52 THE CANADIAN HOM'ICULTURTST. 



little dessert apple. There are about a dozen trees of it in the orchard 

 of the Hon. E. Pnid'homme, at Coteau, St. Pierre. They have been 

 planted some seven or eight years, but some of them are twenty years 

 old. It has proved profitable, but is not among the five best kinds for 

 profit. Its chief merit is as a dessert apple, for which pui-pose it 

 eomes in just before the middle of September." Of the Pomme de Per, 

 the Committee say that it is not likely to be planted in future except 

 in limited quantities for home use. They say of the Strawberry of 

 Montreal that they know nothing of its origin, the oldest tree known 

 to them is a grafted tree, planted by the late Charles Bowman, at For- 

 den, Cote St. " Luke, about the year 1835, Of late years, Messrs- 

 Lacombe, Bigarreau, and Des^marchais,. of Cote des JSTeiges, have propa- 

 gated it largely. On the whole, they think it deserves more extensive 

 cultivation as a hardy tree, whose fruit, ripening at tlie same time as 

 the Duchess of Oldenburg, is yet superior to- it in quality, and comiiiands 

 a ready sale in the market. The Committee say of Decarie, that 

 amateurs should grow this handsome fruit; but though it is hardy, 

 saleable, and a heavy bearer, yet commercial orchardists name five other 

 apples to be preferred before it. They do not mention the Mountain 

 Beet, which is a singular fact, in-as-much as one of the members 

 resides at Abbotsford,, where Dr. Hoskins says it is planted for profit. 

 The varieties which this Committee name as the best for profit in 

 that section of the country are; first the Pameuse, which holds the first 

 place without a rival, especially on account of its adaptibility to various 

 soils, and being their heaviest cropper, selling at $5 per barrel; second^ 

 the St. Lawrence,, which brings, in the city market, thirty per cent, more 

 than the Pameuse, in this way compensating for its smaller crop, which 

 is from one-half to three-fourths that of the Pameuse; third,, the Alex- 

 ander, which bears about two-thirds as much as the Pameuse, and sells 

 for $5 per barrel; fourth,., the Eed Astracan, which sells at $2 per 

 bushel; and fifth, the Duchess of Oldenburg, which bears very nearly 

 as well as the Pameuse, and sells in the city at from $L50 to $2 per 

 bushel. 



SOME OP THE EAELY PLOWERUSTG SHRUBS. 



When the Winter is past, and the snow wreaths are gone, and 

 the soft south wind comes in the place of him of the icy breath; 



