OPEN LETTERS. 



As to the business end ; there is no good 

 reason why advertising space in such a jour- 

 nal, should not nearly pay for the cost of its 

 publication. 



Let us have the question fully ventilated, 

 and at the proper time let a committee be 

 appointed composed of members of the Pro- 

 vincial Societies, to arrange the detail, and 

 carry it to a successful issue. 



H. H. Oroff, 



The Dominion Horticulturist. 



Sir, — 1 notice in the December number 

 of The HoRTicaLTURiST, under the heading, 

 " A Dominion .Journal," the wriier urges the 

 making the magazine more thoroughly Cana- 

 dian by the other provinces accepting it as 

 their organ, and we should then have articles 

 from different parts of the country, and thus 

 making it larger and better, the increased' cost 

 being more than covered by the larger circula- 

 tion. But in the latter part of the article the 

 suggestion is made to issue it in a weekly 

 form, which would. I think, be a great mis- 

 take, as it would contain a good deal of infor- 

 mation that would soon grow old, and the 

 expense of binding it would be increased, and 

 its value when bound would be less. Hoping 

 you will not adopt this change unless it is 

 considered really necessary, 



I remain, yours sincerely, 

 A. J. Collins. 



The Honey Berry of Japan. 



Sir, — I first received this as an unknown 

 plant, collected by my collector in Japan, on 

 an unknown island in the Yellow Sea. It 

 grew rapidly from the fiist start, and proved 

 that it required no petting. I was surprised 

 at its rank luxuriant growth ; the first 

 season, I believe, it attained a, height of 

 about 16 feet, with cunes nearly an inch 

 thick ; the next season the canes grew nearly 

 20 feet in length, almost straight up ; the 

 leaves on this plant are quite similar to the 

 leaves on cTtain rose plants, except that they 

 are several times larger than any rose leaves ; 

 the leaves being about 10 inches long on the 

 old stalks or canes ; the leaves are a brilliant, 

 dark green ; the under parts being covered 

 with numerous purple thorns ; the canes also 

 are covered with tens of thousands of purple 

 thorns, which glisten in the sunlight, and 

 which gives the bush a singularly beautiful 

 appearance. The fruit is a marvel ; it is so 

 glassy, and so brilliantly colored as to sparkle 

 in the light ; the color is reddish yellow ; the 

 fruit is (luite large, of a strange, mystic 

 flavor, which many people pronounce superb ; 

 again, others do not like the Havor. This 

 plant is a raspberry ; it commences to fruit 

 with the earliest raspberries, and continues 

 until Christmas. It is a greater yielder than 

 any raspberry known at the present day ; 

 the fruit is v.<luable for any purpose that a 

 raspberry is put to. 



S. L. Watkins, 

 Grizzly Fkit^, Cal. 



Fruit is all Rig-ht. 



Sir, — While it is early to suggest tliese 

 reports, yet, there is reason why they should 

 be recommended. 



In brief, I would mention that the market- 

 ing of fruit requires the best of skill in hand- 

 ling, being properly gathered, and properly 

 packed, which we know has something to do 

 with the price of it. When we know what 

 our markets want, then let us try and give 

 them the desii'ed article. It is safe to say, 

 that carefully handled fruit, in properly put 

 up and attractive packages, will yield double 

 the profits of those unskilfully handled ; there- 

 fore, to succeed, we must display skill and 

 ability in our business ; and would say it is 

 not good business to put beautiful specimens 

 on top of our package and then fill in with 

 more inferior grade ; we cannot afford to do 

 this. Then the package. The fruit is wor- 

 thy of being put up in the newest and clean- 

 est package that is possible to obtain, and 

 that each grower put his name and address 

 on each and every package that he sends to 

 market. 



When one begins to grow fruit he will find 

 (like the agricultural product) it is not all 

 good enough to market, and therefore the 

 greatest skill is required to handle our fruit, 

 to realize the best returns. It does seem to 

 me that we should try and improve upon last 

 year's methods, if it is possible. Now if in 

 shipping fruit in packages (especially to for- 

 eign markets), that a smaller package will 

 carry better and in better condition on arrival 

 than a larger one, why then let us adopt a 

 smaller one, and, as many have suggested, 

 they are in demand. 



These facts are well known to many no 

 doubt, and it is very important that experi- 

 njents may be set on foot that will determine 

 their goodness in this matter. 



It is for this reason tha' I make these few 

 assertions, that this continual striving and 

 ambitious aim will lead to greater things, 

 that we might not otherwise have under- 

 taken. No matter what one undertakes, he 

 must ultimately improve. 



E. Hersee, Woodstock 



Gooseberry and Currant Growing. 



Dear Sir, — Lately I read two articles in 

 the Toronto News, one by Mr. Spillet, on 

 Gooseberry Culture, the other by the name of 

 Stevenson " Small Fruit Culture." In Mr. 

 Spillets' article he makes the assertion that 

 gooseberry bushes cannot be grown from cut- 

 tings. Now I hold he is far astray as my expe- 

 rience for many years proves the reverse. As 

 an example I will relate a circumstance 

 which occurred in July last. Mr. Brooks of 

 this town brouiiht me two medium sized 

 bushes, which were nearly dead, caused by 

 the strawberry white grub eating the roots. 

 .'\fter concluding they were beyond recovery 

 I threw them on the ground where thoy lav 



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