The Canadian Horticulturist. 



27 



serving than the ordinary black currant. 

 What do you think of it ?— F. W. Wilson, 

 Chatham, Out. 



We cannot say whether the light color 

 would suit the fancy of the housewife better 

 than the black or not. Possibly for variety's 

 sake, this sort might be worthy of cultiva- 

 tion, but for ordinary market purposes, we 

 are inclined to give the preference to the 

 ordinary black. 



SHORT'S SEEDLING GOOSEBERRIES. 



79. Sir, — I send you by this mail sample 

 of seedling gooseberries that I have had 

 bearing for five years and which have never 

 mildewed. — W. S. Short, London, Ont. 



These berries appear to us to have no 

 particular advantage over the Smith and 

 Downing varieties, which are also free from 

 mildew, and which are fully as large, if not 

 larger, in size. 



Open o ^ettej^e ^^^ 



GREGG. MAMMOTH CLUSTER AND 

 HILBORN COMPARED. 



Sir, — Re Raspberries: — Black caps ; I 

 have this season been enabled to compare 

 the merits of Mammoth Cluster, Gregg and 

 Hilborn. I find but little difference in 

 quality. Gregg was the earliest, and bore a 

 fair crop of berries, but smaller in size than 

 either of the others. Mammoth Cluster : 

 Larger berry and a better crop, but a little 

 later. Hilborn still later, but by far the 

 best yield and the berries still larger than 

 Mammoth Cluster. Thos. Beall, Lindsay. 



FRUIT REPORT. 



The prospect of large crops of fruit which 

 the blossoms promised has passed away. 

 Although the cherry crop has been very fair, 

 the black knot has been very bad this season, 

 particularly on the cherry. Apples and 

 pears have also dropped badly, and com- 

 plaints are also coming in about the plums ; 

 but mine have a full crop, and although a few 

 have fallen, still the trees will have all they 

 can stand. There is a large crop of black 

 currants ; and red and white are also good ; 

 but raspberries are a general failure here, 

 except the wild ones, which are a fair crop. 

 — A. J. Collins, Listowel. 



Sir, — The Horticulturist for August 

 is just received, and I am much pleased to 

 see that you have given such prominence to 

 the obituary of Mr. Croil. He was an inti- 

 mate friend of mine, and 1 miss him very 

 much, as I have good reason to know his 

 good qualities. I attended the funeral, and 

 a most impressive and sad one it was, for I 

 could see how universally he was respected. 

 Only a few days before his death I received 



a letter from him, written at nine o'clock at 

 night, telling me what a busy day he had had, 

 that he had risen at 3,30 in the morning, but 

 that the "wee birdies " were ahead of him, 

 and singing away for dear life. Surely he 

 died in harness, for he was hurrying with 

 his garden work, so that he could get away 

 to the Association meeting, as he had made 

 all arrangements to go away on the morning 

 of his funeral. 



I have to request a favor of you, and it is 

 this. Will you please send me an extra copy 

 of the Horticulturist for August, as I 

 want to send it to the States to a well-known 

 horticulturist, Mr. Crawford. Mr. Croil and 

 I were both trying some new strawberries of 

 his, and we were also experimenting with 

 fertilizers and on this subject he was about 

 to contribute an article to the Horticul- 

 turist. 



We shall all miss his racy and humorous 

 pen. — W. S. Turner, Cornwall, Ont. 



FRUIT NOTES FROM MIDDLESEX 

 CO. 



Sir, — Extremes often follow each other. 

 We had a very wet May and June; then 

 followed with dry weather until the surface 

 of the ground was cracked open in every 

 direction, and now we are having a very 

 catching spell of harvest weather. In this 

 township (East Williams) we are having a 

 crop fully up to the average, with but little 

 cause for grumbling. Fruit in this township 

 will not be found going to waste in the least. 

 Strawberries were below the average yield ; 

 some patches being so badly injured last 

 winter that they would not pay for the 

 trouble of planting them ; other small fruits 

 stood about an average ; cherries were not 

 as plentiful as last year, while plums and 

 pears will be scarce. 



