1^.8 



TJie Canadian Horticultnrist. 



Superior Color and Quality of oup 

 Apples 



A WRITER in The Garden discusses 

 the question of color in apples, and 

 regards it as doubtful whether a 

 highly colored stock has any influ- 

 ence upon the scion in this re- 

 gard. He thinks, however, that 

 sun heat upon the roots is an impor- 

 tant factor in producing color, 

 and therefore that they should be 

 encouraged to grow as near the sur- 

 face as possible. He says : " We 

 should like to know from North 

 American apple growers, whose fruits 

 are so superbly colored, whether they 

 have so much heat atmospherically 

 that they can afford to permit a deep 

 rooting. . . . In any case, the Ameri- 

 cans do beat us in the production of 

 color, etc." 



In our opinion, the difference in 

 color between English and Canadian 

 or American grown apples, is owing 

 almost wholly to the difference in the 

 amount of sunlight at the tims of 

 ripening. The mists of England are 

 proverbial, while the clear sunny 

 skies of Canada rival those of Italy. 

 Apples, even after they are picked, if 

 left out in full exposure to the sun, 

 will color rapidly ; and on the other 

 hand, apples growing upon the inte- 

 rior of the tree are often wholh' lack- 

 ing in color. 



Another writer, an apple salesman 

 in Covent Garden, who during the 

 month of December last, handled 

 some 16,500 barrels of apples from 

 America, says of the stock : " Permit 

 me to say that they (such apples) 

 could not be grown in England, and 

 that the worst apples I am at present 

 receiving from America are superior 

 to the best of any I am getting 

 from the home country." 



Surely in all this we see a reason 

 for persevering in caring for our apple 

 orchards, for if we can get up a repu- 

 tation for our special brands we must 

 in most cases succeed in the British 

 market, and should not be too much 

 cast down by such unfavorable ex- 

 periences as those of the season just 

 past. 



How to Graft. 



L. H. Bailey, in his book on apple 

 culture, gives these directions for 

 grafting : In May, just as the leaves 

 are pushing out vigorously, saw off 

 the limb to be grafted where it is an 

 inch or less in diameter. Trim the 

 stub edges smooth and slit hori- 

 zontally to the depth of about four 

 inches, not more. When the scion is 

 prepared ready for setting it should 

 comprise three buds. The lower end is 

 cut wedge-shaped, to fit into the slit, 

 and on one side of the wedge part . 

 should be left one of the three buds. 

 When the scion is set this bud will 

 be deep down in the cleft and cov- 

 ered with wax, but, being nearer the 

 source of nourishment than any 

 others, it will be the most likely of 

 all to flourish, and it will readily 

 push through the wax. The scion is 

 set in the cleft by exercising care 

 that the inner surface of its bark 

 matches the inner surface of the bark 

 on the stub. \\'ax the whole over 

 carefully and thoroughly, leaving no 

 crack exposed. Two pounds resin 

 melted with one of beeswax and one- 

 half of tallow, makes an excellent 

 wax. As soon as melted pour it into 

 cold water, and when it cools work 

 it with the hands until nearh' white. 

 \Mienever the wax is handled the 

 hands should be greased with 

 tallow. 



The Empire Produce Company. 



This is the name of a stock com- 

 pany now being fotmed in Toronto 

 to conduct a brokerage and commis- 

 sion business for the sale of produce 

 such as butter, cheese, and fruits, to 

 wholesale merchants in Great Bri- 

 tain, and also for the sale of such 

 goods to dealers and distributors in 

 Canada. 



As fruit growers we shall be glad 

 if any better opening is made for the 

 disposal of our fruits both here and 

 in Europe ; and if this company, by 

 having a representative in Great 

 Britain, making direct sales to whole- 

 sale fruit merchants in the inland 



