prof. Crow and his assistants; others have 

 not hitherto been published. In the space 

 here available, only a brief synopsis can 



be given. Research work in fruits has con- 

 cerned chiefly biennial and annual bearing, 

 summer pruning and winter injury. 



The results of studies in the fruiting habits 

 of apple trees and in methods of securing 

 annual crops of fruit should prove of Im- 

 mense value to the apple Industry. It 

 well known that apple trees ordinarily b 

 only every other year. The work at Guelpa 

 has proven that such habit can be corrected 

 — that most varieties of apples can be made 

 to bear every year. Fruit bud formation In 

 biennial bearing trees is confined to the "off" 

 year. By repeated investigations, Prof. Crow 

 has proven that regular or annual bearing 

 can be secured by preventing the formation 

 of so many fruit buds in that "off" year. 

 How It is done has been told by the pro- 

 fessor at- many fruit meetings during the 



A Fruit Variety Chart for All Canada' 



By A. B. Cutting 



