NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



$200,000, perhaps at Montreal, whence 

 fruit would be loaded for Great Britain. 

 Branch depots are to be provided 

 through the country, and special refrig- 

 erator cars. Should this plan be fully 

 carried out, it will much facilitate our 

 export trade. 



A Swindle. — Mr. A. W, Milne, of 

 Ottawa, writes that in 1892 he purchased 

 from a New York State Nurseryman, six 

 Kings, four Wallbridge, two Yellow 

 Transparents, and two Golden Russetts. 

 The Kings proved to be worthless crabs, 

 the Transparent and Wallbridge miser- 

 able little seedlings, samples of which he 

 Sends in a tin box, Jan. 14th I 



He writes, " It is not the value of the 

 trees I care about, but the loss of time, 

 ground and labor ; and I certainly think 

 a continuance of such methods should 

 be stopped if possible." 



Our readers should always be careful 

 to place their orders with reliable nur- 

 serymen, who have a reputation to sus- 

 tain. Swindlers abound in every busi- 

 ness, and in nursery stock there is a 

 special opportunity, because the cheat 

 cannot be proved for years, and then it 

 is difficult to obtain redress. 



The Countess of Wachtmeister 

 condemns meat diet for either animals 

 or plants. In an interview recently she 

 stated that she was sure the curculio, 

 and codlin moth in the fruit was a re- 

 sult of feeding the trees with animal 

 fertilizers ! Surely vegetarianism has 

 gone mad. 



It pays to Spray. — This statement 

 is well proved by the report published 

 in a recent special bulletin from the 

 Department of Agriculture, giving the 

 results of the work done in twenty nine 

 orchards in various parts of the province. 

 At the close of the season written reoorts 



were asked for from the persons whose 

 orchards were treated, and these reports 

 are so conclusive concerning the results 

 that we extract two or three for our 

 readers benefit. 



Mr. E. E. Luton, St. Thomas : "In reply 

 to yours of the 3rd, I may say that I consider 

 spraying a most decided success financially. 

 The spraying in my orchard, as conducted by 

 W. M. Orr, superintendent of the experiment- 

 al spraying, was very instructive, and in some 

 cases very great interest was taken by those 

 in the neighborhood that had orchards to 

 spray. The applications were to have be^n 

 seven times, but owing to the trees being in 

 blossom only six wt^re made, beginning on 

 April the 20th, and finishing on July 8th. 

 Although the first part of the season was wet 

 and unfavorable the results were good. The 

 varieties sprayed were : Ben Davis, Spy, 

 Greening, Tatman Sweet, Fall Pippin, 

 Seek, Blenheim, Russet, and pears. The 

 result on pears was not satisfactory, but 

 on apples was a most decided success, but 

 was more n ticeable on Greenings and Spys. 

 Out of the orchard, which only has 93 trees, 

 and ] 1 of them sweet, I sold 60 bbls. and 

 reserved 10 for my own use, and yet have 

 about 25 bbls. of second-class, or culls. My 

 apples, for (quality, were unsurpassed in this 

 section, taking 6 firsts and five second prizes 

 out of 13 entries at the Fall Fair. I received 

 $2.50 per bbl., which wa-s 15 cents above any 

 others in this section — the majority selling at 

 from $1 50 to $1.85 per bbl. 



" In regard to profit per tree, may say that 

 I cannot at present give definite information, 

 but think I am quite safe in stating fully 

 twice as much money was obtained from the 

 sprayed trees 8« f 1 om the unsprayed. On the 

 latter the apples were scabby and about the 

 size of walnuts, while the foliage turned 

 brown and fell off fully five weeks in advance 

 of sprayed, and this year's spraying may have 

 a very great benefit on next year's produce. 



"Apples in this section were such a poor 

 crop that people in passing the orchard were 

 quite often heard to say that spraying must 

 pay, as the sprayed orchard was the only one 

 with any apples in that they had seen in all 

 their day's drive. Many walked through the 

 orchard and compared the sprayed with the 

 unsprayed." 



Mr. Xorman McPkerson, Kincardine : 

 " The spraying of the apples wm of great 

 benefit, so much so that I intend to continue 

 it myself. The fruit is larger and better 

 formed and the Snow apples are almost free 

 from spots. Had the weather been better 

 the results might have been still more satis- 

 factory. As to the trees sprayed, I could 

 perhaps illustrate the cash benefit to me. 

 The Snow apple trees that were sprayed have 

 realized in fruit this year §4 00 each ; those 

 not sprayed— nothing — as the fruit was hardly 

 worth picking. All the other varieties spray- 

 ed were greatly improved, but not to the same 



73 



