118 



CA^'ADIA^^ HORTICULTURIST. 



Fruit in Manitoba. 



SiK,— I have set out a variety of small fruits, 

 strawberries, gooseberries, currants and grapes, 

 all of which I think will succeed well with us 

 here, and have also been experimenting with 

 hardy apiiles, having now over one hundred 

 apple-trees, two and three years old, all of 

 which have stood the winter well, so far, 

 but the alternate freezing and thawing in the 

 spring being the crucial test, I am unaljle to 

 say what the result will be. 



Our greatest difficulty here is to get thorough- 

 ly reliable hardy trees, as many of the farmers 

 and fruit fanciers who have attempted apple 

 growing in the past, have been badly victi- 

 mized by tree agents. Nearly all the old settlers 

 here have spent a good deal of money in buying 

 trees, but none have succeeded, either from 

 above cause or through improper handling. To 

 the nurserymen who can supply an apple-tree 

 sufficiently hardy to stand the climate of the 

 North-West, a fortune is waiting, and I firmly 

 believe that of the number who are experiment- 

 ing on this line, some one is bound to succeed. 

 I may also say that all of my small fruits are 

 laid down in the fall and covered, whilst the 

 aijple-trees are "mounded iip " with earth. I 

 will report to you in detail, the several varieties 

 should they come through the winter with any- 

 thing like success. 



Wishing both your society and its journal 

 the success they merit. I remain, etc. , 



J. C. Waugh. 



MoKDEN, Man., Feb. 19, ISSS. 



News from Mp. Berekmans. 



My Dear Sh!,— I have been in the high pine 

 lands of Southern Florida since beginning of 

 February, with the hope of securing relief from 

 bronchial trouble of some tenacity, and this I 

 am now assured of, if one is to be the judge of 

 his physical feelings . A day or two since, the 

 mail brought me the March number of the 

 Canadian Horticulturist containing your 

 very kind notice of myself. You are very good 

 to your friends, and 1 thank you sincerely for 

 this courteous compliment. Our friends here 

 antici]iate with pleasure to welcome the Ameri- 

 can PiuiKildoical Society in February next, and 

 you will find that the promise made at Boston 

 will be fulfilled to the letter. With best wishes, 

 I am, dear sir. 



Yours, respectfully, 



P. J. Berckmans. 



Villa City, Fla., March iilst, ISSS. 



Canadian vs. British Apples. 



AJcttcrfrom A. McD. Allan, Goderich. 

 Ed. Horticultuei.st,— Some weeks ago a 

 friend of the Fruit Growers' Association in 

 Brampton, sent to me a clipping from The 

 Scotsman, of Edinburgh, Scotland, in which 

 the editor of that journal severely criticised 

 our apples. He claimed that they were raj.idly 

 failing in size, color and flavor, etc., and advo- 



cated tile extensive jilanting of orchards in 

 Britain, claiming that with proper attention 

 and care growers in Britain w-ould in a few 

 years be able not only to grow enough for the 

 home markets, but an ()ver]>lus for snipping to 

 "New York .-ni.! .M..,,tival " ! 



I replied fully cliicct to the ^S'coi.wfnn, and it 

 seems my letter lias .-ipiiPared, as I have re- 

 ceived by the last mail a letter referring to the 

 subject which I give in full as follows, thinking 

 that it may be nf interest to our gi'owers here. 

 "To Alex. McD. Allan. 



"President F.G. A., Goderich, Canada. 



" Dear Sir, — I have read your letter to the 

 Scotsman of date 13th ult. 1 did not see the 

 article you refer to, but I can't understand how 

 the writer could ever come to such a conclusion 

 that there was any hope of the home-grown 

 apples ever supplanting Canadians here. The 

 idea seems to me to be too absurd to be treated 

 seriously. I have been over twenty-five years 

 in the fruit trade and I dare say I can be sup- 

 ported in what I say by the entire trade, that 

 Canadian apples hold the market and will 

 continue to do so, so long as we get your fruit 

 properly and conscientiously packed. 

 "Yours, etc., 



" Wm. Carmichael." 



" Leith, March 5th, ISSS. 



Experience with New Varieties. 



Sir, — If my experience in some new varieties 

 of fruits in these parts is of any interest to you 

 here it is. — Of some twelve varieties of grapes 

 the ElDorado is the first choice in my family 

 for eating. The Russian Apricot has stood the 

 two past winters unprotected and unhanned ; 

 not yet fruited. The Kelsay Japan Plum 

 dead, root and branch the first winter, 1886-7. 

 The Ogden Japan Plum, about two-thirds 

 killed, sprouted up very thrifty the past sum- 

 mer, but I think all killed this winter, 1887-8. 

 The Dwarf English Walnut and the Spanish 

 Chestnut, has stood the two past winters un- 

 harmed. The Early Harvest Blackberry dead, 

 root and all, the first winter. The Agawam 

 growing and fruiting nicely. The Golden 

 Queen Rasjjberry about as hardy and jjroduc- 

 tive as the Cuthbert, but not quite as strong a 

 grower. The Shaffer is a very strong grower, 

 hardy and productive. H. McKee. 



Norwich, Ont. 



A Correetion. 



Sir,— I notice in my remarks on your paper 

 in your last issue an error exists, whether on 

 my part or yours I am not sure ; but it looks a 

 little awkward where I say, or should have said, 

 and certainly intended to say Floriculture is 

 my branch, " it reads, "Horticulture is my 

 branch." You will see the import of my state- 

 ment. N. Robertson. 



Ottawa. 



