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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



New York, section buyers are giving $1.75 to $2 

 per barrel for fruit on the trees. In Michigan 

 fine Duchess have sold for around $2 per barrel. 

 It states that it is apparent apples will be con- 

 tracted in the United States this year for more 

 money than last year. 



THE BRITISH APPLE CROP. 

 A report from Woodall & 'Co., Liverpool, Eng- 



land, says that the apple crop in the United 

 Kingdom promises to be one of the poorest in 

 many years. Out of 270 reports from the most 

 important districts only three place the crop 

 a'bove the average, 44 placing it as average, and 

 223 under average. In many cases it is given 

 as a total failure. Reports from Holland, Bel- 

 gium and Germany also indicate small crops. 



TOMATO SITUATION ENCOURAGING 



The tomato situation, as far as the growers 

 are concerned is, on the whole, encouraging. 

 In the St. Catharines and Prince Edward county 

 sections, two of the largest producing districts, 

 while the crop of early tomatoes was somewhat 

 larger than usual, there will be a marked short- 

 age of the later varieties. In the Hamilton dis- 

 trict, while there are possibilities that the crop 

 of late varieties will be large, it is reported by 

 leading growers that the canners will not be 

 able to secure nearly as many tomatoes as they 

 require. For this reason it is believed prices 

 will be well maintained. 



The following reports received by The Horti- 

 culturist, as late as August 25, from the leading 

 growers in the main producing districts give a 

 good idea of the situation: 



PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY. 



The crop of early tomatoes is somewhat larger 

 than last year, and will be an average one, but 

 the early varieties represent a small per cent, 

 of the crop. The late varieties are still the 

 leading crop for canning, and they are very 

 poorly covered with fruit. I have not met a 

 farmer who reports a full crop of the late varie- 

 ties. If frost comes as early as last year the 

 late varieties will be an entire failure, as we are 

 later in ripening this year than last. Prices 

 are 25 cents per bushel. The syndicate and 

 independent factories appear to be willing to 

 leave the situation alone. The crop here will 

 be much less than an average one, both in acre- 

 age and yield.— (J. W. Hyatt, West Lake. 

 IN THE NIAGARA DISTRICT. 



In this section the acreage planted to early 

 tomatoes is at least double that of last year, 

 and in general the crop has been good. The hot 

 dry weather ripened them rapidly, and the price 

 dropped sooner and lower than usual, so that 

 the returns have not, on the whole, been satis- 

 factory. Owing to the failure last spring of 

 the Canadian canners and the growers here to 

 come to an agreement as to contract price for 

 late tomatoes the members of our association 

 have greatly reduced their usual plantings. 

 What are being grown are mostly for a new in- 

 dependent company, which, in May last, made 

 contracts at 30 cents per bushel, and have now 

 a new factory in operation. This, together with 

 a probable shortage in the crop of late toma- 

 toes, has stiffened the price, so that any one 

 who has tomatoes not contracted for can readily 

 obtain 30 cents per bushel — even for early ones. 

 Outside of our association a number of new men 

 were induced to contract for 25 cents. Many 

 of these started late, and plants were often put 



on unsuitable ground and will not yield much of 

 a crop. However, good plants set on suitable 

 ground and well cared for promise a fair crop, 

 provided the weather is favorable for the next 

 few weeks. — (W. C. McCalla. 



SITUATION AROUND HAMILTON. 



The following statement as to the situation 

 around Hamilton has been made to The Horti- 

 culturist by Mr. E. J. Mahony, president of the 

 Hamilton Tomato Growers' Association : 



Last January a well known Hamilton capital- 

 ist decided to establish a canning factory and 

 contracted for about 40,000 bushels of tomatoes- 

 at 30 cents per bushel. Shortly after making 

 these contracts the gentleman was induced to 

 transfer them to the companies already doing" 

 business in the city, and it is generally be- 

 lieved that he received a very liberal remunera- 

 tion for making the transfer. In addition tc> 

 these 40,000 bushels the canners induced a num- 

 ber of inexperienced growers and also a few 

 members of our association to sign contracts at 

 25 cents and the " rise." Now, the whole situa- 

 tion here may be found in the answer to two- 

 questions — first, will the canners receive a suffi- 

 cient amount of tomatoes to fill their orders on 

 these contracts ? and second, what is the posi- 

 tion of those growers who have made no con- 

 tracts and are still holding out for 30 cent con- 

 tracts ? The factories in this immediate 

 vicinity require annually at least 200,000 'bushels 

 of tomatoes. Of this amount less than 60 per 

 cent, are contractea for. Even in the most 

 favorable years less than 70 per cent, of the 

 amount contracted for are delivered. On this 

 basis of calculation the factories here are face 

 to face with a very substantial shortage. It 

 should also be noted that a majority of those- 

 who made contracts this year know very little 

 of tomato cultivation, and in many cases less- 

 than 25 per cent, of the amount contracted will 

 be delivered. To make matters still worse for 

 the canners there is every indication that the- 

 late tomatoes will be a light crop. 



Those growers who have refused to make con- 

 tracts at 25 cents have no cause for regret. 

 They have the satisfaction of knowing that they 

 played the part of men, and have proven their 

 loyalty to the growers' association and to the 

 principle maintained by the association that the- 

 producer, as well as the purchaser, should have 

 a part in fixing the price of his produce. They 

 have, also, the additional satisfaction of beings 

 able to dispose of their tomatoes at a price- 

 equal to and even considerably in exeeate of 30» 

 cents per bushel. 



