The Canadiatt Horticulturist. 



157 



and flavor approachinf:^ the Sp}- ; the Larne there is no small trash, 



whoever will produce such an apple I:5ut it is not really a shipping apple, 



would be entitled to a bonus equal unless we obtain better shipping fa- 



to that offered to the genius who will cilities with more careful handling 



kill all the rabbits in Australia. than we have at present. If the 



We have innumerable varieties of Larne could be presented in good 



good Fall apples which thrive well condition in the English market, I 



north of here, but a good hardy have no doubt it would bring the 



Winter apple we do not possess, very highest price. I have shipped 



The chief value of the Larne con- to England a good many barrels of 



sists in the hardiness, robustness different kinds, but the only kind 



and durability of the tree, its regular which arrived at their destination in 



bearing habit, and the showiness of good condition was the American 



the fruit. As a cooking apple it is Golden Russet. The demand for it, 



decidedly preferable to the Alex- however, seems to be limited, on 



ander, and it keeps three months account of its rather small size. But 



longer. Its flavor is infinitely su" I fear I transgress on your valuable 



perior to the Ben Davis, and with space. — May iitli, i88g. 



HORTICULTURAL REMINISCENCES. 



By George Leslie, 



SO^IE time ago I gave your read- 

 ers some notes* of my first 

 ramble among the American nurser- 

 ies of the early days. My second 

 visit was nearer home. In the 

 Spring of 1840, I found Mr. Barr}-, of 

 Rochester, a clerk in the seed store 

 of Messrs. Ronald & Batome, corner 

 of Buffalo and State Streets, and 

 Mr. Elwanger in charge of the green- 

 houses of the same firm. With the 

 exception of a few small patches 

 covered by a miscellaneous collection 

 of young trees there was nothing 

 about Rochester to indicate a forth- 

 coming nursery centre. In the Fall 

 of the same year Messrs. Elwanger 

 & Barry entered into partnership, 

 and leased six acres of land near 



See vol. xi., p. toi. 



Sr., Toronto, Ont. 



Mt. Hope from a Mr. Oilman for 

 the purpose of starting in the nur- 

 sery business. I found these indus- 

 trious young men busy fencing and 

 plowing their land. That Fall I 

 could not find all the stock I wanted, 

 although I got some samples from 

 Mr. Row, of Greece, five miles west 

 of Rochester, who was beginning 

 business. I piu-chased a few apple 

 trees from Boarden Brothers, and 

 some roses and shrubs from Mr. 

 King, who had four acres under 

 nursery near Mt. Hope. Gathering 

 these small purchases together I 

 took them to Toronto on the schooner 

 Vollcr. At this time I was still in 

 the seed business in my old store on 

 Vonge Street, where I also occasion- 

 ally dealt in such fruits as were 



