168 THE CANADIAN HORTlCtrLttrRlSt. 



FEUITS GEOWN IN THE OTTAWA VALLEY. 



BY P. E. BUCKE, OTTAWA. 



The Ottawa valley has never been celebrated for its production of 

 the large fruits. The ceaseless borer and the severity of the climat'8 

 are the chief enemies of the appla Of this noble fruit, the early sum- 

 mer varieties appear to be borne on the hardiest trees, and are 

 consequently those that are chiefly grown. Amongst these may be 

 mentioned the Red Astracan, the Duchess of Oldenburg, Talman Sweet, 

 Alexander, and the Fameuse, The Brockville Beauty is being intro-- 

 duced, and the Gatineau Belle, a fine showy apple, ripe end of September, 

 proves quite hardy, and though not of first quality is a great aquisition. 

 The St. Lawrence is also sparingly grown. All the Crabs are hardy, 

 but suffer more or less from blight and borers. Apples here as else- 

 where are injured considerably by the Codling Moth larvae. I regret 

 to say I can make no quotations in pears; a few Flemish Beauties 

 have been raised, but the trees are more ornamental than useful, and 

 do not live to "a good old age." Of plums, the most successful are the 

 Common Wild Eed, which have been a good deal improved by raising 

 seedlings after the Van Mons system. Sometimes a few Blue Plum trees 

 fruit, but these cannot be relied upon for a crop ; in fact none of the 

 finer varieties appear to yield very abundantly. Mr. Greenfield, a 

 great enthusiast and one of our members, has a seedling said to be 

 raised from the Magnum Bonum; it is a good sized red plum, and an 

 abundant bearer, so far it appears to be quite hardy, having been fruited 

 three years in succession ; it is quite a step in advance of the best red 

 seedlings from the wild sorts, and if in the hairds of some skillful 

 propagator, might be disseminated about the colder districts of the 

 Dominion with advantage ; it ripens about the 1 5th August. The black- 

 knot and curculio are unknown here. 



The small fruits, with the exception of the blackberry, are all raised 

 in quantities. The raspberries are all more or less tender when there 

 is a short snow fall, as there was last winter, and although the wild ones 

 are exceedingly plentiful, the cultivated ones sell readily at remunerative 

 prices notwithstanding. The Houghton and other improved native 

 gooseberries are being extensively grown, and also the strawberry. 

 Both these fruits are being largely imported, owing to the western and 

 more southern grown being earlier, and parties from a distance can 



