6 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



per basket of eight pounds ; it is a seedling raised by Thos Rivers, Eng- 

 land; Bassett is worthless ; Prunus Simoni had been fruited by him, and he 

 considered it not to be of the highest quality, but it was attractive in ap- 

 pearance, and would sell well on the fruit stands. 



Peaches. — In reply to the question, What are the six best varieties oi 

 peaches to grow for market in the Niagara district ? — the President, Mr, A. M. 

 Smith, gavethe following Hst, viz : — (i) Alexander, (2) Early Rivers, (3) Hales, 

 (4) Crawford's Early, (5) Wager, (6) Bowslaugh's Late. The latter is one 

 of the surest bearers. Stevens' Rareripe is very desirable, an Old 

 Mixon in appearance, but ten days later and much superior. It promises 

 to become a first-class market variety. It has the quality of hanging well 

 on the tree without decay. 



In the evening a lecture was given by Prof. Panton, of the O. A. C. 

 Guelph, on " Fertilization of Plants," which was most profitable, and made 

 full of interest in the manner which Prof. Panton is so well known to treat 

 scientific subjects. 



Thus was ended a meeting long to be remembered by all those privileged 

 to attend. 



HARDWOOD IN ONTARIO. 



By R. W. Piiipps, C0MMI88IONKR OF FoRKSTRY FOR Ontario. 



THE possible scarcity of that great requisite to the rural Canadian, 

 hardwood for fuel, leads me to suggest that the ideas usually held as 

 to the quantity within our reach are exaggerated. I see, in a later 

 article, the Bobcaygeon Independent, a paper which should be well informed 

 on such subjects, says : — 



" What about our cordwood ? That is a very important matter, and every 

 year it increases in importance, for the sources of our cordwood become fewer 

 and more remote. There is not so much cordwood left in Canada as is com- 

 monly supposed. Of the thousands of miles of railway operated by the Grand 

 Trunk Company, the Midland is the only division that runs through a 

 cordwood country, and only a portion of that division can supply fuel in 

 considerable quantities. The City of Montreal is even now suffering from 

 a dearth of cordwood. Maple in Montreal is selling at $8.00 a cord, birch 

 at $7.50, and beech at $7.00. A large dealer has publicly declared that there is 

 no cordwood to be bought throughout the country. Toronto has for its 

 chief sources of supply the Victoria branch of the Midland, the district 

 around Penetang.; the new extensions of the Northern Railway; two or three 

 years will make a great reduction in those sources of supply, and then there 

 will be the same condition of affairs in Toronto that now exists in Montreal. 

 There are several facts connected with the cordwood trade which deserve 



