Canadian Agriculture. 
259 
unfamiliar to the English reader ; they are the fruit of certain 
rosaceous plants, Amelanchier alnifoUa and A. Canadensis var. 
ohlongifolia, allied to the medlar, the apple, and the pear. The 
cultivated fruits are chiefly currants, gooseberries, strawberries, 
raspberries, plums, apples, and crab-apples; those most exten- 
sively and most successfully grown being currants, gooseberries, 
and strawberries. Apples have not succeeded very well, owing, 
doubtless, to the fact that the trees have generally been selected 
from more southern latitudes. Standards are, therefore, now 
being imported from Russia, and it is expected that these will 
yield better results. Raspberries, though less widely cultivated 
than gooseberries and strawberries, have given encouraging 
results. Plums, grapes, and crab-apples are not at present so 
widely spread, nor so successfully grown. 
The law as to the destruction of noxious weeds is reported as 
being carefully carried out. Wild buckwheat seems to be very 
prevalent ; this plant is, I believe, identical with the black 
bindweed. Polygonum Convolvulus, of English cornfields. Lamb's 
quarter, similar to our dock, and wild sunflower are also trouble- 
some ; while corn cockle, mustard, wild oats, and Canada thistles 
abound, and would speedily become an oppressive evil but for 
the steps taken for their continual suppression. 
Stock-raising, in connection with grain-growing, is steadily 
increasing, though want of railway communication and of suit- 
able markets act as a check in some districts of the Province. 
Horse-breeding has made a fair start, and a large number of 
foals were dropped last spring. Besides native horses there were 
returned, as in the Province last summer, 13,493 horses, in 
addition to 168 stallions, and they are classified under the 
following heads : — French Canadian, Clydesdale, Coach, Mixed, 
Heavy Draught, Percheron, Blood, Roadster, General Purposes. 
Cattle-raising is greatly on the increase, and, excluding native 
cattle, there were in the Province last summer 45,810 head of 
cattle, which are arranged under the three sections of Durhams, 
Ayrshires, and Grades, the greater proportion belonging to the 
last-named group. Grade cattle are the old-established or 
native stock improved by crossing with English breeds, and 
are usually styled " .Shorthorn grade," " Hereford grade," &c., as 
the case may be, while " high grade " or " low grade " refers to 
the extent to which they have been improved. Two or three 
crosses of English blood would probably produce high grade 
stock, while the first cross would usually be low grade. 
Dairy-farming is practised as far as the means of the farmers 
will allow. The supply of locally made butter is far in excess 
of the consumption in most of the townships. Very little 
cheese is made beyond that required for household use, although 
nearly all farmers appear to make it. 
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