68o 



Time of Blossoming of Fruit Trees. [dec, 



to flower at nearly the same time — -Lancashire Lad, Berry's 

 Early Kent, and Whinham's Industry commencing to flower in 

 the order named. 



Red Currants. — Red currants commenced flowering on 

 23rd April, and the bushes were in full bloom from the 9th to 

 13th May ; by the 27th all flowers had set and berries formed, 

 taking thirty-four days from start to finish. Red currants 

 are somewhat irregular in time of flowering, and in this they are 

 unlike gooseberries, as on the same bush some branches may 

 be in full bloom whilst others are unopened. 



The flower buds generally expand and are in flower before 

 the leaves have opened. Raby Castle is the main variety, 

 but Comet is also grown. 



Black Currants. — In black currants the leaves are fully ex- 

 panded before flowering commences. Blossoms began to open 

 on 4th May, the bushes were in full bloom on 13th and 14th May, 

 and by 26th May nearly all the flowers had closed and were 

 turning into berries, thus making twenty-three days from start 

 to finish of flowering, during which time there was no frost. 

 The crop was exceptionally good, as was also the case with 

 red currants and gooseberries. The berries commenced to 

 colour about the 22nd June and picking commenced on 7th July, 

 about eight weeks after flowering commenced. The fruit from 

 a three years planted bush, planted as a yearling cutting, 

 weighed 4 lb. 14 oz. 



Strawberries. — Of the fifteen varieties grown in the college 

 gardens, Royal Sovereign and Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury 

 commenced to flower on 19th May, but by the 21st most of the 

 other varieties were in flower, and by the 23rd all were in flower, 

 including Givon's Late Prolific, which was the latest. Picking 

 from young plants began on nth June and in quantity on 

 13th June. There was thus a little less than four weeks between 

 flowering and ripening. The strawberry season this year was 

 exceptionally early, which was said to be due to the warm nights 

 and days, accompanied by showers. Laxton's Latest and Givon's 

 Late Prolific are good varieties, true to their name, being in season 

 about 7th July onwards, but it was noticed that many of the 

 latest flowers on Givon's Late Prolific did not set fruit. These 

 being the last in flower missed fertilisation, probably because 

 there were no other strawberries in flower at the time to cross- 

 fertilise them. 



