THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



131 



quite a common sight last summer to 

 see numbers of trees in every orchard 

 with yellow leaves and scathed trunks, 

 as if they had been scorched by fire. 

 As to the cause there is a difference of 

 opinion. Some think it was the rain 

 that fell about Christmas, followed by 

 severe arctic weather. Others that it 

 was the premature warm spell we had 

 in spring that started the sap too soon, 

 and then froze and burst the bark. 

 Perhaps both are partly right. The 

 three varieties that stood the best were : 

 1st, Duchess ; 2nd, Talman Sweet ; 

 and 3rd, Golden Russet. I agree with 

 Mr. Williams, who wrote in the April 

 number that he is looking to the Rus- 

 sian Family for something to turn up 

 to replace the kinds we have now; 

 and if we can get among the Russian 

 fruits an apple as fine as showy and 

 as hardy as the Duchess and that will 

 keep to spring, that would be the apple 

 for North Simcoe. 



WITH REGARD TO SMALL FRUITS. 



The last year seemed very favourable 

 for grapes and berries, notwithstanding 

 the severity of the preceding winter. 

 But this may be explained by the fact 

 that grapes are mostly put down and 

 covered, and then the snow lay very 

 deep and so protected the small fruits. 

 Strawberries were a splendid crop, and 

 the same may be said of raspberries. 

 The Cuthbert is my favourite red, and 

 the Gregg the best black cap. All the 

 varieties of grapes that I have, ripened 

 well — Champion, Concord, Moore's 

 Early, Vergennes, Early Victor, Pren- 

 tiss, Rogers' No. 3, 15, and 17, Wor- 

 den and Brighton. Last fall was ex- 

 ceptionally free from early frosts. We 

 can bring all those varieties of grapes 

 through the winter all right by cover- 

 ing them ; the vines grow well through 

 the summer, and if we can only get 

 them ripe before the early fall frosts 

 catch them, we can grow a very fine 

 sample of fruit. 



Everyone as far as I can learn in 

 this district is highly pleased with the 

 premiums sent out by the Association. 

 The Catalpas sent last spring all grew 

 splendid, also the Dahlias and Fay's 

 Currants. 1 have not heard of a plant 

 that failed. I only wish that more in 

 this county would join the F. G. A. 

 If tliey would subscribe to the Ilorti- 

 cidturist, and not give so much ta 

 Yankee tree agents for worthless trash 

 that never lives to produce fruit, they 

 would be vastly benefited. I am highly 

 pleased with our little journal ; it is 

 getting better every month. Every 

 farmer, every gardener, and every man 

 or woman who takes an interest in 

 fruit or flowers should take the Horti- 

 culturist. G. C. C. 

 Vespra, April. 



FRAGRANT CLIMBING ROSE. 

 How can I tell you anything about 

 roses without " carrying coals lo New- 

 castle 1 " Yet you say so positively in 

 the report of the Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation that you do not know of an'i/ 

 fragrant climbing rose, that I want to 

 tell you of one that thrives here, al- 

 though it viight not in Canada. A 

 friend of mine here, Mrs. Hentzley, haa 

 one that covers her verandah, and is 

 fast running over the roof of her two- 

 storey house. It has a delightful odor,, 

 very similar to that of the tea roses, 

 and it has the same glossy leaves. It 

 is evergreen, and with the thermometer 

 at four degrees below zero, as we had 

 it one night in January, it was not 

 hurt at all. She calls it the Banksia. 

 Some people here call it Lady Banks. 

 It is a profuse bloomer, and had some 

 blossoms late in the autumn. It is a 

 very pale yellow, and the open rose is 

 not specially pretty, but the buds are 

 beautiful. Mra. Hentzley is trying to 

 start some cuttings for me, but finds it 

 hard to make them grow. I feel as if 

 I were very officious in offering you 



