10 REPORT ON THE No. 24 



The fruit growers in the districts bordering- on Lake Huron, Lake Ontario 

 and the St. Lawrence River, where the longest keeping; apples of best quality 

 are grown, sliould make a specialty of winter fruit, and by doing so win for them- 

 selves a reputation for this class of apples. 



In eastern Ontario, where the Mcintosh, Fameuse, and other high class early 

 winter dessert apples are grown so successfully, the fruit grower, though at 

 present handicapped in the growing of late keeping varieties, can obtain for his 

 dessert apples the best prices and thus make his orchard as profitable as those in 

 any other part of Ontario. 



For the north, there are a number of varieties, mostly of Russian origin, the 

 hardv survivors through many trying winters in the colder parts of Russia, and 

 these, with the hardy crab apples, are proving a nucleus from which it is believed 

 will be de\eloped, by cross breeding with the best Canadian apples, good dessert 

 varieties which will be grown almost to the extreme northern limits of the Pro- 

 vince of Ontario. 



Selection of \'.arieties. 



One of the most important things to be considered in planting an orchard >s 

 the selection of varieties. Some of the most serious mistakes in the past have 

 been made in this particular. In many cases worthless varieties have been 

 planted, which is hardly to be wondered at when planters had little more to rely 

 upon regarding varieties than the exaggerated descriptions given by travelling 

 tree agents. But in these days when we have reliable information about all classes 

 of fruits for all sections of the Province published annually and distributed free, 

 as is done in the report of the Ontario Fruit Experiment Stations, there is no 

 excuse for planting anything but the very best varieties suited to each section. 



One mistake to be avoided is that of planting too many varieties, particularly 

 in commercial orchards. A half dozen good winter sorts have been found to be 

 sufficient, tor home use, however, the list might be doubled, or at least lengthened, 

 to suit the preferences of all members of the family. There should, in any case, 

 be varieties enough to cover the season and give a bountiful supply from earliest 

 to the latest. One or two summer varieties, three or four autumn, and half a 

 dozen winter varieties would be about the right proportion of each to plant. 



Another precaution which has to be taken in planning a commercial orchard, 

 is that of planting too large a block of any one variety. For convenience in har- 

 vesting it is no doubt best to plant trees of the same variety near together, but 

 on the other hand if these blocks of one variety are too large it may be the cause 

 of poor crops, for there are many varieties which are self-sterile, that is, the pollen 

 which they produce will not properly fertilize their own flowers, although it may 

 be quite potent on the blossom of some other variety. This question has not been 

 sufficiently studied to warrant us in saying definitely just which varieties are self- 

 sterile and which are self-fertile, although from experiments which have been 

 made, the following varieties appear to be more or less self-sterile : Yellow 

 Bellflower, Chenango, Gravenstein, King, Northern Spy, Primate, Rambo, Red 

 Astrachan, Roxbury Russet, Golden Russet, Spitzenburg, and Tolman Sweet. 

 None of these should be planted in blocks of more than three or four rows, with- 

 out some other variety intervening which blooms about the same time. In orch- 

 ards where such a mistake has been made, it can be rectified most readilv by 

 g'rafting every third or fourth row with some variety which will insure cross- 

 fertilization. 



Both tree and fruit must be considered in the selection of varieties. The 

 tree must have suflicient hardiness for the locality, and it is in this particular that 

 the Fruit Experiment Stations give valuable information to intending planters. 



