Thk Canadian Hokiicur/ruKisr. ,^51 



TWO HARDY APPLES. 



Two samples of apples, which are seedlings grown in the Province of Que- 

 bec, have come to hand from Mr. Dery, of Mont. St. Hilaire. Both are grown 

 from the seed of American Baldwins, and resemble each other so much that only 

 a connoisseur could distinguish between them. The one called Dery's Seed- 

 ling is, however, more highly colored. It is said to be a good bearer, and the 

 fruit keeps until June in good condition. The other is called Alexis Baldwin, 

 and also keeps until June, but with dry spots at the core. 



The trees from which these two apples were gathered are each of them 

 seventy years of age, and still produce heavy crops ; all this .speaks very highly 

 concerning the hardiness of the tree, and the keeping qualities of the fruit. The 

 apples are not sufficiently mature yet for us to speak of their quality. 



THE BESSEMIANKA PEAR. 



Dr. Hoskins writes in the Orchard a?id Garden that at last a Russian pear, 

 worthy of cultivation, has been found. These Russians have been in cultivation 

 for nine years in America and, so far, no one has been heard of who can bite 

 into a ripe specimen of any one of them. But it now appears to be a well estab- 

 lished fact that the Bessemianka is an exception. Mr. A. Jack, of Chateauquay 

 Basin, Que., has fruited it, as well as Prof. Budd, of Iowa, and both report that 

 the fruit was of such good quality that it was all stolen and eaten even before 

 maturity. This year the Doctor has fruited this variety in his own garden. It 

 ripened by the 5th of September, and he classes it as the only one of the iron- 

 clad pears with which he is acquainted, which possesses a very good dessert 

 quality. The flesh is buttery, something like the Bartlett in flavor ; in size, 

 small to medium ; color, green, ripening to a yellowish, without any red- 

 ness or russet. The flesh is white and very juicy; unmistakably it is a fine 

 dessert pear, and one which bids fair to be a very useful fruit for the cold north. 



HOSKIN'S SEEDLING WINE GRAPE. 



Sir, — I send you three bunches of a seedling grape which came up between an Alvey 

 and a Delaware, and is five years old. It bore a few last year, and this year has fifty 

 bunches on twenty-five feet of wood. It is rather late, anil only suitable for wine. Its 

 chief fault is having a few green berries scattered on every bunch, after the others are 

 colored. I'robably it would ripen earlier and more evenly in a warmer climate. The 

 bunches I send you are the largest and medium size. The wood ripens well. 



A. Hoskins, Toronto, OrU. 



This grape might prove valuable for wine making, but the quality is not good 

 enough to make it desirable for any other purpose. The largest bunch weighed 

 ten ounces, and the berries upon it were remarkably close. In size and color 

 it resembles the Clinton, but does not equal it in quality. 



