52 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



East Central District: Mr. Wm. Pick- 

 ard, Newcastle, writes: The St. Lawrence 

 apple is not largely grown in my district. It 

 is apt to spot badly, and while a first-class 

 dessert apple for home use, and is well 

 thought of and in demand in Montreal, usu- 

 ally bringing top prices, it is by no means a 

 good export apple. Under ordinary condi- 

 tions it usually lands in somewhat bad con- 



dition, and consequently nett returns are 

 anything but satisfactory. 



Essex District : . Mr. J. L. Killborn, 

 Leamington, writes : St. Lawrence apple 

 is not grown at all here, at least I have not 

 seen a tree of it in this county, but believe 

 there is an odd one. There are a few trees 

 growing in Lambton county, but they are 

 much affected with the apple scab. 



I^ditorial %Gtt^ 



PivANTiNG TIME is near at hand. The 

 fruit grower, who intends to enlarge his 

 fruit garden or his orchard, should employ 

 these days of comparative leisure in study- 

 ing the varieties best adapted to his purpose. 



* * * 



Make up a list and write the most relia- 

 ble Canadian nurseries for their best terms. 

 By dealing direct, especially if the order is 

 large, much lower prices will be accepted 

 than by ordering through an agent, whose 

 expenses and time must be paid for out of 



the sales. 



* * * 



For the Commercial Orchard the 

 novice in fruit growing should write the 

 Department of Agriculture for the report of 

 the Fruit Experiment Stations of Ontario, 

 in which will be found reliable information 

 with regard to the most profitable varieties 

 and those best adapted for the various sec- 

 tions. 



For the Home Garden quite a different 

 list may be selected, for many of the best 

 and highest flavored fruits for the table are 

 not sufficiently productive to be worthy a 

 place in the market garden. Inquiries with 

 regard to varieties, their characteristics and 

 their adaptability to the various sections of 



Ontario will be cheerfully answered in the 



columns of the Canadian Horticulturist. 



* * * 



Worthless and Inferior Varieties 

 should be eradicated or top-grafted this 

 spring. It costs as much to grow a cider 

 apple as a good market variety ; the one sells 

 at lo cents a bushel, the other at 50 cents. 



* ;|; -Jf 



Top-GRAETiNG is a simple operation, 

 which every fruit grower should practice 

 for himself. Professionals charge $3.00 a 

 day for this work, and 

 often make double that 

 by charging three cents 

 for every cion that 

 grows. There is no 

 mystery about it. The 

 accompanying cuts will 

 show the process with- 

 out explanation. 



Practice in grafting 



of course makes perfect, 



and the novice should 



first try his hand upon 



some waste branches. 



The great point is to 



, , ,, , Fig. 2723 Grafting. 



make clear smooth cuts, 



and for this sharp tools and a steady hand 



