TH K 



Canadian Hokticultukist. 



Vol. XX 



1897 



No. 7. 



KENTI.su 



'ji_ XK of the most showy apples 

 that was shown at the In- 

 dustrial Fair^ Toronto, last 

 year, was the Kentish Fill- 

 basket. It is an old Eng- 

 lish variety of great beauty 

 of appearance, and enor- 

 mous size; but of ordinary quality. In 

 England it often measures 3)4 inches in 

 diameter, but reaches a larger size in 

 Ontario ; the sample from which this 

 photograph was taken measuring four 

 inches in diameter. We do not know of 

 any other apple of its season to compare 

 with it in appearance, unless it be the 

 German Bietigheimer, some samples of 

 which closely resemble the Fillbasket. 

 Its name certainly is well applied, for 

 very few would fill a basket. 



With all its beauty, however, it does 

 not seem to be very profitable, and is 

 not widel)' grown in Ontario. This is 

 probably due ( i ) to its season of rijjening, 

 (2) its unproductiveness, and (3) the 

 tenderness of the tree. It succeeds best, 

 according to our reports in the Counties 

 of Huron, Kruce and Gray, where the 

 vicinity of Lake Huron ameliorates the 

 climate, but in \'ictoria and Sinicoe 



[.LB.A.SKE r. 



' Counties it is not hardy. In the Niagara 

 peninsula it is very little grown. 



Mr. A McD. Allan, of Goderich, 

 writes : — I don't see profit in growing it 

 unless it be near a good large city mar- 

 ket, where it could be used for cooking 

 purposes. It might, and doubtless would 

 sell well in Britain, if we had a decent 

 sort of steamboat accommodation to 

 carry. It is absolutely worthless in my 

 opmion for dessert, it is only a cooker. 

 A good strong growing tree and good 

 bearer. The tree perfectly hardy here 

 and in other places I have known it. 



Origin, England ; tree, vigorous, fairly 

 productive, semi-hardy. 



Fruit, very large, 3x4 inches, globular, 

 slightly ribbed : color, smooth, shiny, 

 light-green to pale yellow, sometimes 

 almost white, and on sunny side splash- 

 ed and striped with bright red ; stem, 

 stout, short, % inch, .set in a large cavity : 

 calyx closed set in a large plaited basin. 



Flesh, fine grained, tender and juicy : 

 flavor, mild sub acid. 



Season, October to December. 



Quality, poor for dessert, good for 

 cooking, good for home market, and 

 poor for foreign market. 



253 



