The Canadian Horticulturist. ii 



would add ten fold to the value of the Horticulturist if all of you would 

 give to its readers the benefit of your experience. 



I'll try to practice what I preach with a few rambling thoughts. 



With a lively remembrance of the fate of Lot's wife — rather a salt subject 

 — we think it's well sometimes to look back. When these lines reach the 

 reader another year will have run its course, another milestone past. What 

 have we learned or what have we lost on the road ? 



I'm afraid I am safe in saying the season has been an unfavorable one 

 for the gardener. In many sections of the country, the heavy rains of last 

 fall and this spring left the ground m bad condition. A heavy frost on the 

 24th May did much damage to strawberries and other fruits. The blight 

 struck the potatoes in this district so early as nearly to destroy the whole 

 crop. The returns from the orchard were the poorest we have had for 

 years, and the few apples we had were more than ever affected by the spot. 

 Not a very encouraging report. 



This year we will have to learn wisdom from our failures. We had not 

 the control of the weather — better we had not. Our crop was unremunera- 

 tive. We must take the good year with the bad, just as the merchant does. 

 Apples are almost indispensable at the table, yet many will either have 

 to pay excessive prices for them or do without. Will not the deprivation 

 teach us the more to appreciate our next crop, and the folly, too, of complain- 

 ing last year that apples were a drug and not worth growing ? How many 

 of our daily blessings, health among them, do we look on as things to be 

 ours as they ever were, not appreciating till deprived of them ? Some of 

 you had a few apples, but they were badly worm eaten. If you had read 

 your Horticulturist well, you would have found a cure that would have 

 well paid your trouble — spraying your trees. 



The vegetable garden did fairly ; let us take a look around it. 



Beans. — Of six kinds planted, I found the Dwarf German was the best 

 and most prolific ; Henderson's New Bush Lima a novelty and a delusion. 



Beets. — Edmund's and Dewey's Turnip both choice. Reeves' Imperial 

 Long Blood turned out the first pure long blood beet I have come across 

 for years. Seed purchased from J. D. Roberts, Cobourg. 



Cahhaye. — Burpee's Early Express stands first on the list for earliness 

 and good quality. Henderson's Early Summer for medium and late we find 

 good — never fails to head. 



Cauliflower. — Failed with us this year. Have found Vick's Ideal the best. 



Carrots. — Danver's Half Long as good as any for the table. 



Celery. — Nelles' Self Blanching, Paris Large Golden, Henderson's 

 White Plume, all did well. Red kinds failed to mature. 



Corn. — Shakers' Early, good. Stowell's Evergreen for late. 



Cucumber. — Tried Early Russian, found no merit in it. The old White 

 Spine as good as any. 



Melons. — A failure ; season too wet. 



