April, 191 5 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Fruits for the Prairie Provinces 



1""'REE fruits have been jfiven a thorough 

 test at the Experimental Farms in the 

 prairie provinces, and while the ideal 

 apple has not yet been obtained for 

 general culture on the prairies, continuous 

 jirogress is being: made. 



When the Indiain Head farm was estab- 



hed in 1888, it consisted of a treeless 

 ■tea of land. Trees were at once planted 

 as shelter belts, but it was some years be- 

 fore they afforded much protection. In 

 X888 there were 60 varieties of apples plant- 

 ed on the open prairie, represented by 2C0 

 trees ; 30 trees of 8 varieties of plums ; 34 

 trees of 7 varieties of cherries ; 20 trees of 

 7 varieties of pears ; and 3 peach trees. 

 Most of these made erood e:rowth that year. 

 One hundred and twenty-five apple trees 

 survived the first winter, but only one pear 

 tree, 11 plum trees, and three cherry trees. 

 :ii the spring- of 1889, 43 varieties of Rus- 

 sian apples consisting: of 342 trees were 

 planted, of which 257 were alive in the 

 autumn. There were also planted 109 crab 

 apple trees of eig:ht varieties. The winter 

 of 1889-EO killed a large proportion of the 

 apple trees planted in 1889 and only six 

 crab trees were alive of those planted in 

 1839. It is interesting to note that among 

 the few varieties which were hardy to the 

 tip in 1890 were the Duchess and Hibernal, 

 which have since been successfully fruited 

 in some parts of the prairies. In 1890 there 

 were 600 Russian apple seedlings planted. 

 These stood the winter of 1890-1891 without 

 loss, but in the winter of 1891-1892 every tree 

 was killed, one Red Siberian crab apple 

 tree planted in 1888 beinp- the sole survivor 

 in 18S2 of the apple and crab apple trees 

 planted. Seven varieties of Russian apples 

 planted in a sheltered place in 1892 suc- 

 cumbed the following winter. 



A wild crab apple, Pyrus, baccata, the 

 seed of which had been obtained from St. 

 Petersburg, Russia, having proved hardy, 

 Dr. William Saunders, then Director of the 

 Experimental Farms, conceived the idea of 

 crossing this with the larger apples in order 

 to, if possible, obtain hardier cultivated 

 varieties, the work being begun in 1894. 

 Many hundred crosses resulted ; the trees 

 were later sent to Indian Head, and by 

 1899 the trees began to fruit, amd to-day 

 the varieties Charles, Silvia, Jewel, Tony, 

 and others are proving reliable varieties 

 for Indian Head and many other parts of 

 the prairies. It is true the fruit is small 

 and crab-like, but these fruits mark a step 

 in advance. 



These crosses were again crossed by Dr. 

 Saunders with the larger fruited, though 

 tenderer, varieties of apples, with the re- 

 sult that fruit from two to two and a half 

 inches in diameter has been obtained. Trees 

 are now being propagated for test on the 

 prairies, and it is expected that some of 

 them will prove hardy. 



At the Lethbridge Station the conditions 

 are more favorable for apple culture, and 

 apple trees have fruited durint^ the past 

 two years and there is every evidence that 

 the trees will continue to prove hardy. At 

 the other prairie farms the climatic condi- 

 tions are little if amy more favorable than 

 at Indian Head, except at Brandon, which 

 is somewhat better. At none of the farms, 

 however, with the exception of Lethbridge, 

 have apple trees survived for any length of 

 time without protection. 



Some fifty thousand Russian and other 

 hardy apple seedlings are now being grown 

 in nursery rows at the prairie farms with 

 the obiect of subjecting them to several 

 winters before they are put out in orchards, 

 bv which time the hardiest will be known. 



Bv growing trees in well protected places, 

 protecting the trunks and main branches 



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Apples of Quality 



CAN ONLY BE GROWN 



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BURLINGTON - ONTARIO 



