The Canadian Horticulturi^ 



Vol. XXX 



FEBRUARY, 1907 



No. 2 



Varieties of Fruits WortK Gro^ng in Ontario OrcKards 



ONCE more the time has come 

 when the selection of varieties for 

 the next season's planting is among 

 the questions that confront the fruit 

 grower. To choose varieties that will 

 be most successful and a source of profit, 

 the fruit grower should profit by the 

 experiences of his neighbors, he should 

 observe the behavior of varieties grow- 

 ing under conditions similar to his own, 

 and be governed accordingly. 



Personal preference for -the quality 

 of a particular variety should not be the 

 only consideration when selecting for 

 a commercial plantation. Local con- 

 ditions of soil and climate must be 

 studied. The demands of the market 

 to be supplied is important. Inter- 

 pollenation also must be kept in mind ; 

 it is never best to plant an orchard, a 

 vineyard or a small fruit plantation of 

 one variety alone. 



Among the men most capable of ad- 

 vising the planter on the choice of vari- 

 eties are those in charge of the fruit 

 experiment stations of Ontario. .A. 

 number of letters bearing on the subject 

 from these men and others have been 

 received by The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist for the benefit of its readers. 



NORTHERN DISTRICTS 



The following list is submitted by 

 Mr. J. G. Mitchell, of the Georgian Bay 

 station; "After an extensive trial of 

 190 varieties of all kinds of plums, I find 

 that there is nothing new that, for profit 

 and general use, can displace many of 

 the well-tried old kinds. The following 

 cover the season: Red June, Washing 

 ton, Bradshaw, Lombard, Quackenboss 

 or Glass as it is often called. Arch Duke, 

 Yellow Egg, Coe's Golden Drop, Reine 

 Claude and Prune de Agen. German 

 Prune also is a good plum, but rather a 

 poor bearer. Japan plums I condemn on 

 account of their poor quality. In cher- 

 ries, all leading varieties succeed admir- 

 ably; still, one year with another, 

 Montmorency and Early Richmond will 

 make most money. 



"In apples for profit, cut the list very 

 short: For fall, Gravenstcin, a few 

 Wealthy, Blenheim and Ribston; for 

 winter. Spy, King, Baldwin and Mann. 

 Plant all varieties from .3 to 10 feet 

 farther apart than the usual distance 

 for said varieties. 



"Cultivate thoroughly; prune sys- 

 tematically; give abundant fertility. 

 If these simple instruction^5 are carried 

 out, the result cannot help but be satis- 

 factory. Acre for acre, for labor and 

 money invested, the orchard will be three 

 or four times more profitable than any 

 other part of the farm." 



Yo\i SHoialcl HaVe It 



The Canadian Horticultur- 

 ist is a publication which is wor- 

 thy even a larger circulation than 

 the very wide circle it now reaches. 

 For some time it has been under- 

 going improvements, till now it 

 can take rank with any monthly 

 illustrated publication as to make- 

 up and quality of paper and press 

 work, while it stands alone in 

 the special field to which it is de- 

 voted. Every lover of fruit or 

 plant life will find it not only in- 

 teresting, but helpful, for it is 

 filled each month with timely 

 articles by the best authorities 

 on each subject, and it very prop- 

 erly is recognized as the official 

 spokesman and intelligence de- 

 partment for the horticultural 

 interests of this and adjoining 

 provinces. We can heartily com- 

 mend The Horticulturist to 

 everyone at all interested in that 

 subject. — Goderich Star. 



the ESSEX peninsula 

 For the Essex peninsula, Mr. J. L. 

 Hilborn, of Leamington, writes as fol- 

 lows: "The peach is the principal fruit 

 grown here. It would be a very suc- 

 cessful and satisfactory crop to grow 

 were it not for the fact that our soil is 

 very dry and that we get very little 

 snow, so that peach trees are liable to 

 severe freezing of the root, causing 

 a serious loss when we get a severe 

 winter. The varieties that have done 

 best are as follows: Dewey, Brigden, 

 Engol Mammoth, New Prolific, Kala- 

 mazoo, Crosbv. Banner, Golden Drop, 

 Lemon Tree, Elbcrta, Smock. 



"Grapes are grown to a small extent, 



but should be more extensively planted. 

 There is a splendid opportunity for 

 grape growing, if properly undertaken, 

 in this district. All the leading var- 

 ieties succeed ; . but, as we are a week to 

 10 days earlier than other parts of the 

 province, would recommend planting 

 early varieties such as Moore's Early and 

 Campbell's Early. 



"Plums are but little grown. Some 

 of the Japan varieties, however, do 

 well; of those tested, I prefer Burbank 

 and Satsuma. 



"What is most needed in this country, 

 so far as fruit growing is concerned, is 

 live experiments to determine how best 

 to successfully winter the roots of trees 

 and vines in seasons of severe freezing 

 and no snow." 



THE NIAGARA DISTRICT 



For the Niagara District Mr. Linus 

 Woolverton, of Maplehurst, Grimsby, 

 writes: "The peach is the most profit- 

 able fruit to grow in the Niagara district. 

 Many persons who have large bearing 

 apple trees of the very finest variety are 

 taking them out to use the ground for 

 peaches. In some cases as much as 

 $200 has been taken for the peaches 

 grown on a single acre; so it is not 

 surprising that such land is held at 

 $1,000 an acre. A large number of 

 varieties are being grown for profit, but 

 the following list has been satisfactory 

 with the writer: Sneed, Alexander, 

 Greensboro, St. John, Early Crawford, 

 New Prolific, Champion, Elberta, Willet 

 and Smock. 



"The next fruit in importance is the 

 pear. Uf late, however, since bananas 

 have flooded our summer market, the 

 price of pears in Ontario has lowered at 

 least one-half. Still by shipping to the 

 Northwest and to Great Britain, good 

 profit may be made in pear growing. 

 The following list is excellent : Chawbon, 

 Wilder, Gifford, Clapp, Bartlett, Hardy, 

 Box, Howell, Louise, Duchess, Pitmaster, 

 Clairgeau, Anjou and Easter Beurre. 



"In cherries, some varieties are being 

 grown on quite a large scale, especially 

 Montmorency and English Morello. 

 The former is in large demand for put- 

 ting up at the factories, as well as in 

 private families; the latter is later, 

 when cherries are well out of the market. 

 The following is a good list of cherries 



