190 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



of six. The canes are of smaller growth 

 than those of the Snyder — which is an 

 advantage, and j)roduce a large crop of 

 fruit, which is of a symmetrical, oblong 

 shape, good medium size, of a shining 

 black color, and as has been said, of an 

 exquisitely delicious flavor — no twang left 

 after eating and no core in the centre to 

 be masticated or swallowed whole, as with 

 Kittatinny. The Taylor also has one 

 peculiarity which forcibly struck all our 

 berry pickers who picked the fruit this 

 year, viz , the absence of sunscald which 

 was so common this season." 



SINGULAR FREAKS. 

 There is in Mr. L. Harwood's garden, 

 in the West Ward, a Siberian crab tree, 

 which has been bearing about four years, 

 that is covered with blossoms, but has not 

 had a leaf on this season. — OrilUa Packet. 



Mr. W. H. Kent, of Medonte, on go- 

 ing to examine his fruit blossoms this 

 spring, found that one tree, off which he 

 had gathered fifteen bushels last autumn, 

 was completely laden with small apples, 

 which must have formed in the fall, after 

 the fruit had been gathered. What effect 

 this will have on the tree he cannot pre- 

 dict, never having heard of such a pheno- 

 menon, but he fears it will kill it. — Orillia 

 Packet 



BOOK NOTICES. 



Premiums Offered at the Seven- 

 teenth An V UAL Exhibition of the Ne- 

 braska State Fair, to be held at Omaha, 

 10th September, continuing for six days. 



Complete Guid:: to Silk Culture, by 

 L. Gapsadell published by W. B. Smith 

 & Co., New York. In this little volume 

 the author. Secretary of the New York 

 Silk Exchange, has given in the shortest 

 possible space concise and practical direc- 

 tions in every detail of silk culture ; Silk- 

 food Trees, and how to Raise them ; Co- 

 cooneries ; Eggs, and how to Hatch them ; 

 the Rearing of Silk- worms ; Races, Varie- 

 ties, and Value ; Gathering, Stifling, and 

 Packing Cocoons ; Reproduction ; Reel- 

 ing, and Spinning, and Requisites for 

 Silk Culture are plainly described and 

 illustrated. The wide and promising 

 field which, at present, is opening for 



American silk culture, which cannot hwt 

 develop into a most iinportant industry, 

 in the near future, makes the publication 

 of such a work most desirable. 



MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 



Shakpless Strawberry. — Mr. D. C. 

 Hommell, of Knoxville, Tenn., shows up 

 a strawberry of the ''Sharpless" variety 

 that measured eight and one-quarter 

 inches in circumference. 



Are Small Fruits Profitable. — A 

 fruit grower who has had considerable 

 experience in the business says that small 

 fruits as an average, such as strawberries, 

 raspberries, blackberries, currants, grapes, 

 etc. , yield, as a rule, double the profit of 

 apples, pears, peaches, plums, for the 

 reason, principally, that small fruits come 

 immediately into bearing, and produce 

 every year. Prices are more equal from 

 year to year, varying less than apples and 

 pears. — Prairie Farmer. 



Waterloo Peach. — This is the largest 

 very early peach we have grown or seen . 

 The first specimen ripened July 14th, and 

 measured 10 inches in circumference. All 

 tlie fruit was gathered and mostly over- 

 ripe, on the 19th of the same month. It 

 ripened about three days in advance of the 

 Alexander. It is a remarkable keeper, 

 ripe specimens have been kept in perfect 

 condition nearly a week after being pick- 

 ed. It will therefore be valuable for ship- 

 ping. — Fruit Recorder. 



Value of the Sunflower. — It is the 

 best egg-producing food known for poul- 

 try, keeping them in a thriving condition 

 and largely increasing the production of 

 eggs. Every poultry raiser who tries it 

 will find that this seed is the food known 

 for glossing the plumage of fowls, and is 

 almost indispensable to those who want to 

 fit their birds for exhibition to tlie best 

 advantage. The Russian sunflower is 

 easily raised, requires very little care, can 

 be grown in fence corners or other places 

 difficult to cultivate. Its production of 

 seed is immense, yielding often at the rate 

 of one hundred bushels to the acre. It 

 should be planted in hills four feet apart, 

 any time from the tenth of May to the 

 first of July. Three quarts of seed will 

 plant an acre. — loiva Homestead. 



