86 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



Ontario. — A hasty description of fruit growing in this pro- 

 vince would easily occupy the whole time at my disposal 

 this evening. We shall first look at some of the older 

 fruit growing sections. Along the banks of the Detroit river 

 in the extreme south-west are gigantic pear trees. These are 

 from seed planted probably by French missionaries. One of 

 the oldest is said to date from 1705. Legend also states that a 

 a colonist brought from his European home three pear 

 seeds in his vest pocket and planted them near Amherstburg, 

 These grew, bore fruit, the seed of which produced the pic- 

 turesque old trees marking the landscape of this region at the 

 present day. The trees are productive, but the fruit is not valu- 

 able. The planting of apple orchards began in this region about 

 the year 1784. Since that time grape growing has assumed 

 enormous proportions. The entire peninsula between Lake St. 

 Claire and Lake Erie, composed of the counties of Essex, 

 Kent arid Pelee Island, are especially favoured climatically, for 

 the production of grapes and peaches. The manufacture of wine 

 H a business of growing importance. On Pelee Island there are 

 350 acres of vineyards. This Island has probably the highest 

 mean temperature of any point in Canada. North of Pelee 

 Island is a peach section — rapidly becoming recognized as one 

 of the best in Canada. The industry is not more than 20 years 

 old, yet in 1894 a single station, Leamington, shipped 35,000 

 baskets of peaches. Last year that number was probably 

 doubled. It is estimated that nearly half a million peach trees 

 were planted last spring in this section ; this year the area 

 planted will nearly equal that of 1896. Land values are increas- 

 ing in this section. 



Along the south side of the Georgian Bay, in the valley of 

 the Beaver River, we find one of the finest plum growing 

 sections of Canada. Disease of the trees is practically unknown. 

 In 1894 a carload of plums was shipped every day for three 



