ii8 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



no fruit until it -is out eight or ten 

 years. There is also an advantage 

 in the time they come into the mar- 

 ket, viz : early in September, when 

 apples are in demand and there is 

 no glut to contend with. As it does 

 not become so large a tree as the 

 Fameuse, it may be planted closer ; 

 Mr. Shepherd would plant them 15 

 feet apart, and remove the alternates 

 if it should become necessary. 



He names the Duchess, Fameuse 

 and Wealthy as the three best apples 

 for profit, and to keep up a fair suc- 

 cession. 



Reports from the most northern 

 apple orchards in the province of 

 Quebec agree with I\Ir. Shepherd in 

 awarding the first place to the 

 Duchess. 



Mr. J. M. Fisk, of Abbotsford,P.Q. 

 divides the apples best suited for that 

 province into three classes, according 

 to their degrees of hardiness thus : 



(i) Duchess, Tetofsky and Alex- 

 ander. 



(2) Wealthy, Haas, Peach and 

 Winter St. Lawrence. 



(3) Fameuse, Golden Russet, St. 

 Lawrence and Canada Baldwin. 



He says what is most wanted in 

 the cold north is a winter apple of 

 similar excellent characteristics to 

 the Duchess, and suggests a cross 

 between it and Northern Spy as 

 being a possible -success. 



In Minnesota the Duchess is also 

 placed at the top of the list and Mr- 

 O. F. Brand says there is in that 

 state a seedling of the Duchess, 

 twenty years of age, and now four- 

 teen years bearing, of which the fruit 



is number one, and a Winter apple. 

 It is called the " Peerless,'" and the 

 tree bore nine bushels in 1884 and 

 nearly eleven bushels in 1S86. Since 

 that time it has been so badly cut 

 for scions that it has borne very 

 little. He adds "Yes; the road to 

 lasting success is along the line of 

 the Duchess seedlings." 



From northern Vermont we have 

 the testimony of Dr. Hoskins of 

 Newport, who says he finds the 

 Duchess, Switzer and Tetofsky un- 

 harmed by the worst winters, while 

 the Alexander, W'ealthy and Red 

 Astrachan are often seriously in- 

 jured. 



From Wisconsin we have the 

 testimony of the report of the State 

 Horticultural Society, in which we 

 find a list of seven varieties best 

 adapted to that state for hardiness, 

 productiveness and quality, and the 

 Duchess stands at the head. 



The market value of this apple is 

 also a great point in its favor. We, 

 in southern Ontario, find that, as soon 

 as the Duchess comes in, even the 

 showy Red Astracan must take a 

 second place both in Toronto and 

 Montreal markets, often bringing 

 75c. per basket ; while in New York 

 city it brings as high a price as the 

 Gravenstein, an apple of better 

 quality. 



Dr. Hoskins finds that by gathering 

 the finest colored Duchess of 

 Oldenburgs, and keeping them a 

 while on shelves in the cellar, they 

 ripen much better than upon the 

 trees, and are in prime condition for 

 market. 



