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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



FRUIT GROWING IN ONTARIO 

 COUNTY. 



This is the sixth year I have sub- 

 scribed for the Horticulturist. It is of 

 inestimable value to me. I commenced 

 farming seven years ago under great 

 disadvantages, not having much expe- 

 rience in farming as well as horticul- 

 ture. With the help of the Horticul- 

 turist I have succeeded pretty well. 

 My farm was in such a poor state of 

 cultivation that I was compelled to 

 plant fruit trees of the small varieties 

 in very unsuitable places for their cul- 

 tivation. I set about one hundred and 

 forty apple trees, twenty pear trees, and 

 about the same number of plums. The 

 apple trees are all bearing more or less, 

 except the Spys. The pears have borne 

 since the third year from setting. The 

 Flemish Beauty is the most prolific of 

 a,ll, but it shows some signs of blight, 

 probably caused by its vigorous growth 

 and heavy bearing, requiring more 

 nourishment. One year ago last sum- 

 mer I gave them a heavy dressing of 

 wood ashes and copperas. Last year 

 they were quite recovered and bore 

 fruit. Plums last year bore a heavy 

 crop. I cannot speak too highly of the 

 Weaver. This variety I grafted on 

 wild plum stock, and in the fourth year 

 from grafting I picked half a bushel 

 from one tree, and a delicious plum 

 they are. My grapes bore a good crop 

 last year, third year from setting. Con- 

 cord and Worden are the best. I must 

 speak a good word for the Clinton. I 

 believe there is none more profitable 

 for wine. There were two old vines on 

 the farm, neglected and woven through 

 other. I trimmed them to the bare 

 stock, trellissed them eight or ten feet 

 high; they have borne a heavy crop 

 every year since, ripening as early as 

 Concord, and ripening every year. The 

 Brighton and Moore's Early that I re- 

 ceived from the Society have not fruit- 

 ed on account of being moved. The 



Brighton is a vigorous grower. The 

 other articles I received from the So- 

 ciety all grew. My other varieties of 

 grapes are too young lo say much about. 

 Another year will enable me to speak 

 more fully of their merits. I cultivate 

 several varieties of red raspberries. 

 Highland Hardy and Cuthbert I like 

 best, the first named on account of its 

 earliness and firmness, which makes it 

 profitable as a shipper, while it ripens 

 as early as the wild varieties. Cuth- 

 bert is about ten days later, firm, sweet, 

 and of good flavor, and continues in 

 bearing until the blackberries are ripe, 

 of which I cultivate the Snyder and 

 Taylor. I esteem them very highly; 

 they are hardy and heavy croppers. 

 Of strawberries the Crescent Seedling 

 pleases me best, being early and long 

 continued in bearing. It stands the 

 winter better than the Wilson, and con- 

 tinues longer in bearing. The Black 

 Caps I do not take much stock in. 

 The Mammoth Cluster suits me best. 

 They do not pay in field culture. Plant- 

 ed close to a fence, with a little atten- 

 tion, they pay the best of any plan I 

 have adopted. As I have my small 

 fruits arranged, we have a succession 

 from the 10th of June until the end of 

 August. We use them as liberally as 

 we do potatoes. I have sold in the past 

 as many as would pay for cultivation. 

 I see no reason why every farmer can- 

 not cultivate enough for home use, and 

 not have wives and family hunting 

 wild berries, spending more time than 

 it would take to cultivate all they re- 

 quire and have a very superior article 

 besides. The prevailing excuse is. " I 

 do not know how to cultivate them;" 

 but that difficulty is easily overcome. 

 One dollar sent to D. W. Beadle, St. 

 Catharines, will get the Horticulturist 

 for one year and a copy of the Fruit 

 Growers' Report. In them you will 

 . find all instructions for the cultivation 

 of fruit, and many more useful hints. 



