342 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIS2. 



afford the time to wrap tender varieties 

 perhaps they can store them until the bulk 

 of the fall work is over or even until winter, 

 which is the most suitable time from a work 

 point of view. Growers should not fail to 



place a piece of paper the same size as the 

 inside of the box, between the apples and 

 excelsior, as by that means the apples will 

 be kept clean and look much better when 

 placed on the market. 



APPLE GROWING IN NOVA SCOTIA 



A, M NEIL, CHIEF, FRUIT DIVISION. 



f'Y^ HE conditions under which apples are 

 X grown in Nova Scotia are somewhat 

 different to those which prevail in the apple 

 districts of Ontario. On the whole it must 

 be confessed that the growers in Nova 

 Scotia receive higher prices than the On- 

 tario growers, and this is encouraging very 

 large plantings in favorable localities. 



The bulk of the fruit is grown in the 

 Cornwallis and Annapolis Valleys, with 

 some excellent smaller sections in the val- 

 ley of the Gaspereaux and in Lunenburg 

 county. The most marked characteristic 

 is the growing of apples to' the exclusion of 

 almost all other crops, and hence the resort 

 to artificial fertilizers. The extent to which 

 these are used would seem most extrava- 

 gant to Ontario farmers. At some of the 

 small railway stations in the Annapolis Val- 

 ley individual agents report sales to the ex- 

 tent of $10,000, $12,000 and $15,000. I can- 

 not help thinking it a source of danger that 

 the live stock industry is so largely neglected. 

 Clean culture in the orchards prevails, and 

 spraying is more common than in Ontario. 



I noted recently, while in Nova Scotia, 

 that in the new plantings winter varieties 

 prevailed almost exclusively. The Bald- 

 win is not a favorite; the Golden Russet, 

 Nonpareil, King, Spy and Blenheim are 

 largely planted. • The Stark and Ben Davis 

 have many friends. Among the difficul- 

 ties must be mentioned the collar rot and 

 canker, diseases more prevalent in the An- 

 napolis valley than in any other section in 

 Canada that I have visited. The ordinarv 



black knot, apparently, is allowed to develop 

 without let or hindrance, to the great detri- 

 ment of the plum and cherry industry. 



THE TREES ARE VIGOROUS. 



The Ontario apple grower might well 

 envy the vigor of the Nova Scotian trees, 

 due in part to the moist climate, but more 

 to the excellent care the trees receive with 

 regard to culture and pruning. High- 

 headed trees are universal ; and the Nova 

 Scotian knows no special orchard tool. A 

 number of the orchardists work close to the 

 trees with oxen, but the fact that they re- 

 quire a driver and are very slow bars them 

 out from work for which they are otherwise 

 well suited. Close planting is frequently 

 practiced. Mr. Ralph Eaton, a most pro- 

 gressive and successful fruit grower, has 

 as many as 320 trees to the acre. Though 

 Mr. Eaton has made a success of this 

 method I feel sure he would have done still 

 better with the same number of trees on a 

 larger acreage. 



It is the custom of apple growers in Nova 

 Scotia to pack their own fruit, and it works 

 much more satisfactorily than the Ontario 

 system of having the apples packed by the 

 buyer. At nearly every station some en- 

 terprising English firm has erected a store- 

 house, so that the orchardist always ha3 a 

 convenient place to store his fruit, but of 

 course he is limited to the market offered 

 by this firm. The subject of cooperation is 

 receiving considerable attention in the val- 

 ley, but as yet there are no active societies 

 in operation. 



