94 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral EMition 



mer alone, some 9,000 bean plants were 

 grown from selections and crosses. From 

 these about 450 disease-resistant plants were 

 selected. They include bush, heavy yielding 

 wax and green beans of a .stringless nature 

 and high quality, and also high quality and 

 disease-resistant white bnans of marrow-fat 

 size. From a cross of the white field bean 

 and the Scarlet Runner, a pea bean has 

 been secured which for the last two years 

 has shown no anthracnose. 



The celery breeding dates from 1914. 

 Seed of some of the strains developed have 

 been distributed for the past three years 

 and reports from such well-known market 

 gardeners as P. F. Reeves, Humber Bay, 

 state that they are finer than any variety 

 on the market at the present time. 



In lettuce, a strain of Grand Rapids let- 

 tuce haa been developed that will force in 

 nine weeks. In an effort to obtain a long- 

 standing, large, solid-heading variety, tests 

 started with 78 varieties have dwindled to 

 six of the best, with Iceberg the best of the 

 lot for hot weather.' Of this variety, the 

 department now has two strains, one of 

 which heads a week before the other. For 

 test this year, there are some 85 progeny 

 lots of one plant each which will be tested 

 separately. 



In 1916, onion breeding work was started 

 with Southport Yellow Globe, Yellow Dan- 

 vers and Denia. Since then three genera- 

 tions of inbred onions have been secured. 

 The object has been to secure bulbs of 

 uniform type and color, and with heavy 

 yielding qualities. Exfceedingly promising 

 results already have been "eecured. 



In five years' work, some exceptionally 

 promising seedlings of rhubarb have been 

 secured for outdoor use and for forcing. 

 The writer saw three seedlings of marked 

 superiority growing in a cellar at the college 

 among a number of well-known commercial 

 varieties. They were of exceptional high 

 color and quality. 



Beet work has been under way since 1918. 

 Seedlings of various varieties have been se- 

 cured. An Early Egyptian beet has been 

 developed of the best flat early type and 

 almost entirely dark red. 



The cabbage work has been limited to 

 breeding a superior strain for early forcing. 

 Last year heads of cutting size were secured 

 after the plants had been set out two months. 



Flowers and Ornamentals. 



The breeding work with flowers has been 

 limited, due to lack of funds and facilities, 

 but It has not been entirely neglected. 

 Several lily crosses have been made and 

 brought to maturity, also crosses of several 

 varieties of Iris. For the past two years 

 flowers have been secured in the first gen- 

 eration of Iceland poppy crossed with Orien- 

 tal poppy. During the past season, crosses 

 were made in rose, peony, gladiolus and lily, 

 and the seed will be sown this year. About 

 150 crosses of gladioli with montbretia also 

 have been secured, a few of which flowered 

 for the first time last year. 



This winter, cuttings of coleus, silver- 

 leaved geranium, carnation and chrysanthe- 

 mum were treated with varying strengths 

 of chemicals before being placed in the 

 sand for rooting. Best results were secured 

 when the cuttings were soaked in a one to 

 1,000 normal solution of potassium perman- 

 ganate for five hours. A remarkably vigor- 

 ous root action was caused and the number 

 of cuttings ordinarily lost by "damping off" 

 was cut down to nil. 



With hardwood cuttings the same effects 

 were noticed. Cuttings of each of root and 

 scion of hardwood shrubs and trees were 

 used for this work to compare the strength 

 of growth made and the ability of the plants 

 to reproduce by the two methods. It was 

 found that many of the shrubs made more 



vigorous growth from root cuttings than 

 from scion cuttings and that in some cases 

 root cuttings would succeed where scion 

 cuttings would not. Of special Interest la 

 the apple which apparently propagates quite 

 freely from root cuttings while scion cut- 

 tings refused to root at all. — A. B. C. 



NIAGARA PENINSULA 

 Grimsby Storage Plant 



AFTER several seasons of successful 

 demonstration, the Dominion Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture has handed over 

 to corporate ownership its Grimsby, Ont., 

 plant for the pre-cooling and storage of 

 tender fruits. This warehouse, which since 

 1914 has been operated under the direction 

 of the Dairy and Cold Storage Commis- 

 sioner, J. A. Ruddick, as an experimental 

 plant, has now been taken over by the 

 Growers' Cold Storage and Ice Company, 

 Limited. 



It was from this point that the suitability 

 of properly filled brine-tank cars for the 

 long carriage of tender fruits was first 

 demonstrated In Canada. This fact, com- 

 bined with the other facilities offered at this 

 warehouse, enabled growers to successfully 

 ship tender fruits to Winnipeg and other 

 western points. Many thousands of dollars 

 were saved to growers, by enabling them to 

 gather carload lots to hold fruit over week- 

 ends and temporary market gluts. Loss to 

 canning factories and to growers was like- 

 wise obviated in a similar way. 



The necessity tor cold storage facilities 

 in the successful handling of tender fruits 

 has so impressed itself upon the growers 

 that a strong local organization has been 

 formed to operate the plant. Under the new 

 arrangement^the capacity of the warehouse 

 will be quadrupled, and improved refpgera- 

 tlon will be installed, as well as mecnanical 

 facilities for the manufacture of ice. 



N.P.G., Ltd., to Expand 



FOLLOWING Its policy of expansion, the 

 Niagara Peninsula Growers, Limited, Is 

 making provision for the handling of 

 a large portion of the apple crop of Western 

 Ontario. After the meetings addressed by 

 A. Sapiro, the co-operative marketing expert 

 from California, a few weeks ago, the com- 

 pany was approached by a deputation of 

 apple growers, who are outside of the area 

 now covered by the N. P. G., Ltd., requesting 

 ,that they be permitted to share the advan- 

 tages of co-operative marketing enjoyed by 

 members of the association. The matter. 

 President T. J. Mahony stated, has been con- 

 sidered by the company, and It is probable 

 that apple units will be formed in the west- 

 ern and southern sections of Wentworth, 

 and in apple-growing districts adjoining the 

 area embraced by the company. 



Apple growers have for many years been 

 at a disadvantage owing to poor grading 

 and packing — and in many cases from neg- 

 lected orchards producing poor fruit — in the 

 local markets. Fruit from British Columbia 

 has in many Instances taken precedence 

 over home-grown apples. The British market 

 has, on account of the care taken in 

 marketing and packing British Columbia and 

 maritime province apples, almost become a 

 closed door to the Ontario apple. It is 

 claimed that the apples produced in Ontario 

 can be of a better quality than those grown 

 in any other part of the world, and a strong 

 effort will be made to recapture the local, 

 British, American and foreign markets for 

 the Ontario apple. 



Better shipping facilities are assured t 

 fruit growers of the Niagara peninsula tli: 

 season. Recently representatives of the 

 shipping compabies operating in the district 

 visited the several shipping points in com- 

 pany with President Mahony, Sales Manager 

 Carpenter, and other members of the execu- 

 tive, and results that will mean much to the 

 growers will undoubtedly obtain tlftrefrom. 

 Arrangements are being made for adoption, 

 by the railway companies, of the use of the 

 sidings at St. Catharines, Vineland and other 

 shipping points. Shipping platforms wiU be 

 built at other points, and arrangements for 

 utilizing to the extreme limit the pre-cooling 

 plants and refrigerator cars are being rapid- 

 ly completed. 



Pear Blight Prevalent 



E. F. Palmer, Vineland Station, Ont. 



PEAR blight is very prevalent this year 

 and, unless drastic steps are taken, it 

 is likely that there will be further 

 severe losses in remaining healthy and 

 diseased trees. 



Pear bright is caused by microscopic bac- 

 teria spread by insects from diseased wood, 

 to healthy shoots and blossoms, where it 

 grows and develo'ps beneayi the bark. For 

 this reason, spraying as a control is worth- 

 less. The only remedy is to cut out the 

 infected parts. 



During the winter and spring at pruning 

 all infected parts should be removed. The 

 symptoms o£ this disease are: On the trunk 

 or branches, a blackish color of the bark; 

 on twigs, discoloration and shrivelling; 

 also probably some leaves will still be at- 

 tached. To make sure that the blackened 

 areas on the trunk are really caused by 

 blight, take a knife and cut down the bark. 

 If there is a reddish or brown appearance 

 beneath the surface, the trouble is blight. 

 ■Unless these infected parts are removed, 

 the disease will spread very rapidly, and in 

 two or three years at the most the tree 

 will be dead or useless. In the meantime, 

 if left, this tree is serving as a source of 

 infection to all healthy pear and apple trees 

 in the vicinity. 



The bacteria winter over at the lower 

 margin of the infection and, while the 

 trees are dormant, cuts can be safely made 

 two inches below the diseased part with- 

 out the necessity of disinfecting the tools. 

 If the trunk has become infected, the whole 

 tree should be removed. Once growth be- 

 gins, cuts must be made six to eight inches 

 below any" outward signs of Injury. At 

 this time the pruning tools must be disin- 

 fected thoroughly after each cut with cor- 

 rosive sublimate, 1-1,000. (See Bui. 257, 

 Ontario Dept. of Agr.) 



In the spring, insects and ants particu- 

 larly feed on the exudate caused by the 

 bacteria and then carry it to the flowers 

 and from there the disease is spread by 

 honey-seeking insects. Ten thousand bac- 

 teria could find room on a pin head, and 

 each is capable of increasing to a million 

 or more in 24 hours. Shortly after infec- 

 tion takes place, the blossom spurs will wilt 

 and droop. Go through the orchard again 

 after blossoming and break off with the 

 hands all such drooped parts before the 

 disease can penetrate to the main branches. 



Control, therefore, Is only by prevention. - 

 Cut out all infected areas during the dor- 

 mant period. Again after blossoming break 

 off all drooped spurs and remove any later 

 infections. Disinfect the tools with cor- 

 rosive sublimate 1-1000 after each cut. Burn 

 all infected branches and cultivate just 

 sufficiently to keep the tree in moderate 

 vigor. 



