ALBERT R. Umn nePARY COBNELL UNiVERSIT' 3 1924 073 872 909 DATE DUE GAYLORD PRINTED \N U S.A H^i Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924073872909 Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell's replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39. 48-1984. The production of this volume was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities . Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1995. Scanned as part of the A. R. Mann Library project to preserve and enhance access to the Core Historical Literature of the Agricultural Sciences . Titles included in this collection are listed in the volumes published by the Cornell University Press in the series THE LITERATURE OF THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, 1991-1995, Wallace C. Olsen, series editor. the: JOHN . CRAIG LIBRARY colleige: OF agriculture: THE FRUITS OF ONTARIO 1906 (PUBLISHED BY THE ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURF, TORONTO.) PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO TORONTO : Printed by L. K. CAMERON, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty 1907 c T 3,3'? I iO '7 a H. WARWICK BRO'S & RUTTER, Limited, Pointers, TORONTO. To the Honourable WILLIAM MORTIMER CLARK, KC, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario. May it Please Your Honour: I have the pleasure to present herewith for the consideration of your Honour the Report on the Fruits of Ontario for 1906. Respectfully submitted, NELSON MONTEITH, Minister of Agriculture. Toronto, 1907. [3] CONTENTS. Page. Intkoduction . Tree Fruits : Apple — Extent of Industry 9 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 9 Varieties Recommended 12 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 25 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 84 Varieties Recommended 84 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 85 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 101 Varieties Reconmiended 102 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 103 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions ... 126 Varieties Recommended 126 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 127 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 167 Varieties Recommended 167 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 168 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 190 Varieties Recommended 190 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 190 Geographical Distribution and Cultural Directions 194 Varieties Recommended 194 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 196 Bush Fruits ; Extent of Industry 218 Blackberry — Cultural Directions Varieties Recommended Description of Varieties with Illustrations Currant — Cultural Directions Varieties Recommended Chen Peach - Pear- Pluni- Quince- Grape- 218 219 219 225 225 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 226 Gooseberry — Cultural Directions 235 Varieties Recommended 235 Description of Varieties with Illustrations 236 Raspberry — Cultural Directions 239 Varieties Recommended 239 Description of Varieties with Illustrations. . . 240 Strawberry- Cultural Directions Description of Varieties with Illustrations. 249 250 265 Spraying Calendar 269 Spraying Formulae Inde.\ to Varieties . 273 [5] Fruit Experiment Stations. BOARD OF CONTROL, 1907. G. C. Ckeelman, B.S.A., President of Agricultural College, Chairman Guelph. H. L. HuTT, B.S. A., Professor of Horticulture Guelph. W. T. Macoun, Horticulturist at Central Experimental Farm - Ottawa. G. A. Robertson, Director ol Ontario Fruit Growers' Association St. Catharines. A. M . S.MiTH, Director of Ontario Fruit Growers' Association Port Dalhousie . P. W. HoDGETTS, Secretary of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association Toronto. Linus Woolverton, M.A., Secretary Grimsby. [6] Fruits of Ontario. INTRODUCTION. When the first fruit trees were planted in Ontario, probably about 150 years ago, the settlers had no reliable information to guide them in selecting varieties or in caring for the trees after they were planted. But the experience of these early settlers was taken advantage of by their descendants who, with the additional knowledge possessed, were able to make some progress, al- though scattered as they were in those early times without good means of inter- course. The dissemination of information from one to another and to the new settlers who were coming in was slow until the railways were built. Then fruit- growing became much more general, as trees could be easily transported from one part of the Province to another. In 1859 a few enthusiastic horticulturists organized the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association. Meetings were held in dif- ferent parts of the Province, and the people were urged to plant more fruit. This organization has for the past 47 years by its meetings, annual reports, the Canadian Horticulturist, and in many other ways, done very much to bring about the present marvellous development in the fruit industry of Ontario. Realizing that more definite information was needed to guide fruit-growers in the planting of varieties and the culture of fruits, the Association in 1893 urged upon the Government the importance of establishing Fruit Experiment Stations through- out the Province. The idea received the approval of the Government, and in 1894 four stations were established, this number being increased to thirteen in the course of a few years. To these were sent many varieties of fruits, which were tested and reported upon each year by those in charge of the stations. As these experimenters were all practical fruit growers, and in most cases had made a specialty of some kind of fruit, much valuable information regarding varieties and their culture was accumulated by the Department of Agriculture. After the sta- tions were established, it was felt that in due time a hand-book should be pub- lished that fruit growers generally might get the full benefit of the information so obtained, and the secretary of the Board of Control, Mr. Linus Woolverton, Grimsby, Ont. , was entrusted with the preparation of descriptions and illustra- tions of the fruits which had been tested. Mr. Woolverton was for ten vears engaged in this work, and the results of his labors will be found in the excellent illustrations and full descriptions which appear in this book. Mr. Woolverton states that, "with a few exceptions, the descriptions have been prepared directly from the fruits themselves, from samples grown in the Province, and the notes of the tree, bush, and vine have been largely made from records taken by the writer during these past ten years of experimental work. "These descriptions have been verified by comparison with those given in the works of the world's greatest pomologists, such as the 'Dictionnaire de Pom- ologie,' by Andre Leroy of France; 'The Fruit Manual,' by Thomas Hogg of England; 'The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America,' by Charles Downing, of Newburgh-on-the-Hudson ; 'The American Fruit Culturist,' by J. J. Thomas, of New York State; 'Apples of New York,' by S. A. Beach, of Geneva, N.Y. ; 'The .American Horticultural Manual,' by Prof. J. L. Budd, late of the Iowa State College of Agriculture; 'Plum Culture,' by Prof. F. A. Waugh, of the Massa- chusetts Agricultural College; 'Apple Culture' and 'Plum Culture,' by W. T. Ma- coun, of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa; 'The Grape Manual,' by Bush, Son & Misener, of Missouri ; the Reports of the Michigan Agricultural College, of the American Pomological Society, of the Ontario Fruit Growers' .Association, etc., and many other works. [7] REPORT ON THE ERUITS OF ONTARIO. No. 24 "These have again been modified by the reports of the experimenter.s in charge of the fruit stations, when it was proved that certain varieties, otherwise desirable, were not adapted to the districts in which they were tested. "In the case of some of the newer varieties of small fruits, especially straw- berries and some of the raspberries, also in the case of some of the larger fruits which are somewhat rare, the descriptions have been in part made from the reports of the experimenters, or from the reports of reliable pomologists. From Professor H. L. Hutt, of the Ontario Agricultural College, and others, photographs and descriptions of some varieties were obtained." The nomenclature adopted in these descriptions is based on that of the American Pomological Society, but where names which have been commonly adopted in Ontario would not be easily recognized under this nomenclature the old names have been left unchanged. These descriptions and illustrations were read and examined by the Board of Control, after which they were submitted to other fruit growers before being adopted, and for this work credit is due to Mr. W. H. Bunting, St. Catharines, Ont. ; Mr. Murray Pettit, \\'inona, Ont. ; Mr. W. H. Dempscy, Trenton, Ont. ; Mr. C. W. Vanduzer, Grimsby, Ont., and to Mr. W. M. Orr, Fruitland, Ont. In order that those varieties which are not recommended may not be given too prominent a place and thus perhaps be misleading, the illustrations have been confined to those which have been recommended on one or other of the lists of "Fruits Recommended for Planting in Ontario." The fruits have been divided into four groups in this work, namely : (i) Tree fruits comprising the Apple, Cherry, Peach, Pear, Plum, and Quince: (2) Grape; (3) Bush fruits, comprising the Blackberry, Currant, Gooseberry, and Raspberry; (4) Strawberry. Within these groups the varieties have been arranged alpha- betically, as far as possible, for ease in reference. .'\s it is the object of the Board of Control to make this work of the Fruit Experiment Stations as generally useful as possible to the fruit growers of On- tario, it was felt that the "Fruits of Ontario" would be incomplete if published without cultural directions, hence these are given. The information regarding apple culture is taken largely from the Ontario Agricultural College Bulletin 144, "Apple Culture," by Prof. H. L. Hutt. The lists of varieties recommended are taken from "Fruits Recommended for Planting in Ontario," Bulletin 147, as pre- pared by the Board of Control. The Spray Calendar at the end of the volume is largely taken from Bulletin 122, "Spray Calendar," by Prof. Wm. Lochhead. The other matter has been specially prepared for this work. It is hoped that the objects for which "The Fruits of Ontario" was pre- pared will be accomplished. These are to assist the fruit grower : — 1. In the selection of those varieties most desirable for planting in his par- ticular locality either for home or for market. 2. By affording a convenient reference in the identification of varieties now grown in the Province. 3. By furnishing a reliable description of the size, color, general appearance, and real value of the varieties often Incorrectly described in magazines and cata- logues. 4. By giving sufficient cultural directions to enable him to make fruit-grow- ing a success. 1 . Tree Fruits. Among what are commonly classed as the tree fruits are the apple, cherry, peach, pear, plum, and quince. So confident are the Ontario fruit growers of the future of the industry and the continued profits which will be obtained from the culture of these large fruits, that many acres of trees are being set out annually. The great importance of the fruit interests may be fairly judged by the fol- lowing figures for Ontario from the Dominion census of 1901 : — Not hearing. I'eariiig. Total Trees. Bushels. Value. Acres, 1 Capital Value. Apple Trees Peach 'I'rees Pear Trees Plum Trees Cherry Trees 1,989,98.'! 470,772 ■i80,176 U8G,6'28 237, 79i 7,;i5l,63!i 811,7'i.'> 504,798 999,091 4 )(l,,''.,=)lj 9,5n,6]9 1,2.S2.497 844,973 1,68,1,719 (;SI.3l8 13,631,264 539,482 487,759 337,108 132.177 $3,407,815 5'39,48'2- 305,819 •2j2,831 ■297,398) •228,013 38,002 »34,'201,»50 11,400,600 Total 3,Ct)5,36U io,a;a,8uii i i4,039,i,w 15,127,790 4,803.345 2ti6,01o 45.002,560 There has been a marked increase in the number of acres planted since the 1901 census was tak^n, the total number of apple trees, according to the last report of the Ontario Bureau of Industries, being 10,201,766. THK APPLE. There is no part of the world where better apples are grown than in the Province of Ontario, and owing to the hardiness of this fruit it can be success- fully cultivated over a very large part of the Province. From the Ottawa River, which bounds the Province on the east, to the great lakes on the west, a distance of about 500 miles, and from the St. Lawrence River and great lakes on the south to latitude 45 degrees, and even 46 degrees, on the north, a distance of about 280 miles, there are many flourishing commercial apple orchards. These produce annually an average crop of about 35,000,000 bushels of fruit. But apple-growing is not confined even to this area, for scattered here and there over the newer parts of Ontario almost up to the Manitoba boundarv are trees which are bearing good apples and supplying the settler with fruit for home consumption. Owing to the material difference in climatic conditions between the extreme southern and the northern parts of the Province, some varieties of apples are more Edapted to certain sections than others, not only on account of their varving degrees of hardiness, but because some kinds produce better fruit in certain sec- tions than in others. Furthermore, as apples grown in the southern parts of the Province do not keep as well as those grown in the northern sections, the fruit matures earlier, and hence does not come into keen competition with, perhaps, the same varieties from other sources. Each part of the Province, therefore, where apples are grown can produce fruit which has a fair chance of commanding the highest price on the market. As these climatic conditions cannot be changed, it behoves fruit growers in the south-western peninsula to make a specialtv ot growing fruit for the early markets, for there is no other section which can com- pete so favorably in the production and sale of early apples, especially for the rapidly growing market in the North-west. 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. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 11 Productiveness is also an important characteristic. Unfortunately some of the varieties of most excellent quality, such as the Blenheim and King, are lacking in this respect, and, while it may be desirable to plant these for home use, still such a defect is a serious one in a commercial orchard. The age of bearing is another characteristic which varies greatly in different varieties. The Northern Spy, for instance, often requires ten to fifteen years before it comes in bearing, while Ontario, Wealthy, and many of the Russian varieties sometimes bear even in the nursery rows, or at least in a year or two after they are transplanted into the orchard. This is a difference which may well be taken advantage of in the arrangement of varieties in the orchard, for, as a rule, those which are slow in coming into bearing make larger trees and are longer lived, while those which begin early and bear heavily are more or less dwarfed in their growth and the trees are shorter lived. For this reason trees of the precocious varieties are often planted as fillers between rows of the later bearing and larger growing kinds. The most desirable qualities in the fruit itself depend largely upon whether it is for the market or for home use. For home use, good quality is the first consideration. Usually those having a spicy or characteristic flavor, such as the Spy, King, or Mcintosh, are most desirable. Apples with an acid or subacid flavor are most in demand on the market; nevertheless a good sweet apple is often much appreciated for home use. For the market, good appearance is the first consideration. No doubt in time buyers will be more discriminating and ■demand good quality rather than fine appearance, but at present the most sale- able apples are those that keep well, are of fair size and an attractive color. Well colored red apples are those in the greatest demand in the Old Country market, a point which should be remembered in selecting varieties intended for export. Good shipping qualities have also to be considered in the selection of commercial varieties, although no doubt the improvement in methods of packing and ship- ping may render this of less importance in the future than it has been in the past. The Ben Davis apple has long been recognized as one of the best shipping varieties, on account of its firmness and good keeping qualities. On the other hand, the Mcintosh is not a long keeper, and is so easily bruised that it cannot be shipped satisfactorily in barrels. But with improved methods of packing and shipping, it may be shipped to any of the European markets and even placed on sale with the Ben Davis, and it is a question how long the Ben Davis, with its inferior quality, will be able in such competition to hold its place in the market. Those who champion the Ben Davis may take exception to the comparison just made because of the relative difference in season of the two varieties. Neverthe- less, we believe that it will be safer in the future for growers to look more to the quality of the variety than has been done in the past, for in due time buyers will no doubt become more discriminating and demand apples of the very best quality. Ordering and Obtaining Trees. A complete list of the nurserymen of this Province is published each year in the Report of the Inspector of Fumigation, and most of our leading nurserymen advertise in the agricultural and horticultural papers. Upon application, any of these men are glad to quote prices at which they can supply stock. It is well, when ordering nursery stock, to order early. Too many leave such a matter till planting time, when they might as well have had their order in sev- eral months sooner. By ordering early they are more likely to obtain just what is wanted, and if the nurseryman has not the desired varieties on hand, he can obtain them elsewhere by the time they are needed. When the trees arrive from the nursery, it is best to unpack them as soon as possible, and, if it is not convenient to plant them at once, the roots should be 12 REPORT ON THE No. 24 spread out and buried in a deep trench till they can be permanent!}' planted. The 'oiiger th€ trees are to remain in this position the more carefully they should be heeled in. Varieties Recommended. General Lists. After testing- a large number of varieties of fruit at the vari- ous fruit stations, the Board of Control has decided upon the following as the most desirable for general planting. District Lists. The District Lists given by the various experimenters show varieties especially adapted to the sections represented by their stations. The term Commercial is intended to include the varieties most desirable for market purposes, and the term Domestic those most desirable for home uses, either cooking or dessert. These lists are given, as far as possible, in the order of ripening. It is realized that there are manv varieties not included in these lists which may do well under special conditions, yet which are generally not considered as desirable as those mentioned. General List of the most V.^luable Varieties for Market Approved by the Board of Control. Summer. Astrachan: Adapted to all sections except the extreme north. I)iiches.s: Adapted to all sections. Fall. Grttven^teirv: Adapted to all sections except the St. Lawrence River and other northerly portion.s of the Province. Wealthy: Particularly valuable for northern sections. .ilexander : Especially for northern districts. Mcintosh: Adapted especially to the St. Lawrence River district^ but can be grown over a much wider area. Fnme;u..'>e : Adapted especially to the St. Lawrence River district, but succeeds well over a much wider area. Blenheim : Adapted to all sections except the (St. Lawrence River district and nortlierlj- portions of the Province. ^Ylnier. King: Adapted only to the best apple sections, and succeeds best when top grafted ou hardy stocks. Huhhardston: Adapted to the best apple sections. (ireeninrj : Adapted to the best apple sections. Baldvin : Succeed., best on cLny land, and is adapted to the best apple districts. Spu- Adapted to the I)est apple districts, but can be grown with success farther north by top-gr.'iftiuq; on hai'dy stocks. This is al.so a good method of bringing it into earlv bearing. Ontario: An early and abundant bearer, but short lived. Recommended as a filler among long-lived trees. Adapted to same districts as Northern Spy, which it some- wiiat resembles. Stark: jidapted to best apple districts. Varteties Especially Adapted to Home Use. Summer. Triinx]>aren.t : Adapted to all sections. Primatr: Adapted to best apple sections. Sirrrt Bniirih : Adapted to l)est apple sections. Duchess: Adapted to all sections. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. J3 Fall. Chenango: Adapted to best apple sections. GTavenstevn: Adapted to best apple sections. Wealthy: Especially adapted t^i northern sections. Mcintosh: Especially adapted to northern .sections. Fameuse: Especially adapted to northern sections. Blenheim: Adapted to best apple sections. Winter King: Adapted to best apple sections. Should be top grafted. Wagener: Adapted to best apple sections. Swayzie: Adapted to all sections except most northerly. Greening: Adapted to best apple districts. Tolnian: Adapted to best apple districts. Spy: Adapted to best apple districts, but will succeed farther north if t-op grafted. Mann: Adapted to best apple districts, but will succeed farther north if top grafted. Hardy Varieties Recommended for Sections North of Latitude 46 Degrees. SumTner. Yellow Transparent, Charlamoff. Fall and Winter. Duchess, Wealthy, Hibernal, Longfield. Patten, Whitney, Hyslop, Scott Winrer. Crabs Suitable for the Whole of the Province. Whitney: A large crab of high quality, suitable for planting in the extreme north where other apples will not succeed. May be used for dessert or cooking. Martha: An early crab of fair quality. 2'ranscenjient : Yellowish crab. sea.son early autumn. Hyslop: Dark, rich red crab, of late season, quality only fair. District Lists Recommended by the Experimenters. Ni'jigara District: By Linus Woolverton, Grimsby, Ont. Commercial: Astrachan, Duche.ss, Gravenstein, Alexander, Blenheim, Cranberrv Pippin, Hubbardston, King, Greening, Baldwin, Spy. Domestic : Early Harvest, Sweet Bough, Duchess. Chenango, Grai-ensteiu. Shia- wassee, Fall Pippin, Fameuse, Swayzie, AVagener, Yellow Bellfiower, Spitzenburg, Tohnan. Bay of Quinie District: By W. H, Dempsey, Trenton, Ont. Commercial: Duchess, Gravenstein, Trenton, Alexander. Wealthy, Fameuse, Mcin- tosh Kino-, Greening, Baldwin, Ontario, Seek-no-Further, Spv, Tolman, Ben Davis Stark. Domestic: Benoni, Primate, Gravenstein, Fameuse, Mcintosh, Grimes, Greening, Ontario, Spy, Tolman, Swayzie. Burlington District: By A. W. Peart, Burlington, Ont. Commercial: Astrachan. Duchess, Wealthy, Ribston, Blenheim, King, Greening;. Baldwin, Spy. Domestic: Astrachan, Sweet Bough, Gravenstein, Wagener, Seek-no-Further, Golden Russet. lafce Simcoe District: By G. C. Cast^jn, Craighurst, Ont. Commercial : Duchess, Peerless, Alexander, Wolf River, Blenheim, Pewaukee, Stark, and the following if top-worked on hardy stocks: Greening, King, Ontario, Baldwin, Domestic : A.strachan, Primate, St. Lawrence, Fameus^'. Mclntosli. King, S.i)y. REPORT ON THE No. 24 Lal^c Huron District: By A. E. Sherrington, Walkerton, Ont. Commercial: Astrachan, Duchess, Wealthy. Fameuse, Mcintosh, Blenheim, Green- ing, Baldwin, Spy, Golden Kusset, Ben Davis. Domestic: Transparent, Astrachan, Duchess, Mcintosh, Grimes, Blenheim, King, Spy, Golden Kusset. St. Lawrence District: By Harold Jones, Maitland, Ont. Commercial: Duchess, Alexander, Wolf River, Scarlet Pippin, Fameuse, Mcintosh, Ba.xter, Milwaukee, Golden Russet. Domestic: Transparent, Brockville Beauty. Scarlet Pippin, Fameuse. Mcintosh, Blue Pearmain, Golden Russet, Yellow Bellflower. Algoma District: By Charles Young, Richard's Landing, Ont. Commercial and Domestic: Astrachan, Transparent. Duchess, Charlamoff, Gideon, Longfield, Wealthy. Scott Winter. Site of the Orchard. The large inland lakes surrounding the southern portion of this Province have a wonderfully ameliorating eftect upon the climate for some distance from their shores, and as a rule, our most extensive commercial orchards are in prox- imity to these large bodies of water. There are, however, in the interior many localities quite as favorable for fruit growing, but in such locations the question of site and exposure has to be more carefully considered. The site usually selected for the orchard is one near the buildings, which may be all right if these are on the highest g^round, for such grounds are not only best drained but are least liable to untimely frosts. Good atmospheric drainage is often qu'.te as im- portant as good water drainage, and cold air, like cold water, runs down hill. Only a few feet of elevation above a wide adjoining area may be sufficient to enable trees in full bloom to escape a frost which destroys the crop on the lower level. On le\el lands there is practically no atmospheric drainage and the orch- ardist must take his chances and make th(; best of it. Exposure. ^\'nere the land is rolling, and there is a choice of exposure, the situation should be carefully considered, for in many cases this may be the difference be- tween success and failure. As to which is the best exposure, depends largely upon the surroundings. In proximity to large bodies of water the best exposure Is toward the water. In localities subject to late spring frost the safest exposure is towards the north, as this helps to retard the period of bloom till danger of frost is past. On a northern exposure trees are less likely to suffer in times of severe drouth, and there is also not so much injury from sun scald, a most serious trouble in northern localities. For the reasons given a northern or eastern aspect is, as a rule, preferable to a southern or western one, and also because there is less exposure to our strongest prevailing winds, which come from the south-west. Windbreaks. Protection from the prevailing winds is another matter that requires due con- sideration. The shelter accorded by a high hill or natural belt of timber is per- haps the ideal one, but when these do not exist, the planting of a windbreak is necessary. The best trees for windbreaks are some of the evergreens, such as Norway and White Spruce, the Austrian and Native White Pines. The Norway Spruce Is most used because it is a rapid grower, and the young trees may be 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. T5 obtained very cheaply. The windbreak should be planted at the same time as the orchard ; it will then be effective by the time the trees come into bearing-. A single row may be sufficient, although in very exposed places, a double row, with the trees set alternately, is preferable. The trees should be at least six or eight feet apart, and even ten or twelve feet is better when the trees grow up. The trees should not be planted nearer than forty feet from the first row of apple trees, as if planted too near, drifts of snow may cause injury in winter, and insects are more troublesome in summer where there is not a good circulation of air. The trees in the windbreak should be well cultivated, the same as the trees in the orchard, until they become well established. Neglect of this is the main cause of failure in setting out windbreaks. The Soil and its Preparation. The apple tree readily adapts itself to a great variety of soils, vet there are certain kinds upon which it does much better than others. 1-ight sandy soils are usually deficient in plant food, and are not retentive of it when fertilizers are applied to them. The trees upon such soils may do fairly well for a time, but as a rule they are less productive and shorter lived than on heavier soils. On the other hand, heavy clay soils may contain plenty of plant food, but they are diffi- cult to work, and unless very carefully managed bake so hard that the tree will not thrive upon them. The ideal soil is a happy mean between these extremes, a friable loam. It may be called a sandy or a clay loam, as either sand or clay pre- dominates in its composition, and is all the better if of a limestone formation upon an open subsoil. One of the first requisites in any orchard soil is good drainage. Fruit trees will not thrive upon undrained soil. If the land is not naturally well drained, it should be thoroughly underdrained. Good preparation of the soil previous to planting is very essential. Trees set on unprepared soil are seriously handicapped at an important stage of their 'ife and often they never overcome it. Land which has been exhausted by grain production is in poor condition for the growing- of trees, although it may be greatly improved by growing and plowing down two or three crops, such as rye, clover, or vetches, as a green manure. Probably no other crop leaves the ground in better mechanical condition for the growth of trees than clover. Its roots pene- trate the soil deeply and leave it well filled with vegetable matter or humus. There has been much diversity of opinion regarding the value of subsoiling in preparing the land for trees. But there is little room for doubt that it is of much benefit on land where the subsoil is hard and impervious to water. The subsoiler should follow in the furrow of the ordinary plow, loosening the subsoil as deeply as possible. Where this is not done, clover roots are the next best thing as subsoilers. The preparation of the ground for planting should begin by a good deep plowing in the fall, and it would be all the better if it could be ribbed up as is now frequently done in preparing ground in the fall for spring seeding. This insures good surface drainage and quick drying of the ground in the spring. All that would then be required in the spring would be to harrow down the ridges and loosen up the ground as deeply as possible with a spring tooth cultivator. Planting. ' , Great care should be taken and good judgment shown in laying out the orchard and in planting the trees. The proper distance apart for planting depends altogether upon the ultimate size which the trees may attain, which in turn depends upon the variety, the soil. 16 REPORT ON THl' No. 24 and the locality. The varieties thrown in our most northern orchards seldom spread more than twenty or twenty-five feet, while the kinds g-rown in the more favored apple sections of Southern Ontario often have a spread of forty feet. The best guides to intendinj,^ planters is to observe carefully the distances required for full grown apple trees in the neig-hborhood. In southern Ontario this will be found to be from thirty-five to forty feet, throughout central Ontario thirty to thirty-five feet, while in the northern sections where only the hardiest kinds are grown, twenty-five feet will be found quite sufficient. It is wise to allow plenty of space, so that there will be no crowding when the trees have reached their full size. Planting too clo.^-x is a far more frequent and serious mistake than planting too far apart. A plan quite frequently adopted, particularly in some of the large American orchards, is to use some of the small-g"rowing early-bearing varieties, as fillers between the large-growing varieties. The Duchess, Ontario, and Ben Davis, for example, are planted alternately with large growing kinds, such as Baldwin, Greening, and Spy. In such cases, the large-growing kinds are set at the maximum distance apart, a>id the smaller kinds between them. By the time the larger kinds begin crowd- ing\thc smaller one.s will have paid for their keep and that of the others, and can be cut\out to make room for the larger trees. The greatest objection to this plan is the danger that the fillers may be left so long before they are removed that the value of the whole orchard may be impaired. There is a diversity of opinion as to the best time for planting, although it may be done successfully any time when the tree is dormant, either in the spring or autumn. In favorable localities and with hardy varieties it may be done quite as well one season as another, but for general planting the spring is the safest time in our rigorous climate. The trees should be planted in rows as straight as it is possible to make them. Straight rows add not only to the appearance of the orchard, but to the convenience of cultivation. One of the best means of getting the rows straight is to stake out the position for each tree before beginning- to plant. Great care should be taken to prevent the roots of the trees drying while they are out of the ground. If it happens to be hot and windy at the time of transplanting, it is a good plan to puddle the roots in soft mud as soon as they are taken from the packing box or trench, and in carrying the trees about the orchard, it is well to keep the roots covered with a wet blanket or piece of old carpet. The hole for the tree should be wide enough to hold the roots without cramp- ing or crowding-, and should be deep enough to admit of a fe-vv inches of fine mellow surface soil being filled in the bottom, and still have the roots an inch or two deeper than they were in the nursery row. The roots should be spread out in their natural position and should be covered with moist mellow surface soil. It is well, in digging the holes, to have the surface soil placed at one side and ti-ie subsoil on the other, so that in refilling, the surface earth may be placed next the roots and the subsoil left for the top. If the soil has been properly prepared it is seldom necessary to water the roots at the time of transplanting, but care must be taken to ensure the soil moisture from below coming up to the roots. This may be done by tramping the earth firmly as soon as the roots are well cov- ered, and leaving only the top soil untramped to act as a mulch and retain the moisture below. The neglect of this firming of the soil around the roots is one of the most common causes of failure in the Iransnianting of trees. If watering is necessary, a small pailful poured in as soon as the roots are nearly covered, is of more u^^e than a half do^'en on the surface after the nlantino- is finished. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 17 All torn, bruised, or injured roots should be cut back, with smooth cuts, to sound wood. Smooth cuts callous over quickly and new roots are the more read- ily sent out. Trees obtained from the nursery, no matter how carefully they may have been taken up, have lost the greater part of their root system, and in order that they may make a satisfactory growth when transplanted the top must also be cut back to a similar extent to restore the balance. This cutting back, however, can be most satisfactorily done after the trees are planted, when they are held firmly by the soil, and more careful attention can be given to shaping the head of the young tree. Closely associated with the heading back of the top at the initial pruning of the tree, is the question of determining the height at which the head should be formed. On this, as in many other points of orchard management, there is a variety of opinions. Some prefer high heads, because of the greater con- venience for cultivation and working underneath ; while others prefer them low, because of the greater convenience in pruning, spraying, and harvesting. There are other reasons, however, why low headed trees are preferable; in exposed loca- tions the trees and crop are less likely to suffer from violent winds, and in north- ern localities the trees with short trunks and low spreading branches are much less subject to injury from sun scald, the most serious tree trouble of the north. At the Algoma Fruit Experiment Station it has been found advisable to start the head not more than a couple of feet from the ground, while in the more favored sections the custom is to have at least four feet of trunk. This is the height at which the head is usually started on two or three year old trees as obtained from the nursery, and for this reason it is better for the northern planter to get two year old, rather than three or four year old trees, so that he can start the head at whatever height he wishes. In this connection it may be stated that tree trunks do not lengthen, except by pruning off the lower branches, so that at whatever distance from the ground the lower branches are left, that will be the permanent length of the trunk. Three branches are enough to leave to form the main limbs or framework of the tree top. These should be evenly spaced around the trunk to give a well balanced and symmetrical top, and they should also be placed on the trunk so as to distribute evenly the weight of the top and avoid bad crotches which are liable to split down with weight of crop. It is particularly important at this stage that great care should be taken to train the young tree in the way it should go, and much can be done in training and directing growth by heading back to buds pointing in the direction we wish the new branch to take. Care of the Orchard after Planting. In a newly-planted orchard the trees occupy but a small portion of the land, and they cannot be expected to give any returns for at least five or six years. It is advisable, therefore, that some other crop be grown in the orchard which will pay for the labor spent upon it till the apple trees come into bearing and require all the space. It is by injudicious cropping, however, that young orchards are often most seriously injured. It should not be forgotten that the apple trees are the first consideration, and that whatever cropping is done in the orchard must not interfere with them in the least. In some cases the spaces between the trees may be planted with small fruits, such as raspberries, currants, or gooseberries, but these should not be planted within nine or ten feet of the tree, nor should they occupy ground more than six or seven years. Hoe crops, such as corn, roots, potatoes, etc., have generally been recom- mended as the best to grow in the orchard, because of the opportunity they afford for cultivation. This may be all right as far as it goes, but these crops 2 F.O. REPORT ON THE No. 24 draw heavily upon the plant food in the soil and return very little in the way of roots or plant residue. If such crops are successively grown for several years, they are almost sure to seriously deplete the soil of fertility, unless extra care is taken to maintain it by the application of manure or fertilizers. Probably on the whole the least objectionable cropping is a well arranged rotation of crops, in which clover and hoed crops alternate frequently enough to keep the ground in good condition. Some of these crops harbor mice, and whenever such occur in the rotation precautions must be taken at the approach of winter to protect the trees from their ravages. During all this intercropping a strip in which the trees are growing must be left for regular cultivation, and this strip should be widened each year as the trees increase in size. No cropping should be attempted under the head of the trees, and intercropping should be discontinued as soon as the trees require all the space. Cultivation. Cultivation improves the physical condition of the soil by breaking up the soil particles and presenting a greater feeding surface to the roots. By warming and deepening the soil, it permits of a greater depth of feeding area. Every soil particle is surrounded by a thin film of moisture, consequently the finer the soil particles the greater the surface area to hold moisture. A dry earth mulch or dust blanket on top checks the evaporation of moisture from below. Cultiva- tion renders plant food more readily available by promoting nitrification and the decomposition of organic matter in the soil. Knowing this to be the case, many growers have given thorough cultivation a fair trial, and have satisfied themselves that for most sections of Ontario clean cultivation with cover crops is more profitable than sod. There are indeed few cases where sod is more desirable than cultivation; these are where the soil is fertile and contains an abundant supply of moisture. As soon as possible after the trees are set, a strip on each side should be cultivated to loosen up the soil which has been tramped down during planting. Each year this strip should be widened, so that no crop intended for harvesting is grown beneath the branches of the trees. Cultivation should begin as early as the ground is dry enough in the spring. The first tool to be used in most cases is the plow. It is well to plow the land about five inches deep during the first few years after setting to encourage deep rooting. As the trees get older the depth of plowing should be gradually les- sened, until by the time the orchard is in full bearing, three to four inches is suf- ficient. It is a good practice to roll each evening what has be«n plowed during the day, particularly if the ground is inclined to be lumpy. The soil is much more easily pulverized when freshly plowed than if allowed to lie exposed to the weather for several days. Cover Crops. The value of growing cover crops in the orchard is being more appreciated every year by fruit growers, who in times past viewed with alarm the injury which occurred from root killing where the soil was bare in winter. A cover crop is a covering of vegetation in the orchard during the latter part of summer and early winter, and is useful in many ways, of which the following are some of the most important : (i) A cover crop, by adding a large amount of fibre to the land, prevents hard soils from cemepting or puddling. (2) On bare and rolling 2a F. o. 1906 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 19 land, where the rains quickly run off and snows blow off the high portions, a growing crop tends to hold these until they have time to soak into the soil. (3) Land covered by a growing crop dries out more quickly in the spring, owing to the transpiration of moisture through the leaves, and consequently may be plowed under earlier in the season than land which is bare. This is a very im- portant point, as it enables the orchardist to gain several days in the busy season of spring. (4) Ground covered with vegetation will hold the snows in winter and thus prevent deep freezing, thereby avoiding the liability of root killing. (5) A cover crop affords the most economical means of furnishing a sup- ply of humus in the soil. (6) The roots of a cover crop assist the tree roots in rendering available certain mineral plant food in the soil. (7) A large amount of plant food is liberated in the soil after the tree growth has ceased. This is taken up by the growing crop and held in a readily available form for the following season. (8) Leguminous crops, such as clover, vetch, alfalfa, peas, and beans, by virtue of certain bacteria which form- nodules on the roots, are able to assimilate nitrogen from the air. As nitrogen is one of the most expensive fertilizing elements, the value of this class of plants cannot be too highly appreciated. Cover crops should be sown about the middle of July so that they may make a good growth the same season, and in the colder parts of the Province, the seed may be sown during the first week of July, as the season is shorter than in the more favored sections. It is also wise to check the growth of the trees about this time, so that they may mature their wood before winter sets in. The thorough tillage which should have been practised up to this season, leaves the ground in the best possible condition to give the young plants a start. The crop should be plowed under as early in the spring as possible, and cultivation should begin at once. If the crop is large and the soil rather dry, this is imperative, as the large amount of vegetable matter turned under seriously interferes with capillary action and leaves the surface soil unduly dry. That a cover crop may be of the greatest value, it should be capable of with- standing the winter and continuing its growth next spring. This, however, is not a necessity, as many of the ordinary crops which will not live through the winter are valuable for this purpose. Different soils require different kinds of crops. This has led to a division of cover crops under several classes. The most important are the nitrogen gatherers, which through the agency of the nodules on the roots can make use of the nitrogen of the air. Such plants as clover, vetches, alfalfa, peas, and beans, belong to this class, and should be used where the soil is deficient in nitrogen. Another class is known as the potash liberators, such as turnips and rape, which, although they do not add anything to the soil, as do the legumin- ous plants, yet change the form of the mineral potash so that it may be more readily acted upon by the roots of succeeding crops. Thtn there is a third class, commonly grown, such as rye, oats, and buckwheat, which are valuable chiefly on account of the humus formed by their development. Hairy Vetch, sown at the rate of thirty-five pounds per acre, forms a verv close mat over the ground. This is a valuable crop owing to the fact that it collects nitrogen, lies close to the ground so that it does not inconvenience the pickers when gathering the fruit, and also withstands the cold winter and con- tinues its growth early in the spring. Red Clover and Mammoth Clover, sown at the rate of twenty pounds per acre, are about equal in value, make a fair growth, are low growing, and winter well on drained soil. 20 REPORT ON THE No. 24 Crimson Clover has not made quite as good growth as the red or the mam- moth, nor will it stand the winter in the colder sections, which is a serious dis- advantag'e. Alfalfa, or lucerne, is one of the best leg'uminous crops for dry land. It makes a good growth and winters well. There is a mistaken impression that alfalfa will not rriake sufficient top the first season. Thirty pounds of seed per acre, sown in July, will give a good stand the same season. Rape has given good results in the colder sections. It makes a heavy growth of stiff stems, which, although nearly all killed in winter, stand up well enough to hold the snows. Rape can scarcely be recommended for fruiting apple orch- ards, as it remains wet the greater part of the day, making the work of harvest- ing very unpleasant. It may be used to good advantage in the rotation, especially if few fruits are to be harvested. Rye, the favorite crop of many growers, gives a fair amount of top and winters well. One advantage of rye is that it may often be grown on lands not in a physical condition for the growth of clover. In this way humus may be added to the soil, and conditions made more favorable for the growth of clover. Maintaining Fertility. The maintainance of fertility is more frequently neglected in the orchard than on any other part of the farm. Trees, even on poor land, will produce fruit, but it is only on soils where fertility is maintained that paying crops are pro- duced. Each year that fruit is harvested some plant food is removed. If profit- able crops are to be expected the supply of plant food in the soil must be maifi- tained. The most essential elements for the production of fruit are nitrogen, potash, phosphoric acid, and lime. Nitrogen encourages leaf and wood growth, which are essential to the development of the tree and to the production of the best quality of fruit. Potash is an essential constituent in the growth of fruits. It constitutes a large proportion of the ash of the wood and more than 50 per cent. of the ash of the fruit, and is also associated with the development of flavor in the fruit. Phosphoric acid is essential to the development of the tree and the proper ripening of the fruit. Lime is not in itself an essential element, but assists in lib- erating plant food. On a soil deficient in lime, growth often continues so late that the wood does not mature nor the fruit ripen properly. Barnyard manure supplies nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid, and im- proves the physical condition of the soil. Cover crops may take the place of barnyard manure to improve the physical condition of the soil, and the legumin- ous ones may add all the nitrogen required. Concentrated fertilizers or commer- cial plant foods may be used in conjunction with cover crops to supply all the plant food necessary for the growth of trees. In the use of commercial fertilizers it is well to proceed cautiously, and, by carefully conducted experiments, ascertain what elements of plant food the soil may be deficient in, and what amounts it may be necessary to apply to get the best results. Unleached wood ashes contain a small quantity of phosphoric acid, seldom exceeding i| per cent., a larger amount of potash, varying from 5 to 7 per cent., and also a certain amount of lime. Where pure wood ashes can be procured at a price not exceeding ten cents per bushel, they afford an economical source of plant food. An application once in two or three years will usually give excellent results, especially on light soils which are most lacking in potash. Muriate of potash is another economical form in which to obtain potash. Phosphoric acid may be purchased in the form of super[)hosphate. Nitrogen may be procured in the form of sodium nitrate, but 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 21 leguminous cover crops furnish a much cheaper source of this essential but costly element. Pruning. The object of pruning is to form a vigorous and evenly balanced tree, which will produce annually a paying crop of good-sized, well-colored fruit. Unpruned trees produce many small-sized unsalable apples. Pruning lessens the number of apples per tree, but at the same time increases the size and improves the quality of those produced. A heavy crop of good-sized fruit is not so serious a drain on the vitality of the tree, nor on the fertility of the soil, as the same weight of smaller apples would be, for it is the production of the seed which makes the greatest drain on the tree and soil. Pruning should be practised every year without fail from the time the tree is planted. In this way the operation is never a severe one, and the removal of the large limbs becomes unnecessary. Limbs growing too strongly in any par- ticular direction, which are liable to upset the balance of the tree, should be headed back. Where two limbs cross, one of them should be removed. Branches growing across, from one side to the other, should be cut out. Care should be taken to leave sufficient twigs in the centre to protect from sun scald. Much may be done in directing growth by heading back to a bud pointing in the de- sired direction. It is while the trees are young that the greatest care in training is required. A properly pruned apple tree should be open enough to admit sunlight and permit of free circulation of air. Its lower branches should be trained high enough to admit of easy cultivation, yet the top should not be so high that spraying and harvesting are rendered difficult. Varieties differ more or less in their habit of growth, and, while it may be advisable to modify this to some extent, it is not well to attempt to change it unduly. Long bare branches should be avoided, and the formation of fruit spurs should be encouraged on all parts of the tree. The best time for pruning is just before growth begins. Wounds made at that season soon heal over. It is not well to prune when there is frost on the wood. Pruning while the tree is dormant tends to increase the growth of wood. Summer pruning encourages the formation of fruit buds, but it is not advisable to do much of it, as the removal of any considerable amount of the leaf area tends to check the vigor of the tree. Pruning by the removal of buds may be practised at any season of the year. The thumb and finger may be used for the removal of sprouts and buds dur- ing the summer. A pair of small pruning shears will remove all twigs less than half an inch in diameter. For larger limbs a sharp fine-tooth saw is needed. Make all cuts as smooth as possible and close to the main stem. When a large limb has to be removed, it may be advisable to cut twice, the first some inches out to avoid splitting, and the second to shorten the stub. A common mistake is the leaving of long stubs which cannot heal over before rot begins. Where it is necessary to remove large limbs, the wounds should be covered with grafting wax or thick lead paint to prevent the entrance of spores which cause decay. Grafting. Grafting is the operation of inserting a scion into a stock, usually for the object of changing the variety of fruit produced. Trees bearing undesirable fruit may be top-grafted with some valuable variety. Many choice half-hardy varieties may be successfully grown by top-working on some hardy stock. Especially de- sirable characteristics in any variety may be perpetuated by grafting. Individu- 22 REPORT ON THE No. 24: ality is quite as marked in plants as in animals. A certain tree may possess some desirable quality, and this may be preserved and perhaps improved upon by selec- tion. It is advisable when cutting scions to select from those trees vfhich have the desirable characteristics most strongly marked. Nurserymen, as a rule, do not pay sufficient attention to the source from which they secure their scions. The individual orchardist may greatly improve his plantation by top-grafting with scions from a tree having the desired qualities most strongly marked. *Grafting is usually performed in the spring. It is essential that the cambium layer of the scion and stock be in contact on at least one side. From this mucil- aginous layer, lying between the wood and the bark, the new cells are formed which in time unite the parts and cover the wound. It is necessary to cover the wounds made in outdoor grafting to prevent the entrance of rot-producing spores. For this purpose wax is generally used. A good grafting wax may be made by melting together four pounds resin, two pounds beeswax, and one pound tallow. Cool by pouring into a tub of water. Then work up into bars or balls which may be kept in any cool place until re- quired. To economize wax, cloth is sometimes dipped into the hot wax, making wax-cloth. This is more difficult to use than pure wax. The wax may be melted and carried in a glue pot and applied with a brush, or, as is more commonly done, it may be kept in water warm enough to keep the wax pliable so it may be readily applied by hand. It is well to keep the hands greased to prevent the wax from adhering to the fingers. There are two common methods of top-grafting : (i) Whip or tongue graft- ing, which is practised upon small branches and young trees ; (2) Cleft grafting, which is usually performed on branches from one-half to two inches in diameter. in wnip i^rafting the stock is cut with a bevel about one inch long, and the scion cut to fit that bevel. Both bevels are cut into slightly and the tongue of one fitted into the notch of the other. The cambium layers must be in contact on at least one side. .After the scion is set the wound should be covered with wax or similar substance to exclude the air. Large trees should not be entirely changed over in one year. The first year select the main branches ; the second year part of the remainder, and finish the third year. In this way much of the annoyance caused by the growth of water sprouts is avoided. When cutting off large branches for cleft grafting it is wise to cut twice, making the first cut a few inches above the position chosen for the scion. Then cut off the stub at the desired point, and avoid the danger of tearing the bark. With a chisel or grafting iron split the branch just far enough to admit the scions. Too deep a split weakens the stock, and the scions will not be held sufficiently firm. It is well to avoid grafting two horizontal limbs, one directly above the other. The tendency of new growth is upward, and the growths from the lower one will interfere with the upper. In branches, other than those growing perfectly upright, the split should be made parallel to, rather than at right angles to the ground. The scion should be made wedge-shaped, with bevel about one inch long, starting at each side just at the base of a bud. Make the scion three buds long, cutting off just above the third bud. It should be cut a little thicker on the side next to the bud, so that the stock may pinch tightly on that side to insure a close contact of the cambium layers. Open the cleft with the wedge end of the grafting chisel and insert one or two scions, as may be thought necessary. Place the lower bud of the scion to the outside. Do not force the scion down, but open the cleft by enough leverage ■■■ For more detailed information send for Bulletin 144, "Apple Culture." 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 23 on the chisel to admit the scion freely. Setting the scion with the top pointing slig-htly outward insures contact in at least one point. After setting the scions, cover all wounds with wax. It is sometimes necessary to remove part of the water-sprouts, which usually start during the summer, to give the scions room for proper development. By the following spring the scions should have made sufficient growth to require all space in that part of the tree, and all other growth should be removed. Sun Scald. Sun scald is an injury to trees which occurs most frequently in the northern districts. It is most serious on young trees, but may also affect the upper side of the large branches in older trees. It is caused by the action of the hot sun on the trunk and branches in the early spring. The first indication is an unhealthy ap- pearance of the bark on the south and south-west sides of trunk and upper side of large branches, the affected parts soon turn brown, then black, and finally die. In districts where sun scald is apt to occur, it is well to head the trees low and incline the stem slightly to the south-west. In this way the branches afford some shade to the trunk. Anything which will shade the trunk in early spring will prevent the injury. For this purpose the most convenient of the following materials may be used : cornstalks, birchbark, building paper, or a veneer of thin wood, such as is used in basket making. The large branches of old trees should receive natural protection from the small branches and twigs of the top. For this reason severe pruning of the top is not advisable in northern districts. When trees are badly affected they usually die, but where the injury is slight, and is noticed soon after it occurs, treatment is practicable. Cut away the in- jured parts, and cover the wound with grafting wax or some material which will keep the wood from drying out. If the tree is healthy and vigorous, the annual growth spreading in from the sound parts soon repairs the injury. Pkotection from Mice. During the past two or three years, mice have become a serious menace to young orchards. The rapid increase in numbers may be largely accounted for by the indiscriminate destruction of the farmer's best friends, the hawks, that feed largely on mice by day, and the owls, which take up the work by night. By care- fully protecting the hawks and owls for a few years, their numbers will again increase, so that the equilibrium of nature may be restored. In the meantime something must be done to protect the trees against the rodents. Mice seldom harbor in a green crop, and on clean fields they find no protec- tion. They are found chiefly along the fence lines and in old meadows. As there is usually some shelter afforded the mice near orchards, it is advisable to guard against their depredations. In localities where the snow falls early and remains on the ground all winter, the simplest means of protecting the trees is to tramp the snow firmly about the base of each tree early in the winter. Where the ground is not continuously covered with snow during the winter, a mound of earth about the tree is sometimes all that is required to divert the runways of the mice. Build- ing paper cut into strips which will reach about one foot high when tied about the trunk of the tree in autumn has been found to be both a cheap and an effect- ive preventive. Badly girdled trees usually die. When the part girdled is small and is cov- ered before the wood dries oiit with grafting wax or other substance which will protect the inner tissues, the tree may be saved. If the girdled part extends en- tirely around the tree, it will be necessary to establish some connection between 24 REPORT ON THE FRUITS OF ONTARIO. No. 24 the cambium above and below the injury. This may be done by bridge-grafting. For this purpose use long scions cut to a bevel on each end. Insert one end above and the other end below the girdle, making sure that the cut surfaces are in contact with the cambium layer. A sufficient number of these scions should be put in to convey the cambium from the top to the roots and all cut surfaces exposed should be covered with wax. Picking. Apples should be carefully picked by hand, without breaking the skin or bruising the fruit in any way. Summer varieties for immediate home use or special local trade should be allowed to ripen on the tree ; but if intended for distant markets or storage they should be picked when fully mature, but before they have commenced to mellow. Winter varieties should hang on the tree until they have reached full size and have taken on good color. Apples picked while still immature as a rule keep longer than if allowed to fully ripen on the tree, but they do not develop the full color nor the best quality. No sharp distinction can be made between green and mature, or between fully mature and over ripe fruit ; one blends imperceptibly into the other. Experience teaches at what stage to harvest the crop, in order to secure the highest quality and best keeping properties in the fruit. Sometimes, with summer varieties, it is necessary to go over a tree twice, picking the most mature specimens first and leaving the remainder for a week or two in order that they may more perfectly develop. Round bottom baskets or pails should be used for picking, and it is better to have them lined with cloth to pre- vent bruising the fruit. Fruit should not be piled on the ground, but should be placed at once on the sorting table or be placed in boxes or barrels for removal to the packing house. The apple should be picked with the stem on but without breaking off the fruit spur, as is likely to occur if the fruit is picked too green. Spring waggons should be used to convey the fruit to and from the packing house. When the trees have been properly pruned, the fruit may all be harvested from ladders. A short step ladder is convenient for the underside and low branches of the tree. For the upper branches light cedar ladders of suitable length will be found very convenient. Extension ladders have been praised very highly in the past, but as they are both awkward and cumbersome, practical growers are abandoning them. The practice of climbing through the tree to gather the fruit, and letting the baskets down to the ground by means of a rope, is out of date, and is not practised in commercial orchards. Inexperienced pick- ers often lose a great deal of time by not picking clean as they go, making it necessary to carry the ladder back and forth. Each time the ladder is moved all apples in reach should be picked. DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES ALEXANDER. (Emperor Alexander.) Flesh : y e 1 - lowish white ; crisp, not very fine, moderately juicy ;, , flavor subacid, pleas- ant. Quality: des- sert, fair ; cook- ing, good. Value : home market, first class ; can be successful ly shipped to Great Britain in cold storage. Season : Sep- tember to Nov- ember. Adaptation : quite general, the tree being hardv. Origin: intro- duced into Eng- land from Rus- sia in 1817. Thee : hardy, spreading, vig- orous, produc- tive; bears early. Fbuit : very large size ; form round, ovate, conical ; skin greenish yellow, russet dote, streaked or splashed with red; stem | inch long, set in a deep cavity; calyx large, nearly closed, set in a deep, even basin. Alexander. Section of Alexander. [25] 26 REPORT ON THE No. 24- ^ STRACH AN. ( Red Astrachan. %. «c Origin: imported from Sweden to England in 1816, and widely planted in South- ern Ontario for a summer market apple. Scarce another apple of its season equals it in beauty of appearance, for, in addition to its rich crimson color, it is often covered with pale white bloom. Selected fancy grades of this apple are usually in good demand in our home markets, but some- times there is a surplus, and prices even for Astrachans are very low. Promising for ex- port in cold storage. ASTR\CHAN Tree:, upright; very vig-, orous ; begins bearing early ; very productive. Fruit : medium to large round, narrowing towards apex ; skin, deep crimson when exposed to sun, yellow- ish green in shade, often covered with a thin, whitish bloom ; stem, stout, three- large on £avoral>li- -'id form roundisli oh>late, sliglitly smaller at the apex than at the base, very regu- 1 a r ; color yellowish, splashed with dull red on sunny side and streaked and with deep red dots small and distinct ; stem short, three- quarters of an inch long, stout in a large russet- ed cavity : calyx large and very open, with short segements placed in a large green cavity. Flesh: cream iv fine, crisp, modera juicy, flavor swei' slightly acid. Quality : dessiTl go(» ing very good. Value : home and foreign markets, first class Season : November to February. Adaptation : best apple districts only. into 1S4U. a scant bearer whi An apple that is constantly gaining in favor with both grower and con- sumer, because of its size, its beauty, its evenness of form and general excel- lence for cooking and dessert pur- poses. It is grown in the counties of Prince Edward' Victoria, Lincoln and elsewhere, and is highly valued as a commercial apple. It certainly deserves to be more gener- ally planted. Origin : a garden in Woodstock, Eng- land, near the resid- ence of the Duke of Marlboro' ; shown at a meeting of the London Horticul- e young, but a regular and Blenmieim. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 31 BENONI. A summer apple little grown in Ontario, and not highly esteemed'for commercial purposes. Origin ; Maesachueetts. Tree : spreading, fairly vigorous ; hardy ; fairly productive. Fruit : size scarcely medium ; form oblate conical ; skin rich yellow, blushed with red in the sun with a few scattered bright dots : stem half an inch long in a deep cavity ; calyx erect, partly closed in a deep basin. Flesh : color yellow ; texture tender and juicy ; flavor rich subacid. Quality : dessert very good ; cooking good. Value : market second class. Season ; August to September. BIETIGHEIMEK. A fall apple of magnificent appearance, attaining a very large size. Origin : Germany. Tree : habit vigorous, spreading ; an abundant biennial bearer ; hardy. Fruit : size very large, sometimes immense ; form round, oblate ; skin whitish yellow almost covered with pale red, and having a few obscure stripes and splashes, and numerous whitish dots ; stem very short, in a wide, regular shallow cavity ; calyx closed in a narrow slightly corrugated basin. Flesh : white ; texture firm, juicy ; flavor brisk, subacid. Quality : poor for dessert ; fair for cooking. Value : home and foreign market second class. Season : September. BLUE PEARMAIN. A variety found in many of the older orchards ; not productive enough to be profitable. Tree : strong, vigorous, healthy ; a light bearer. Fruit ; size, very large ; roundish, regular, slightly conical ; color, splashes and stripes of dark purplish red over a dull yellow ground, solid red in sun, with heavy white bloom and distinct white, russet dots ; stem three-quarters of an inch long, set in a wide, deep cavity ; calyx open in a smooth, shallow basin. Flesh : color yellowish ; texture firm, moderately juicy ; flavor mild acid, rich, aromatic. Quality : first rate . Value : not profitable on account of unproductiveness. Season : November to February. BOGDANOFF. A promising apple for the north ; not recommended where Spy and Baldwin succeed. Origin : Russia. Tree: growth vigorous ; habit upright. Fruit : size medium ; form roundish, somewhat ribbed ; color green or yellowish green often with faint bronze blush and numerous small white dots ; stem short, set in a shallow cavity ; calyx set in a broad, deep plaited basin. Flesh : color white ; texture tender and juicy ; flavor pleasant, subacid. Quality : dessert fair ; cooking good. Value : market second class. Season : November to February. 32 REPORT ON THE No. 24 BOIKEN. Tested at our Simcoe station since 1896 and esteemed worthy as a commercial apple. Origin : tree imported from Russia by Prof. Budd ; named after Dike- Warden Boike of Germany. Tree : a fair grower ; habit willowy, like Golden Russet ; an early and abundant bearer. Fruit : size medium : form oblate conical ; skin smooth, yellow with red cheek and many minute white dots ; stem long in a wide, deep cavity ; calyx in a wide, wrinkled basin of mod- erate depth. Flesh : color white ; texture firm, juicy, fine grained ; flavor sprightly, refreshing, subacid. Quality : dessert fair ; very good for cooking. Value : thought well of at Lake Simcoe Station for market. Season : November to Februarv. BOTTLE GREENING. An apple grown in some parts of Ontario for home uses, for which its excellent quality makes it very desirable ; it is not recommended for the commercial orchard, because the fruit is rather tender for shipment to distant markets. Origin : according to Chas. Downing this variety was found near the border line between Vermont and New York State, and takes its name from a hollow in the original tree, where workmen were accustomed to keeping their bottle. Tree : vigorous, productive. Fruit : medium to large ; form oblate, slightly conical ; color yellowish with bright red on one side, a thin bloom and a few light dots ; stem half an inch long in a deep, funnel-form cavity ; calyx nearly closed, in a moderately deep, slightly plaited basin. Flesh : greenish white ; texture fine, tender, juicy, almost melting ; flavor subacid. Quality : dessert, very good. Value : home market, first class ; foreign market, second class. Season : November to February. BROCKVILLE (Brochille Beauty). k seeding of Fameuse which is as yet grown only to a limited extent in the eastern part of the Province. This fruit is inclined to run small as the trees overload. 0ric;ix : near Brockville, Ontario. Tree: hardy, moderately vigorous ; bears heavily every alternate year. Fruit: form conical ; size medium to small ; skin white, almost covered with bright red. Flesh : color white ; texture crisp, tender, breaking : flavor brisk acid. Quality- : dessert and cooking good. Season : late August to mid September. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 33 CABASHEA. ( Twenty Ounce Pippin. ) Not worth planting in Ontario. Through confusing its name with that of Cayuga Red Streak, often called Twenty Ounce, this apple has been widely planted in our Province. The tree is unproductive and the fruit, although large and fine in appearance, drops early and is poor in quality. Origin : unknown. Tree : vigorous, spreading, unproductive. Fruit: large, rouniish oblate, slightly conical ; .skin yellowish green, shaded dull red on the sunny side ; stem five-eighth of an inch long, stout, in a wide cavity of moderate depth ; calyx open in a wide shallow ba.sin ; core medium. Flesh : white, firm, coarse, subacid, only fair for cooking, useless for dessert. Value : tested twenty years at Maplehurst, Grimsby, and found unprofitable on account ofjunproductiveness. Season : October to December. CANADA RED. (Red Cavada of Beach.) Origin : unknown ; Beach says it was brought from the neighborhood of Toronto, into Western New York State. Trek : a strong grower, productive in some places, while a shy bearer in others, and hence is not recommended. Feuit : medium to large, roundish conical ; skin yellow, well splashed and washed with deep, rather dull red ; dots fairly numerous, large, yellow, prominent ; cavity deep, narrow ; stem short, slender ; basin narrow, shallow, slightly wrinkled ; calyx small, partly open. Flesh : yellowish, tender, moderately juicy, mildly subacid with a pleasant but not high flavor ; core of medium size. Quality; :1 good. ...^ Season : mid to late'winter. CAYITGA. {Gayiign Red Sfreak, Tu'enty Ounce.) ATlarge, fine looking cooking apple for late autumn ; a good market sort ; grown in lim- ited quantities in Ontario. Origin : Connecticut. Tree : vigorous ; compact ; productive ; an annual bearer ; on large trees, growtli is straggling. Fruit: very large, roundish, uneven; skin greenish yellow to yellowish white, with marblings and stripes of red and crimson, and a few large grey dots ; stem three quarters of an inch long, in a deep, slightly russeted cavity ; calyx small, half open in a smooth shallow basin. Flesh : yellowisii white, texture coarse grained, tender, moderately juicy ; flavor brisk, subacid, pleasant. Quality : dessert poor, cooking good. Value : market first-class. Season : late autumn to early winter. COLVERT. A fairly good fall market apple, being large in size and rather attractive in ayyearance, tut of fair quality only. It has been widely planted in Ontario for market. For Idtchen ufe it is much inferior to the Gravenstein. Origin : unceitain. Tree : very vigorous and very productive. Fruit : large, form oblate, slightly conical ; skin greenish yellow, with cheek and faint stripes of dull red ; stem stout, half an inch in length. Flesh : color greenish wliite ; texture tender, moderately juicy ; flavor subacid, ordinary. Quality : dessert, fair ; cooking, good. Value : second-class for market. Season : October to November. Adaptation : succeeds at Georgian Bay and Bay of ^Quinte stations, and is widely grown in the older apple sections of Ontario. 3 F.O. 34 REPORT ON THE No. 24 CHARLAMOFF. { Foiiited Pipka, Arabia) One of the best hardy varieties of its season which has been suc- cessfully grown at our A 1 g o m a station. It is classed by the JMin- nesota State Horticultural Society as one of four varieties having the first degree of hardiness. Origin : Russia ; imported by Budd and Gibb. Tree ; very hardy ; habit spread- iiig; growth vigorous; very pro- ductive. Fkuit; size above medium ; form nhlong, truncated, angular, ribbed ; CHARL.\iM0FP {after S. B. Green). skin light yellow, covered with dark crimson stripes and splashes, with red cheek and white, minute dots; stem me- dium stout, in a deep, acute, russeted cavity ; calyx open, sometimes closed, in a wide, shallow, wrinkled basin. Flesh : color white, stained with red under the skin; tex- ture somewhat coarse, juicy ; flavor subacid, pleasant. Quality : dessert good. Value : market second class, being very perishable. Season : August, just before Duchess. Sa F.O. X X \V y 8e(TII)N of CllAKLAMdFE, 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 35 CRANBERRY PIPPIN. An apple worthy of being, planted in south- ern Ontario as a fancy variety for export ; al- though the quality is ordinary and not suit- able for dessert, its extreme beauty when opened in mid-winter, its large and even size, and the pro- ductiveness of the tree every alternate year, make it a desirable variety. Sometimes, however, this variety is subject to warts and knots which mar its beauty. Origin : accidental, on a farm, near Hudson N. Y. Tree : very vigorous, healthy, spreading, and productive. Cranberry Pippin. X Fruit : medium to large, roundish, ol)late ;skin smooth, yellow shaded and striped with two shades of red ; stem slender, one- eighth of an inch long in a deep cavity ; calyx closed, in a wide, wrinkled basin. Flesh ; color white ; texture firm, cri.sp, coarse, moderately juicy ; flavor subacid. Quality : dessert, poor, cooking fair. Value : market second clats. Sea.son : November to February. Adaptation : southern portions of the Province, especially along the shores of the lakes. Section op Cranberry Pippin. 36 REPORT ON THE No. 24 DUCHESS. ( Oldenburg of Doiiming, Borontsky of Royal Horticultural Society, 1824- ) 111 cold storage, this apple maybe profitably exported to Great Britain . It succeeds in every part of Ontario where the apple can be grown, and its beauty always brings for it the top price in the market. Origin ; Taurida Gardens, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1824 ; introduced into England by the Royal Hc^rticultural Society in 1824. Tree ; very hardy, very vigorous and an earlv and abundant bearer. Fruit : medium to large ; form regular, roundish oblate, one sided ; skin greenish yellow, Duchess Section of Duchess with'ibright red stripes, splashes and numerous russety dots ; stalk slend- er, three-quarters of an inch long, set in a deep funnel-shaped cavity; calyx long, closed, in a deep broad plaited basin. Flesh : greeni.h, turn- ing yellowish white at ma- turity ; texture fine, firm and juicy ; flavor brisk, refreshinix acid. Quality : dessert fair, cooking good. V.-VLUE .• first class of its season for home mar- ket. Season : ; August and September. Adaptation : general. Succeeds fairly well wherever apples are grown in the Province, and does exceptionally well on the borders of Lakes Ontario and Erie. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. EAKLY HARVEST. The beet apple of its season for dessert, E but of late years rendered worthless ,in Ontario by scab, which not only spoils its appearance, but lessens its size and injures its flavor. The Early Harvest and Fall Pippin are the two apples which seem to be least able to resist this terrible / fungus, and which most favor its spread. Un_ less, therefore, the fungus is checked by spray- / ing with the Bordeaux mixture, this apple must i be left out of the list of desirable varieties . \ Origin : United States , in cultivation since about 1700 A.D. \ \ Tree : only medium in vigor, never attain- \ ing a large size, old trees averaging from one- ■-«—_,... half to two-thirds the size of Greening trees of the same age ; upright and spreading ; produc- tive, considering the size of the tree and the fruit ; yield of full grown trees averages about four barrels every alternate year. Fruit : medium round, oblate ; skin smooth, bright straw icolor when ripe, with a; few faint dots ; stem short, one-half to three-quarters of an inch, in a medium cavity, often rus- seted ; calyx closed in a shallow, sometimes slightly plaited basin. Flesh : white, fine grained, juicy, crisp, tender ; flavor rich, sprightly, pleasant subacid. Season : late July to early August. Quality : dessert best; cooking good. Value : borne market first class ; foreign market second class. Adaptation : succeeds in the best apple districts, but is much subject to scab. FILLBASKET. (Keniish FiUhaskei.) An old English variety of great beauty of appearance and enormous size, often exceeding four inches in diameter. It is not, however, much grown in the commercial orchards of Ontario, being a fall apple, ill adapted to export, unless by cold storage, and of very ordinarv quality. Origin : England. Tree: vigorous, fairly productive, semi-hardy. Fruit : very large, globular, slightly ribbed ; color smooth, shiny, light green or pale yellow, sometimes almost white, and on sunny side splashed and striped with bright red ; stem stout, short, 1 inch long, set in a large cavity ; calyx closed, set in a large plaited basin. Flesh : fine grained, tender and juicy ; flavor mild, subacid. Quality : poor for dessert, good for cooking. Value : home market second class ; foreign market third class. Season : October to December. Adaptation : North shore Lakes Ontario and Erie, east shore Lake Huron. 38 REPORT ON THE No. 24 FALLAWATER. form i-ound, regu- lar, smooth ; color pea green, shaded on sunny side with brownish red cheek, dots sparse, large light green ; stem half an inch long, stout, set in a nar- row, moderately deep cavity ; calyx small, nearly closed, set in a shallow wrinkled basin. Flesh ; green- ish white ; texture fine-grained, firm, moderately juicy ; flavor mild subacid, fair. Quality : fair for cooking. Value : home and foreign market first class. Sea.son : Janu- ary to March Fallawatf.e A large apple, of even size and fine appearance, which is grown for market quite extensively in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and in some of the Western States, and to some extent in Ontario. Were it more uni- formly productive, we could recom- mend it as a profit- able commercial variety. Origin ; Penn- sylvania. Tkee : a vigor- ous grower; fairly productive. Fruit : size large to very large ; Section op Fallawater Adaptation : successfully grown at our Bay of Quinte station and farther south ; also in the Lake Huron district, but in same localities it all parts of the Province is said to be short-lived. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 39 FALL PIPPIN. '^ ' '^4 &■ A general favorite as a tall cooking apple, and possessing a fairly good flavor as a dessert apple. It was at one time planted very freely, but of late years it has been discarded because of its liability to the apple scab. Origin : America, probably from seed of Holland Pippin. Tree : habit stout, vigorous, spreading ; head round; long lived, some trees in Niagara district are now over 100 years of age ; fairly productive. Fhuit : large ; form roundish, sometimes obscurely ribbed ; skin yellow, often with red cheek and a few small grey dots ; stalk half to three quarters of an inch long, set in a small, moderately deep Fall Pii'i'lN. cavity; calyx small, open in a small, moder- ately deep basin. Flesh : greenish white ; texture tender, mellow, and fairly juicy ; flavor brisk, pleasant, aromatic. Quality : dessert fair ; cooking best. Value : home mar- ket first class, foreign market second class. Season : November and December. Adaptation : hardy in the best apple dis- tricts, but very subject to scab. Section of Fall Pippin. 40 REPORT ON THE No. 2i FAMEUSE. {Snow, Pomme de Neige). The most highlj' valued of all table apples, and but for one fault the Pameuse would be the most profitable of all, especially in Eastern Ontario, where it attains its highest perfection. The fault is that it is quite subject to the apple scab, so that in some places the fruit is entirely worthless. Okigin : Provinceof Quebec, pro- bably from seeds brought from France ; it is often called Snow, from the color of its flesh, and its proper name signifies a famous apple. Teee : moderately vigorous ; moderately piroductive ; hardy. Fruit : medium size, roundish ; skin, light green, striped and shaded with two shades of red, often nearly covered with deep red ; stalk slender, half an inch long, in a small deep cavity , calyx email, segments often recurved, set in a shallow, slightly plaited basin. Fameuse. Flesh : snow white ; texture tender, very fine grained, breaking, juicy ; flavor, aromatic. Quality : dessert first-class ; cooking fair. Value : first class for all mar- kets, when perfect in form and free from spots. Season : October to December, Adaptation : general, but spe- cially adapted to eastern portion of the Province. ?f -* I \ Sectio.n' of Fameuse. 1906 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 41 GIDEON. A very pretty apple, but inclined to rot at the core : I' it is les.s Iiighly colored than Duchess. These faults will prevent its being popular as an export apple. Okigin : by Peter M. Gid- eon, Excelsior, Minn., U.S. ; of same parentage asWealthy. Trke : vigorous, hardy, holds fruit well, productive. Fruit : large, round or slightly conical ; skin white, with bright red cheek shaded with deeper red splashes ; dots white, obscure ; cavity - broad, deep, regular or slightly corrugated ; stem one inch long, slenderi; calyx half closed, in a email, corru- gated basin. Gideon. Flesh ; white, flaky, tender, almost melting, yet crisp, fine, juicy, and of good flavor. Quality : dessert, poor ; cooking, fair. Value : home market second class ; foreign third class. Season : September to November ; October at Ottawa. Adaptation: only valuable in the north. .?^'^^**™***«^»S^^ "^l! .>'• ,.^' Section op Gideon. 42 REPORT ON THE No. 24 GOLDEN RUSSKT. &gj This is the Golden Russet of Western New York. (It is sometimes incorrectly called American Golden Russet, which is a tender fleshed apple onlj' keeping until January). This apple is very valuable in the colder sections of the Ontario apple belt, the tree being comparatively hard)', and the fruit of high commercial value ; in the warmer sections it is considerablj' grown in the older orchards, but not much planted of late years, because it is only rf medium size, tedious to harvest, and inclined to drop earl v. Golden Russei'. Tree : fairly vigorous, shoots slender, or willowy, speckled; habit irregular; only fairly productive. Fruit : size medium ; form roundish, slightly oblong, slightly flattened ; skin covered with thick russet, ocoasionall)' showing a patch of greenish yellow ; stem slender, half an inch to one inch long ; not subject to scab. Flesh ; color yellowish, texture fine grained, firm, crisp ; flavor aromatic, subacid. Quality : dessert fair ; cooking good. \ Section of Golden Russet. Value : export first class. Season : keeps till May in cold cellar, but is inclined to shrivel if the air is dry and warm. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 43 GRAVENSTEIN. \ I Sectiox of Gkavexstein. back to about 1760. It is now widely grown in Western Europe Tkee : much more vigoroii? in trmutli thanordinaryvarietips.aiiil Avhen ill bloom remarkably l>c;iinil'iil with its extraordiriarv sized purewhiteblossoms: hared, making it very attractive ; stem stout, three-quarters of an, inch long, set in a, deep, uneven cavity : calyx half closed, segments erect, in a moderately deep, shghtly plaited [basin, having five distinct prominences ; core large, open, sessile. Flesh ; color yellowish!; texture tender, firm, becoming toward springjinoderately :juicy ; flavor pleasant, subacid. Quality : dessert or cooking, fair to good. Value : promising for export. Season ; November to March, Adaptation : succeeds remarkably well in the County of Simcoe and at othei' favored points in the north. SCOTT WINTER. In the province of Quebec this is considered the best late winter cook- ing apple, the tree [being very hardy and the fruit a long keeper ; useful for tbe'northerly limits of apple culture. Origin : On the Scott farm, New- port, ^Vermont. Introduced bj' Dr. Hoskins, of Newport. Thee : vigorous ; habit upright ; productive, an early bearer. Fruit : size small to medium ; form roundish oblate, slightly conical; skin yellow,' [washed, striped and splashed with red ; stem short set in a regular, deep, russeted cavity ; calyx closed in^a' narrow abrupt, wavy basin. Scott Wintek. Flesh ; color yellow ; texture fine grained, crisp, juicy ; flavor pleasant, sprightly acid. Quality : dessert fair ; cooking ', good. \ Value : fruit rather small, for \^ market except under high cultivation. \ Season : late winter. Section of Scott Winter. 68 REPORT ON THE No. 24 SEEK-NO-FURTHER { Wesifield. An old commercial variet}', at one time considerably planted in some parts of Ontario, and still highly val- ued by some apple growers. Not much planted in the newer orchards. Origin : near AVestfield, Connecticut, U.S.A., about 1796. Thee : vigorous ; habit spreading ; productive. Suc- ceeds best on rich sandy loam. Fruit: size medium; form roundish conical ; skin green- ish yellow shaded with dull red, striped with bright red, with russet veinings and a few large prominent yellow Seek-no-further. dots ; stem short in a deep, slightly russeted cavity ; calyx usually open in a nar- row, shallow leather cracked basin ; not subject to scab. Flesh : yellowish white ; fine grained, tender : flavor spicy, pleasant, subacid. Qu,\LiTV ; dessert very good ; cooking fair. Value : market first to second class. Season : October to Feb- ruarv. Section of Sefk-no-further. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 69 SHIAWASSEE {Shiamissec Beaiily. ) A fine variety of the Fameuse^type ; much less subject to scab than Fanieuse itself. A fancy variety for des- sert purposes. Origin : in Shia- wassee County, Michi- gan, supposed to be a seedling of Fameuse. Tree : hardy ; vig- orous ; upright ; pro- duclive alternate vears. Fruit : size medium to large ; form decid- edly oblate ; color yel- lowish ground, almost entirely covered with stripes, splashings and mottlings of dark crim- son, and a few large prominent yellowish dots ; stem slender, three-quarters of an inch long, set in a broar rich and sweet. Qu.tLiTY : very good for di'Ssert ; fair for conking. Value ; market second-class. Season : mid .July. apex a slight DYEHOUSE. An early Morello cherry, ripening just in advance of Early Richmond, to which it is quite similar. Origin: Central Kentucl^y ; an accidental seedling in the orchard of Mr. Dyehouse. Tree: an early and abundant bearer; habit round, spreading head, slender; fairly vigorous; not as hardy as Richmond; class Kentish. Fruit : medium size, 9-16 x 11-16 of an inch ; roundish oblate ; apex depressed : stem half inch long, rather stout, set in a large cavity; color light red. Flesh: palo yellow; fairly firm; juicy; flavor acid. Quality : dessert poor ; cooking first class. Season: early July. Dyehouse. EARLY PURPLE. (Karhj Purpk Guigw.) The e;irljest cherry is the Early Purple, a foreign variety known in France as the Early Purple Guigne. The tree is a vigorous, upright grower, and becomes quite produciive as it acquires age. Frequently the birds destroy the fruit before it matures, and if gathered as soon as colored red, it is little more than " skin and bones." The last few days of growth, the fruit fills out wonderfully, and then becomes almost a so-called "black cherry." Not usually profitable. Tree: upright, vigorous, healthy ; productive when full grown. Fecjit : medium size ; roundish heart-shaped ; skin dark red to jiurple ; stem two inches long in a shallow cavity : suture obscure. Flesh ; red to purple ; texture tender, juicy ; flavor sweet and pleasant. Quality : dessert good. Value : market second class. Season ; mid June. Adaptation : grown at Maplehurst for thirty years and c|uite hardy ; recommended for trial north of Lake Ontario. 88 REPORT ON THE No. 24 EAGLl-:. [Black luigU.) A very excellent dessei't clieiry, Avell deservinj; a place in the home garden, but not surticiently pioiluctive to be recommended foj' tlie cominercial orchard. The average annual yield of large tiees at -Maplehin'ft is froui twenty-live to thirty quarts. The fruit is usually in scatiered clusters, and often borne i-ingly, making the gathering expensive. In England this variety is more productive than in Canada. Okigi.n : England. ISIO, by Mi^s I". Knight, of Ddwntou Castle, from Bigaireau and i\l:iy Duke. TuEE : second rate in vigor, of a round spreading habit; thii'd rate in productiveness ; group, Bigarreau. Fkuit : medium to large, averaging about \l long by \i of an inch wide ; form obtuse heart-shaped, almost ronndish oblate ; skin dark red, becoming almost black ; stalk slender, i J to ] J inches long in a medium cavity ; suture obsolete ; stone small. Flesh : dark purple ; texture tender and juicy ; flavor very sweet, rich and delicious. Quality : very good for dessert. Value ; first cla.'rS for near markets ; second rate for distant markets because it soon decays. Black Eagle. (Eeduced). Shasox : mid ,Tuly. ELTON. An excellent dessert cherry for the garden, but too soft and too much in- clined to rot, to be worthy of a place in the commercial orchard. Origin: England. Tree : a vigorous grower ; upright in habit; quite productive. Fruit : medium to laige ; color pale yellow with red bhisli ; stem two inche.s long set in a deep cavity. Flesh: light yellow; texture deli- cate, tender, moderately juicy; flavor sweet, vinous, delicious. Ouality : dessei't good ; cooking fair. Value: fair, but like most whit° cherries, not popular in the market, be- cause inclined to show the slightest bruises. Season: earlv Jnlv. Elton. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 89 GRENNKE GLAS. TiiEE : upright; fruit in clusters ; vigorous; moderately productive. Fkuit : large in size, gxj ; form oblate, one sided; color bright red ; cavity broad, shallow ; stem 1} inches in length ; apex is a small depression ; suture traceable on one side. Fj.ESH : color yellowish with colorless juice ; texture tender ; very juicy ; flavor tart. Quality : dessert poor ; cooking very good. Value : market first class. Season : mid July. HORTEXSE. {Seine Hortense.) One of the finest flavored of cooking cherries, and one which deserves the first place in the home garden. It is not as productive as the May Duke, but from its habit of fruiting singly is less subject to rot than that excellent variety. Obigin : France, in 1832. by V. Larose, Keuilly : first fruited in 1R3P. Tkee : of somewhat spreading habit, a vigorous and handsome grower and fairly jiroductive ; group, liuke. Frujt ; very large ; roundish elong- ated ; side' slightly compressed ; skin, thin, light shining red mottled with darker red, becoming lirher in color the longer i hangs ; stalk slender, about two inches long. Flesh : creamy yellow ; texture netted, very tender, juicy ; flavor slightly subacid, excellent. Quality ; very good for cooking ; very good fordei=sert. Value : first to second class for market. HoETENSE. Se\son : mid Julv. <)0 REPORT ON THli No. 24 KNIGHT. {Knight's Early Blade.) A delicious early, black cherry, ripening about a week in advance of Black Tartarian. It is a regular and even bearer. Tiie fruit is borne singly, or, occasionally, in pairs, a!!''**. and therefore is not gathered as rapidly as those varieties which grow in clusters. It is one of the most valuable dessert ■cherries, but not so productive as the Tartarian. Origin ; England, by T. A. Knight, in 1810, from Bigarreau crossed with May Duke. Thee : he-ilthy, fairly vigorous, with apreading head; second rate in produc- / 'i tiveness ; group, Heart. ' | '' i FuuiT ; medium to large ; form obtuse, , ^ heart-shaped, uneven; skin dark led or ■ *) pur|)le, becoming almost black if allowed ^ to hang ; stalk two inches long in a rather -^^ J^ 'r.i'je cavity. % Fle.sh : dark red to purple; texture tender and juicy, but firmer than Tar- ^^^_ ,^^" tarian ; flavor sweet, rich and delicious ; •^^, ,, /,»■' stiine small. ' -^^ „ Quality : very good for all purposes. Value : for market first class. Season : late June. Knight. "^^j' 1^ KOSLOV. (Ku^'lar MnreUi,.) A valuable dwarf gi'owing cherry of the Morello cla.ss, which is e.xtremely hardy, a]:d promises to be of the greatest value in the cold sections of Ontario. Origin : fifty trees of this variety were imported from Jaroslav Nieraetz of Winnitza Podolie, Russia, in 1889 by Mr. Linus Wool verton, then Secretary of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association, and by him distributed among the directors, and a few sent to Dr. "Wm. Saunders of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Tree : habit bush form, very slow of growth, might be planted six feet apart in a field mid cultivated two ways; very hardy, Niemetz says it has endured a temperature of 46 le^'iees below zero in Russia ; very productive. FnuiT : fairly large ; form roundish ; color dark red, turning lilack at maturity ; Sialk one and a half inches long, set in a slight depression ; suture traceable. Flksh : red, turnijig dark red at maturity ; texture tender, juicy ; flavor mild acid. Quality : cooking good. Value : almost first class. Season : early August. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 91 LATE DUKK [Anglaiye Tardire.) roundish, A most desirable cooking cherry, because of ita mild agreeable acid ; and one of the most profitable of the Dukes, because (1) of its productiveness, and (2) of its season, whicli is between tlie Early Rich- mond and Montmorency. Thisand May Duke, which precedes it aliout t-vvo weeks, cover the early part of the season for cooking purposes ; while Montmorency (Kentish) and English Morello extend the season of cooking cherries to the Ist of August. Tree : habit upright ; very vigorous and very productive ; group, Duke. FnuiT : large of its class, Jxf of an inch ; form slightly flattened ; color partly covered with bright red, but rich, dark red %vhen fully ripe ; stalk !•! inches long, in.serted in a shallow cavity ; suture traceable ; flesh creamy white, tender and juicy ; flavor very mild, agreeable acid. Quality : good for • dessert; ^ best for % cooking. ff Season: mid .Tulv. Late Duke. MAGNIFIQTJE. Chiefly valuable for its lateness of ripening. Origin : France. Tree : upright round habit ; vigor moderate ; not very productive ; Duke. Fruit : about | of an inch long by I broad; form heart shape, flattened, obtuse ; color bright red ; stem about two inches long, set in a large broad cavity ; suture traceable. Flesh : color light yellow ; juice uncolored; texture tender, juicy; flavor sub-acid. Quality; dessert poor: cooking good. Value : market second class. Season : late July. (Belle Maonifique). Magnifique. 92 REPORT ON THE No. 24 MAY A fine cookinc; cherry. DUKE. {Early Duke, Royal Haticc. The great productiveness, Ma\ Dl-kis. health and vigor of the tree, the mild acid of the fruit ripening over a con- siderable season, all tend to make this a favorite variety. The fruit is rather tender for distant shipments, and in- clined to rot in wet seasons. These Duke cherries have green and ripe fruit at the same time, which makes them undesirable for commercial orcharding, as it necessitates several pickings instead of one, increasing the cost of harvest beyond the margin of profit. Okigin : Medoc, a Province in France, fronj whence the name is said to be a corruption. Tree : upright, a habit especially noticeable in young trees ; vigorous, hardy and productive ; group, Duke. Fruit : size small to medium ; form roundish, obtuse, heart-shaped, with traceable suture and distinct indenta- tion to apex ; grows in clusters ; skin bright red, turning darker at full maturity ; stalk 11 to 2 inches long ; stone small. Fle>h : red ; te.xture tender, very juicy ; flavor subacid, and very good. Quality : good for dessert, first class for cooking. Se.\son' : late June. MEZEL. — ( J/on.s(cc((se de .Vezd, Bigarreau of Mezel.) One of the finest of the late black cherries, of large size and great productiveness. Though a Bignrreau it has not tlie fault of its class of being especially subject to rot ; it is not so black in color as the Elkhorn, but dark enough a red to be classed with the black cherries. Origin : Mezel, France ; first introduced in 1846. Tree : upright, spreading, a very vigorous grower; one tree at Maplehnrst foi ty years planted was thirty feet in height in Z897, and covered an area about the same number of feet in diameter ; first rate in hardi- ness and in productiveness ; group, Bigarreau. Fruit : very large, fifteen-sixteenths of an inch long i)v one inch in width ; form obtuse, heart shaped, slightly flattened, with a clearly-defined suture on one side, ending in a slight nipple ; skin dark red at first, changing to dark purple at maturity ; stalk two inches long, slender, set in good sized cavity. Flesh: firm, juicy, breaking; flavor sweet, good. Quality : for dessert very good. Value : for market first class. Season ; mid .July. •^iC*? Mkzri.. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 93 MONTMORENCY, Of all tlie Morello cherries this seems to us the most profitable. The tree is one of the most vigorous in its class, the fruit being large and abundant. This and the Eaily Richmond cover the season very well, and are the two leading Kentish varieties for market. In Frame this cherry has many syno- nyms, as, for example, Montmorency, a longue queue, Petit-Gobet, etc. Ohigi.v : Montmorency valley in France in middle of 17th centurv. Teke : hardy, healthy, fairly vigorous, very jiroductive and an early bearer. Fkuit : attaclieil in ones and twos ; size 'J long by ^ ijich broad; lorm roundish, almost flattened at apex ; skin bright shiny red, becoming darker at maturity, easily detached from the flesh ; stem li inches long, in a rather large cavity. Flesh : pinkish yellow, tender, very juicy, sprightly acid. Qu.\LiTV : very good for cooking. Y-iLUE : for market first class. Season : mid .luly. MoKTMoiiEKCY. Adapt.atiox : general overthe Province. MOKELLO An old reliable variety for cooking purposes, known in England for nearly three hundred years, and deserving of wider cultivation in Ontario. Downing' thinks the name Morello is from Morns. the Mulberry, from the dark purple color of its juice, which resembles th.nt of the mulberry ; a profitable market variety. Tree: habit spreading, slender, hardy and very productive ; vigor medium ; group, Morello. Fklit : fairly large, roundish, nearly heart shaped, somewhat flattened on one side, with a slightly traceable suture. Skin : red, turning dark red or purple towards maturity ; stalk about IJ inches long, inserted in a shallow cavity ; stone small, slightly cling. Flesh : very dark red ; te.xture tender, juicy ; flavor acid, becoming more sub- acid and agreeable the more it matures. Quality: dessert very poor, cooking first-class. A^alue : home market second class. "^EA«ON : early August. -( English Morello. ) MoKELLO, 94 REPORT ON THE No. 24 NAPOLEOX. [Napukon A valuable variety of foreign origin. Perhaps the most productive variety known, yielding fruit of the very largest size which is in good demand and, therefore, one of the most desir- able for the commercial ort'hard. It has one serious fault, namely, it is very subject to the rot, especially in wet seasons, and sometimes the whole crop of this variety is ruined by it. Trei! : upright, spjreading, vigorous, hardy on the south shore of Lake Ontario ; very productive. F];uiT : very large, oblong heart sha|.ed ; skin yellow ground, light in shade, rich red cheek in the sun, sometimes mottled ; stem IJ inches long ; suture plainly traceable. Flesh ; yellowish white, very firm, meaty, fairly juicy ; flavor good; texture much esteemed for canning because it looks well in the jars and bears cooking well. Quality : dessert medium. V.^LUE : market first class. Se.^son : early .Tulv. ^igarreau, Royal Anne uf California.) Napoleon. OREL 25. One of the hardiest of the Morello cherries ; reported upon favorably by our northern stations, and considered by Mr. Jones, of our St. Lawrence station, the best all round cherry yet tested for cold sections. Origin : Russia ; imported by Prof. Bndd in 1883. Tree: rather a slow grower; an early and abundant bearer; habit round spreading head. Orel. Fruit: medium size, f x | of an inch; form roundish; color carmine; stem one and a quarter to one and a half inches in a round cavity; apex a distinct depression; suture partly traceable. Flesh: color yellowish; texture tender, juicy; juice uncolored ; flavor mild subacid. Quality: dessert poor; cooking good. Value : market first class Season : mid July. Adaptation: one of the hardiest varieties. 1906 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 95 OLIVET. From tests in the expeiimen(al orchard, we judge the Olivet to be a valuable variely for the home garden. Tlie tree is a fine grower, and the fruit large and attractive, with a mild acid flavor, while in Beason it immediately succeeds the Reine Hortense. Tkee: of French oiigin, usually classed with the Dukes, fairly vigorous ; hardy ; product- iveness second rate FfiuiT : large, | by j, obtuse, heart-shaped, almost round ; color dark rich carmine ; stem 1 to IJ inches long in a broad cavity, often in pairs. Flesh : reildish ; texture soft, melting, very juicy ; juice stains red ; flavor very mild^ pleasant acid. Quality : dessert fair, cooking very good to tirst-class. Value : not yet determined in Ontario. Se.ason : early July. OSTHEIM.- ( Griolte d' Ostlieim.) This Morello cherry was distributed throughout the Province by the Ontario Fruit Grow- ers' Association. The fruit is of fair size, productive enough to be profitable, and good for all purposes. Its hardiness should make it a special favorite in the colder sections to succeed the- Montmorencv. Oh!H£l\L OuKiiN ; South of Spain, brought to Germany early in the IStli Century, and cultivated near Ostheim, Saxe- Weimar, whence its name. TRpii ; third rate in vig^.r, almost a dwarf; first in hardiness, and second rate in pro- ductiveness; group, Morello. Fkuit : medium, about 1% x || of an inch in length and breadth. The variety must vary, since Dr. Hogg describes it as large, and LeRo describes the stalk two inches long, set in a pronounced cavity ; form round, slightly depressed at the side ; color very dark purple, al- most black when ripe ; stalk one and three eighths inches ; suture not traceable ; pit small,. cling. Flesh : color very dark purple, texture tender, juicy, almost sweet when ripe, agreeable. Qu.iLiTY : poor for dessert, fair for cooking. Value: for market third class. Se.^son : late July. AuAiTATiON : quite general ; found fruiting freely in St. Joseph's Island, Algoma. 96 REPORT ON THH -Vo. 24 OHIO (Ohio Beautfi). A sweet cherry, succeeiling Wooil ; nnt subject to rot Origin : Ohio. Tree: habit upright ; vigonms producer ; class Heart. Fkuit : size large, -J j x \'-'. ; turm heartshaped ; stalk one and a halt inches long, slender in a moderately deep, somewhat irregular cavity ; color light yellow, nearly overspread witii light and dark shades of hright red. Flesh ; color yellowish white ; texture tender, meaty, somewhat juicy ; flavor sweet, very pleasant. Qi ALTTY : dessert very good ; cooking fair. A'.\LUE : market second class compared with black oxhearts. Sro.vsox : early to mid July. PURITY. A remarkably fine Morello cherry, ripening slightly in advance of the Early Richmond, and very productive. It closely resembles Dyehouse. Thee: fairly vigorous, healthy and productive ; an early bearer. Fju'it: size fair, -| x J of an inch ; form roundish ; color very dark red ; stem long, li to 2 inches long, set in a deep cavity ; apex much depressed ; pit small. Fi.EsH : color yellowish ; texture tender ; very juicy ; flavor subacid ; pleasant. QrALiTY : dessert fair ; cooking very good to best. Nalue: market first class. S);asox: late June to early July. PLYMOUTH [Plymouth Rock). A valuable white Bigarreau because not subject to rot, and a fine shipper. Origin: Connecticut. Tkee: vigorous ; very productive ; an early bearer. Fkuit: medium, f xj of an inch; heart shaped ; color bright red in sun on yellowi.=h ground ; stem If inches long in a one-sided cavity. Flesh : j'ellow ; texture tender, meaty, moderately juicy ; flavor sweet, rich, excellent. Quality : very good for dessert. A'alue: market second class. Season : mid ,Iuly. RICHMOND [Earhi Pdchmond). ( Virgmian May ; Kentish Pie of Hogg ; Platire of LeRoy. ) This Morello cherry appears to be of French origin, and George Lindley supposed that it had been brought into England from Flanders in the reign of Henry 11 [. Tree: slow grower, slender in branch ; very hardy; very productive in proportion toils Richmond. Fruit : lielow medium, fiee from rot an' ; Havor sweet and agreeable. Quality : dessert, good to very good. Value : home market first class ; di-tant market third class. Seas".\ : mid to late jVugu^t. Prisht ; dots 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 113 JACQUES RARERIPE. A fine yellow peach, succeeding the Early Crawford, but too tender in fleph for distant shipment. Origin : Massachusetts. Tkee : ductive. vigorous, healthy and pro- Fruit : size large ; form roundish oblate ; color dark yellow, shaded with red, especially on the sunny side ; down heavy ; cavity large and deep ; apex in a depression ; suture distinct ; stone free. J.ACQUES Rareripe. Flesh : color deep yellow, red at the pit : texture tender, juicy ; flavor good, not very sweet. QUALITY : dessert good ; cooking very good. T.vLUE : near market first class ; dis- tant market, second clas^. Se.ason : mid September. Section of Jacques Rareripe. 8 F. O. 114 REPORT ON THE No. 24 KALAMAZOO. A popular market peach in Michigan ; inferior to Elberta. Origin : Michigan. Teee ; vigorous and very productive. Fruit : medium in size, form roundish oval, sides unequal ; color yellow, with red cheek ; cavity deep, narrow, irregular ; apex a small point in a slight depression ; suture traceable be- yond the apex ; free stone. / Kalamazoo. Flesh : color yellow, red at pit ; texture moderately tender and juicy ; flavor fairly sweet. Quality : dessert poor ; cooking good. Valui : near market good ; rather too small to sell with Elberta, or even to follow that large, showy variety. Season ; mid to late September. LATE CRAWFORD. A fine large yellow peach, not quite equal to Early Crawford in flavor. It has not been very profitable because the tree is not very productive and the fruit is inclined to drop before it reaches its best condition. Origin : New Jersey. Tree: vigorous ; only fairly productive. Fruit: large to very large ; color dull yellow or olive green, with dark ired cheek ; cavity large and deep ; suture traceable ; free stone. Flesh; deep yellow, red at the stone ; texture juicy and melting ; flavor rich, vinous. Quality : dessert good ; cooking very good. Value: market, first class. Season : late September. 8a F. O. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 115 LONGHURST. A very productive late variety, highly esteemed for canning. It is considered a proiitable variety by many peach growers, but unless given the best culture, the fruit is small and un- attractive in appearance. Tkee: hardy; fairly vigorous ; very productive. Budd says the fruit buds of this variety have proven exceptionally hardy in Michigan. Fruit: medium in size; form oval, larger on side of suture, which is clearly traceable, end- ing in a pointed apex; color dull yellow, with dark red cheek in sun; down thick; cavity deep, abrupt, shouldered; pit small, free. **!/ LoNGHUHST. Flesh: color yellow, red at pit; texture tender, almost buttery, moderately juicy; flavor vinous, sweet, agreeable. Quality ; dessert, fair ; cooking or preserving very good. Value : market second class, unless unusually well grown. Season : late September to early October. LEMON CLING. A large and showy peach, at one time planted freely in Ontario orchards, but of late discarded because of its cling stone. Origin: South Carolina. Tree: vigorous, hardy and productive. Fruit: large, form roundish, narrowed towards apex, which is large and prominent, some- what like that of the lemon; skin deep yellow, with a dark brownish-red cheek. Flesh: color yellow, tinged with red at the pit; texture firm, not very juicy; flavor pleasant, sprighth', subacid. Quality: dessert fair; cooking, fair. Value: market second class. Season: late September. 116 REPORT ON THE No. 2* LEWIS. A tine market peach to succeed St. John and to precede Early Crawford. Origin: Michigan. Tree; heaUhy, vigorous, very productive. Fruit; medium to large; form round; color yellowish white, largely overspread with red; suture depressed. Elesh: yellowish white, red next the pit; texture tender, juicy; flavor very pleasant. QinLnY: dessert good; cooking good. V.\LUE : home market first class; distant market seconston, Clairgeau, Anjou, Easter Beurre. Domestic: Doyenne, Manning, Giffard, Boussock, Rostiezer, Marguerite, Sheldon, Scckel, Triumph, Ritson, Louise, Hardy, Diel, Anjou, Lawrence. Burlington District: By A. W. Peart, Burlington, Ont. Commercial: Wilder, Clapp, Bartlett, Boussock, Louise, Duchess (dwarf), Anjou, Kieffer, Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre. Domestic: Wilder, Bartlett, Louise, Anjou, Winter Nelis. Bay of Quinte District: By W. H. Derapsey, Trenton, Ont. Commercial and Domestic: Giffard, Tyson, Clapp, Boussock, Hardy, Whit© Doy- enne, Dempsey, Bosc, Clairgeau, Goodale, Lawrence, Josephine. St. Lawrence District: By Harold Jones, Maitland, Ont. Domestic: Clapp, Flemish, Ritson. DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. ANSAULT. Claimed to be a good general purpose pear for home uses, but not as yet widely tested. Ohigin : France. Tree ; an early and abundant bearer. Fruit : size medium ; roundish oblate pyriform ;l8kin green, yellowing at maturity, mostly covered with russet ; stem J inch to one inch_long, in a small irregular, often oblique cavity ; calyx small, open in an abrupt, deep basin. Fi.esh : color creamy white ; texture tender, fine grained, buttery, juicy ; flavor agree- able, aromatic, very pleasant. Quality : fair for all purposes. Value : home market second class. Season : September. r* ^' < [128] 1905 REPORT ON THE FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 129 ANJOU. [Beixi-re d' Anjou, Ne Plus Meuris of Le Roy.) A fine market pear, succeeding admirably on quince roots, but on pear roots the tree is not so productive, nor the fruit so large. Its tine size, and melting, buttery texture, make it a favorite market pear for the month of December, and past experience proves it a desirable variety to export to Great Britain. Origin ; Louvain, Belgium, about 1823 ; named Ne Plus IMeuris, after Father Meuris. Tree : a vigorous, strong grower ; productiveness scarcely first rate even on the quince, third rate on the pear. Fruit : large ; form obovate, blunt pyriform, sides often uneven, and samples not very uniform ; skin thick, yellow at maturity, with greenish patches and brown dots, brownish red on sunny side ; stem scarcely half an inch long, stout and fleshy ; calyx open, set in a shallow basin ; core small, seeds few if any. Flesh ; white ; texture fine grained, buttery, melting ; flavor pleasant, perfumed, not very sweet. Quality ; table or cooking good. Value : home market first class ; foreign market first class. Season : November. Adaptation : succeeds best south of Toronto. BAUDEY. A promising new winter pear, which has been fruiting at our Maplehurst station as a dwarf. Fruit : size large ; form oblong, pyriform ; color yellowish green, with russet patches. Flesh : color yellow ; texture tender, but gritty at the core ; flavor very good. Quality : very good for dessert and cooking. Value : apparently first class for market. Season ; late winter. 'J F.O. 130 REPORT ON THE No. 24 BARTLETT ( Williawf:' Boiicrctien). No pear of the same seaeon equals in popularity the Bart- lett, for either dessert or canning. Indeed, while it is in the market, no other pear compares with it in price or brings as much profit to the grower. Of late large orch- ards of this one variety have been planted in Canada, and there is a growing demand for it in the Northwest Pro- vinces. With trustworthy cold storage it may be ex- ported to Great Britain w ith profit. Barti 'Origin : Berkshire, England, 1770, propagated by Mr. Williams, near London. Introduced into America and disseminated by Enoch Bartlett of Boston. ['1 Tree : healthy, vigorous, half- hardy, overcomes blight better than most varieties, very produc- tive. Feuit : large, oblong, obtuse, pyriform ; color yellow, with very numerous minute brown dots, often ruseetted at the apex; stem 1] inches long, in a small irregular cavity ; calyx, open in an irregular ba.sin. Flesh : creamy white, fine grain- ed, very buttery and juicy ; flavor sweet, perfumed, vinous. QuALiTV : dessert, very good ; market, best. Season : early to mid iSe])tember. Adafftation : succeeds admirably in southern Ontario, and as far north as our Bay of Quinte station. 9a F.o. Section of Bahti,ett. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 131 BOSC. (Beurre Bosr, Dovriiing.) The Bosc pear is not as widely known among cultivators in Canada as its merits deserve. Though a russet. it yellows as it ripens ; the pear is large in size, and uniform on the tree as if thinned purposely ; and the tex- ture is such that it cari be exported in tine condition. In rjuality, a well grown Bosc is first-class. On the whole, we \\-ould place this pear among the valuable kinds for planting for ex- port to the foreign markets. Origin : a chance seedling found in France, and dedicated to M. Bosc, the eminent director of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, about the year 1835. Tree : a vigorous grower, and a regular bearer, carrying its fruit singly ■■liCTIOX OF Bosi". and not in clusters as is the habit of some varieties. Fruit: large, elongated acute pyriform, covered with slight in- dentations ; color greenish, yellow ground nearly covered with cinna- mon russett ; stalk IJ to 2 inches long, stout and usually curved, in- serted without a cavity ; calyx j open in a shallow basin. Flesh : white ; texture, fine, breaking, juicy ; flavor, sweet, rich, delicious. Quality : flrst-class for dessert. Value : first-class for either home or foreign markets. Season : October. Adaptation: southern Ontario, and as far north as Bay of Quinte. Bosc. 132 REPORT ON THE No. 24 BOUSSOCK (Doyenne Boussock) Described by Downing as a profitable market sort, but our experience in Canada would lead us to give it a second place when compared with the Bartlett or the An- jou. The tree is a good grower and productive, and tlie fruit is uniformly large, but it is second class in quali- ty unless eaten just at the proper stage of ripeness, and the tree is inclined to drop its fruit too soon. r)RTGiN ; Belgium. Tree ; succeeds best as a standard ; vigorous, hardy and very productive. Bousso( K . Frdit : large ; form round- ish, obovate ; skin yellow, with dull red cheek, and numerous rough dots ; stalk fleshy, stout, 1 to 1] inches in length, in a round cavity ; calyx open, in a shallow russeted depression. Flesh : white ; , texture tender, juicy, if gathered at the right season ; flavor sweet and agreeable. Qu.vLiTY : dessert very good. V.vrA'E : near markets first class. Season : September. / \ / Section Bor.ssocK. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 133 BRANDYWINE. A good general dessert pear, bat not much grown for market in Ontario, being go nearly of the same season as Bartlett. Origin ; chance seedling found on the banks of the Brandywine river, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The original tree fruited for the first time in 1820. Tree: vigorous ; upright ; fairly productive ; succeeds best on the quince. Fruit : size medium ; form conic pyriform ; color of skin greenish-yellow, with blush on the sunny side and dotted and sprinkled with russet ; stem .f to Ij inches long, fleshy at in- sertion, which is surrounded by folds ; calyx open in a smooth, shallow basin. Flesh : color white ; texture tender, melting, very juicy ; flavor sweet, vinous, aromatic. GiUALiTY : dessert very good. Value : market fecond class. Season ; early September. BUFFUM. Formerly this pear was much in favor as a profitable orchard variety, because of its productiveness and the wonderful hardiness and vitality of the tree, but of late years it is much less in favor with pear growers on account of its small size aud ordinary quality. Some trees of this varietv at Maplehurst, forty years planted, have never shown the slightest tendency to blight, and have attained a great height, more resembling Lombardy poplars than pear trees. Origin : Rhode Island, i Tree : remarkable for its vigorous, symmetrical, erect habit of giowth ; it is regularly and fairly productive, but, unless gathered early, the fruit drops badly ; not subject to blight. Fruit; medium size, obovate, slight oblong ; skin rough, yellow at maturity, with bright or dull red or russet on sunny side ; dots small, brown ; stalk J inch long in a small cavity; segments of calyx small, in a small plaited basin. Flesh : color, yellowish white ; texture, crisp, not fine, not juicy; flavor, sweet and pleasant. QcALiTY ; dessert fair ; cooking fair. Value : home and distant markets second class. Season : September. Adaptation : stated to be hardy in Bruce and Huron counties ; slightly tender in North Ontario f:ounty. CHAMBERS. The Chambers pear has been grown at Maplehurst for about ten years on dwarf stock and commends itself as a fine market variety the beginning of August, for it is of a good quahty, fairly large, and the tree is productive. Origin : brought from Maryland to Ken- tucky by Judge Wm. Chambers. Tree : moderately vigorous, very hardy, productive. Fruit : of medium size ; form obtuse, obo- vate, pvriform ; color pea green, turning yellow when fully mature, with numerous brown and green dots, and reddish brown cheek on sunny side ; stalk stout, 1 inch long, set on an angle in a flat cavitv, often one shoulder prominent ; calyx small, iialf-open ; seeds few. Flesh : white ; texture tender, fairly juicy ; flavor aromatic, sweet and pleasant. Quality : good. Value ; for near marketifirst class. SEA.SON : early August. Chambers. 134 REPORT ON THE No. 24 CLAIRGEAU. As a commercial pear, es- pecially for a distant market, we know of no variet_v of the same season that is superior to this variety . Its large size, and tire beautiful cheek which it takes on during the month of October, its excel- lent shipping and keeping qualities, all these combine to make it a profitable var- iety, and one that is easily grown, either as dwarf or standard. The quality is vari- able according to the condi- tions of growth ; in France it is counted very good ; in England, poor ; with us, when well ripened, it is only good. Origin : Nantes, in France with a gardener named Clair- geau, about 1838. Tree : first-class in vigor, hardiness and productive- ness ; wood, stout, and up- right in habit of growth ; branches, numerous, grown as a dwarf can be trained to make a fine pyramid, but succeeds best as a standard ; an early bearer. Fruit : large, one - sided, pyriform ; skin, green, turn- ing pale yellow at maturity, almost overspread with splashings and dots of russet, which completely cover it about the stock and the calvx ; orange red on sunny side ; stalk, 5 i"ch long, stout, Heshy at the base, usually 'set at an angle with the axis ; calyx, small, open, in a shallow furrowed basin. Flksh : white, coarse grained, juicy, with sweet, aromatic and vinous flavor. Value : home or foreign mar- ket, first class. Q II A L I T Y : cooking igood ; dessert good Season : Oct- ober to Novem- ber. Adaptation : succeeds admir- ably as fai' north as Thorubury ; and east as far as Prescott. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 135 CLAPP (Ctapp's Faroriie) The Clapp is a beautiful jiear where i , well -^ grown and well colored. It is also of good quality^ so that it is well fitted to be a pro- fitable market pear ; with one fault, that it soon passes out of prime condition, and, if allowed to ripen on the trees, it will rot at the core. On this account the fruit must be gathered as soon as full grown and well colored, and shipped while firm. Origin: raised by Thaddeus Clapp, of Dorchester, Ma^-s. , U.S. Tree : upright, vigorous grower, somewhat spreading, forming a ymmetrical top ; bears fruit of uniformly large size, pretty evenly ?s / mts. Skction op Clapp. ,-'^"- Cl.\pp. distributed ; productive ; succeeds well as a dwarf on rich soil ; some- what subject to blight. Fruit: very large, pyriform, obo- vate, usually symmetrical, sometimes with unequal sides ; skin pale green, changing to yellowish green, with dull red on sunny side, which becomes bi ight crimson at maturity, somewhat resembling the coloring of the well- known Louise ; stalk stout and fleshy obliquely inserted without cavity ; calyx large, half open, in shallow basin. Flesh ; creamy white ; texture fine, tender, juicy with very agreeable flavor ; good to very good. QcALiTY : good for dessert and cooking. Value : first class for home market. Season : August and September. Adaptation : one of the hardiest pears. 136 REPORT ON THE No. 24 COMICE {Doyenne de Cornice). " Tree large, upright. Fruit large, roundish pyriform, or broad obtuse pyriform; cavity shallow, often russeted ; stalk short, stout, inclined ; basin large, deep, uneven : calyx email, open ; color greenish yellow, becoming clear yellow at maturity, often lightly shaded with crimson and fawn in the sun, and with light nettings and patches of russet and numerous russet dots ; flesh white, juicy, melting, a little buttery wdth a tine texture, and sweet, rich, sprightly and aromatic flavor ; quality good; season October to November; quite productive." {Report Mich. Exp. Sla.) DEARBORN {Dearborn's Seedling. ). Previous to the introduction of such choice early varieties as Chambers, Wilder, Giffard and Clapp, the Dearborn was highly commended. Downing calls it, "a very admirable early pear of first quality, succeeding Bloodgood, and preceding Bartlett ; " but it is no longer to be commended for planting in the commercial orchard because of its small size. It is now considered only valuable in the garden of the amateur. Origin : at Boston, Mass., in 1818, by the Hon. H. G. S. Dearborn. Tree : of moderate vigor ; not subject to blight ; very productive. Feuit : size small, roundish obovate ; skin clear yellow with small grey dots, smooth; stem 1 to IJ inches long, inserted with little or no cavity ; calyx open in shallow basin. Flesh : creamy white ; texture tender, buttery, juicy ; flavor agreeable. yu.\LiTY : dessert fair ; cooking, good. V.^LUE : market third-class. Se.\son : mid to end of August. DEMPSEY. The Dempsey was originated near Trenton in Prince Edward County, bv Mr. P. C. Demp- sey, the late well-known Director of oi\r Association tor that district, jt was produced from a seed of a Bartlett, fertilized with Duchess d'Angouleme. The fruit is firm and consequentiv would ship well. Tree : vigorous and productive. Fkuit : large, oblong, obovate, pyriform ; skin smooth, yellowish-green, with brownish-red cheek in sun ; stem about 1 inch long, set in a fleshy base, and with almost no cavity ; calyx nearly closed in a moderately deep uneven basin, core small. Flesh : white, fine grained, tender, almost melting, with sweet, delicious flavor. Season : late October to November. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 137 DIEL. (Beurre Diel.) A pear of ordinary appearance as grown in Soutiiern Ontario, but of suchi size and excellent quality that it deserves a place in every collection, whether for home use or market. Origin; a chance seedling nea r Brussels, Belgium, named in honor of Dr. Diel, a German pomologist. Tree : very vigorous, hardy and productive. Fruit : lar^o to very large ; ob- ovate ; stem pale green, turning yellow at maturity, with numerous large brown dots and patches of russet ; stem curved, stout, from 1 to 1:1 inches long, set in an open uneven cavity ; calyx open, in a basin of moderate depth and not very regular. Flesh : cream color ; tex- ture moderately fine, except at the core, juicj', buttery ; flavor aromatic, sweet and when well grown and well ripened, very delicious. Quality good. dessert very Value : home market, sec- ond class, because lacking in color ; foreign market, pos- sibly first class, because it carries well and has tine flavor, but not yet testetf in this respect. Season : November jusi, preceding the Lawrence. 138 REPORT ON THE FRUITS OF ONTARIO. No. 24 DROUARD (Freyident Drouard.) "Large, roundish ovate, obtuse, rather irregular; color yellow, with nettings and wash- ings of russet ; stalk quite stout, inserted in a deep, narrow, irregular cavity ; flesh creamy white, tender, buttery, sweet, perfumed ; good. An autumn variety much liked in Michigan and east of the lakes. Europe." (American Horticultural Manual.) DUCHESS. {Duchess d' Angotdeme of LcRoji and Downing : Angouleme of American Pomological Society ; Duchesne, common name in France.) For many years this pear has been counted among the best and most profitable varieties in Ontario, especially when grown on quince stock, and, in consequence has been largely planted. Prime samples are excellent stock for export, carried in cold storage. The fruit is often knotty from curculio stings. Origin ; Angers, France, in 1812, a chance seedling. In 1820 Andusson, the propagator, sent a basket of the fruit to the Duchess d'AngouIeme, who authorized him to bestow her title upon the pear as its name. Tree : a strong grower, succeeds best on the quince ; variable in productiveness ; not subject to blight. Feiut : exceedingly variable in size, sometimes weighing a pound and a quarter ; form obovate, large at the base ; surface uneven, sometimes knobby ; skin light green, patched with russet, and numerous grey dots ; stalk stout, curved, 1 inch long, often swollen at point of attachment, deep set in an irregular cavity ; calyx small, closed, in an uneven, often russeted basin. Flesh : white ; texture tine when well grown, but often coarse grained, melting, juicy and, when properly matured, of a sweet and very good flavor. Quality : dessert very good ; cooking j V.^LUE : first class for either home or foreign market. Season : October and November. Adaptation : hardy in soutiiern Ontario, but only half hardy in Grey, Bruce and York. »)• >k^- 'MS'*4 &3M- [139] 140 REPORT ON THE FRUITS OF ONTARIO. No. 24 EASTEE BEUPvRE. Among the desirable pears to grow for export we must not o^^erlook the Easter Beurre, which, though green and unattractive in appearance at time of harvesting, keeps well through the winter, is an excellent shipper and is very good in quality. A warm climate and favoraVjle soil seems to be necessary to its best development, and accordingly we tind it planted for com- mercial purposes in the Californian pear orchards. On deep, rich sandy loam, in the southern parts of our Province, it succeeds well, either as a dwarf, or as a standard tree. Although some writers have claimed that this pear originated in France, because some old trees were found near Laval, yet the majoritj* agree that the variety originated in Belgium, at the old University town of Louvain. Van Mons, in his Album de Pomologie in 1847, says, " This variety was found in the ancient gardens of the Capucins, at Louvain, where the original tree still stood in the year 1825, under the name of Pastorale de Louvain." In the old countries much confusion has existed regarding the names of pears, and sub- sequently much difficulty exists in the identification of varieties ; this pear, for example, is given no less than twenty-four different names in LeRoy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie, as, for example, Doyenne de Printemps, Canning, Beurre d' Hi ver, etc., the last being adopted by LeEoy ; while Hogg, of England, and Downing, df America, both adopt the name so well known to us, Easter Beurre. Tree : fairly vigorous, upright and productive, and may be grown either as a dwarf or as a standard tree ; if as a standard, it needs good, rich soil and a warm climate for the best suc- cess. In Great Britain it does not seem to succeed so well as in Canada, for Hogg says it fre- quently happens that this delicious pear is of an indifferent and insipid flavor, which is caused b v the unfavorable soil ; and Blackmore, of Teddington, says, "It cracks in spots and is seldom very good." Our experience with it, as grown on a dwarf tree, is favorable. Fri'it : above the medium size, irregular obovate ; skin pale green at harvesting time, vel- lowing somewhat toward maturity, with numerous russet dots, russet patches around the stem and calyx, and often a brownish cheek ; stem about 1 inch long, stout, swollen at the base, set in a narrow, deep cavity ; calyx small, closed, set in a much plaited basin of moderate depth. Flesh : white, fine in texture, melting and juicy ; flavor sweet, rich and agreeable. Qu.^LiTY : dessert good . V.M.UE : export first class. Se.\son : mid to late winter. h^. a H ■v •«^ 9 \ [141] 142 REPORT ON THE No. 24 FLEMISH BEAUTY { Feodani des Bois. Flemish Bim almost first in productivenefs ; an early bearer. Fruit : large, form obovate, obtuse, pyriform ; skin light yellow when ripe, with frequent patches of brownish red on sunny side, with scattered minute dots ; stalk 1 to 11 'nches long, set in a narrow, deep cavity ; calyx open, seg- ments short, in a small round basin. Flesh : creamy white, melt- ing, buttery, juicy ; flavor rich, sugary, delicions. Quality : first class. Value : first class where well grown, but counted second class on acc6unt of its being subject to scab. SEASON : mid to late Septem- ber ; should be gathered before quite ripe or it will drop and waste. Adaptation : quite general : probably the hardiest good pear. of LeRoy. ) A variety that has been a great favorite in Europe ever since the beginning of the eighteenth century, as is evi- denced by the t h i r t y-fi v e synonyms which have been giv- en it as shown in " Dictionnaire de Pomologie ' ' by Andre LeRoy. This and the Bartlett were among the first imported varie- ties of pears planted in Ontario, and it has been widely tested. In the northern sections where it succeeds, it is a most popular variety, but in southern Ontario it has been of late so subject to scab and cracking of the fruit, that it has lost favor with growers, notwithstanding i t s excellent quality. Origin : discovered by Van Mons about the year 1810 in Eastern Flanders, and distribut- ed among his friends. Tree : first class in hardiness ; Section of Flemish Be.auty. I 1,. ^^i■ej S. 1^-^ 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 143 GIFFARD [Benrre Giffnrd). A very desirable commercial pear for the home market. Origin : a chance seedling about 1840, in the garden of M. Giffard, Angers, France. Treb ; fairly vigorous ; a straggling grower ; healthy ; fairly productive. Fruit : size, medium to large ; form pyriform conical ; color light green, with red dots and GiFFAED. SEcrioN OF Giffard. marbling of red on the sunny side ; stem 1 inch long, stout, swollen at the base, set obliquely ; calyx half closed, in small, shallow basin. Flesh : color white ; texture melting, juicy ; flavor vinous, perfumed., Quality : Dessert very good ; cooking best . Value : first-class for home market. Season : early to mid August. 144 REPORT ON THE No. 24 GOODALE. A very good late fall pear ; promising as a market ^-ariety. Origin : seedling raised by F. Good ale, Saco, Maine, Tree : very vigorous and hardy and uniformly productive. Fruit : large, obovate obtuse pyriform ; color green, yellowing at maturity, with crimson cheek, some russet patches, and some small brown dots ; stem about 5-8 of an inch long, set in an inclined cavity ; calyx small, closed, in a small, rather deep liasin. Flesh : color wdiite ; texture fine, juicy, granular at core ; flavor sweet, pleasant, perfumed. Quality : dessert fair. Value : market first class. Season : October. Adaptation : succeeds as far east as Bav of Quinte District. Section oI'' (ioojiALE. 1905 FRUITS OK ONTARIO. 145 IIARDV (Beurre Ifardj/.) A good variety for the month of October, for both home use and market. OniciN : Boulogne, France, dedicated to M. Hardy, director of the gardens at Luxembourg. Tree : fairly vigorous and productive, and forms a fine symmetrical tree, especially when grown on the quince. The fruit is uniform in size and the skin is a bright clear russet. Fruit; medium size, form obovate, obtuse pyriform, of smooth regular outline; skin yellowish green, with numerous russet dots and covered with light brown russet, especially at Hardy. the ends ; stem about 1 inch in length, stout, with fold at the base, and inserted obliquely in a small depression : calyx large, open, in a shallow basin ; flesh white, fine grained, buttery, juicy, with rich aromatic flavor. Quality : dessert very good ; cooking good. Value : home market first class. Season- : October. 10 F. O. 146 REPORT ON THE No. 24 HOWELL. A good export pear for southern Ontario. Its vigor of tree, regularity of bearing, clear skin, and good size and quality make it a desirable variety for the commercial orchard. Origin : New Haven, Conn. Nam- ed after the originator, Thomaa Howell. Teke : upright, healthy and vigor- ous, an early bearer, productive. Fruit : large, obovate pyriform ; skin yellowish green, waxen reddish dots on sunny side, russet dots in shade ; stem IJ inches long, set on an acute base, without cavity, sometimes lipped ; calyx partly open in 'a deep russeted basin ; core small ; seeds few, small. Howell. Flesh : creamy white, juicy, melt- ing, granular near the core ; flavor agreeable, vinous ; a little tart. Value : first class for all markets. Season : mid September to mid October. 10a F.o. Section of Howkll. 1905 TRUITS OF ONTARIO. 147 HOOSIC. This promises to be an excellent commercial variety, witli one fault, viz., its short season. Origin : seedling from Hacon's Incomparable, by Asahel Foote, of Williamstown, Mass. Tree : on quince stock, healthy, vigorous and productive. Fruit : size large to very large ; form obtuse pyriform, somewhat one-sided ; skin yellow, with light red in sun, and with russet dots; stem'lj inches long, stout, curved, set in a small irregular cavity ; calyx small, open, set in a broad, uneven basin. Flesh : white ; texture tender, fine and moderately juicy ; flavor rich, perfumed. Quality : good for all purposes. Value : first class for near market. Grown at Maplehurst, as a dwarf, this pear has given the greatest satisfaction ; and, only that its season is rather short, it would be commended as an export variety. Season ; late September. JOSEPHINE. {Josephine de Malines). An excellent winter pear. Origin : Belgium. Tree : succeeds iwell on the quince stock ; productive. Fruit: size medium, oblate conical; color yellowish with small dots; stem often two inches long in a slight cavity ; basin large. Josephine. Flesh : color yellowish white ; texture buttery ; flavor rich and peculiar. Quality: dessert very good. Value: market second class. Season : midwinter. 148 REPORT ON THE No. 2+ KIEFFER. There is perhaps no pear about which a greater diversity of opinion exists ; some fruit men condemning it becauBe of its lack of quality, and others insisting that its beauty of ^.^..^ ,-„ appearance, its enormous productiveness, and its -' - wonderful health and ' vigor of tree make it a y profitable market variety, and that when; properly grown and ripened it is (juite a desirable kind, especially tor cooking. Certainly the tree sur- passes every variety in our collection for pro- ductiveness and vigor of growth ; while the fruit IS always uniformly per- fect in form, free from blemishes, and, when the tree is cultivated and manured, large in size. KlEFFER, Origin ; by Peter Kieffer, Roxbury, Pa., a seedling of Chinese Sand pear. Tree: wonderfully vigorous and healthy ; an early and extraordinary bearer, often Ijeing laden with fruit after two years planting. Fruit : medium to large ; form ovate, tapering at both ends, widest at middle, and narrowest towards stem ; skin light golden yellow, with bright cheek, and very numerous brown russet dots ; stalk one inch long, fairly stout, in a one-sided cavity ; calyx half open, in a medium sized irregular basin. Flesh : yellowish white ; texture half tender, half melting, not very fine, juicy ; flavor moderately sweet, poor. Quality : dessert very poor ; for cooking good ; valuable for canning. Value: second class for all markets. Season : October to January. Adaptation; very general. Section of Kieffer. 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 149 KOONCE Ordinary in its appearance, and only medium in size, but on account of, the productiveneBS of the tree it is considerably planted in Illinois for kitchen and market. Origin ; Illinois. Thee : hardy, healthy and productive. Fruit : medium in size ; form obovate pyriform ; color of skin greenish yellow with small ruseet dots ; stem stout, 1 inch long inserted in a medium sized, shallow cavity. Flesh : white ; texture granular ; flavor poor. Quality : dessert poor; cooking fair. Value : for market second class. Season : earlv October. LAWSON {Comet.) The most beautiful pear of its season, which is about the middle of August, but inclined to rot at core and become mealy if left hanging too long. Its flavor is disappointing, so that in spite of its beauty it is useless as a dessert pear. It has been widely advertised and too highly praised. In some parts it is grown as a cooking pear for home markets. For distant markets it is useless because too tender in flesh. Origin : on the farm of Mr. Lawson, in New York State, about the j'ear 1800, judging from the appearance of the original tree, which was still standing in the year 1900. Quite recently, it was introduced to the public by Mr. Collins, under the name Comet, by reason of its bright red color. Tree : tender, vigorous ; fairly productive ; succeeds on the quince. Fruit : medium to large ; obovate, almost pyriform ; color yellow, shaded and obscurely streaked with bright red on the sunny sides, with a few small brown dots; stem Ij inches long, with fleshy protuberance at point of insertion, inclined ; calyx half open in a large 'rregular basin. Flesh : color, creamy white, coarse-grained, mealy when ripe, inclined to rot at the core ; flavor Bweet, fairly good. QuAHTV : dessert good ; cooking good . Value : market second class. Season : early to mid August. 150 REPORT ON THE No. 24 LAWRENCE. Probably the best dessert pear for use in early winter. Origin: Flushing, Long Island, according to Downing; New York State, according to Catalogue American Pom. Soc. Tree : a moderate grower ; an early bearer ; moderately productive. Fruit: size medium to large; form obovate, obtuse pyriform ; color lemon yellow, with numerous small dots; stem one inch long in a shallow cavity; calyx open in a small, five humped basin. Lawrence. Flesh: color yellowish white; texture buttery and juicy; flavor sweet, rich, aro- matic, very excellent. Quality: dessert best; cooking good. Value : market second rate. Season : December. Adaptation : one of the hardy pears. LE CONTE. An American pear grown for market in the Southern States. It is not considered profit- able in Ontario. Okigin : a Chinese seeding. Tree : vigorous ; productive ; apparently not subject to blight. Frum' : large ; form oblonrisc 112 Jacques Kareripe 113 Kalamazoo 114 Late Crawford 114 Lemon Clintr 115 Lewis 116 Longhurst 115 McConnell 116 Mammolh 109 Matthew 116 Matllieir's Berniiy 116 Mountain Rose. 116 New Prolific 117 Oldmixon Free 117 Reeves Favorite 119 Reid 119 Rivers 118 St. John 120 Salway 119 Smock •. . 120 Sneed 121 Stevens 122 Stevens Rareripe 122 Thurber 122 Triumph 122 Tvhurst 123 Wheatland 123 Willett 124 Wonderful 125 Yellow Si. Jvlin 120 Peae. Angouleme 138 Anjou 129 Ansault 127 Bartlett 130 Baudry 129 Beurre d'Anjov, 129 Beurre Bgsc 131 Beurre Die'. 137 Pfivrre Clifford 143 Page Beurre Hardy 145 Bosc 131 Boussock 132 Brandy wine 133 Buffaiii 133 Chambers 133 Clapp 135 Clapp's Favorite 135 Clairgeau 134 Comet 149 Cornice 136 Care nf LerO'j 164 Dearborn 136 Dearborn' s Seedling 136 L'empsey 136 Diel 137 Doi/enne Bov^sock 132 l>ri/enne de Cornice 136 Doijcnnc d'Ele 161 Doyenne de Juillet 161 Drouard 138 Duchess 1 38 Ditrliess d' Angimleme. . . . 138 Easter Buerre 140 Feodaiit des Biis 142 Flemish Beauty 142 Giffard ' 143 Goodale 144 Hardv 145 Hoosic 147 Howell 146 Josephine 147 Joxerdiine de ihdines .... 147 Kieffer 148 Koonce , 149 Lawrence 150 Lawson 149 LeConte 150 Louise 151 Louise Bonne de Jersey. . . 151 Manning 152 Manning's Elizabeth 152 Marguerite 153 Ne Plus Meuris 129 Osband 153 Oshand's Summer 153 Petite Ma.rguerite 153 Pitmaston 154 Pitmaston D'lchess d'Aii- gouleme 154 President Drouard 138 President Mas 154 Ritson 156 Rostiezer 157 Sapieganka 160 Seckel 158 Sheldon 159 Souvenir 160 Souvenir du Congres 160 Summer Doyenne 161 Triom.phe de Vtenne 162 Triumph 162 Tyson 163 Vicar 164 Vicar of }Yi'nkfield 164 Virgcd/ieu 165 White Doyenne 165 Wilder 164 Wdliam' s Boncretien .... 130 Winter Nells 166 Plum. Page Abundance 169 Aitken 168 Arch Duke 169 Arctic 169 Baile,/ 172 Bixb'y 170 Black Diamond 173 Blood 184 Blue Imperial 170 Blue Magnuui Bonum . . . 176 Eradshaw 170 Burbank 171 Chabot 172 Cheney 172 Climax 171 Coe 173 Coe's Golden Drop 173 Diamond 173 Duane 173 Duane's Purple 173 Fellenburg 177 General Hand 176 German Prune 174 Glass 174 Clans' Seedling 174 Gold 175 Grand Duke 175 Gree7i Gage 183 Gueii 176 Hale 176 Hammer 177 Hand 176 Hawkeye 177 Hudson River Purple Egg 181 Imperial Gage 178 Italian Prune 177 Kingston 178 Lombard 178 McLaughlin 179 Mankato 179 Maru 180 Milton ISO Monarch 180 Niaqaro. 170 (3gon 181 Pride 184 Pond 181 Pond's Seedling 181 Prune d' Agen 181 Prunus Simoni- 185 Purple Egg 181 Quackenboss 182 Red June 182 Red Nagate 182 Reine Claude 183 Reiiic Claude dc Buvay. . 183 Satsuma 184 Sharp 186 Sharp's Emperor 186 Shippers Pride 184 Shropshire Damson 185 Simon 185 Simonsi 185 Simon's J-'lvm 185 Smith Orleans 185 Stoddard 186 Victoria 186 Washington 186 White Maipnim Bonum .. 189 Whitaker 187 1905 FRUITS OF ONTARIO. 'All Plum -i'lmthwitd. Page Wickson 187 Wild Goose 188 Willard 188 Wolf 188 Wyant 189 Yellow Egg 189 Yellow Japwi 172 Quince. Apple 193 Beiitley ]i)0 Champion 191 Fuller 193 Orarige 193 Grape. Agawam ■ 197 Alice 196 Bacchus 196 Barry 197 iirighton 198 Campbell 200 CampheU's Early 200 Catawba ' 199 Champion 201 Concord 202 Delaware 203 Diamond 204 p]arly Ohio 205 Early Victor 205 Empire 205 Enijiire SkUe 205 Gaertner 205 Golden Pccklington 211 Green Mountain 216 Hartford 206 Hartford' Prolific 206 Janesville. . . .'. 206 Jessica 206 Lady 206 Lindley 207 Massasoit 20/ Merrimac 208 Moore '. . 209 Moores Early 209 Moore's Diamond 204 Moyer 208 Niagara 210 Northern Light 211 Perkins 211 Pocklington 211 Eequa 212 Rogers 3 207 Rogers 4 215 Rogers 9 207 Rogers 14 205 Ror/ers 15 197 Rogers 19 208 Rogers 38 212 Rogers 43 197 Salem 213 Transparent 213 Vergennes 214 Wilder 215 Winchell 216 Woodruff 214 Wnodrvf'sRed 214 Worden 217 Wyoming 214 Wyoming Red . Blackberky. Agawam Ancient Briton Briton Eldorado Erie Kittatinny Lawton Minnewaski Ohmer Snyder Taylor Taylor's Prolific Triumph Wachusett Western Triumph Currant. Belle de Si. Giles Black Victoria Brayley Chatauqna Cherry Crandall Fay Fay Prolific Fertile d' A ngers Holland Lee London London Murlcet Long Buncheil Holland . Middlesex Naples North Star Prince Albert Red Cross Ked Dutch Red Imperial St. Giles Saunders Saunders No. IS Versaillaise Victoria White Antverp White Grape White Holland White Imperial While Transparnnt Wilder '.\(,'F. 214 2)9 220 220 221 221 222 22.3 223 223 22:; 224 224 224 224 224 Gooseberry. Champion .... Crown Bob , . . Downing .Jossclyn Keepsake Pearl Red Jacket. . . . Whitesmith . . . Raspberry'. Caroline Columbian .... Conrath Cumberland' . . Cuthbert Golden Queen. Gregg 231 226 226 227 226 227 227 227 226 228 228 228 228 228 228 229 229 230 230 231 226 231 231 228 232 232 233 233 228 234 233 234 236 236 236 238 236 237 238 2.38 240 241 240 242 241 242 243 Note— Names printed in Italics are synonyms of varieties Page Herbert 243 Hilborn 244 Kansas 244 Lfiudon 245 Marlboro 245 Miller 245 Older 216 Phoenix 246 Queen of the Mnrkct 241 Reliance 246 Shaffer 247 Smith Giant 248 Strawberry Raspberi-y . . 248 Turner ". . . 248 Strawberry. Annie Laurie 250 .■ivgiitt Luther 257 Bederuood 251 Belt 251 Bismarck 252 Boynton 252 Brandywine 251 Bubach 253 Buster 252 Carrie 253 Clyde 253 Dunlap 254 Eleanor 254 Kmperor 254 Empress 254 Excelsior 254 Gandy 255 Geisler 255 Glen Mary 255 Greenville 255 Hales II. .59 P M 255 Haverland 256 Howard's No. 4 256 Irene 2'>6 Klondike 256 Lovett 257 Luther 257 Margaret 257 Marshall 258 Mastodon 25S Michel 259 Midnight 255 Monitor 259 Nettie 259 Nick Ohmer 259 Ridgeway 260 Robbie .'. 259 Ruby 260 Sample 260 Saunders 261 Seaford 261 Senator Jjunlnp 254 Sharpless 261 Smith 261 Splendid 262 Staples 262 Tennessee 262 Tennes.'ice Prolific 262 Timbrell '. 262 Van Deman 263 Warfield 263 Williams 264 Woolverton 264 otherwise named.