186 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



August, 1907 



A.pple Gro-wing in Manitoba 



j\. p. Stevenson, Nelson, Manitoba 



APPLE trees of sufficient hardiness 

 to withstand the dry, cold winter 

 of Manitoba are difficult to obtain. 

 Thousands of dollars are spent annually 

 on fruit trees that are worthless; they 

 not only increase the size of the brush 

 pile the season following, but they make 

 our growers discoviraged. My first trees 

 were planted in Manitoba in 1874. Since 

 then ■ I have been experimenting, and 

 now reahze that a man must pass 

 through great tribulation and possess 

 tireless energy and perseverance in order 

 to be a successful experimenter here. 



One of the first essentials to success in 

 the growing of apples on the prairies is a 

 good shelter belt. This is comparatively 

 easv to obtain since to the Dominion 

 Government's cooperative tree-planting 

 scheme, which in recent years has done 

 much for the prairie settler in furnish- 

 ing him with planting material, and ex- 

 pert advice as to its management free 

 of charge. Sixteen years ago a large 

 consignment, consisting of 500 trees of 

 eighty varieties of so-called hardy Rus- 

 sian apple trees, were planted. At the 

 end of the first vear only twenty varie- 

 ties were alive. These consisted of one 

 or two specimens each of varieties of 

 which thirty trees had at first been 

 planted. From these individual hardy 

 specimens our present orchard has been 

 largely grown. 



The question is often asked : How do 

 our apples compare in size and quality 

 with those grown in Ontario or farther 

 east? Our summer and fall apples are 

 equal in size and quality to the eastern 

 product; our winter varieties, while 

 :qual in size and color, are not equal in 

 quality to .Spy, Greening, Baldwin and 

 others for dessert use, but are excellent 

 for culinary purposes. The trees are 

 grown on high latitude principles; that 

 is, headed low, or grown in bush form. 

 The apples are much more easily picked 

 from trees grown in this way. 



One of the chief troubles is sun scald 

 in March. This is a drawback on 

 southern exposures. In order to reduce 

 the danger from this trouble the trunks 

 of the trees are wrapped from the ground 

 to the limbs with old sacking. Canker 

 is the next worst enemy ("cancer" 

 would be a better name for it). It 

 gradually works its way round the hmb, 

 finally killing it. Cutting it out to the 

 sound bark and then painting the wound 

 sometimes removes the trouble. 



We have had Httle trouble so far with 

 insects of any kind. Our trees have 

 never been sprayed, but I have no doubt 

 this will require to be done in the near 

 future. Thorough cultivation is prac- 

 tised all summer. The land is heavy 

 clay loam and perfectly level. On the 

 north, the orchard is protected by heavy 



woods, and on the south by a few rows 

 of Scotch pine. It is composed of 500 

 trees. A considerable number are young 

 trees. Two barrels from one tree was 

 our largest yield. A good crop was 

 harvested last year, and the apples sold 

 readily at four dollars a barrel. There 

 are several voung orchards coming into 

 bearing in this vicinity. The day will 

 come when we will be able to grow 

 enough apples to supply Manitoba. 



Cover Crops at GuelpK 



A few' notes on some of the most 

 satisfactory cover crops tested in the 

 orchard at the Ontario Agricultural Col- 



A Scene in British Columbia 



lege, Guelph, were prepared for The 

 HoRTicui,TURiST by H. S. Peart, B.S.A., 

 of the Horticultural Department. Hairy 

 vetch has given excellent results as a 

 ground cover and, with the exception of 

 the past two winters, has always come out 

 fresh and green in the spring. It should 

 be sown at the rate of thirty to thirty- 

 five pounds an acre if a good cover is de- 

 sired. Light sowing has given very in- 

 different results. The high price of 

 seed is a slight drawback, but as the 

 demand increases, no doubt the seed 

 mav be secured somewhat more cheaply. 

 Among the clovers, red and mammoth 

 are about equal in value. Both are 

 perfectly hardy and form a heavy mat 

 of herbage when sown at the rate of 

 twenty pounds an acre about the middle 

 July. Crimson clover makes good au- 

 tumn cover, but does not winter well, 

 except in the southern sections of the 

 province. Where crimson clover does 

 not kill out during the winter, it is one 

 of the most satisfactory crops that can 

 be grown. As the seed is larger than 

 that of red clover, more must be sown. 



Alfalfa is one of the most satisfactory 

 crops we have tried. It makes an 

 abundance of top in the autumn, is 

 perfectly hardy on well-drained soils, 

 and has the desirable characteristic of 

 beginning growth early in the spring. 

 From twenty to thirty pounds an acre 

 will be required for best results. 



Winter rye, the old time favorite for 

 an orchard cover, is undoubtedly the 

 best non-leguminous crop. It may be 

 grown on soils that will grow an indiffer- 

 ent crop of clover, and after one or two 

 crops of rye have been plowed under, 

 clover may be successfully raised. From 

 one to one and one-half bushels of seed 

 an acre will give a heavy crop of foliage 

 to turn under in the spring. 



Rape, although largely grown, has 

 many disadvantages. It does not stand 

 the hardships of winter, and as a con- 

 sequence is not so desirable as rye or 

 clover. The tall, heavy tops hold the 

 rains and dew till nearly night, making 

 picking rather unpleasant. Where the 

 fruit is harvested early, a crop of rape 

 will give a great amount of green man- 

 ure to plow under in the fall, and if left 

 until spring the stalks will hold a con- 

 siderable amount of snow. Six to eight 

 pounds of seed sown broadcast or two 

 to three pounds sown in drills is suffi- 

 cient for a good stand. 



Grass peas. Soy beans, and turnips 

 all have a place among orchard crops, 

 but are not so valuable as the others 

 mentioned. It is usually advisable to 

 follow a rotation. By sowing a part of 

 the orchard with each of three or four 

 crops their individual value for local 

 conditions can be accurately ascertained. 



Frviits for Ne-w Ontario 

 Chas. Young, St. Joseph Island 



For success and profit, with quaUtv as 

 a second consideration, I would recom- 

 mend the following varieties for planting 

 in new Ontario: Apples, summer, Yel- 

 low Transparent,' Duchess, Red Astra- 

 chan, Charlamoff; fall, Alexander, St. 

 Lawrence; winter. Wolf River, Wealthy, 

 Scott's Winter. Pears cannot be grown 

 successfully and are poor in quality here. 

 Cherries — Richraonds, Montmorency, 

 English Morrello. Plums — Glass Seed- 

 ling, Lombard, Moore's Arctic. Japan 

 plums are somewhat hardier but the 

 quality is poor. 



Most varieties of strawberries will do 

 well, particularh^ Clyde, Haverland and 

 Glen Mary. The same may be said of 

 currants, among which Saunders, black ; 

 Versailles, red, and W^hite Grape are the 

 best. In gooseberries. Pearl, Downing. 

 Red Jacket and among the English sorts 

 Crown Bob, Whitesmith and Industry, 

 The best red raspberries are Loudon, 

 Marlboro and Cuthbert. Blackcaps are' 

 not a success nor are thcv saleable. We 

 are too far north for blackberries, but 

 Eldorado does fairlv well. 



