The Canadian Horticulturist. 291 



tomatoes. The seeds are sown in hotbeds, and the young plants are not taken 

 to the garden until danger of frost is past. The plants are very branching, most 

 of the branches taking a lateral direction, almost touching the ground. For 

 this reason they should be set not less than four feet apart each way. There is 

 need of extra care in keeping down the weeds during the first half of the season, 

 for later on the plants are in the way of such work. The ground cherry is won- 

 derfully prolific. The first ripe ones are gathered about the first of August. 

 After this the fruit may be picked every two or three days until cut off by frost. 

 The fruit drops off as soon as it is ripe, so the most of the picking is done from 

 the ground. On good soil one may expect to get a bushel from 18 or 20 plants, 

 or from 130 to 150 bushels per acre. — American Agriculturist. 



^ PACKING PEACHES. 



%^^^^^EACHES for market should be picked as soon as colored and before 

 ^yp^' getting soft. The best pickers are young active men from 15 to 25 



■/fj^^^ years of age. The best package for picking is a half bushel splint 



J^y^Sp^^* basket with strong handles, of which a sufficient number should be 



}^4[^tiAf kept on hand, so that fruit (ne^d not be emptied in the orchard, 



whereby they are much bruised) may be transported to grading room 



in same baskets. 



Pick carefully the ripest fruit only, and go over the orchard about three 



times, because peaches ripen irregularly, those in the sun first, those in the 



shade last. If peaches are picked green or too ripe, they will not be first-class 



fruit, and a loss will be the consequence. Decayed fruit should be dropped to 



the ground, and all packages for market should be kept clean from leaves and 



branches. As soon as picked, transport into grading house, and make it a rule 



to gather, grade and ship on the same day. Grade properly into at least four 



different grades. We give the following table with the view of establishing a 



grading schedule, which will be used uniformly by shippers and merchants. 



XX grade Size above 2 in. diameter. 



. X " " 2 in. 



A " " " i^ in. " 



B « " " i>^ in. " 



All fruit below the C grade will be culls. 



The grading must be done carefully by experienced persons. The best 

 package for shipping is a full peck splint grape basket, which should be filled 

 well above the rim to allow for the settling of the fruit. Mark the grade on top. 

 Transport to destination on spring wagon with platform extending over the 

 wheels, and with cover over fruit securely tied down to protect from dust and 

 rain. — North Amer. Horticulturist. 



