66 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Packing Apples in Boxes 



I^HE fruit packers of Ontario using 

 boxes are creating a very unfavorable 

 impression in the Old Country by the use of 

 an excessive amount of excelsior. The 

 trade in Great Britain entirely misunder- 

 stand the object of this excelsior. They 

 take is for granted that it is put in the cases 

 for the purpose of economising in the quan- 

 tity of fruit. As a matter of fact, our On- 

 tario packers have not yet acquired the art 

 of packing an apple box properly. It is 

 quite possible, with almost any size of apple, 

 to fill' the box recommended by the Ontario, 

 Quebec and British Columbia Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Associations (lo x ii x 20 inches, in- 

 side measurement) with the use of very lit- 

 tle, if any, packing material ; and those who 

 are using boxes largely will do well, during 

 the remainder of the season, to practice box 

 packing. The box has come to stay, and 

 those who first acquire skill in its use will 

 reap the reward. Let us have numerous 

 private experiments in the art of packing a 

 box of apples properly, as well as public de- 

 monstrations by competent packers at Farm- 

 ers' Institutes and Horticultural meetings. — 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Ottawa. 



* * * 



The Michigan Horticultural Society 

 will hold a two days' meeting at Port Huron 

 on the 3rd and 4th of March, with the idea 

 of making it international in character. Mr. 

 L. B. Rice asks that we extend a hearty in- 

 vitation to all members of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association to attend. He says 

 further : " The meeting will open at 9.30 

 stan.dard time on our side, and again at 1.30. 

 At 4 o'clock there will be an extra meeting 

 for the school children. If Prof. Hutt can 

 luring several cf his students with him we 

 shall try and have some from the Michigan 



Agricultural College give them a reception 



at 7 p. m." 



* * * 



Dr. James Mills, President of the O. A. 

 C, Guelph, has been appointed a member of 

 the Railway Commission, of which the other 

 members are Mr. Bernier and the Hon. A. 

 S. Blair, the latter being chairman. Mr. 

 Blair is an extremely able lawyer, and has 

 had much to do with the formation of the 

 present railway act which comes in force on 

 the 1st of February. Farmers and fruit 

 growers alike all applaud the selection of 

 Dr. Mills as one who knows their needs and 

 has the deepest interest in. their prosperity. 



Mr. G. C. Creklman has been appointed 

 successor to Dr. Mills as president of 

 the Ontario Agricultural College. We 

 know of no one in the province better fitted 

 to take up the responsibilities of this very 

 important position. He has excellent natu- 

 ral abilities united with a long course of 

 technical education, besides having had e?^- 

 perience in college work while professor of 

 biology in the State Agricultural and Me- 

 chanical College of Mississippi. He has a 

 wonderful aptitude in managing men and 

 affairs, and all who know him will unite in ' 

 favor of his appointment to this important 



position. 



* * * 



Much has been said in favor of thin- 

 ning fruit on apple trees. President T. B. 

 Wilson, of the New York Fruit Growers' 

 Association, says : " When there is a gen- 

 eral crop of apples and the crop, or set, is 

 very full, so that the chance for small fruit 

 is very great and widespread over the coun- 

 try, I think it would pay to thin to such an 

 extent as to insure good-sized fruit. Aside 

 from this I do not think it would pay, only 

 for the protection of the tree." 



