SOIL CULTURE, CEREALS AND FRUITS. 25 



By Mr. Douglas : 



Q. Have any of these been grown in Manitoba? 



A. There are some of them growing there at the Brandon Experimental Farm, 

 but they are not old enough to fruit yet. 



The fact of the introduction of foreign blood into this wild species ofPyrus may 

 make it a little less hardy than the original, but the fact that we have already tested, 

 at Brandon and Indian Head, some of these varieties for one or two winters, points 

 to the probability of their proving quite hardy. 



CROSS-BRED FRUITS — VARIETIES AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



The work of cross-fertilization has been going on for five or six years, and there 

 are uow altogether nearly five hundred of these cross-bred fruits, each one a distinct 

 variety. Last year 36 of these fruited, and out of these 36 five have shown points 

 of special promise, and these will be propagated and tested in the northern parts of 

 Algoma, in Ontario, throughout Manitoba and in different parts of the North-west 

 Territories to the Bocky Mountains. These trees for trial will be placed in the 

 hands of individuals who take a great interest in this subject, and we shall thus 

 very soon find out how far they will be adapted to all the different climatic condi- 

 tions which obtain in the districts referred to. 



I will now call your attention to special characteristics of these several new 

 varieties. 



The variety Charles is a cross of the Tetofsky on the Pyrus baccata or 

 Siberian crab. The tree is a very vigorous and upright grower, with large leathery 

 leaves of considerable substance, and it branches quite close to the ground. The 

 blossoms are deep pink in bud, a pinkish white when open, large, with wide petals. 

 The fruit sets well on the tree, and when ripe the size was 1 T 9 F inches broad and 

 ljL inches deep. It is very distinctly ribbed, and the colour is a uniform yellow, 

 very attractive, flesh yellow, solid, crisp, juicy, very mildly acid and very slightly 

 astringent, flavour pleasant, skin rather thin, bakes well, makes very good apple 

 sauce, and when compared with the Transcendent crab the size was practically the 

 same, the acidity and astringency a little less. S'em long, calyx persistent. 



The Novelty is a cross of the Wealthy on Pyrus baccata. The tree is fairly 

 upright and a vigorous grower with good foliage. On this tree there were only a 

 few bunches of bloom. These, however, set well. The fruit was ripe September 

 19 ; size one and a half inches across and one and a quarter inches deep, smooth, 

 colour deep red, flesh a pale yellowish pink, firm, crisp and juicy, sub-acid and of 

 fair quality. Stem long, calyx usually persistent, bakes well, quality very fair. 

 This is the largest and best of the Wealthy crosses that have yet fruited. 



The next one is the Aurora, a cross of the Tetofsky on the Siberian crab {Pyrus 

 baccata). The tree is a vigorous grower upright in habit, leaves large, thick and 

 leatherly. It blossoms freely and the fruit sets well, ripe September il; size l T v 

 inches across, 1-^ inches deep, colour bright red, almost all over, very pretty, flesh 

 <5risp, juicy, acid and of fair flavour, astringency very slight. When baked the fruit 

 is acid but of good flavour. Stem long, calyx persistent. 



The Progress is a cross of Wealthy on the Pyrus baccata. The tree is a vigo- 

 rous grower and fairly upright in habit. It blossomed freely, and the fruit set well. 

 The fruit was ripe September 14; size 1 T \ inches across ly\ deep. Colour deep red 

 with some yellow and wilh a dark red cheek. Flesh very firm, crisp, sub-acid, 

 juicy, astringency scarcely perceptible, of fair flavour. Stem long, calyx persistent. 



Prairie Gem is a crosss of Tetofsky on Pyrus baccata. This tree is a mode- 

 rately vigorous grower and rather spreading in habit. It blossomed freely and was 

 heavily laden with fruit from top to bottom. The fruit was ripe August 30. Size 

 1 inch across and 1 inch deep, colour brilliant yellow and crimson, flesh crisp, juicy, 

 acid, flavour good, almost free from astringency excellent for jelly, deficient in size 

 but promising for its earliness, its good quality and profuse bearing habit. 



