The Province of the Proposed Experimental Fruit Farm^ 



IN the course of my interviews with fruil 

 growers during tlie past few months I 

 have had occasion to seciu'e many expres- 

 sions of opinion on the matter of an experi- 

 mental fruit farm or horticultural college for 

 tlie Niagara district. Ninety per cent, of the 

 growers are anxious to see an experimental 

 farm established somewhere in the Niagara 

 peninsula and established soon. Opinions differ 

 as to the proper location; some think that the 

 industry is of sufficient importance to warrant 

 the establishing of a fully-equipped, combined 

 horticultural college and farm ; an infinitesimal 

 few express the other extreme and contend that 

 neither a college nor a farm is necessary as they 

 know it all now. A few brief notes on a few of 

 the many expressions of opinions that 1 have 

 recorded may indicate the feehng of growers in 

 general. 



' ' We require a fruit experiment station owned 

 and managed by the government," said Major 

 F. M. Carpenter, Fruitland, "and it should be 

 large enough to test varieties on an extensive 

 commercial scale. Varieties should be grown 

 in quantity so that the consuming public may 

 pronounce upon merits of variety from their 

 viewpoint. Among other things, an effort 

 should be made to produce better shipping 

 varieties of black grapes. Standard varieties, 

 like Concord and Worden, are thin skinned and 

 crack in the basket, and black Rogers are im- 

 productive. There is room for improvement 

 in grapes for long distance shipping." 



Mr. J. W. Smith, Winona; "We need an ex- 

 perimental fruit farm in the Niagara district, 

 and it should be located in a section extending 

 from the flat of the mountain to the lake, where 

 different types of soil can be secured. The 

 Dominion Government should bear part of the 

 expense. Experts should be employed to de- 

 vote their whole time and attention to the work. 

 We feel that the horticultural department at 

 the O.A.C., Guelph, is of little beneht to growers 

 in this district. For this reason a fully equipped 

 horticultural college might be established at a 

 later date in connection with the farm here." 



Mr. J. G. Nash, Stoney Creek; "An experi- 

 mental farm would be of immense value, par- 

 ticiUarly in the origination of new varieties. 

 Thorough investigation should be conducted 

 along the lines of winter protection for tender 

 frtiit trees. I believe that peach buds are often 

 killed long before most people think. They are 

 more often killed in late fall rather than during 

 warm spells in early spring, as is the general 

 opinion. Many varieties of peach buds do not 

 fully matiue in the fall, and the first hard frost 

 gets them. Experimental research would teach 

 us how to meet this difficulty." 



Mr. F. B. Harvey, Stoney Creek, offered the 

 suggestion that the work of a farm of this nature 

 should not include apples. Experimental work 

 with apples can be carried on at the fruit stations 

 in other parts of the province. By such an 

 arrangement more area, time and expense can 

 be given to the tender fruits that are adapted 

 only to this district. 



Mr. A. B. Foran, Winona: "The Department 

 of Agricultiu'e cannot do anything that will 

 meet with such approval amongst fruit growers 

 as the establishing of an experimental fruit 

 farm in the Niagara district. It would benefit 

 not only the grower, but the consumer as well. 

 Growers are annually sinking thousands of dol- 

 lars experimenting with varieties, most of which 

 are worthless. This work should be done by 

 the Government, and done in a fruit section 

 and by capable men. The experimental work 

 in fruits at Guelph is one of no value to Niagara 

 growers." 



Mr. W. W. Beamer, Beamsville, and others, 

 favor the establishing of a horticultural college 

 in connection with the farm. Horticultiu^l 



♦These interviews were secured by A. B. Cutting, 

 B.S.A.. while visiting the fruit growers in the Niagara 

 district in the interest of The Hortictji.turist during 

 J^uary and Febrtiary. Lack of space has prevented 

 their publication at an earlier date. 



education, both in practice and science, is neces- 

 sary to insure progress in fruit growing. We 

 should consider the probable requirements of 

 posterity. 



Mr. J. W. Brennan, Secretary Grimsby Horti- 

 cultural Society: "An experimental farm should 

 lest the value and action of all kinds of commer- 

 cial fertilizers on the various types of fruits and 

 fruit soils. Many growers annually spend a 

 lot of money on fertilizers, and oftentimes we 

 do not know whether it pays or not." 



Mr. E. L. Jemmett, Beamsville: "An experi- 

 mental farm in the Niagara district should be 

 located near good transiKirtation facilities for 

 two reasons; first, so that growers and others 

 may visit the farm and observe the operations 

 thereon with the least possible trouble and cost, 

 and second, so that it will be convenient for 

 investigation of transportation problems." 



Mr. Jas. H. Walker, Beamsville: "Among the 

 many problems for an experimental fruit farm 

 is the one of packing and packages. We need 

 more definite knowledge along these lines. An 

 experimental farm would be of great value to 

 new settlers in this district, particularly to those 

 who come here unacquainted with our condi- 

 tions and the practice of fruit growing. It 

 would attract the most desirable class of land 

 buyers, and thereby assist in building up our 

 country. The Guelph institution, from a fruit- 

 growing standpoint, is of little or no value to 

 growers in this district." 



Messrs. W. B. Rittenhouse, E. Hippie, J. H. 

 Rittenhouse, and others in Vineland, claimed 



that growers have to exjjeriment personally 

 with new varieties and new methods that should 

 first be thoroughly tested at the expense of the 

 Government. An experimental farm could test 

 the novelties offered by nurserymen, and thereby 

 save money to the individual grower. 



Mr. C. M. Honsberger, Jordan Station, ex- 

 President Niagara Peninsula Fruit Growers' 

 Association, said: "The fruit industry of the 

 Niagara district is of sufficient imiwrtance to 

 warrant the establishing of an exi»erimental 

 fruit farm on a large scale. We need new vari- 

 eties of fruits for shipiiing, particularly in - 

 peaches and grapes. We need new grapes of ' 

 the Rogers type, but self-fertile and tietter 

 bunches. We must have a farm of this nature 

 established as soon as possible. At Guelph it 

 seems that nothing is being done for the l)enefit 

 of fruit growers except indirectly; the Iiorticul 

 tural interests are neglected. We fruit growers 

 would like to know what they are doing at 

 Guelph in horticultural work. This year, as in 

 the past, circulars from tliat department were 

 sent out offering fruits for cooperative experi- 

 menting, but some of the varieties offered have 

 been worked with and experimented with for 

 50 years. It is only a waste of time to ex[)eri- 

 ment with Concord grapes and Greening apples: 

 these are standard and reliable varieties, and 

 already known by everybody. We want to 

 hear of something that we do not know; we want 

 something new; we want a horticultural depart- 

 ment established along up-to-date lines and 

 established in the Niagara peninsula." 



Planting and Pruning Currants 



A. "W. Peart. Burlington, Ont. 



CURRANTS thrive on a wide range of soils, 

 but have, however, a preference for a rich, 

 damp, but not wet one. For commercial 

 purposes as well as domestic, the following 

 varieties of red currants seem to fairly 

 well cover the season: Victoria, Wilder, Cherry, 

 Foy's Prolific, North Star, and Prince Albert. 

 The first four mentioned ripen from early to 

 medium; the North Star medium to late, and 

 the last one from late to very late. 



Unless the soil is thoroughly drained I prefer 

 spring to fall planting. Often on damp or low 

 soils the young plants, when set in the fall, are 

 heaved out by the alternate process of thawing 

 and freezing in April. It is more satisfactory 

 to plant in the spring as soon as the land is dry 

 enough to work — when there is life in the soil, 

 and its texture is granular. They should never 

 be puddled in as it stunts them. 



The plants should be set five or six feet apart 

 each way. A great deal of hard work is saved 

 by ploughing one way a deep furrow in which 

 to place them. They should, however, line each 

 way for cultivation purposes. Plant fairly 

 deep, pruning the young bush so that it will 

 grow into the bush, not the tree form. In 

 other words, a young currant bush should have 

 four or five stems springing from the roots, not 

 one. Should there be only one, and the borer 

 gets in, the entire plant is destroyed 



Growth is accelerated by cutting away the 

 bruised, torn portions of the root. The richest 

 soil should be placed directly on the young 

 roots, and the poorer at the surface. In filling 

 in the soil tramp it reasonably well, leaving a 

 depression of two or three inches around the 

 plant. Cultivation will gradually fill this in 

 and kill young weeds at the same time. The 

 top of the young plant should be cut back to 

 a few buds to balance the root. 



Pruning may be done any time after the crop 

 is harvested and before vegetation starts the 

 succeeding spring. Adult bushes should be 

 severely thinned; those stems approaching the 

 ground should be removed, and those making 

 an abnormal growth cut back to give the bush 

 symmetry. 



The bushes should be ploughed in the fall 

 for drainage purposes, and the cultivator started 

 in the spring as soon as the soil is dry. This 

 levels the ground, kills weeds and retains moist- 

 ure. Cultivate both ways and repeat the 

 process every two or three weeks until the crop 

 is ready to be harvested. 



Currants are heavy feeders and will quickly 

 respond to careful cultivation and Uberal man- 

 uring. Well-rotted stable manure supplies not 

 only the sort of food wanted, but also humus 

 as well, which is so desirable in most fruit 

 plantations. 



BLACK AND WHITE VARIETIES 



Black currants differ but Uttle from red in 

 the mode of handling. As a rule the bushes 

 grow larger and should be planted at least a 

 foot farther apart. The leading black varieties 

 for commercial purposes are: Saunders, Lee's 

 Prolific, Naples, Black Victoria, Collins Pro- 

 lific and Champion. In white currants the 

 Grape and Imperial take first place. 



GOOD TOOLS to culUvate the soil are as 

 necessary for a good crop as good seeds. Many 

 growers are using the same implements their 

 fathers used. To these men we would suggest 

 the use of Iron Age Tools as a means of in- 

 creasing the value of their crops. Messrs. J. 

 A. Simmers, of Toronto, Ont., will mail you a 

 Catalog containing full information regarding 

 these modem implements if you send them a 

 post card. 



NOW IS YOUR CHANCE— The Canadian- 

 Horticulturist will be sent to any address in 

 Canada or the United States for four months 

 for twenty-five cents. Send your name in at 

 once and tell your friends of this offer. 



I wish to be retained on your mailing Ust as 

 one who greatly prizes The Horticulturist. 

 I enclose the name of a new subscriber and will 

 try and send another in a day or so. — S. P. 

 Rowell, Montreal, Que. 



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