24$ Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [june, 



gave results definitely in favour of the '"first" runners. There was a 

 slight balance in favour of the "first" in the case of Monarch, but 

 Paxton's gave practically the same yield for both sets. There is there- 

 fore good evidence that "first" runners tend to be more fruitful than 

 "second," and there is a sufficient margin of difference in the yields to 

 make it a matter of practical importance to the grower to select only 

 "first" runners for planting. 



Pruning of Gooseberries (National Fruit and Cider Institute, 

 Report, 1909). — Gooseberry bushes planted in 1905 have been 

 since 1908 pruned on the "hard" and "light" systems respectively. 

 In the "hard" system, which is usual outside fruit-growing areas, the 

 leading shoots are clipped back fairly hard, and the laterals still harder, 

 so that the bush becomes round and dense. In the "light" system the 

 leading shoots are not cut back so closely, while the laterals are more 

 reduced than in the other system. The result is a comparatively 

 straggling and open bush. Ease and economy of time in gathering the 

 fruit, and an improved quality of berry are the advantages claimed 

 for the light system. The effect on the crop is disputed, and this 

 experiment is intended to deal with the point. Before 1908 all the 

 bushes were pruned on the hard system. Since then the crop for two 

 years has been 1,531 lb. with the "hard " system, and 1,404 lb. with the 

 "light," while the berries in the latter case have been superior in 

 quality. The economy of labour and time is found to be markedly in 

 favour of light pruning, and if the crops continue as they have begun 

 there will be no doubt which is the more profitable system for the 

 grower. 



Breeding of Hardy Apples in Canada (Central Experimental Farm, 

 Canada, Bulletin No. 68). — This bulletin contains an account of the in- 

 vestigations carried out by the Canadian Department of Agriculture as 

 to the breeding of hardy apple trees in the north-western provinces of 

 Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 



In 1887 young trees were raised from the seed of a small wild 

 Siberian crab-apple, Pyrus baccata, obtained from the Imperial Botanic 

 Gardens, St. Petersburg, and as soon as they were large enough for 

 transplanting were sent to the north-west, where, they have since proved 

 entirely hardy, and have fruited abundantly for many years. The fruit, 

 in its unimproved form, however, is not of much use, the apples being 

 not much larger than a cherry, and having an astringent taste. The 

 work of cross-breeding was begun in 1894, in which year efforts were 

 made to improve the size and quality by cross-fertilising the flowers of 

 P. baccata with pollen from many of the hardiest and best varieties of 

 apples grown in Ontario. Trees from the seeds of these crosses have 

 been planted from year to year at Ottawa, and various north-western 

 stations. Thirty-six of the cross-bred apples fruited in the fourth year 

 from the sowing of the seed, and since then several hundred more 

 have borne fruit, and the number of varieties worthy of extended cultiva- 

 tion has been considerably increased. Root grafts of some of the more 

 promising sorts were early made, and have also proved hardy. The 

 larger of the new cross-bred varieties are from twelve to fourteen times 

 heavier than P. baccata. 



Crosses were begun in 1896 on another variety of wild crab, P. pruni- 

 folia, the fruit of which is about twice the size of P. baccata, and in 1902 



