2^6 



HE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



October, 1909 



Peach Growing in Niagara Township 



IN the magazine section of the Toronto 

 Olobe of Saturday, August 14, appeared 

 a picture of a unique summer house on 

 the Niagara River, near Quociiston 

 Heights. In this picture were shown the 

 wheels from a wagon which carried peaches 

 from the first commercial peach orchard 

 planted in Canada, ahout 100 years ago, hy 

 James Durham, a U. E. Loyalist, who came 

 from Pennsyvania, about the year 1786. 

 Mr. Durham received a Patent, or Crown 

 Deed for this land, dated October 31st, 1803, 

 it being Lot No. Nine, Niagara Township, 

 one mile below the famous battlefield of 

 Queenston Heights on the Niagara River. 



This lot, comprising 100 acres, posseses 

 the unique distinction of having had but 

 three transfers since the Patent, — James 

 Durham, St., to James Durham, Jr.; exc 

 cutors of James Durham, Jr., to John Mc- 

 Clive; and John McClive to O. E. Fisher, 

 the present ' owner, who is Registrar of 

 Deeds for the County of Lincoln at St. 

 Catharines, and secretary-treasurer of the 

 Niagara Peninsula Fruit Grov/ers' Associ.i- 

 tion. 



Mr. Fisher purchased this farm in April 

 1882. On the farm, at the presnt time, 

 stands the building, in an upstair room of 

 which Col. Macdonald (aide-de-camp to Sir 

 Isaac Brock) after he received his death 

 wound, passed away. This ouilding was in 



FOR SALE AND WANT 

 ADVERTISEMENTS 



Advertisements under this heading in- 

 serted at rate of two cents a word for each 

 insertion, each figure, sign or single letter 

 to count as one word, minlmun cost, 25 

 cents, strictly cash in advance. 



AGENTS make big money selling "Vol-peek" 

 Granite Cement. Mends holes in Graniteware. 

 Iron, Agate, Tinware, etc. Mends a hole in 

 one minute. Every housewife buys. Greatest 

 seller on the market. Agents make over 100 

 per cent, profits. N. Nagle, Westmount, Que. 



FRUIT FARM FOR SALE, in Norfolk County: 12 

 acres of arable land, good soil, and 15 acres in 

 winter apples, standard varieties. Fine wind- 

 break of evergreen Osage Orange Hedge. One 

 large barn, wells and spring. On gas belt. 

 Excellent location. — Address, M. M. M., Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist, Peterboro, Out. 



We solicit your orders for 

 Baskets in any quantity, 

 either Car or less than 

 Car lots. 



Stock Strictly First -Class 

 Prices quoted on applica- 

 tion and your requirements 

 for the season guaranteed 

 if arrangements made now. 

 Prompt shipment can be 

 made. Act as agent in 

 your locality and get your 

 Baskets right. 



Keenan Woodenware MTg Co. 



UMITEO 

 OWEN SOUND, ONT. 



use as a hostelry at the time of the war of 

 1812, and was frequented by the soldiers 

 and travellers of those stirring days. After- 

 wards it was converted into a dwelling and 

 was in use as such until the summer of 

 1889, when Mr. Fisher had it moved a short 

 distance back from the site it occujiied, to 

 where it now does service as a carriage 

 house and workshop. Visitors frequently 

 call at the farm and ask to be shown the 

 room where this gallant soldier succumbed 

 to his injuries. 



Notwithstanding the lapse of so many 

 years (nearly a century) old coins are found 

 every summer on the farm near where the 

 buildings formerly stood, and bullets and 

 indian arrow heads of many sizes, are pick 

 ed up very often, by the men working in the 

 orchards. As an evidence of the wonderful 

 fertility of this soil on the frontier, adjoin- 

 ing Niagara River, one of the best peach 

 growing sections in all Canada, this land, 

 which has been growing this luscious fruit 

 for 100 years, has an orchard in bearing 

 now, on which probably the first peach trees 

 grown in Canada, were planted, and this 

 year the crop bids fair to be the largest that 

 was ever grown on the land. 



Some of the trees in this orchard have 

 been bearing over 20 veaia ana the fruits 

 on these old trees this year, promises to 

 be as good as any before srrown. These 

 trees have borne as high as 33 eleven-quart 

 baskets of prime quality reaches, which have 

 sold at a net profit to the grower, of over 

 $1.25 a basket. The preesnt owner has nev- 

 er had an entire failure of peach crop. Onlv 

 once since the orchards began bearing in 

 1887, has the crop dropped below 1.000 bas- 

 kets, that being the year 1889, when the 

 peach and grape crops were nearlv all de- 

 stroyed bv a hard frost, on the night of the 

 31st of May, many trees and grape vines 

 being killed outright. In that year, peaches 

 of extra fine quality, from this orchard, 

 were sold on the commission market in To- 

 ronto, for $2.75 per eleven-quart basket. 

 Once or twice since then, on an off year in 

 other peach growing sections, has the nrice 

 reached that figure, for the extra fancy 

 article. 



In the season of 1891, Mr. Fisher shipped 

 many baskets of this auality of peaches to 

 James B. .Stafford & Bro., Fulton Market, 

 Buffalo, for which he received $2.37 net. 



DonlTTirowifl 



Hot Water Bag Leak ' 



ENDETS 



They mend all leaks In all utensils— tin, 

 brass, copper, granlteware.hotwaterbaga.etc. 

 No solder, cement or rivet. Anyone can use 

 them; fit anysurface, two million In use. Send 

 for sample pkg., 10c. Complete package 

 ' ASSORTED SIZES. 2oC., POSTPAID. Agents wanted. 

 CoUetteBIfs«Co.,^ept. V. ColUngwoad.Ont. 



USE FOSTER'S POTS 



'Wf BEST MAOt 



I 



fOSTER'S 



STANDARD 



POT 



Red Pots 



THEY ARE THE BEST OH THE MARKET 



WK MANUFACTUKK 



STANDARD POTS 



PERN PANS 



AZALEA POTS 



Hanging BASKETS 



SAUCERS AND 

 STRAIGHT PANS 



Canada's Leading Pot 

 Manufacturers 



Tht FOSTER POTTERY CO., Limited 



Main St. West, Hamilton, Ont. 



Mention The Canadian Horticulturist when writing: 



put on the cars at Queenston station. These 

 peaches retailed in that market for $3.50 a 

 tiasket. 



These facts, teach several important les- 

 sons, showing among other things the in 

 exhaustible nature of the soil ; feed it care- 

 fully, cultivate judiciously and systemati- 

 cally and it will respond liberally. The soil 

 will do its part, if the tiller does his. From 

 this farm, now known as "Dulverton Fruit 

 Farm," managed by Mr. Fisher's two sons, 

 H. St. Clare, and C. Howard, it is expect- 

 ed nearly 25,000 baskets of fruit of differ- 

 ent kinds, will be shipped this season, the 

 large proportion being peaches. Thesi 

 biing the very highest price in Toronto and 

 other markets. Results as to price and 

 production are only achieved by the most 

 thorough and careful attention to all tli< 

 little details, in connection with fruit grow- 

 ing. The pruning, spraying, thinning and 

 cultivation, are important factors, and then 

 the most rigid and careful attention is giv- 

 en to putting the fruit up in a neat and 

 honest manner. Fruit growers, like chris- 

 tions, are "known by their fruits." Ni 

 fruit is shipped that the growers on this 

 farm would be ashamed to meet in the con- 

 sumer's home. It is not all fancy and 

 large, but the face of the package evidenci - 

 the contents of the basket. 



Co-operative Growers Meet 



An executive meeting of the Co-operative 

 Fruit Growers' of Ontario was held in To- 

 ronto during the Canadian National Exhi- 

 bition. Representatives were present from 

 all parts of the province. Norfolk county 

 reported a light crop of apples; Georgian 

 Bay, one half more than last year with 

 quality good ; Oshawa, quality variable ; Co- 

 bourg, medium crop; Georgetown, medium, 

 mostly Spys ; Trenton, less than last yea i 

 with fruit small. 



The executive strongly recommended that 

 the associations do not pack many No. 2 fall 

 varif'ties and also advised them to put up 

 all hail-marked fruit as No. 2. It is ex- 

 pected that there will be a large propor- 

 tion of small grades and culls. 'The execu- 

 tive discussed prices for this year. Speci- 

 fic figures were decided upon. These indi- 

 cated that the associations expect good pric- 

 es for fruit of good quality. 



As peonies may be planted successfully in 

 October, and as various requests have been 

 received, asking where Mr. R. B. Whyte's 

 "best 12 peonies" may be secured, it will 

 interest amateur horticulturists to know 

 that Mr. Whyte will furnish the information 

 ir requested. His address is Ottawa. Mr. 

 Whyte is a specialist in peonies. 



The Hespeler Horticultural Society found 

 a marked improvement in the gardens of its 

 members, when they were judged this 

 year. The method followed by this society 

 was told in The C.\nadi.\n Horticulturist 

 for November, 1908. Much interest is tak- 

 en in the work. The directors and the so- 

 ciety deserve great credit for their en- 

 thusiasm and for their achievements. 



A new catalogue of nursery stock has just 

 been issued by E. D. Smith, proprietor of 

 the Helderleigh Nurseries, AVinona, Ont. 

 In it are listed a full line of fruit and orna- 

 mental trees, shrubs, roses, hardy border 

 plants, and so on. Descriptions of the vari- 

 eties have been carefully prepared and are 

 reliable. Much useful information on the 

 culture of these things is given. It is a 

 useful book for any horticulturist to have 

 in his possession. It is now ready for dis- 

 tribution and will be sent free to all persons 

 that make the request. 



