EARLY APPLES FOR MARKET. 



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1'2()'2. — Eakly Harvest. 



^^ p^HIS season, when apple scab is 

 again breaking out in unusual 

 virulence, we are reminded of 

 the importance of growing only 

 those varieties which are proof against 

 this fungus. We want to know just 

 what is the most profitable first early- 

 apple, for market. For many years the 

 Ea>-ly Hanest held this place, but for 

 the last twenty years this variety has 

 been w^orthless on account of scab. 

 This year the trees of Early Harvest are 

 loaded at Maplehurst, but there is not 

 one perfect apple, not one that could be 

 shipped, and scarcely one that even 

 the children will pick up to eat, 

 and they know that no other apple 

 of its season equals it in quality. 

 The season of the Early Harvest 

 is usually about the first week in 

 August, though in 1896 it ripened 

 from 15th to 30th of July. The 

 Red Astracan comes close after it, 

 usually being fit to ship from the 

 loth to 20th; it is a beautiful apple, 

 the prettiest of its season, valu- 

 able for market when not too abun- 

 dant, often bringing from 20 to 40 

 cents a twelve qt. basket for a 

 selected fancy grade. W'e usually 



put up the fancy grade in these 

 baskets, rowing them in two 

 deep, and three wide ; the sec- 

 ond grade, of smaller size, or 

 less color, goes in barrels. But 

 unfortunately the scab is attack- 

 ing even the Red .Vstracan this 

 season, and of one hundred 

 trees, twenty-five years planted, 

 there will be very few baskets fit 

 for market. This is a sore dis- 

 appointment this season, when 

 they were needed for experi- 

 mental export shipments. 

 The Yellow Transpaient'xi prov- 

 ing the best variety of its season to resist 

 the scab. Its season is about as early 

 as the Early Harvest, but it hangs much 

 longer on the trees, attaining more 

 transparent whiteness as it hangs. In 

 some instances we have seen samples 

 still hanging about the end of August. 

 It may not be profitable in competition 

 with Astracan and Duchess, varieties of 

 far greater beauty, but when it competes 

 with the Early Harvest in the early part 

 of August, the grower will find it so 

 superior in appearance, uniformity and 

 productiveness, that it will entirely re- 



I'l.:. VM\ 1;ki. .\sTi!Ar 



32S 



