THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



117 



ficial perpetuation of the original for 

 hut a very limited time, say about half 

 that period. The scions, whether taken 

 from the oriojinal or from a grafted tree, 

 it makes no difference in so far as 

 general longevity is concerned, they 

 being only sections of the original, 

 nature not permitting any further ex- 

 tension of life. 



In Euro])e the apple tree from seed 

 will live much longer, soil and climate, 

 particularly the latter, being different ; 

 hence the reason why the period of 

 raising grafted trees is more lengthened. 



In connection with the apple I may 

 refer you to the peach. All your old 

 ;ind esteemed varieties are succumbing 

 to the same influences, and are dying 

 off with the yellows. 



I observe that quite a number of our j 

 hitherto abundant bearing apple trees, 

 even although apparently healthy and i 

 in prime of life, are beginning to show 

 a sparcity of fruit in comparison to 

 blossoms, such as Pomme Grise, Kib- 

 ston Pippin, Gravenstein, <fec., which 

 are as yet exempt from spotting, never- 

 theless they are old varieties in culti- 

 vation and have become enfeebled. 



The varieties alluded to should be 

 phinted with caution, and limited in 

 number, because in the ordinary course 

 of nature they will soon become extinct, 

 riie production of new varieties should 

 by all means be encouraged, not trust- 

 ing altogether to natural fertilization. 

 \ great deal can be done now in this 

 lore enlightened age by artificial means, 

 lid thus produce a[)ples of a superior 

 jiiaracter to those whicli are showing 

 evidences of extinction. 



The success that has been attained 

 in the strawberry by artificial fertiliza- 

 tion is really wonderful, and that, too, 

 within the last decade, a thing unpre- 

 ♦Mlented in the era of strawberry 

 ulture. 



In corroboration of what I have 

 stated about the apple, may very well 



be illustrated by the potato, the period 

 for its artificial perpetuation by section 

 of tubers only extends to some ten 

 years — the period that nature has as- 

 signed it. After a few years of pro- 

 ductiveness it ceases to bo so, becomes 

 scabby (a fungus growth), and finally 

 the rot, another variety of fungus, and 

 then the variety becomes extinct, con- 

 sequently, as a matter of necessity, it 

 becomes imperative to keep up a con- 

 tinuous supply direct from seeds. 

 Yours truly, 



Simon Roy. 



SAUx\DERS HYBRID RASPBERRY. 



Mr. Saunders' Black Cap No. 53, 

 distributed in 1880 by the Society, is a 

 treasure to us : the fruit is rather small, 

 and of a dull purple coloi", but so very 

 productive, we can gather three pints 

 from this one plant, enough to make a 

 pudding, two or three times each season, 

 besides stray pickings as the childien 

 pass by. I find it throv\ s up suckers 

 occasionally like the red raspberry, and 

 I have thus secured six (!xtra plants. 

 The canes are so strong they seem to 

 have no chance to bend sufficiently to 

 reach the ground and glow from the 

 tips as usual. It is quite hardy and 

 has no thorns. x. 



Cobourg, Ont. 



GOOSKBERRIES. 



Some six years ago I purchased three 

 Crownbob and three Downing Goose- 

 berries, and they have thriven very 

 well, and not a speck of mildew. From 

 long experience I may state that the 

 only manure I apply to Gooseberries is 

 good clean house ashes from wood, and 

 I think that keeps off mildew. I first 

 got a hint of that from the old Am. 

 Agriculturist, and I had very good red 

 Gooseberries. British, and they didn't 

 mildew either. A. D. Ferbier. 



Fergus, Wellington County. 



