APR 10 1917 



THE OTTAWA NATURALIST. 



Vol. XI. OTTAWA, JULY, 1897. No. 4. 



FRUIT GROWING IN CANADA,* 



BY 



John Craig, 

 Horticulturist. 



Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 



I wish to speak of the fruit and fruit districts of Canada 

 as these cover the whole, or practically the whole, of Cana- 

 dian horticulture. The term "horticulture" embraces not 

 only the cultivation, but the amelioration of fruits, plants and 

 vegetables, so that the field occupied by the subject under dis 

 cussion is exceedingly wide. As originally used, the term 

 horticulture, applied to the cultivation of fruits, flowers and 

 vegetables within circumscribed enclosures, commonly called 

 gardens. Thus we find that the English word garden is derived 

 from the Anglo-Saxon gyrden, to gird or enclose. In like man- 

 ner the derivation of orchard is found in ortgeard, an enclosure 

 foj fruit trees, and again wyrt geard, a garden for the cultivation 

 of vegetables or herbs. 



It is difficult to discuss the status of fruit growing in 

 Canada to-day without glancing at the evolution of the art — 

 as it was for centuries previous to the application and study of 

 principles, which raised it to the dignity of a science — not only 

 in Canada, but in the mother countries, for both are intimately 

 connected. There has, and probably always will be. some con- 

 troversy between botanical and horticultural historians regarding 

 the relative antiquity of the two rural and venerable arts, agri- 

 culture and horticulture — one side claiming that since agricul- 



*An address delivered before the Field-Naturalists' Club, March nth, 1897. 



