The Canadian Horticulturist. 



J55 



PETERBORO' FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



v|N invitation from the Peterboro' Fruit Growers' Association, 

 %\ '■ y v- J$ the writer was present at the annual meeting of that Society, 

 held in the City of Peterboro' on the 22nd of February. 

 Mr. E. B. Edwards, the former Secretary, was elected 

 President. In opening the meeting he stated that the 

 object, which in his opinion should be kept prominent by 

 " a local Association such as theirs, was to encourage farmers 

 \ ;';'!f iiw : I , W to devote their attention to the growing of fewer varieties of 

 i^'fi Iv/;/ ' apples, and those only the very best for export. In this 



>./ way they would be able to combine in their shipments and 



become known in the foreign markets for excellence in some 

 one line. His advice was, that farmers of that neighborhood 

 »~?S ■"' '|Fr -__ should plant five or ten acres of their land with one or two 

 • J~ varieties of first-class apples, and give them the very best 



cultivation ; and then, when the Peterboro' fruit growers 

 could produce a large stock of first-class apples, they would command notice in 

 the markets of the world, and perhaps bring buyers to their very doors. He 

 would like to see the Peterboro' brand known in the markets of the world as 

 indicative of high grade apples such as would command the top prices. 



Apple scab was ably treated of by Prof. John Craig, of the Central Experi- 

 mental Farm, Ottawa. He showed that it belonged to that class of fungi which 

 feeds on living matter, as distinguished from those kinds which live on dead 

 matter. It attacks both the fruit and foliage, weakening the vigor of the tree 

 and marring the appearance and size of the fruit. The spores of the scab live 

 through the winter on old wood and scales of the fruit buds. Some twigs of 

 the Fameuse, King, and other varieties, well known to be subject to scab, were 

 sent to him by Mr. Joseph Tweedle, of Stoney Creek, for microscopic examina- 

 tion ; and, although the spores were at first invisible, even with the microscope, 

 yet, after exposure to certain conditions favorable to their development, the 

 spores germinated and could be seen to be present in large numbers. He 

 advised the following treatment for scab : First, spraying with sulphate of 

 copper, 1 pound to 50 gallons of water, in the spring as near the time when the 

 spores are likely to germinate as possible. Afterwards, he would treat them 

 with Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, made as shown in the following table, 

 which also explains the probable cost : 



Water 100 gals. 



Paris green 8 ozs. 8 cents. 



Lime 8 lbs. 5 n 



Sulphate of copper 8 n 80 '11 



93 cents. 



