February, 1908 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



29 



to be apparent. Of about 5,000 trees 

 which have been grown since 1890, 

 there have been seventy-seven varie- 

 ties named. A large proportion of 

 these will not be of any commercial 

 value in the best apple districts, but 

 3wing to their hardiness it is hoped 



d) 



: 



Apple Tree Before Pruning 



that they will be useful in the colder 

 parts of Canada where the apple is 

 not successfully grown at present. In 

 iddition to these 5,000 trees there 

 lave been fruited over 200 trees of 

 about 800 originated by Dr Wm. 

 Saunders, the result of work in cross- 

 ing the Siberian crab, Pyrus baccata, 

 with different varieties of the apple. 

 Of these, many varieties have been 

 named and distributed to several hun- 

 dred points in the Canadian prairie 

 •rovinces, and are proving hardy every- 

 where they have been tried. 

 , Of the varieties of apples originated 

 ;t Ottawa which were named, four are 

 from a cross made by Prof. John Craig, 

 Secretary of the American' Pomologi- 

 eal Society, when Horticulturist of 

 the Central Experimental Farm, Ot- 



Same Tree Correctly Pruned 



tawa, between McMahan female and 

 vScott Winter male. These varieties 

 appear to have distinct points of su- 

 periority over their parents, but will 

 have to be tested longer. From 3,000 

 seedlings of Russian apples, fifty-nine 



have been named, only four of which 

 seem to be superior to the varieties 

 imported from Russia. 



The remaining fourteen sorts are 

 natural seedhngs of Wealthy, Swayzie 

 and Lawver, and it is expected that 

 from the large number of seedlings of 

 Wealthy, Swayzie, Fameuse, Mcin- 

 tosh, Northern Spy, Lawver, and others, 

 yet to fruit, many fine apples will come, 

 as about twenty-five per cent, of 

 those which have fruited already are 

 equal or better than named varieties 



of their season now on the market. 

 The trees of some very interesting 

 crosses between Mcintosh and Lawver 

 began to fruit this year, and valuable 

 results are expected. 



When the list of apples is completed 

 for the Annual Report of the American 

 Pomological Society, probably 300 

 named varieties of Canadian origin 

 will be recorded. This list will also 

 probably be published in a report or 

 bulletin of the Central Experimental 

 Farm, Ottawa. 



S"weet Pea Culture a Fine Art 



Max Moineau, Toronto 



IN the cultivation of sweet peas, a 

 great deal of discouragement arises 

 from a lack of knowledge. After 

 their nature and requisites are thor- 

 oughly understood, it is very easy to 

 develop these beautiful flowers to a high 

 standard of perfection. Indifferent 

 treatment, however, will never beget 

 superior sweet peas. Like everything 



originator of something new and to this 

 purpose, watch for sports and let the 

 best of them go to seed. Besides, he 

 should study and practise hybridization 

 and cross-fertilization, with a view to 

 improving old favorites. 



NOVELTIKS WORTH GROWING 



Among the novelties for this year, I 

 would recommend Burpee's White 



Exhibit at Last Convention of Northwest Fruit Growers' Association 



See Page ix. 



else that is worthy of cultivation, the 

 best of attention will bring the greatest 

 satisfaction. "I have no luck with 

 sweet peas," is a common saying; but 

 when the truth is known, "I have no 

 knowledge of sweet peas" would have 

 been nearer correct. 



Taking it for granted, then, that we 

 want quality rather than quantity, the 

 methods of cultivation must be carefully 

 studied. Conditions are so various that 

 rules which might be advantageously 

 applied in one locality may not prove 

 effective in another. Nevertheless, cer- 

 tain principles govern the ideal culture 

 of sweet peas everywhere, and the suc- 

 cessful adaptation of these principles 

 must be left entirely to the grower. 

 The first essentials are seed, site and soil. 

 vSeed should be obtained from special- 

 ists. A ten-cent package from your 

 nearest grocer is not only disappointing, 

 but decidedly absurd. Because a thing 

 is cheap, it does not follow that it is 

 first-class. I have bought seeds that 

 averaged as high as three cents a piece, 

 and I have yet to be disappointed with 

 these high-priced varieties. One should 

 add the very latest novelties to his col- 

 lection if he wishes to keep up with the 

 progress of sweet pea culture. Not 

 only this, but he should strive to be an 



Spencer, pure white; Burpee's Primrose 

 Spencer, the deepest yellow yet pro 

 duced; and Burpee's Apple Blossom 

 vSpencer, the most beautiful combina- 

 tion of pink and rose imaginable, all of 

 the orchid-flowering class. George Her- 

 bert is a beautiful new red of the above 

 class, and Mrs. Charles Mander is an- 

 other of the class which might well be 

 called "The Royal Purple Spencer." I 

 have received from England, for my 

 own garden, three new novelties of the 

 orchid-flowering class, which promise to 

 be very attractive. These are: "En- 

 chantress, a delicate pink with a deep 

 rose edge; Nell Gwynn, a lovely soft 

 salmon, slightly suffused with deep 

 cream, the base of standard having 

 quite a gold blotch; and Olive Ruffle, a 

 bright rosy salmon of very distinct shade. 

 Among the grandiflora reds there is 

 no finer variety than King Edward VII. 

 Then there are; Mrs. Walter Wright, a 

 beautiful mauve ; Othello, a good ma- 

 roon ; and Duke of Westminster, a very 

 deep blue. There are many other fine 

 varieties, but one should by all means 

 have those I have named among their 

 collection. 



THE BEST LOCATION 



Having secured the very best seed, 

 select a sunny site, so that the rows may 



