26o The Canadian Horticulturist. 



borers, codling moth and canal worms may be enumerated. I have left out 

 all about the horses, cattle, chickens, etc., because what one sees in a day- 

 would fill a volume, and I want to say a few words about the small fruits. 

 We first inspected the cultivated varieties, of these I think Heebner's red 

 raspberry and Hilborn black carried off the palm, with Golden Queen for 

 yellow, but when we came to the director's own hybrids and seedlings, we 

 came to the conclusion that at least fifty of these could be selected that 

 would beat any raspberries in cultivation. The gooseberries were a failure ; 

 a number of these were of the British varieties and had mildewed badly ; 

 others had not been properly protected from insects. And at any rate the 

 gooseberry crop in this section was for some reason light all along the 

 Ottawa valley, though it promises well in the spring. There were some two 

 hundred varieties of seedling black currants, the sandy, hot, poor soil on 

 which they were grown did not do them justice ; some were early, some 

 late, some \'wry sweet, whilst others had a highly pronounced black currant 

 flavor. Amongst these seedlings many were of marked merit, probably the 

 best bearer on the longest stems was the wild Manitoba variety, but the 

 berries were green and hardly at full size, so late are they in ripening. No 

 doubt the director will seize on this as the parent of some future experiments 

 in hybridizing. An excellent repast was served at noon, and at 6.30 the 

 committee returned to town well pleased at all they had heard and seen. 

 It was suggested to the director that he should disseminate his new seedling 

 raspberries as premium plants with the Horticulturist to our Association. 

 He may probably do this when a sufficient number of plants are propagated. 

 I trust he may, as a more valuable lot this fruit has never produced. I 

 may safely say what Roger's was among grapes Mr. Saunders' will equal 

 amongst raspberries. It would be difficult to over-value the benefits the 

 farm will confer on the Dominion, when the reports are issued containing 

 the results of these exhaustive experiments. 



The tests made as to the hardiness and adaptability of plants and trees, 

 especially those of the fruit bearing varieties, will be thoroughly appreciated 

 in this section, as it was supposed only twenty years ago that the land in 

 this district, owing to the rigor of the climate, would only produce the 

 hardiest wild kinds of fruit. These experiments could not possibly be so new 

 and carefully made by private hands ; not only would the cost be too great, 

 but they have to be carried on at a season when crops are being attended 

 to, and no farmer or gardener could afford the time to carry them out. The 

 practical results are what we are all looking for, and these will be had in 

 the published official reports and thence disseminated by the newspapers. 

 The Hon. John Carling is to be congratulated on inaugurating so useful an 

 institution, and on the excellent staff of officials which he has collected 

 together for the work. 



Ottawa, yjily 2?, i8go. P. E. BUCKE. 



