4io The Canadian Horticulturist. 



the type. It originated in northern Iowa, and was introduced by Ennis & Patten, 

 of Charles City, Iowa, in 1875. Its merits seem to have been unduly lauded 

 by dealers in nursery stock, who sold single trees as high as a do lar and a half. 

 A reaction took place when growers found that it was simply an improved 

 variety of the native plum, and we find this feeling recorded in the report of the 

 Iowa State Association for 1878, when the Weaver was stricken from the list 

 of recommended plums. 



At the last meeting of our Society, during the course of a discussion on 

 native plums, the fact was brought out that another variety has been introduced 

 under the same name, which has been grown and has borne fruit in the vicinity 

 of Grimsby. This variety ripens early in August, whereas the true Weaver is 

 one of the latest of the Prunus Americana family. Three trees of Weaver 

 planted at the Experimental Farm at Ottawa, in 1888, have borne heavy crops 

 the last four seasons. During '92 and '93 the crop has been so heavy as to 

 require thinning to prevent the branches from breaking down. Fruit large for a 

 native, oblong, somewhat, flattened. Skin yellow, partly covered with a mottling 

 of dark red, and overlaid with a purplish bloom, suture well marked, stone long, 

 narrow and flat, semi-cling, ripens at Ottawa about Sept. 20th. 



This variety is not equal in quality to De Soto, but is well worthy of culti- 

 vation where blue plums and members of that variety are not sufficiently hardy. 



Ottawa. J. Craig. 



Melons With Strawberries. — Jacob Smith, Lockport, Illinois, has a 

 novel method of caring for his strawberry plants during the first summer. 

 Thorough cultivation of the plants during the first season is practised by 

 successful fruit-growers generally. Keeping them free from weeds and the soil 

 loose requires frequent cultivation and is quite an expense for which, ordinarily, 

 the next year's crop of berries are the compensation. As an experiment several 

 years ago, Mr. Smith tried planting watermelon vines among the rows of one 

 plot of strawberries, cultivating an adjoining plot in the usual way. He found 

 that the plot with the melon vines did better than the other, both in this and 

 subsequent trials, and the melons paid for the cultivation of the plot. After 

 satisfying himself that watermelon vines did not injure the strawberries, or, as he 

 declares, helps by serving as a green mulch, he tried planting muskmelons among 

 them, and reports even better results from this practice, the vines making a 

 thicker covering and a better mulch. He has a nice field of strawberries 

 growing this season with a good crop of muskmelons among them, which are 

 doing well considering the dry weather. Small fruit-growers should remember 

 this plan and try it next season, for it is certainly a great waste not to grow 

 melons among the strawberries the first year, if it improves them and pays for 

 cultivation. — Orange Judd Farmer. 



