THE CANADIAN IIOllTICULTURIST. 77 



the raising of bees, or wonld it not be to their interest to enter on a bee- 

 crusade? Give us your opiiiioB on the matter, Mr. Editor. I agree with 

 one of your correspondents, who states that the Provincial in giving prizes 

 for fruit should make some discrimination between cold and warm climates^ 

 for it is not fair that fruit gi'own under uufiivorable circumstances in a 

 northern latitude should be required to compete on equal terms with that 

 grown in a southern climate. The English spai'row destroys fruit buds 

 when the ground is covered with snow and it has no other food, the opinion 

 of Mr. S. Hunter, of Scotland, Ont., to the contrary notwithstanding. 



COERESPONDENCE. 



APPLE TREES ROOTING IN SUBSOIL, — BURNET GRAPE, &C. 



I notice Mr. J. A. McKay's suggestion to put flat stones under appl& 

 trees when planting. This might prevent the roots getting into the clay 

 for a few yeai-s, but it no doubt grows over the stones into the clay aftei- 

 wards. My trees have not suffered yet from the clay soil, and I don't think 

 it will do them any harm. The Burnet Grape has not fruited this year ; 

 1 don't think it will succeed here. I planted in the same ground last year 

 two Hartford Prolific, two Agawam, two Salem, two Beaconsfield, five 

 Concord, nine Champion, all two year old vines, and I find this year the 

 Agawam and one Beaconsfield dead ; the other Beaconsfield has done well, 

 and looks very like the Champion. The Salem and Concord have not 

 fruited yet, but the Champion gi'ew vigorously — one had twenty bunches 

 on it, but I only allowed six to ripen, the weight of which were three 

 ounces each. They were ripe 27th August, and seem to be best suited for 

 this district for hardiness, fruitfulness and early ripening. The Saunders 

 Kaspberry was accidentally cut when a foot high, and is not likely to 

 succeed. I have tried several kinds of raspberries, but cannot grew them 

 either on sandy or clay soil ; the new shoot always dies away. There are 

 plenty of wild ones growing on the sides of banks and creeks, so I suppose 

 they require shelter. I have about 1 200 Houghton Seedling Gooseberries, 

 four years old, planted on clay loam five feet apart, and am .surprised to find 

 a good deal of the fruit mildews, although I have seen it often stated that 

 this variety never mildews. 



' J. W. Gumming, St. Hilaire, P. Q. 



REPORT ON PLANTS RECEIVED. 



The Swayzie and Ontario apples have done well, as also have the Clapp's 

 Favorite pear and the Diadem raspberry. Saunders done rather better, 

 but I have seen no fruit yet on any apple, pear or raspberry. The Burnet 

 grape vine is growing, and set a few bunches of fruit last year, but it all 

 dropped off without ripening ; if it does the same the coming season I will 

 consider it unsuitable for this section. 



Alexander Lawrence, jDrumellie, Port Elgin P.O. 



