284 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



package, and we get more money for fruit 

 in the larger barrel. If the department of 

 agriculture at Ottawa desires a uniform 

 package for the whole Dominion it should 

 choose the 30-inch barrel." 



Mr. J. W. B. Atcliflfe, of Westmount, 



Que., also favors the 30-inch barrel, al- 

 though he prefers to ship Fameuse and early 

 apples in boxes. Mr. F. E. Brown, of 

 Mitchell, was the only shipper heard from 

 who expressed a liking for the 28-inch 

 barrel. 



Winter Killing of Apple Trees 



PROIf. H. I,. HUTT, ONT. AGRI. COLLEGE;, 

 GUELPH. 



I have about 20 acres of apple orchards, 

 planted eight years ago. Last winter the se- 

 vere weather froze them in the crotches, and I 

 am afraid they will be killed. The Starks, Bald- 

 wins and Arties are badly frozen. Some of the 

 Baldwins are dead, and I fear I will lose the 

 other varieties. In some cases I have cut away 

 the dead bark and covered the spots with a solu- 

 tion of resin, tallow, turpentine and methelated 

 spirits, to keep out the sun and rain. I notice 

 the bark peeling off the upper side of the limbs 

 and on the trunks in many instances. Do you 

 think it advisable to trim heavily ? — (W. H. 

 Bentley, Prince Edward County. 



The past winter has been an exceptionally 

 severe one on nearly all kinds of trees, and 

 it is doubtful if many of the tender varieties 

 will survive the effects of the severe freez- 

 ing. I find that Baldwin trees have suf- 

 fered particularly in our experimental or- 

 chard at the college, nearly all of this 

 variety having been killed. 



LET NATURE HAVE HER WAY. 



Probably the only thing that can be done 

 is to allow^ nature to reassert herself. In 

 cases where the bark shows signs of peeling 

 off it would be well to tack it down or bind 

 it firmly about the trunk and branches to 

 prevent exposure to the sun and air. Where 

 the injury is on the trunk it would be well 

 to encase the trunks of the trees with boards 

 and fill in next the tree with earth. This 

 wouldi keep the bark from peeling arid pro- 

 tect the cambium layer from exposure to air. 



Where the injury is in the crotches of the 

 trees, it is more difficult to treat. Where 

 possible it would be an advantage to band- 

 age the injured parts with clay plaster, 

 which would keep the parts fresh. In 



cases where new growth does not start until 

 quite late in the season, it is doubtful if they 

 will recover sufficiently to stand another 

 winter. 



Topping Apple Trees 



44 T AM in favor of the low topping of 

 1 apple trees because of the great con- 

 venience in picking. When trees are low 

 there is less likelihood of the fruit being in- 

 jured in cases of windfalls." These views 

 were expressed to The Horticulturist recent- 

 ly by Mr. William Rickard, M.L.A., of 

 Newcastle, Ont. 



" I have seen trees so trimmed," continued 

 Mr. Rickard, " that pickers had to go up 12 

 to 15 feet to obtain any apples. In such 

 cases the cost of picking amounts to nearly 

 all the apples are worth. The only objec- 

 tion to low branches in the orchard is the 

 difficulty experienced getting under the 

 limbs for the purpose of cultivation. Trees, 

 I am satisfied, will yield just as well when 

 the branches are low as when they are high. 

 I have had my Greenings so that I could 

 stand on the ground and pick two barrels of 

 apples from a tree. 



" As regards the coloring, I find the Spy 

 and red varieties generally will not color as 

 well on low branches as on high ones, and 

 for that reason I would not trim these varie- 

 ties as low as the others. They may, in or- 

 dinary cases, be topped when the trunk is 

 five feet high, which I think is high enough 

 for any tree. I grow my Greenings low 

 down on the ground and find they are not 

 damaged in any way. They do not need 

 the coloring the red varieties do." 



