Pears. I had a sample of the Ritson pear sent me by Mr. W. E. Wellington, which impresses me favorably. This pear is about medium size, greenish yellow; flesh, white and buttery. The quality is excellent, fitting it to be classed as a prime dessert pear. The tree is a seedling which was planted by the late John Ritson, of Ottawa, one of the oldest settlers in that vicinity, and a prominent farmer and fruit grower. The original tree is seventy years old, and has never been attacked by blight, and is a regular and abundant bearer. For canning and pickling its owner counts this pear as the very best of which he knows.

Among Apples there was sent to me about last May, from Ottawa, a seedling of Mr. Greenfield's. This is claimed to have value as a hardy winter apple for the cold

Greenfield's Seedling.

north, keeping in perfect condition until May or June. An engraving of it is here given. The quality of it, however, does not impress me very favorably. It might be called good, but that would be saying enough for its quality. It would not be desirable as a table apple, but only for cooking. Description:Size, below medium; form, roundish, slightly conical, ribbed; skin, light green, washed and striped with carmine; stem, three-quarter inches long, in a deep, narrow cavity; calyx, closed in a very shallow, wrinkled basin; flesh, white, crisp, tender, mild, sub-acid, juicy; flavor, poor, but scarcely mature enough to be fairly judged.

A beautiful apple was sent me last October by Rev. R. Lewis, Maitland. In its tints of color it surpassed the very popular Red Astrachan. But in addition to its beauty of color, it also possesses excellencies of quality sufficient to commend it anywhere as a table apple. Mr. Lewis writes that he believes that the apple is a seedling and, certainly, we know of no other apple of the same characteristics. Its season is October and November. Description :Fruit, medium to large, roundish, oblate, with one quarter considerably enlarged; skin, pale cream splashed and shaded with pink, turning to crimson on sunny side, which in some samples completely covers it, obscurely blotched with markings of dark carmine; stalk about five-eighths of an inch in length, inserted in a deep, evenly formed cavity; calyx closed set in a basin of moderate size and depth; flesh white, streaked with red, tender, juicy, aromatic; Quality, very good.

Among Grapes there is little to report. A sample of an exceptionally early grape was sent me by C. S. Curtice Co., of Portland, N. Y., on the 3rd of September. This grape was then dead ripe, and the growers stated that they had been picking the fruit since the 24th August, and that in the previous year the vines had been picked clean by the 17th or 18th of August. They claimed that it is one or two weeks earlier than Moore's Early. The bunches are certainly close and the fruit of fair quality. The chief commendation, however, seems to be its earliness. The berry is black, below medium in size, and thickly covered with bloom; the pulp is soft and contains two seeds.

Of Small Fruits.-Samples have been sent me of three gooseberries which appear to be worthy of notice. The Triumph is a remarkably large variety, and apparently not subject to mildew. This, however, is already in our nurserymen's catalogues and, therefore, does not need to be noticed here.

Mr. John Carnie, of Paris, sent me samples of a gooseberry which he says he has cultivated for sixteen years and he has not yet found any mildew upon it, although sometimes surrounded with others which were covered with mildew. It is not really a new variety for Mr. Carnie says that it is one of twenty varieties which he brought out from

Scotland some twenty years ago, and of which he has forgotten the name. It is a large yellow gooseberry, larger than the Whitesmith, nearly round in form, and the flesh is tender, sweet and excellent in flavor.

A sample of the Sutherland's seedling was sent me on the 29th of July, by Mr. Geo. Sutherland of Meaford. This gooseberry is of large size and good quality. Mr. Sutherland believes that this is a seedling of the Downing, and certainly it shows some characteristics of that variety. The bush is a strong upright grower like the bushes of the Downing. Mr. Sutherland has grown the Industry and Whitesmith by the side of it for some three or four years and, while both these varieties have been subject to mildew, this variety has never yet shown any weakness in that respect. What it may do in the future of course no one can say.

It will be noticed from our list of plants to be distributed during the coming spring of 1892, that we have placed on our list five Russian apples which we hope will prove of value in the cold north, viz. :-Gipsy Girl, Round Borsdorfer, Blushed Calville, Little Hat and Silken Leaf.

I am just in receipt of the following letter from Mr. Jaroslav Niemetz, Director of the Real College, Winnitza, Podolie, Russia. In it he gives a description of the new lot of scions of Russian fruit trees, which is now on the way to Canada. The greater part of this consignment will be placed in the hands of the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, for testing before distributing.

This exchange with one in Russia who is in so favorable a position for securing the best fruits of that country to send to us, is a fortunate thing, and we hope that excellent results will in time be gained by this exchange.

He says: "Of the following list of scions those numbered from 1 to 24 I have ordered particularly for you from Kalouga, where they originated in a garden in an exposed situation, where the normal lowest temperature is 32° C. below freezing point (or - 26° Fahr.) Last year there were two weeks with a temperature of 38° C. below. freezing point (or - 36° Fahr.), without snow. The minimum was 44° C. below freezing point (or - 47° Fahr.), which lasted two days only. The trees were not sheltered and yet remained alive.

1. Autumn Bergamot; good.

2. Morello; red.

3. Princess; summer; yellow.

From Kalouga.

4. Toskin (Toskinskoe); very early; variety from Gruschevka.

5. Apricot Plum.

6. Ox-heart Cherry.

7. Paunta Plum; greenish yellow; autumn.

8. Mitschurin Pear; very large; autumn; good for kitchen and evaporating.

9. Sugar Pear; large; good.

10. Morello; dark red; large.

11. Autumn White Plum.

12. Griotte de Scoux ; excellent.

13. Monastyrskoe, or Monastyrka Apple; autumn; red; very good.

14. Sizoe; excellent new Russian apple.

15. Bonchretin de Kalouga; very good, large autumn pear; foreign variety acclimated in Russia.

16. Anisimov, or Half Crimean; excellent; autumn.

17. Autumn Striped, or Kurskoe; winter; large; very good.

18. Lutschaninov Pear; large; autumn; good.

19. Borsdorf; Russian variety; summer; transparent; very good.

20. Gliwa; very large, for evaporating.

21. Duchovoi Pear; very good; large; yellow; autumn.

22. Red Winter Calville; very good dessert apple. It is possible that this variety is an acclimated kind in Russia.

23. Red Crab.

24. Yellow Dessert Apple; summer; transparent. Perhaps this is the well known Yellow Transparent.

Out of my own Garden.

It

N.B.-I bought my garden eight years ago, and it contains some very old trees. lies quite open, and the trees have never been protected in the winter. I have known it to be 32° C. (or 26° Fahr. below zero) here. I have found some of the kinds to be very desirable.

25. Sucre-Romain, deutch; 'Romische Schmatzbirne, Princess, etc., in Russia, Red Panna. This kind is very common in Middle Europe, and also in Russia. It is an excellent market fruit. I will describe it more fully in the Canadian Horticulturist. The tree is very hardy and productive. I send you a good many scions in order that you may distribute them widely.

26. Diesen Apple. This apple I have sent you previously, but under a false name of Gremutsch; the right name is Red Subluck. I send you many scions of this variety. It is a very large and beautiful antumn apple, for market and kitchen. It does not rot as the Alexander does.

27. Alexander. This variety in my garden is perhaps another variety from that which you grow, but I cannot say positively.

28. Reinette Grise, is an old European variety, and very common in Western Russia. 29. Winter Pear which I have found in my garden and of which I do not know the The fruit is medium sized, green; flesh somewhat coarse but juicy, and keeps until March, perhaps much longer; very good for market and cooking.

name.

30. Stettin. A variety found in Middle Europe and in Russia. It is a market fruit. There are two varieties, one red, the other yellow.

31. An apple that the Dutch pomologists have named the Gubener apple. It is a native of Germany. This kind I have found in my garden. The fruit is large, beautiful, yellow, with some keep until summer. It tastes good, but is somewhat sweet, which I notice Americans do not like. The tree is an annual bearer.

32. A small Winter Beurre. A small winter butter pear from my garden. The name is unknown. It is an excellent juicy and has an especially high musky flavor. would like, if you do not find a name for it, to have it called Buerre Musque. It is uncommonly fruitful.

33. Panna, Krasavka? (Long Pear.) This variety is good both for the kitchen and the market. It is found everywhere in Europe. I send you many scions because it endures the frost of the latitude of Moscow. I will describe it in the Canadian Horticulturist.

34. German Prune. With me there is a great variety of these.

35. According to some pomologists this is called Blumenbach's Butter Pear, by others the Beurre Napoleon. In my opinion the right name is Blumenbach. It is an excellent late autumn pear and hardy.

Without number, Niemetz's Winter Rambour. This variety was discovered in my garden and named by Russian pomologists after me. It is a large and good excellent winter apple, which I will describe in the Canadian Horticulturist.

Seedlings of the Jaroslav Cherry. This cherry is not named after me, but after the Jaroslav government.

With me

Two plants of our Russian gooseberries. These are small yellow sweet varieties. Whether they will be effected by the mildew in America I do not knew. they are healthy.

36, The Czar Pear.

37. Czeglovka.

38. Beurre de Livonie, a small and very good butter pear, very white and very hardy, grows in the Tamboff government.

39. Beurre Slutzsk. Apparently a seedling from an unknown French kind, very good, hardy. I will describe it in the Canadian Horticulturist.

40. Medovaia, Honey or Sugar Pear No. 9.

41. Almond Reinette, or Dietzer Gold Reinette; good hardy kind; bears annually.

From the Government of Kharkoff. Without numbers.

Lemon Pear, good for market, hardy. Seeds and pits were received from Russian Asia and Siberia.

Please tell me if the Russian pear succeeds well. Any kind of hardy apples are easily found, but there are very few hardy pears. Of all the varieties, I can only place Beurre de Levonie and Beurre Stutsk on a par with the French varieties. All the others are good market kinds, but not fine table pears.

I will still farther endeavor to find pears which will endure at least 37° C. of cold. As I sent away the chest, I received a small collection of interesting varieties and I shall forward them. I have prepaid the box as far as the borders."

All of which is respectfully submitted,

L. WOOLVERTON,

Secretary.

Mr. BEADLE.-How does the Early Ohio compare in earliness with the early varieties here?

The SECRETARY.-It is about a week earlier than Moore's Early.

Mr. BEADLE. How is the quality? Is it as good as Champion?

The SECRETARY.-It is superior to the Champion, quite as early, though not so large a berry.. The bunches are very close.

COMMITTEES.

A nominating committee was appointed to nominate the officers for the coming year, consisting of Messrs. A. McD. Allan and M. Pettit appointed by the chair, and Messrs. W. E. Wellington, T. H. Race and D. Nicol appointed by the meeting. This committee. reported as follows:

President, A. H. Pettit; Vice-President, T. H. Race; Directors-1, W. S. Turner; 2, John Craig; 3, D. Nicol; 4, P. C. Dempsey; 5, Thos. Beall; 6, W. E. Wellington; 7, Murray Pettit; 8, A. M. Smith; 9, J. R. Howell; 10, A. McD. Allan; 11, J. D. Stewart; 12, N. J. Clinton; 13, G. C. Caston. After these names had been voted upon the report was adopted.

Mr. A. H. Pettit on being called to the chair made a few remarks thanking the Association for the honor conferred upon him in electing him as its president.

The following committees were duly appointed by the chair, viz. :

Fruit Exhibit-John Craig, E. Morris and D. W. Beadle. New Fruits-The Secretary, W. E. Wellington and A. McD. Allan.

RUSSIAN APPLES AND PEARS AT MOSCOW MARKET.

A LETTER FROM RUSSIA.

Dr. ALEXANDER GRELL, of Moscow, one of the well known growers of Russian trees, wrote a pamphlet containing some interesting articles upon the apples and pear exposed for sale in the Moscow market, their market value and the value they have for commercial orchards. From his lengthy communication I extract for you the descriptions of those kinds of which I send you scions. To some of them I will add hints from my own experience.

I. PEARS.

1. Bessemianka.-This pear received its name because of its small seeds. It is an excellent pear for the north. It originated at Kaluga. It is sweet, juicy and bears transportation well, if harvested early. It ripens in September and keeps for two or three weeks, but, of course can be kept longer in cold storage. The tree is a vigorous grower, pyramidal in form, begins to bear at about the age of five years and produces abundant and annual crops thereafter. It is distinguished from all other pears because its flower buds are round, clinging close to the branches like those of apples, while those of other varieties are sharp. At Moscow winter kills it and it does not bear more than 340 of cold. It is more hardy in the southern governments of Tula and Riazan The market price of the Bessemianka is 2 and 3 rubles for one poud.

*

2. Dame Pear or Griapa,-Called at Tula, Milepin pear. This variety is like the Bessemianka, but the fruit is yellow with red side. It carries well to Moscow from Tula. The tree is not hardy at Moscow. It is a variety little known.

3. Lemon Pear. This pear resembles a lemon, of a pale yellow color, without blush. It is of beautiful appearance and pleasant to the taste. It ripens about the end of September and keeps two or three weeks. The tree is large headed, leaves round, bears freely, but is not hardy at Moscow. It is good at Tula, Riazan and Kursk governments. The value is about the same as the Bessemianka. This sort has two sub-varieties. It cannot be of Russian origin, as it is found in large quantities in western Russia where it is valued for drying and other purposes. In productive years you can buy this variety in the market, either in the south or the north of Russia, at a very low price. I send you scions of this variety.

4. Tonkovietka or Smolensk Pear.-Its name is derived from its long pedicels and thin branches. The flavor is good, but it soon becomes over-ripe. Size medium, skin yellow with one side red. The tree grows quickly. It is beautiful and is not easily affected by the frost at Moscow. The fruit is worth in our market from 1 to 2 rubles per poud. It is good stock to use for grafting tender sorts of pears on, because it is so hardy and, for this reason, I call the attention of fruit growers in northern Canada to this variety.

II. APPLES,

1. Plodovitka.-Not large, medium, with red side, ripens in October and keeps all winter. The tree is pyramidal and is hardy. This kind is good only for "wetting."† Price, 1 to 1 rubles per poud. There are two varieties of this kind, the ordinary, Plodovitka from Kiev and a red variety.

2. Skrut, also German Skrut.-Flesh white, skin pale red, ripens in September. The tree is a spreading grower, leaves small with white blossoms. The tree is hardy The fruit is small and only grown for the St. Petersburgh market, where it is very much prized. Worth about two rubles.

3, Skrisk.-Medium size, ribbed, dark green with red flesh, of acid, vinous, aromatic flavor keeps through the winter. The tree is pyramidal with long leaves; endures the cold very well and is an annual bearer. This is one of the better varieties of Russian apples. It has been distributed under the name of Avenarius.

4. Anis-Very pleasant, red apple, vinous in taste and aromatic in flavor. Ripens toward the end of September and keeps till November, carries well and sells well.

*1 poud=16 kilogammes; 1 ruble=about 60 cents.

+A dish used in Russia. Apples are put in kegs, covered with water and left in cellar. When they become sufficiently acid, they are served with meat, like cucumbers.