THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTDKI8T. 



la 



Of crab apples there were two varieties 

 (Hyslop and Transcendent) and 8 en- 

 tries. The fruits appeared to be held 

 back. The flowers were much better, 

 as there was a very good show for a 

 new country like Muskoka. The vege- 

 tables were excellent in size and varietv. 



C. H." 



SOUTH SIMCOE AND ESSA AGRICUL- 

 TURAL SHOW. 

 I attended the South Simcoe and 

 Essa Agricultural Show at Cooks- 

 town on the N. & N. W. Rys. ; was 

 received by the Directors of the Society 

 and cordially invited to dinner, where a 

 large number of happy faces met and 

 enjoyed a hearty feast of the viands set 

 before them. The Secretary, R. T. 

 Bantinor, Esq., of Cookstown (who is 

 also County Secretary), presented me 

 with a badge of welcome, and after- 

 wards pressed me into their service as 

 judge on fruits with two other gentle- 

 men from different parts of the county. 

 The fruits were excellent specimens of 

 the various kinds. Apples — 4 entries 

 Duchess of Oldenburg, which were fair 

 samples; 6 entries St. Lawrence, good 

 size and shape ; 1 entries of Snows, very 

 good ; 4 entries Alexandei*s, excellent; 2 

 entries Colverts, fine specimens ; 3 en- 

 tries Kingof Tomkins with other fruits. 

 Seek no Further and a very fine 

 specimen of Cayuga Red Streak ; G 

 entries Greenings ; 9 entries American 

 Golden Russet ; 5 entries of grapes — 

 Hartford, Brighton and Concord — all 

 \ <'ry fair samples. The vegetables were 

 ifiuarkably good. This jmrt of the coun- 

 I ly is making rapid strides in the way of 

 improvement in all the various branches 

 of gardening, horticulture and floricul- 

 ttire. The flowers that were shown 

 were a great credit to all that part of 

 the county. The Show on the whole 

 IS a gi*eat success. All they want is 

 ' > become members of the Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Association. C. H. 



SOME RED GRAPES. 



{For the Canadian Horticulturist.) 



BY T. C. ROBINSON, OWEN SOUND. 



Jeferson. — This variety has been a 

 disappointment in two respects — earli- 

 ness and hardiness. Although the fo- 

 liage apparently partakes largely of the 

 enduring Concord type, yet it fails un- 

 aocountably in ripening its wood on 

 young vines to a sufficient degree to 

 withstand the severe winter. Most 

 varieties grown here require no winter 

 protection but our usually abundant 

 snows ; but the young Jefferson vines 

 seem to need something more. I have 

 had it on my place four years without 

 getting a single cluster, but have seen 

 it fruiting with a friend in town. The 

 fruit is certainly very fine, but I fear 

 it will always be later than Concord in 

 ripening. 



Vergennes. — I have not had this as 

 long as the preceding variety and the 

 vines are not large enough to fruit. 

 On a friend's grounds I tasted a cluster 

 that was very good, though not large. 

 It does not appear to ripen much in 

 advance of Concord, yet further ex- 

 perience is necessary to satisfy me on 

 this point. The wood ripens well with 

 me, and the foliage appears of the hardy 

 insect-resisting, mildew-proof native 

 type. On the whole I regard the Ver- 

 gennes as well worthy of further atten- 

 tion. 



The little Delaware still perseveres 

 worthily among its red sisters. Where- 

 ever it does as well as it does in the 

 Owen Sound district, it is essential to 

 the completeness of any collection. Its 

 quality is the sweetest and its clear 

 waxy ap]}earance the most beautiful of 

 all out-door grapes in common cul- 

 tivation, while its unusual compactness 

 of cluster, and the tough yet thin skin 

 of the berry, give it special value for 

 market when it is once got into the 

 basket. What a pity that both cluster 

 and berry are not a little larger. Yet 



