THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



285 



and other kinds. I have Souvenir de 

 Congress, that has borne four times as 

 much in the third of the time. The 

 Ontario and Grimes Golden are both 

 what I call good a])ples. We have 

 found Saunders' Raspherry much more 

 prolific than the Cuthbert, and other 

 famous kinds, and does not run all 

 over the garden like them. We do not 

 reckon the Gregg any improvement on 

 Mammoth Cluster, but the reverse, 

 AVe have not many kinds of straw- 

 berries, but the Arnold seems to me as 

 sood as the best we have, and iust as 

 good a cropper. The Fay is a good 

 currant, and the bushes do not break 

 down with storms like the Versailles. 

 Yours respectfully, 



David Nisbet. 



FRUITS AT THE NORTH. 



Brantford, Out., Nov. 3rd, 1SS7. 

 Sir, — I have lately returned from an 

 extended trip to the south shore of 

 Lake Superior, and I fouud the Du- 

 chess of Oldenburg thriving the best 

 of any apple in that region. I gath- 

 ered one from a tree grown by Mr. 

 Gattis, an old friend, as tine as I over 

 saw, at Eagle River, Canton Mines, 

 where you can see across the lake on a 

 clear day to Thunder Bay on the north 

 shore. Cherries also do well, although 

 I was too late to see them. Mr. G. 

 told me he had a good crop of pears 

 also, but could not find the names. I 

 also saw the same apples at different 

 points. The Siberian crabs are the 

 most grown. I saw the question, 

 What are the best and most likely 

 sorts to stand the climate of Mani- 

 toba ? — a very pertinent question for 

 that northern clime. I have no doubt 

 but tlie kinds grown in northern 

 Russia, or some of them, would 

 stand the test. The black knot in 

 my plums and cherries was very bad 

 this season ; have cut it all off, not 

 knowing any other remedy. There 



has been a complete absence of the 

 black aphis so bad last year on black 

 cui-rant and cherry ti-ees, and which 

 killed one of the latter for me, a fine 

 }'Ourig tree, with cherries half grown. 

 I discovered say forty borei's in a large 

 English cherry tree, which very nearly 

 girdled it just below the surface. This 

 is singular, as I never saw one before 

 in a cherry tree, nor ever heard of it. 

 Yours truly, C. Jarvis. 



THE VIRGINIA CREEPER 

 USEFUL AS WELL AS ORN'AMENTAL. 



A Letter from Mr. Cockburn, since the 

 Gravenhurst Fire. 



Gravenhurst, Ont., Oct. 15, 1887. 

 Dear Sir, — I write to compliment 

 you on what I call your " Muskoka " 

 number of the Horticulturist, and 

 thank you for your kindly mention of 

 my name. Of course I have lost every 

 flower and plant I had gathered by 

 fifteen years' very close collecting of 

 what I thought the best to be had for 

 money ; all went to smoke in less than 

 five minutes. It was simply indescrib- 

 able. The Virginia Creeper on my 

 old wood shed saved the oflice in which 

 I am now writing. The thick mat of 

 vine and foliage on the roof held the 

 water, and prevented the roof from 

 igniting.. All my back volumes of the 

 Horticulturist are burned, and I wish 

 you would let me know how many 

 years' bound volumes you have, so that 

 I can send to you for them, as I do 

 not like to be without them. 

 Yours respectfully, 



J. P. Cockburn. 



GRIMES GOLDEN. 



Trentou, Oct. 17, 1887. 

 Sir, — Respecting Grimes Golden as a 

 dessert apple, it is one of the best 

 trees, a good grower and hardy. The 

 fruit is not sufficiently attractive for 

 market, and often spots badly. 

 I am, very trulj' yours, 



P. C. Dempsey. 



