170 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST, 



I am glad to find that the Directors have decided to distribute among 

 the members a grape vine. My garden being of very limited dimensions, 

 I have to make the most of it. I should therefore prefer a vine for 1882, 

 and if allowed a choice, would like to try a plant of the Niagara grape, or 

 failing that, one of the Prentiss. The Canadian Horticulturist has 

 been a source of profit and pleasure to me, and I sincerely hope the 

 Directors will continue its publication. As regards the trees, &c., received 

 from the Association, I have to report that Glass' Seedling Plum bore a 

 sprinkling of nice, handsome fruit, after the style of the Orleans, but darker 

 in color. My crop of fruit was very much lessened by the loss of nearly 

 all the fruit buds, pecked out by the sparrows in the early part of the year. 

 I hope to circumvent master impudence next season, by coating the buds 

 with a composition distasteful to the birds, whilst beneficial to the tree. 

 I cannot say mucli for the Diadem raspberry. It is very hardy and vigor- 

 ous, but the fruit on my soil (stiflf clay) is small and ill shaped ; quite the 

 reverse to the strawberry Arnold's Pride, No. 23. I can speak in the 

 .highest terms of this berry, which I find very productive, vigorous, of good 

 flavor and perfectly hardy, many of the plants having been left uncovered 

 during the last winter and came out in the spring uninjured. The Burnet 

 grape produced a crop of between thirty and forty bunches of very nice 

 fruit. I find the vine quite hai-dy, remaining uncovered during the winter. 

 I nearly lost this vine when first received from the nurseries. For over a 

 tnonLh.it made no progress, and was evidently dying. Fancying something 

 was wrong at the roots I dug it up and carefully washed the roots in 

 Warm soap-suds, then replanted, and daily sponged the stem, &c., until I 

 had the pleasure of seeing my trouble rewarded by its breaking into bud 

 from just beneath the soil. Since then it has made shoots twelve feet 

 long, well set with fine prominent fruit buds. I had a similar trouble with 

 the Ontario apple tree, which when received appeared dried up almost to 

 a stick. I placed it in a barrel of rain water for a day, then after taking 

 off two scions, (both of which I grafted and they grew,) I planted, and every 

 evening washed the stem and branches with sun-wal^med water. It grew 

 and is now a promising tree, with several well-developed fruit spurs. So 

 you see, Mr. Editor, that with a little care and trouble I had the satis- 

 faction of saving both plants. Whei-eas, had I treated them as most of my 

 neighbors do, by simply digging a hole and thrusting in the roots, and then 

 leaving them to take care of themselves, I should very likely have lost 

 both. — Wm. J. Mansell. 



The strawberry plants were all killed ofi" the first winter. The rasp- 

 beri'ies have done very well, the fruit being firm and pleasant, and the canes 

 ))erfectly hardy, standing all winter without any protection. The Ontario 

 apple pi'omises to make a fine tree. I am cutting the head well back, 

 keeping it low, as it is planted on a high piece of ground, and is exposed to 

 €very wind that blows. I leave the Burnet grape vine to the last, and will 

 try to give it its just due. I consider it one of the best out-door grapes 

 yet introduced. It is perfectly hardy, as it is left tied upon the ti-ellis all 

 winter without any protection. It is a strong, vigorous gi^ower, giving as 

 much labor to keep it pinched back as Rogers No. 15, which is planted 



