102 



The Golden Sweet, an old Connecticut apple, deserves notice. The fruit is above the 

 medium size, of a pale straw colour, and is produced each alternate year in enormous 

 quantities. Coming into maturity toward the end of August, and fit for shipping soon 

 after the beginning of the month, it commands a ready sale at a time when the markets 

 are scantily supplied with apples. It usually brings from $2.00 to $2.25 in the Montreal 

 market. 



The Sweet Bough immediately precedes the Golden Sweet, and this promises to be a re- 

 munerative apple. It is large, of a beautiful light yellow colour, and it sells well in 

 baskets as a dessert apple. But for this pirrpose it must be gathered, like peaches, a few 

 at a time as they mature. 



The Early Harvest is a well-known American apple of a bright straw colour, when 

 mature, and bearing heavy crops every alternate year. This apple has no peer in the 

 market during the month of July. It is a general favourite, and gains favour annually. 

 The time was when this apple was sold at Grimsby for 50c. per bushel, but now a basket 

 of fine specimens, or about one third the quantity, will often sell for the same amount. 

 But to realize the best prices, proper handling is all important, and t§ do this the grower 

 must be wholly devoted to his business, for if his attention is drawn aside by a crop of 

 grain just when his harvest apples need their first picking, he will find them wasting on 

 his hands. The EaHy Harvest bears heavily, and ripens unevenly. It needs its first 

 picking while apples are quite immature to thin the crop. These will bring a good price 

 for cooking, and the balance may be shipped in baskets or barrels as they approach 

 maturity. I remarked that it bears heavily, but the fruit being small, the average yield 

 per full grown tree is only about four or five barrels, and not half what may be expected 

 from a Baldwin or Greening. 



I will now give you a table of prices obtained for Early Harvest apples for three 

 years past which will give a practical turn to my rambling remarks. 



1879 July 9th, Toronto Market '. $2.25 per bl. 



" " 29th, Montreal " $3.50 



1880 Aug. 9th, " " $3.50 



" « 19th, " " $3.00 " 



" 17th, " " $.3.50 " 



1881 July 21st, Montreal « $4.00 " 



" 8th, " " $3.00 " 



" July 25th, Toronto " 60 per basket. 



These are a few figures of actual sales from our shipping book, of coui-se the best wo 

 have to show, but they sufiioe to show the possibility of getting good prices for summer 

 fruit. 



Now we have to mention the apple which heads the list as a summer apple, viz., the 

 Red Astracan. For beauty nothing surpasses it during the whole season, while its deli- 

 cate bloom reminds us of the dainty grape. It is a Swedish apple, and reported to be 

 very hardy. Its quality is good if picked before it becomes mealy, and this is just 

 where the grower must exercise much vigilant industry. The apple ripens more un- 

 evenly than any other, and must be harvested every four days for a pericd of two or 

 three weeks. 



The package which presents this lovely fruit to best advantage is the peach basket 

 covered with red gauze. Baskets of well-selected specimens of this apple have sold at 

 60c. to $1.00 per bushel in Toronto, when the supply was not too abundant. 



The Primate is spoken well of by Mr. O. T. Springer, of Burlington, in the report 

 of 1869. He says he " shipped by boat to Montreal, the Early Harvest and Red Asti-a- 

 can, followed by the Primate and Early Strawberry ; they arrived in good order, and 

 realized the highest market price. He found the Early Harvest liable to crack and spot, 

 and would plant the Bed Astracan in preference. He thinks the Primate a good apple 

 for shipping, a good bearer, firmer than the Early Harvest and a better bearer than the 

 Early Strawberry ; it can also be shipped a little greener." 



