'58 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



November, 191 4. 



A Well Loaded Pear Tree 



This Souvenir dCongreea p«ar tree on the farm 



of W. Palmer, Victoria, B.C., wa« so iheaTily 



loaded, the boughs had to be propped up to 



prevent breakage. 



ly in British Columbia horticultural dis- 

 tricts, but are usually between ten thou- 

 sand and thirteen thouand. 



Also important is the average tem- 

 perature at the heigrht of the growing 

 season. Where the average temperature 

 for the hottest six weeks is below sixty- 

 two degrees F. , sweet corn and tomatoes 

 are ripened with difficulty; where the 

 temperature averages sixty-six degrees 

 F. for the same period, these same crops 

 are grown in large commercial areas. 



Having collected such data for all the 

 principal apple growing areas on the 

 continent, but especially those of the 

 Pacific North-west, we set out to deter- 

 mine the range of particular varieties, 

 especially the Yellow Newtown, Spitzen- 

 berg, Winesap, Jonathan, Wagener, 

 Mcintosh and Northern Spy, which var- 

 ieties seem to suit our markets and are 

 among the most popular of boxed apples. 



The Yellow Newtown is notably a 

 variety of limited adaptabilities. We 

 found that Hood River, Rogue River, 

 and the Albemarle country of West Vir- 

 gmia, in which areas this variety reaches 

 Its greatest perfection, have a growing 

 season of two hundred and forty to two 

 hundred and seventy days, with a total 

 number of heat units of from thirteen 

 thousand seven hundred and fifty to fif- 

 teen thousand seven hundred, and a 

 temperature over the six hottest weeks 

 of sixty-seven decimal five to seventy 

 decimal seven degrees F., all of these, 

 furthermore, are humid areas. 



The districts with most nearly similar 

 conditions to British Columbia are still 

 very far from having the same condi- 

 tons. We, therefore, counselled against 

 heavy plantings of Yellow Newttown, 

 and actual experience has since confirm- 

 ed our opinion. 



A similar investigation of the Spit- 

 zenberg, and other sectional varieties, 

 showed that it required somewhat simi- 

 ar climatic conditions, save that it is 

 doing well in some western irrigated 

 districts with similar temperatures. In 

 districts, such as Spokane, with two hun- 

 dred and sixteen growing days twelve 

 thousand six hundred and twenty heat 

 units, and a temperature for the six hot- 

 test weeks of sixty-eight decimal six de- 

 grees F., the trees are not so productive, 

 the fruit is not so large, nor so well 

 colored, nor of such high quality. Our 

 principal interior districts, which have 

 temperatures much like that of Spokane, 

 are finding similar results, and these re- 

 sults have justified our expectations. 



The common or old Winesap is one of 

 the most popular of western apples and 

 has been widely favored in British Col- 

 umbia on that account. We found, how- 

 ever, that it apparently requires a grow- 

 ing season of around two hundred and 

 twenty-five days, a total of not less than 

 thirteen thousand four hundred heat 

 units, and temperatures for the six hot- 

 test weeks of seventy to seventy-two de- 

 grees F. With shorter or cooler sea- 

 sons, the fruit lacks in size, color and 

 quality. 



The most favorable recorded points in 

 this province, such as Lower Okanagan 

 Lake, with a growing season of about 

 two hundred and three days, heat units 

 eleven thousand seven hundred and 

 seventy-five, and six hottest weeks' tem- 

 perature of sixty-seven decimal three de- 

 grees F. are obviously lacking. The 

 Kamloops district is much more nearly 

 suitable, having an average of two hun- 

 dred and fourteen growing days, twelve 

 thousand six hundred and eighty-three 

 heat units, and a six weeks' hottest 

 temperature of sixty-nine decimal three 

 degrees F. The Similkameen Valley, of 

 which, unfortunately, we have no tem- 

 perature records, but which is believed 

 to have the longest and hottest growing 

 season in the province, comes even 

 nearer than Kamloops to meeting the re- 

 quirements. We have accordingly ad- 

 vised fruit growers to avoid the Wine- 

 sap, except for these hottest localities. 

 In the last two years the Winesaps pro- 

 duced in various districts have borne out 

 our expectations, and I believe that in 

 the most favored districts mentioned the 

 variety will succeed commercially. On 

 our recommendations these districts 

 have planted largely of it, and other dis- 

 tricts have largely avoided it. 



The Wagener has been much favored 

 for planting in the interior of the pro- 

 vince, largely because of early bearing 

 and productiveness. Wagener requires 

 apparently just about the very conditions 

 found largely through our interior sec- 

 tions. It is the most largely planted 

 variety in the interior next to Jonathan. 

 In the cooler and less sunny districts, it 

 is not doing as well as in more favored 

 ones. Water core has given consider- 

 able difficuty, and its control by cultural 

 methods is not yet attained. It seems 

 well suited to the dry belt areas in which 

 the Jonathan is succeeding, and I think 

 will justify the large plantings which 

 have been made. 



The Mcintosh Red is not so well 

 known south of the line as in British 

 Columbia. It is, as you know, of Can- 

 adian origin, though a very popular 

 apple now in Vermont and in the Bitter 

 Root Valley, Montana. In its native 

 home it thrives excellently with a grow- 

 ing season of one hundred and ninety 

 days, with eleven thousand and fifty-two 

 heat units, and a temperature for the six 

 hottest weeks of sixty-eight decimal two 

 degrees F., and in the Bitter Root Val- 

 ley, with a slightly longer season, eleven 

 thousand six hundred heat units and a 

 six hottest weeks' temperature of sixty- 

 five decimal eight degrees F. We find 

 these conditions very closely duplicated 

 in both the irrigated and non-irrigated 

 fruit districts of the interior. No other 

 well-known variety seems to be so ad- 

 mirably adapted in this respect as the 

 Mcintosh. This variety has strongly 

 justified our recommendations for it and 

 may yet become our premier apple. 



Similar studies made with a large 

 range of varieties have given us most 

 valuable suggestions. We now feel in- 

 clined to lay even more stress than be- 

 fore on temperature requirements, as 

 our previous conclusions have become 

 justified by experience. 



The great unsolved problem in British 

 Columbia apple culture is to find a suit- 

 able, long-keeping apple. The tree must 

 be hardy, vigorous and productive; the 

 fruit must be of medium or larger size, 

 red, of high dessert quality, and of long- 

 keeping quality. We have not yet found 

 all these requirements in one single var- 

 iety. It is true that the same problem 

 faces apple culture throughout Canada. 

 In the search for this variety we have 

 examined the requirements of practically 

 every variety grown on the continent, 

 and are even now testing a number of 

 varieties grown successfully in Great 

 Britain and Australia. The successful 

 conclusion of the search for the desir- 

 ed variety will mean millions of dollars 

 to Canadian fruit growers. There is 

 still much room for improvement in 

 varieties. 



