The Canadian Horticulturist. 



233 



FRUIT GROWING ABOUT ST. CATHARINES. 



1-.^ ^ ^"1 HAT St. Catharines has many empty shops and dwelling 

 houses, and that real estate is offered for sale at very low prices, 

 is no ground for supposing that it is inferior to any other part 

 of the famous Niagara peninsula for commercial fruit growing 

 and market gardening. To-day (July 23) the writer made a 

 short tour about this town and out as far as Port Dalhousie, 

 ^^"v^^i^re^'^' c£) 'ind the result is that he now has a higher estimate of that sec- 

 ^.^^vTfeO tion than ever. The finest peach orchard we know of is the 

 -^ one we visited to-day, owned by Mr. McxVrdle, and in charge 



of Mr. Kotmeier. There are about fifteen hundred trees, three years planted, of such 

 varieties as Alexander, Rivers, Wheatland, Crawford, etc., and every tree was 

 loaded with fruit. Some two-year-old trees w-ere also full of fruit. We would 

 not be at all surprised if the yield should reach over three thousand baskets of 

 beautiful peaches, largely Early Crawford. The foliage was healthy, and the 

 fruit is holding on firmly. We can only explain this marvellous success in 

 peaches by the extraordinary care which the trees are receiving. The spring 

 tooth harrow is kept constantly moving, so that the ground can never harden or 

 dry out. Ashes are applied liberally, as well as other commercial fertilizers, 

 while the trees receive an annual shortening in. This instance proves how well 

 it pays to give the best treatment possible to the fruit garden and orchard. 

 Mr. A. M. Smith's orchard and garden at Port Dalhouse was next visited 

 This is the home of the Pearl gooseberry, which has previously been fully 

 noticed in these pages, therefore, sufifice it to say, that it is bearing out its good 

 reputation for wonderful productiveness. Besides growing plants Mr. Smith has 

 set out two acres of the Pearl to grow the fruit for market. This year it has sold 

 in Toronto at an average of ninety cents a basket, and the crop is so heavy that 

 he has no trouble getting it picked at ten cents for a twelve quart basket. 



Sjnith's Giant blackcap is one of the most interesting new things here shown 

 us. It is a new berry which equals, if it does not surpass, the well-known Gregg 

 in size and productiveness. The bush is certainly a more vigorous grower, ana 

 Mr. Smith states that he finds it much more hardy. This latter quality alone 

 would be a raison d'etre. It was surprising, the load of fruit on bushes one year 

 from the tips. 



Saunders' Black Currant is another well-tested and commendable novelty. 

 In his large plantation of black currants were Champion, Black Naples, and 

 Saunders, side by side. And while the Champion was a sweeter currant, the 

 Saunders was the most heavily laden of all, and its bunches most easily 

 gathered. This latter is truly an important characteristic of any black currant. 



