262 



THE CANADIAN HOETICULTURIST. 



L. auratum, L. tigrimim and varieties. 

 L. thiinbei-gianum, L. candidum, L. 

 kramerii, L, chcdcedonicum, L. tenui- 

 folium, and the many varieties of L. 

 sjKciosum. 



During winter the bed should have 

 a good mulching of manure or leaves, 

 the rough pai-t of which should only be 

 removed in the spring, the rest being- 

 left to serve as a mulch during sum- 

 mer. — M. Milton, in Country Gentle- 

 man. 



THE SHAFFER RASPBERRY. 



This raspberry was a chance seedling 

 \\hich sprang \ip in a garden twelve 

 miles from Rochester, N.Y., among red 

 and black raspberries. It has been 

 thought by many that it was a hybrid, 

 but no one has claimed this for a cer- 

 tainty. 



The fruit will remain on the bushes 

 a long time after they appear to be ripe, 

 and will continue to improve in quality, 

 until they drop off on the ground. 

 Those who have not eaten Shaffei\s with 

 cream, after reaching the last stages of 

 ripening, have never tasted Shaffers in 

 their best state. In this condition, 

 however, their color has become very 

 dark, and they are exceedingly soft. 

 Therefore, for market purposes, they are 

 picked while the color is bright and 

 before they are entirely ripe. It thrives 

 on sand or clay eqvially well, and it is 

 not absolutely necessary to have rich 

 soil. It bears enormous crops here on 

 thin land. I do not understand why 

 the Shaffer should prove as hardy as it 

 does in the severe sections of the West. 

 When it was first inti-oduced,my fi-iends 

 in Northern Iowa asked if I could re- 

 commend it for that locality, and I told 

 them I could not. I did not think 

 that it would be hardy enough. But 

 to my surprise it succeeds there, and 

 gives the best satisfaction. Correspon- 

 dents have written recently that it has 



passed through the Winter safely wit 

 the thermometer 40 degrees below zen 

 This raspberry is attracting the ai 

 tention of canning houses. The pr( 

 prietor of one of our largest at Roches 

 ter, says he thinks it is one of the ver 

 best for that purpose. Canning house 

 desire a fruit possessing marked charac 

 ter. A sweet, mild, berry would b 

 about worthless for canning. One suii 

 able for that purpose should have 

 pronounced raspberry flavor, and posses 

 great acidity. The popularity of th 

 Wilson Strawberry as a canning frui 

 is largely owing to the acid it contains 

 Nothing but a sour berry will d( 

 Sweet berries that are much better fo 

 table use fresh, are not valued by car 

 ning houses. The Shaffer Raspberr 

 has a faculty of long endurance. Th 

 parent plant remained in full bearin 

 for fifteen years, and I presume is i 

 good condition yet. Its roots are fa: 

 reaching, and remarkably vigorou 

 The defect of color in the Shaffer cam 

 vei-y near consigning it to oblivioi 

 On account of its purplish color, 

 hesitated long before introducinsf i 

 It is an evidence of its valuable charai 

 teristics, that it has become popular i 

 spite of its uninviting color. — Charle 

 A. Green, in Rural New Yorker. 



ANOTHER LARGEST AND BEST 

 STRAWBERRY. 



Mr. R. Johnston is introducing 

 strawberry which he has named Ontari( 

 in honor of our magnificent Provinc 

 we presume, which he describes in 

 recent number of Fruit Notes to be th 

 strongest plant of any variety he ha 

 ever grown, free from burning in th 

 sun, and from all disease whatever an 

 producing the largest berries he ha 

 ever gathered in his long expei'ience c 

 five and twenty years. In form he say 

 they somewhat resemble Cumberlan 

 Triumph, but are much bi-ighter i: 

 color, that visitors pronounce it the bes 



