THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



227 



^ampks of Jjruit$. 



GRAPES. 



Clinton. — Sir, — I send bj' to-day's mail a 

 sample of grapes grown by myself in this 

 district. They were bought for Clinton. 

 Would you please tell me if they are true to 

 name, and your opinion of their quality. 

 Yours truly, 



PHILIP JAMES. 

 Glen Orchard, Muskoka, Aug. 25, 1887. 



The bunch of grapes you send is cor- 

 rectly named, and is well coloured, 

 considering the date of gathering. 

 Though it colours in September it im- 

 proves in quality if allowed to hang 

 until frost. At best, however, it is 

 vei-y poor in quality when considered 

 as a table grape, and its small size and 

 tough pulp make it still less desirable. 

 But as a wine gi'ape it is highly valued 

 because of its brisk vinous flavor, and 

 its great productiveness. It is also 

 very hardy and in this respect well 

 suited to your section. Botanically 

 speaking the Clinton is a hybrid 

 between the Riparian or Riverside 

 group of American grapes, and the 

 Labruscan or wooly leaved group, such 

 as Concord, Ives &C. 



Wyoming Red and Lady. — On the 

 the tii-st of September, Mr. Ambrose 

 Pettit, Grimsby, sent us in some beauti- 

 ful samples of these grapes which he 

 was just shipping. The bunches of 

 the former are large and close, the 

 berries much larger than the Delaware, 

 and covered with a very evident bloom, 

 but it is in quality inferior to the high 

 standard of that variety, and it has a 

 somewhat pulpy centre. 



PLUMS. 

 Berlin, 22nd August, 1887. 

 Dear Sir, — I have sent you to-day 

 per express a small box containing 

 samples of four varieties of plums 



grown from seeds on my gi'ounds, three 

 of which I think will bear favorable 

 comparison with any of foreign impor- 

 tation. All the trees ai-e perfectly 

 healthy, and have as yet not exhibited 

 the least tendency to the black-knot 

 plague. One of the varieties is about 

 the size of a damson, thus showing the 

 tendency to run back to original condi- 

 tions. No. 3 has the same flavor of 

 the McLaughlan but not the shape, and 

 possibly may be a seedling of that 

 variety. I have another equal in 

 quality to the Bradshaw but larger ; 

 however it is not in fruit this season. 

 My object in sending you these samples 

 is merely to show you that we Cana- 

 dians can originate as good fruit as 

 foreigners can, and possessing degrees of 

 acclimatization more to be relied on, 

 and so ultimately we may de[jei d upon 

 our own energies. All we want is the 

 diff"usion of a little more knowledge on 

 the subject which we will eventually 

 acquire. 



I am, yoars truly, 



SIMON ROY. 



Note. — These seedlings of Mr. Roy's are 

 certainly valuable as indicating the possibili- 

 ties before us in Canada in the way of ob- 

 taining new and improved varieties of fruits 

 by careful experiments in growing seedlings 

 and in hybridizing with existing varieties. 

 Two of these seedlings are purple, one is 

 green and one yellow, and three of them 

 appear to be worthy of cultivation. 



Sir, — At the request of Mr. Wm. Cruse I 

 send you a small box of plums, the product 

 of a tree which sprang up spontaneously in 

 the garden. I'o you recognize the variety, 

 or if not would y(iu give it an appropriate 

 name? Yours, &c., 



THOS. GORDON. 



Owen Sound, 3rd Sept., 1887. 



These plums resemble the Imperial 

 Gage in appearance but the stem is 

 longer. If hardy and prolific the seed- 

 ling may be worthy of general cultiva- 

 tion and should be submitted to the 



