117 



Mr. Craig. — As our time is limited, I will not weary you with any preliminary 

 remarks, but proceed directly to my subject. 



PROMISING CHEREIBS POE ISTORTHEElSr LATITUDES. 



By John Craig, Hortioolturist to Central Experimental Farm. 



According to DeCandoUe, our most reliable authority on the origin of species. 

 all varieties of the cultivated cherry belong to two species which are found wild 

 1. Prunus avium: Tall, with no suckers from the roots, leaves downy beneath, fruit, 

 sweet. This is supposed to have been the parent of the Heart and Bigarroau 

 varieties. This species, from which the black and white cherries are developed, grows 

 wild in Asia; in the forests of Ghilan (north of Persia), in the Eussian Provinces 

 to the south of the Caucasus and in Armenia; in Europe, in the south of Eussia 

 proper, and generally from the south of Sweden to the mountainous parts of G-reece, 

 Italy and Spain. 2. Prunus cerasus : Sour cherry, shorter, with suckers from the 

 roots, leaves glabrous, and the fruit more or less sour or bitter. From this we have 

 the Dukes and Morellos. These arc supposed by DeCandoUe to have been known to 

 Greek civilization very early, and to have been in cultivation in Italy and Europe 

 long before the "White Hearts were introduced from Asia Minor. 



The natural distribution of the wild representatives of both classes, the Hearts 

 and Morellos, seems much the same, though the cultivated representatives of the 

 latter have a much wider distribution in northern and eastern Europe at the pre- 

 sent time. This class seems to have had a greater climatic adaptability than their 

 tenderer relatives, the Hearts, and to have gradually worked northward and east- 

 ward till they have become common roadside trees in Poland and Central Eussia. 

 Before reaching this northern latitude they have become, however, specialized fol-ms, 

 differing materially from our west European types, as represented by the Kentish 

 and Iforello varieties — so different, indeed, in leaf, bud and texture of bark, as almost 

 to point to a different origin. The west European Morellos, which in ordinary or 

 average seasons have been fairly successful south of the 43rd parallel, in the some- 

 what dry western and middle States, and further north in the moister, though colder, 

 portions of Canada, have in late years, from one cause or another, as in the west, in- 

 jury from winter and black knot, and bark bursting in the east, been dying so rapidly 

 and giving such poor returns as to compel the thoughtful planter to look for 

 varieties more suited, if possible, to the vicissitudes of climate north of lines 

 indicated. 



"Within a few years several varieties, as instances Ostheim and Wragg, have been 

 brought into notice as having special qualifications in the way of hardiness and 

 adapltability to climate. As far as we can learn, these varieties have been "incidental 

 seedlings from east Europe importations, and to have inherited their hardiness from 

 typical varieties of those regions." The result of investigation is that several 

 importations followed, being special and personal selections made by Prof. J. L. 

 Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, in 1883-4. These introductions comprise 

 about forty varieties. From four years of personal observation, and from reports 

 received from widely-separated sources, I am led to believe that we shall find among 

 them many adapted to the more trying districts of Quebec and Ontario, and the 

 milder portions of the ]Srorth-"West. But should our success be only partial with the 

 originals, we can still use them as stepping-stones to something better, by means of 

 crossing and selection, and this line of advance will have a prominent place in the 

 horticultural work of the farm. 



I will name a few of the principal groups comparing favourably in quality with 

 Early Eichmond, and surpassing it in hardiness, as far as tested. Beginning with those 

 of the same season, among the most prominent are Orel 23, June Amarelle, King's 

 Amarelle and Strauss "Weichsel. "With the exception' of King's Amarelle, which is 

 excellent'for canning, they are all better in quality than Early Eichmond. So far 

 they have endured a dry atmosphere, and 30° below zero, with little snow on the 

 ground at the same time being used as bud and scion stock. 



