THIRTY-THIRD BIENNIAL, SESSION 
5 7 
is the only one that has been successfully grown. Wild grapes are found 
along many of the rivers and streams in southern and eastern sections of 
the province. 
Tree Fruits: Coming to the more important tree fruits, a very wide range 
of opinion as to the possibilities of apple culture in Manitoba could be se- 
cured, according to the success or failure of the efforts of individual ex- 
perimenters. These extreme opinions, either favorable or unfavorable, 
would be equally misleading. The fact is, that apple growing in Manitoba is 
very largely a matter of locality. In time we will have certain well defined 
districts where certain hardy varieties of apples will be found to give a 
very fair measure of success, and there will be other areas where it will be 
recognized that apple growing is practically out of the question, at least 
until thorough drainage can be provided. Success with apples could hardly 
be looked for on much of the low, flat, heavy prairie sections, quite aside 
from the strenuous climate. The question of apple growing is a matter of 
soil, drainage and shelter, and in certain sections where these conditions 
are favorable, the success that has attended the growing of the hardier 
varieties of Russian apples in Manitoba is a matter that has occasioned 
much surprise to visitors from places much further south. The best known 
apple district of the province is in the country bordering the Pembina moun- 
tain, on the northeast. In this region not only a few, but a large number of 
varieties of Russian apples have been grown successfully for many years. 
The best known orchard, that of A. P. Stevenson, is about thirty years old, 
and has produced some splendid crops, ranging into many hundreds of bar- 
rels. This shows not merely the experimental production of a few samples, 
but an orchard producing a crop year after year on quite a large scale. In 
addition to many Russian varieties, the well known Wealthy, Patten, and a 
few other American varieties have been successfully grown. 
Plums: The area of country adapted to the cultivation of plums is much 
greater than that of apples, due to the fact that the plum will succeed on 
heavier and less carefully drained soil than the apple. The varieties of 
plums grown are of the native nigra species, which are found growing wild 
in some sections of Manitoba, and varieties of prunes americana, intro- 
duced from Minnesota and Iowa. The native nigra plums vary widely in 
quality in their wild state, some of quite large size and good quality are 
found, while others are very small or very astringent. The writer of this 
paper has devoted considerable time to experimental work with the native 
plums and has produced several seedlings which are equal in size and 
quality to many of the named varieties of americana grown in the North- 
western States. The advantage in favor of the native plum for this region 
is the early ripening habit and stronger crotches, this latter character mak- 
ing the tree better for a windy country. A disadvantage is the early blos- 
soming period, which increases the danger from spring frosts. I have found 
that the blossoming period between the earliest nigra and the later americana 
forms will extend over a full month. The americana forms are rarely in- 
jured by spring frosts, but the native forms are occasionally greatly re- 
duced in yield from this cause. On the other hand, only the earlier ripening 
varieties of americana are safe to plant at all extensively. Many varieties. 
