29 



Red, an apple which has become deservedly popular and is being widely planted 

 on account of its remarkable qualities. The history of this Canadian apple is 

 quite interesting and is as follows: — About 1796 a clump of young seedling 

 apple trees was discovered in a forest clearing, and carefully planted out by the 

 late John Mcintosh, who came to Canada with the U. E. Loyalists. As time 

 went on these gradually succumbed until only one was left. This tree proved 

 so hardy and the fruit was of such high colour and delicious quality that steps 

 were taken to propagate it, and about 1830 it was given the name of Mcintosh 

 Red. The original tree continued to thrive and produce fruit until it received 

 serious injury from a fire which destroyed the adjacent homestead of Mr. Mc- 

 intosh in 1893. This tree struggled on in a more or less crippled condition until 

 it finally died in 1908. The preservation of this great apple to the fruit industry 

 ranks as an exceedingly important event in the early horticultural history of 

 Canada. 



At the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa many interesting experiments 

 and investigations are being carried on by Mr. W. T. Macoun, Dominion Hor- 

 ticulturist, with a view to the propagating, testing and introduction of new var- 

 ieties of fruits which might prove superior to those already in general use. Con- 

 siderable progress has been made, and several very promising hybrids of the 

 apple are being propagated for extensive testing, in order to ascertain their 

 suitability for various parts of the country. 



Bat or Qtjinte Disthict. 



Proceeding westward we reach the counties along the north shore of Lake 

 Ontario, between Kingston and Toronto. Here are to be found the largest 

 and most important orchards in the Province, of the standard winter varieties 

 of apples. For many years the counties of Hastings, Prince Edward, Northum- 

 berland, Durham, Ontario and York, which contain nearly 70,000 acres of orchard, 

 have supplied a very large portion of the fruit which has made Canadian apples 

 well and favourably known in the markets of the world. 



**i The development of the fruit industry in this district has reached large 

 proportions, but cannot be properly understood without a reference to the 

 geology of the section, the people who settled the country, and the peculiarities 

 of its climate. Prince Edward and the adjacent counties were among the earliest 

 settled portions of Ontario. The United Empire Loyalists found this not only 

 a convenient refuge but a most desirable portion of the Continent for other 

 considerations. Many of the early settlers came from Pennsylvania and belonged 

 to the Society of Friends. They brought with them not only a large experience' 

 in fruitgrowing but those admirable qualities of character that have made these 

 people remarkable. Almost as soon as they reached their new home orchard 

 planting began. Prince Edward County has some examples of old trees that 

 approach, if they do not exceed, the century mark in age. 



Iroquois Basin. 



Geologically the best fruit districts are embraced in what is known as the 

 Iroquois Basin, a formation of the glacial period. The border of this Basin 

 is well marked by the high ridge extending from Scarborough along the northern 

 shore of Lake Ontario, and for the most part only a few miles distant from it. 

 The whole of Prince Edward County is embraced in this Basin. As may be 

 supposed from its origin, the land is considerably diversified as to character, 

 in some places quite sandy, while in others the water has left the glacial clays 

 bare. On the top of this ridge and extending north from the edge of it there 

 are many good orchards, but as you go north the better winter varieties can 



