THE 



Canadian Horticulturist 



OUR ASTRACHAN HARVEST. 



[ORE than twenty years ago the writer planted an orchard of 

 about one hundred and twenty-five trees of the Red Astrachan, a 

 variety then but httle grown in Canada. The Early Harvest was 

 then the great summer apple of this Province, an apple of fine 

 quality, but small in size, and gradually becoming subject to the 

 ruinous apple scab. We have never regretted the venture, for 

 since the Red Astrachan trees have come into bearing, the Early 

 Harvest has taken quite a second place. Fortunately, however, 

 the latter precedes the former by about a week, so there is room for both varie- 

 ties. 



The Astrachan is very productive. This season one large tree has yielded 

 over ten- barrels. Surely no one could wish for greater productiveness than this. 

 Our frontispiece is a snap shot in our Astrachan orchard, showing a couple of 

 trees laden down with richly colored apples, a couple of the pickers, and a 

 wagon load of the fruit. Fig. 820 also shows a branch laden with apples taker* 

 from one of these trees. 



We never throw down our apples in piles in the orchard, because it is irjcon- 

 venient for packing, on account of the trouble of moving barrels and baskets, 

 hammers and other tools, from place to place. Far the best plan we find this 

 one to be of bringing all to the packing house in baskets, from time to time through 

 the day, and there assorting in a careful manner. The packing table is ark 

 almost indispensable convenience. On this the packer dumps out the fruit. 



