exception of this year, bore regularly. It comes early. I have only one that comes in ahead of it (the Early Botan), and it bears a heavy crop. I always include the Red June wher recommending a list of plums for this section. The quality is, I think, very good. It is large in size, and quite handsome. I have no hesitation in recommending it for this section.

Charles Young, Richards' Landing: My Red June plum tree bore a few fruits last year, and if I were planting out a plum orchard I would not hesitate to include the Red June. The trees here 'St. Joseph's Island) have proved perfectly hardy. Ι measured some of last year's growth to-day (December 23rd), and it was five feet in length. The trees promise fruit next year.

J. G: Mitchell, Clarksburg: I can unhesitatingly endorse the Red June as one of the most desirable of the Japan plums, not so much for its quality, which is only fair as compared with the best Europeans, but for the season in which it ripens. It is the earliest good plum we have. The tree is a strong grower, forming a beautiful symmetrical top, and begins to bear the third or fourth year. The fruit is medium to large; color a bright vermillion red, not ripening all at once, but covering about two weeks; season, with us, last of July to middle of August; hardy.

It is only about twenty years since the Japan plums began to be propagated in America for commercial purposes, and it is wonderful how quick they have become distributed throughout the United States and Canada, while still almost unknown in Europe. Perhaps this is because the European varieties succeed so well there that the Japan varieties are not sought after in that country, while here the former class are subject to many drawbacks, such as black knot, plum rot, etc.. from which the Japan varieties are apparently more or less exempt.

Chabot.

The Chabot first fruited at Maplehurst in 1902, and at once attracted our attention as being exceptionally beautiful in appearance and delicious for eating. It was import ed from Japan by Mr. Chabot, of Berkely, California, and afterwards sold to Mr. Burbank, who introduced it to the trade in the year 1886. It has borne several names, as, for example, Yellow Japan, Bailey, etc., but in justice to the importer, it is now generally known as the Chabot. A good many are puzzled over the pronunciation, so we may as well state that the accent is upon the last syllable; phonetically written it Is "Shabbot."

This plum has been tested at our Georgian Bay station by Mr. John Mitchell, of Clarksburg, and described as follows:

"A very strong grower, of a large, beautiful and stately top; bears the third year; fruit about the same size and shape as the Red June, but not quite so conical; skin amber, and nearly covered with red spots and markings; very attractive; season, late in September; very hardy."

At Maplehurst our record of its season is the first half of September, but perhaps it would be ten days later at Clarksburg. It did not bear the third year after planting with us, indeed, it was about the fifth year before we had any samples. No doubt early bearing depends a good deal upon the soil; and our deep, rich sandy loam encourages the production of too much wood and too little fruit. In respect to size also, it was larger with us than Red June, indeed, almost equal to Washington; but with us the crop was light, while with Mr. Mitchell probably it was heavy.

Every one who has fruited it gives the Chabot credit for being the best Japan of its season, which is about two weeks later than Burbank. The flesh is yellow, and the flavor very pleasant, though inclined to cling to the stone.

Green Gage.

The Green Gage is a good representative of a very important group of domestic plums, which is both very ancient and very desirable. Other well-known varieties of

the Green Gage group are Reine Claude, Imperial Gage, McLaughlin, Jefferson, Washington, General Hand, Peter's Gage, Golden Gage, etc.

In Ontario the most popular variety of the Green Gage group or plums, especially for cooking purposes, is the Reine Caude de Bavay, commonly known among us as Reine Claude, but in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society caled Bavay. The fruit of this plum is larger than that of the Green Gage; the tree is a stronger grower, and hence, perhaps, better suited to the commercial orchard, but in quality no one of the group excels the old typical kind, the Green Gage.

Dr. Robert Hogg, author of the "Fruit Manual" of Great Britain, following history of the origin of this plum :

gives the This universally known and highly esteemed fruit has been longer in this country (England) than has been generally supposed. It is said to have been introduced at the beginning of the last century by Sir Thomas Gage, of Hengrave Hall, near Bury St. Edmunds, who procured it from his brother, the Rev. John Gage, a Roman Catholic priest, then resident in Paris. In course of time it became known as the Green Gage plum In France, although it has many names, that by which it is best known is Grosse Reine Claude, to distinguish it from a smaller and much inferior plum called Reine Claude Petite. The Green Gage is supposed to be a native of Greece, and to have been introduced at an early period from Italy, where it is called Verdochia. From Italy it has passed into France, during the reign of Francis I., and was named in honor of his consort, Queen Claude. Shortly afterwards it found its way into England under its original Italian name, Verdochia, from which we may infer that it was brought direct from Italy. It is mentioned by Parkinson in 1629 under the name of Verdoch, and from the way in which he speaks of it, it seems to have been not at all . rare, nor even new. Even so late as the middle of the last century, after it had been reintroduced and extensively grown under the name of Green Gage, it continued to bear its original title, and to be regarded as a distinct sort from the Green Gage.

If any one is making a selection of plums for his home garden, we would' advise him not to omit a tree of the Green Gage for kitchen uses; or, if he wishes to combine both kitchen and market purposes, then let him plant the Reine Claude.

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The Green Gage tree is not a rapid grower, but it is healthy and fairly productive. The fruit is smaller than Reine Claude, and must be thinned to make it reach proper size. The skin is greenish, yellowing toward maturity; the flesh is pale green in color, and the texture melting and juicvy; the flavor is rich, sweet, and agreeable. In scason it is earlier than Reine Claude, coming in about the middle of August.

Harold Jones, Maitland (St. Lawrence District): The Green Gage plum has not proved generally satisfactory in this section. Trees that I planted in 1897 are partly dead and have never blossomed. They suffered during the winter of 1902. I know of two trees that are protected by buildings from the north wind that have given good crops of fruit in favorable years, but, generally speaking, the Green Gage is an uncertain cropper here and not profitable.

My experience and observation teach that European plums are generally unsatisfactory in this latitude, but some plums of the native American class are of good quality and succeed well.

A. E. Sherrington, Walkerton : The Green Gage plum is hardy and productive here, but in my opinion not as valuable as the Imperial Gage.

J. G. Mitchell, Clarksburg: The market demands large and showy fruit, and the Green Gage, being rather small, has always sold at a low price here. Where the Reine Claude succeeds, which is really a large Green Gage, I think there is little use in growing the small Green Gage.

W. M. Orr, Fruitland: We do not grow the Green Gage. Although the quality of the fruit is good, I consider it too small, and the tree is a poor grower. I prefer the Imperial Gage, of which the fruit is large and of good quality, and the tree vigorous and productive.

Charles Ellis, Meaford Very few Green Gage plums are grown about here. The Reine Claude is often sold under that name, but the true Green Gage is small, not very productive, so far as I have seen it, but is very good for home use.

Charles Lowry, Queenston : The Green Gage is highly esteemed, both as to. productiveness of tree and quality of fruit, but the sale is limited. Every year I think the price of plums grow less, and unless some foreign market opens for them there is little hope for plum growers.

F. G. Stewart, Homers:

The Green Gage is considered the best canning plum, and we get more for it at the factories than for any other. For home use it is superseded by the Reine Claude.

A. W. Peart, Freeman (Burlington Station).

Blood No. 2: Planted in 1898; tree upright, spreading, vigorous; fruit, medium, conical, round, dark red with purple bloom, very firm; flesh red to stone; season, middle of September.

Abundance Planted 1896; tree upright, spreading, vigorous, hardy and productive; fruit yellow, with crimson flesh, large, oblong-round; fruits young; quality fair; season middle of August.

Burbank Planted 1896; tree very spreading, vigorous, straggling grower, but by annually cutting away lower horizontal branches may be kept in fair shape; too productive every other year; requires thinning; bears very young; fruit mdium to large, oblong-round, yellow, mantled with crimson; quality fair; season late August.

Berckmans Planted 1898; tree spreading, medium vigor; fruit medium to large, oblong-oval, dark red; flesh very soft, juicy, of poor quality; season late July. Planted 1898; tree spreading, vigorous, and moderately productive; fruit medium, roundish-oval, yellow flesh, fairly firm, rich, juicy, sweet and aromatic, yery fine flavor.

Normands

Satsuma : Planted 1896; tree upright, spreading, stocky, vigorous and productive with age. Three trees this year gave 15 twelve-quart baskets. Fruit medium to large, conic, round, dark red, with purple bloom; flesh very firm, red to the pit; excellent for car ning; season middle of September.

Blood No. 4: Resembles this variety very much

G. C. Caston (Simcoe Station).

In the spring of 1895 I planted 14 varieties of plums of the European class. These all flourished nicely for a few years, and bore a few fine crops, but there is only one variety of that fourteen that is sound and thrifty to-day, and that variety is the Staunton. Northwest of here a few miles, near the Georgian Bay, all kinds of plums flourish, and continue to bear until they are large, old trees. The climatic conditions required for successful plum culture is close proximity to large bodies of water.

Some of the Japan varieties seem to thrive here, though many of them, such as Shensi, Ogon, Satsuma, and several others, have failed. Howe's, Burbank, Abundance, and Red June, are doing fairly well.

I have tested here some forty varieties of plums, and the results may be summed up thus: Of the European class, the only one that has succeeded well is the Staunton, and of the Japans the three above mentioned are the best. A number of the American class have been tested, and those that have fruited are not worth growing.

It is not advisable for anyone living a distance inland from the great lakes to go extensively into plum culture, and, further, the failure to grow plums on a large scale is not a serious disadvantage in fruit culture, as the growing of plums is now overdone to such an extent that the market is overstocked, and the prices go so low there can be little or no profit in them."

M. Pettit (Wentworth Station).

The immense plum crop of this season has convinced the growers that too many plum orchards have been planted. Not more than two-thirds of the crop was marketed, on account of rot and low prices.

One-half of the plum orchards planted have not attained full bearing age.

We have found it impossible to control the rot by spraying with Bordeaux mixture this season, on account of the showery weather during August. All varieties suffered, the very early kinds, such as Red June and Red Nagate, the least. They were gathered July 31st, and sold at 40 cents per basket. We think there would be a limited demand for plums of such inferior quality at that season.

Charles Young (Algoma Station).

Plumз have done very well considering the age of the trees, but I must moderate my praise of the Japans somewhat this year. They have made any amount of wood, but given very little fruit. Perhaps I have manured too freely. The Europeans have not made so much wood, but have yielded more fruit, Lombard especially; Moore's Arctic and Reine Claude, a full crop. It is a pity the native Americana plums have such brittle tops; if the wood was only tougher they might be valuable in the north; but I have found just as good fruit and tougher wood among our Canadian natives in the woods, and with a deeper, richer color than any on the experimental grounds. Of all the varieties I have tested in plums, some fifteen, all are apparently hardy, except America, which freezes on the south side of the top every year. My trees now are all one-sided, and no amount of pruning can get them into proper shape. They have not had any fruit, and at this date we may set them down as cumberers of the ground.

A. E. Sherrington (Lake Huron Station).

There are now nearly fifty varieties planted, and all doing well, with the exception of Wickson. The crop was not large this season, with the exception of Burbank, Victoria, and Lombard. The crop was all disposed of at very good prices and very few wasted.

Abundance Tree, vigorous and hardy; fruit large; color, reddish purple; quality, good; yield per tree, three baskets, last year two baskets; bloomed May the 9th; ripe August 10th; eight years old.

Burbank Tree, spreading, vigorous and hardy; fruit medium to large; color, red; quality, good; yield per tree, seventeen baskets, none last year; bloomed May 9th; ripe August the 27th; eight years old.

Bradshaw Tree, upright to spreading, hardy and vigorous; fruit, very large; color, purple; quality, good; did not fruit this year, last year two baskets.

Cole's Golden Drop: Tree, strong, vigorous and hardy; fruit, large; quality, medium to good; color, yellow to light green; yield, two baskets, last year six; bloomed May the 10th; ripe September 4th.

Duane's Purple Tree, upright, spreading, vigorous and hardy; fruit, large; color, dark purple; quality, good; bloomed May the 10th; ripe September 20th; yield, onequarter of a basket, last year three-quarters of a basket.

Field Tree, an upright grower, vigorous and hardy; fruit, medium to large; color, purple; quality, good; yield, none, last year one-half basket.

Geuii Tree, upright to spreading, vigorous and hardy; fruit, large; color, purple; quality, first rate; bloomed May roth; ripe August 27th; yield seven baskets, last year one and three-quarters; this is a first-class plum.

Grand Duke Tree, a strong grower, upright to spreading, hardy, and a persistent bearer; fruit, large, with a heavy bloom; quality, good; makes a first-class shipper;

yield, one basket, last year three baskets; bloomed May 10th; ripe September 25th; a very profitable variety.

Hale Tree, upright to spreading, vigorous and hardy; fruit, large; color, yellow; quality, first-class as a dessert plum; yield, eight baskets, last year three baskets; bloc med May 8th; ripe August 24th.

Hugh's Seedling: Tree, a good grower, and hardy; fruit, medium to large; color, yellow, resembles Yellow Egg; yield, none, last year one basket.

Imperial Gage: Tree, a vigorous and compact grower, hardy; fruit, medium size; color, yellow; quality, best; bloomed May 10th; ripe August 27th; yield, three baskets, last year five and two-thirds baskets; a very fine plum.

Lombard This variety is of long standing, and considered to be a reliable plum for commercial purposes, as well as for home use; but the tree is liable to over-bear, and in such case the fruit will be small; it requires to be thinned to give best results; tree, hardy and vigorous; fruit, medium to large; color, reddish purple; quality, good; bloomed May 10th; ripe September 1st; yield, six baskets, last year two and a half baskets.

Monarch Tree, vigorous and hardy; an early bearer; very profitable; fruit, large; color, purple, with heavy bloom; quality, good; flesh, firm, making a splendid shipper; bloomed May 10th; ripe September 20th; yield, one basket, last year four.

Moore's Arctic: Tree, a fair grower, and hardy; an early and annual bearer ; fruit, smail to medium; color, dark purple, with bloom; quality, very good; bloomed May 7th; ripe August 24th; yield, seven baskets, last year six baskets; should Le left on tree until fully ripe to give best results.

McLaughlin; tree, a vigorous grower; early and annual bearer; fruit, large; color, yellow, mottled with red; quality, first-class; bloomed May 10th; ripe August 26th; yield, half basket, last year two baskets.

Pond's Seedling: Tree, an upright grower; fruit, very large; color, red; quality fair; yield, none, last year one and a quarter baskets; not profitable owing to its being so subject to rot,

:

Purple Egg Tree, a fine grower, and hardy; fruit, large; color, purple; quality, good; bloomed May 10th; ripe September 20th; yield one basket, last year two and a half baskets; a fine shipping variety.

spreading; fruit, very large; color, bloomed May 10th; ripe September

Quackenbos: Tree, hardy, vigorous, upright, purple, with bloom; quality, good when fully ripe; 10th; yield, four baskets, last year two; a very fine plum.

Red June Tree, a, strong, vigorous grower, of the Japanese variety, hardy, an early bearer, as all this class are; fruit, large; color, dark red; quality, very good; bloomed May 8th; ripe August 10th; yield, one basket, last year only a few; four years old.

Spaulding Tree, a strong grower, spreading, hardy ; fruit, medium; color, yellow quality, good; flavor, very sweet; bloomed May 9th; ripe August 27th; yield, six baskets, last year five baskets.

Shipper's Pride: Tree, upright, strong and vigorous grower, hardy; fruit, medium to large; color purple; quality, very good; flesh, firm, a good shipper; bloomed May 10th; ripe September 4th; yield, six baskets, last year two baskets.

Satsuma Tree, a strong, vigorous grower, and hardy, of the Japanese class; fruit, large; quality, good for cooking; color, dark red, with colored flesh, firm, making it a good shipper; bloomed May 9th; ripe, September 15th; yield, two baskets, last

year seven.

Smith's Orleans: Tree, a strong, vigorous grower, hardy; fruit, large; color, purple; quality, good; bloomed May 10th; ripe August 27th; yield, four baskets. Saunders Tree, rather poor grower, appears to be hardy; fruit, medium; color, yellow; quality, very good; of a pleasant flavor; needs further trial.

Victoria Tree, a very good grower, foliage large and healthy, hardy, and an annual bearer; fruit, large; color, skin yellow, mottled with red; quality, good;