The Canadian Ifortitu/i/irisL 



35 



tion bcinj^' takc-n, and the intcii(liii,L( 

 purchaser satisfied on the point of 

 rehability, we see no reason why 

 small orders should not be given a 

 nursery through an agent. Certainly, 

 a much higher price must be paid 

 for stock so purchased than if bought 

 direct, but on a small order the 

 difference would be about equalled 

 by the express charges, cartage, etc. 

 In large orders for stock to plant 

 an orchard, or a lawn and garden, 

 much better terms can be had by 

 dealing directly with some good 

 nursery, either personally or by mail ; 

 and a better class of stock may often 



be secured. 



Secondly, regarding varieties. The 

 most common mistake is in buying 

 too many kinds. Reading over a 

 descriptive catalogue, or looking at 

 the beautiful coloured plates shown 

 by the agent, whose voluble tongue 

 is naturally enough rendered the 

 more active by the desire of securing 

 a large order for his employer, the 

 farmer is led to think he must have 

 a few of every one of the much 

 lauded kinds. For the home garden 

 a collection of various kinds of fruits, 

 new and old, is a source of much 

 pleasure ; but in the commercial 

 orchard many varieties are but a 

 hindrance to success. Upon this 

 points a Massachusetts orchardist 

 makes the following sensible obser- 

 vations : 



" It is not unusual for a farmer to 

 have, say, thirty or forty barrels of 

 apples for sale made up of ten or 

 fifteen varieties. Aside from the 

 trouble of keeping these numerous 

 sorts separate, and the bother with 

 the comparatively large quantities of 

 odds and ends which are left when 

 filling the barrels, there is often 

 difficulty in finding a market for 



some of the sorts which go to make 

 up the collection. Buyers sometimes 

 refuse to take apples which are really 

 good, but with the (jualities of which 

 they are not familiar. There are a 

 few sorts which always sell better 

 than others, and which can usually 

 be worked ofif, even when the market 

 is glutted, at something like a reason- 

 able price. The list varies some- 

 what in different localities, but it is 

 easy to find which are the standard 

 sorts in any given place. In this 

 section (Western Massachusetts) the 

 Baldwin is by far the most exten- 

 sively sold, though the King, of 

 Tompkins County, is eagerly taken 

 at a higher figure. If I were to put 

 out loo trees to furnish apples for 

 market, I would choose ^^ Baldwins, 

 40 Kings and 5 Westfield Seek- 

 No-Furthers. The two first-named 

 I would sell to shippers, and work 

 ofif the latter among the keepers of 

 restaurants and fruit stands in the 

 nearest cities. I do not claim that 

 in point of quality these are the best 

 varieties of apples, neither do I 

 believe that for all localities this is 

 the best selection, though it is certain 

 that these sorts succeed in a large 

 portion of the country. And I do 

 not recommend this collection as at 

 all adequate for supplying the familv 

 with fruit. But of the many kinds 

 I have grown, and the still larger 

 number which have come under my 

 observation, I believe that for marke't 

 purposes in this region the three 

 which I have specified are by far the 

 most profitable." 



Of course the remarks about the 

 most profitable varieties must be 

 considered with reference to locality ; 

 and those which succeed in Massa- 

 chusetts might be wholly unsuited to 

 many parts of Ontario. The Bald- 

 win, King and Westfield Seek-No- 

 Further succeed well in Southern 

 Ontario. The Baldwin is unequalled 

 for productiveness, unless bv the 

 Greening, frequently yielding eight 



