7© The Canadian Horticulturist. 



In speaking of apples for our northern sections, Mr. G. C. Caston, of Craig- 

 hurst, recommended the following as a,n excellent list : Summer — Yellow Trans- 

 parent, Duchess and Haas ; Fall — St. Lawrence ; Winter — Peewaukee, 

 Golden Russet, Scott's Winter and Baxter, or La Rue. The last named is one 

 of the best market apples grown in the County of Simcoe. It keeps till February 

 and brings the best price of any variety, but during the last season it was badly 

 spotted, Ben Davis is only half hardy in the County of Simcoe. 



Mr. Caston advised any one living in the northern sections who wished 

 an orchard to stand for a long time, to plant Talman Sweet and Tetofsky as 

 stocks and top grafts upon these. In this way he found it possible to grow with 

 marked success the Northern Spy and the King, varieties otherwise tender in 

 that county ; and a point of no small importance was that they were more pro- 

 ductive and better in quality than when grown on other stock. 



A more extended report might be given, but it would scarcely be in place, 

 considering that our readers will receive it in full in our annual report for 1890. 



OBJECTS OF PRUNING. 



|ANY blunders will be avoided if the true objects of pruning are 

 kept in view. One of these is to encourage wood growth in the 

 proper directions ; another is to lessen the amount of bearing wood 

 in order to secure the finest fruit. 



The most approved time is during the winter months, but the 

 later ones are usually thought to be safer, because the cutting of 

 the wood renders it more susceptible of injury from cold. Little fear, however, need 

 be entertained under this head in the case of the apple and pear, if the wounds 

 are properly covered with paint or varnish. A good composition for wounds 

 made in pruning is gum shellac and alcohol, mixed so as to form the constitu- 

 ency of paint. This may be applied with a small brush. The most common 

 blunder in pruning the apple orchard is in leaving long stubs instead of cutting 

 the limbs off close to the trunk or main branches. Such wounds cannot heal, 

 but soon rot into the heart of the tree and cause a hollow trunk. All wounds 

 should be cut close and as smooth as possible, and, if painted as described, will 

 soon heal over and leave the tree perfectly sound. A writer in the Country 

 Gentlemen, recommends pruning in September, and says that he has given it 

 a fair trial and is perfectly satis'fied that this is the best month for the work. 

 There is no doubt that it is safe to prune at any time after the fall of the leaves, 

 but we should question the advisability of undertaking a general pruning so 

 early as the month of September, neither would many of us find leisure for 

 such work during that busy month. Some people prune quite late in the spring, 

 but this is most unwise, for the sap is not in a condition to heal the wounds before 

 the middle of June. 



