NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



took pleasure in showing us his many 

 varieties of phlox, asters, dahlias, cannas, 

 etc. The Ice King primrose was 

 pointed out as a fine variety for ceme- 

 tery planting, the bloom being pure 

 white, and the plant close in habit ; 

 Achillea, the Pearl, a pure white flower- 

 ing variety of the common Achillea 

 millefolia, was also noted as well 

 adapted for the same use. Delphinium 

 formosum is a beautiful larkspur, one 

 of the newer varieties, which far sur- 

 pass the old ones of our grandmother's 

 gardens. Helianthus multiflorus is a 

 very satisfactory hardy perennial ; so 

 free in bloom, and adapted to almost 

 any soil and location. Of the Salvias 

 we noted Holt's Mammoth as one of 

 the best for the kitchen garden, and 

 Salvia patens as an excellent bloomer 

 for the flower border. Gaillardia grand- 

 iflora and Coreopsis lanceolata are two 

 hardy perennials that should be in every 

 garden, for they succeed admirably 

 everywhere. A double flowering Con- 

 volvulus, Calystegia pubescens, seemed 

 to be desirable for ornament, if only it 

 is free from the faults of its near relative 

 the common bindweed. 



Ontario Fruit in Winnipeg. — We 



do not know who are the guilty persons, 



who have been shipping badly packed 



fruit to Winnipeg, and bringing down 



upon the whole of Ontario the abuse of 



the Winnipeg press. Certainly we have 



in Ontario plenty of good packers, who 



can put up their fruit equal to Califor- 



nian packers or any other packers. The 



article referred to is from the Winnipeg 



Commercial, and reads as follows : — 



•' Ontario shippers of fruit will have to 

 improve their methods vastly if they hope to 

 be able to do anything in this market. 

 Ontario shippers have never yet been able to 

 lay down soft fruits in Winnipeg fit for con- 

 sumption. Ontario apples are all right, and 

 in the fall of the year we also receive large 

 quantities of Ontario grapes, but most other 



3 I 



varieties of Ontario fruits invariably arrive 

 here in a condition unfit for consumption. 

 This is, no doubt, mainly due to the careless 

 and slovenly way in which Ontario shippers 

 handle the fruit. The fruit is evidently often 

 too ripe when packed, and there appears to 

 be an utter absence of care in handling. No 

 attempt appears to be made to properly 

 assort and pack the fruit. Peaches, plums, 

 etc., are dumped promiscuously into baskets, 

 and they arrive here in a mushy condition, 

 with the juices streaming from the baskets. 

 The distance from the point of production is 

 not the trouble, as California fruits are arriv- 

 ing here constantly in car lots in perfectly 

 sound condition. Skill and care in handling 

 is applied to the California fruit, while in 

 the other case there is lack of knowledge and 

 carelessness. This accounts for the differ- 

 ence, and is, no doubt, the reason why 

 Manitoba gets her fruit from California. 



British Columbia growers have made a 

 few shipments to the Winnipeg market, with 

 a result not unlike that of Ontario shipments. 

 This year we learn that British Columbia 

 growers are endeavoring to learn and practise 

 California methods in handling fruits, and if 

 they follow up this policy they will, no 

 doubt, in time learn the secrets of shipping 

 fruit to distant markets in a condition fit for 

 consumption " 



In explanation we may say that the 

 Commission men who are doing the 

 shipping of fruit at the present time, are 

 the persons responsible for such failures ; 

 for they buy up basket goods indis- 

 criminately at the wharf or the auction 

 market — goods that were never packed 

 for long distance shipment, and load up 

 cars with them for distant markets. 

 When once our growers undertake put- 

 ting up their finest varieties for Winni- 

 peg, or any other distant market, they 

 will make a different showing. They 

 will use small crates, not baskets, and 

 they will wrap each specimen, and pack 

 tightly, so that they will open out in 

 prime condition. 



We believe there is room in our best 

 fruit centres for a special business, viz : 

 — that of fruit packing. A firm who 

 would make this a specialty, providing 

 the boxes, and wrapping material, grad- 

 ing the fruit and sizing it, for so much a 

 case ; and perhaps even doing a ship- 

 ping business as well would surely make 

 a great success of it. 



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