The Canadian Horticulturist. 245 



THE FRUIT CROP. 



It is very important to the fruit grower to have some idea of the general 

 state of t^e crop in his country a good while in advance of the harvest. Such 

 information will enable him to better judge of the value of his fruit and place 

 him in a better position to dispose of it to advantage. 



Last month we gave the res alt of our first enquiries, and these showed an 

 unfavorable state of our prospects at that time. Fuller inquiries, just made, 

 prove that estimate of the unfortunate state of the crop was below rather than 

 above the mark. Were the quality proportionately superior, we might hope 

 that the prices would rule high e;;ough to more than counterbalance the shor- 

 tage in quantity, but it is not. Scab was never so prevalent upon both apples 

 and pears, while rot and mildew threaten to sadly diminish the plum and grape 

 crops. 



The Apple Crop is possibly one-third of the average in the Niagara Pen- 

 insula and all along the south shores of lakes Erie and Ontario. It will consist 

 chiefly of Baldwins, with a sprinkling of some other varieties. A fairly good crop 

 is reported in some localities in Central Ontario, as, for instance, the counties 

 of Waterloo, Simcoe, Perth and Victoria, and in some favored spots near the 

 mountain in the County of Lincoln. The finest prospects in Canada are 

 reported from Nova Scotia. In the United States the best reports come from 

 the State of Maine. New York State, one of the foremost apple-growing sec- 

 tions in the Union, is quite as unfortunate as Southern Ontario. 



Pears are reported poor quality in all parts, owing to the scab, and the 

 crop itself is also very short. The Bartlett will be the most prominent pear, 

 but even that variety is badly blemished in most places. 



The Peach Crop is almost a total failure about Grimsby and Niagara, 

 but, strange to say, in the higher elevation just about St. Catharines, there is a 

 fair crop. These should prove a fortune to the growers in that part, as reports 

 state that there is scarcely half a crop in the great peach orchards of Delaware, 

 while in New York and other nearer States, the peach crop is almost as bare as 

 it is in Ontario. 



The (iRAPE Crop is a very full one, and, in spite of the mildew, will give 

 a very large yield in Ontario. The prices should rule high, owing to the short- 

 ness of other fruits. Indeed, where the quality is at all good, all kinds of fruit 

 should bring a high price this season, and so help to make up the growers' losses 

 in quantity. 



Below are some of the statements of our correspondents with regard to the 

 prospects : 



Carleton" Co. — Sir, — .\pple9 blossomeil and set heavy, afterwaiils dropped very con- 

 siderably, and the crop will uot be above medium in quantity, and will be of poor quality, 

 with the exception of summer varieties, which are fairly free from spot. The twig blight 

 has been destructive ; even Wealthy and ^ome of the Russian apples and pears have suflfered. 

 — John Crak;, Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. 



