COLD STORAGE FOR FRUIT GROWERS. 



63 



Nova Scotia Association seems to have over- 

 looked in his interesting article of last month a 

 discussion given in his own last annual report, 

 page 97, where this occurs inter alia : 



" John Donaldson : With respect to grafting 

 the Gravenstein on the Ben Davis — the latter is 

 a slow-grmiiing tree. I am afraid Gravenstein 

 would grow out of Ben Davis. I have grafted 

 Gravensteins on the Cayuga Red Streak. 



" Professor Sears : I only gave the matter as 

 an example. I have not thought it out. But 

 your objection is a good one." 



With those opinions openly expressed in con- 

 vention and printed in the annual report of 

 the F. G. A. of Nova Scotia, then it is not 

 strange that Senator Ferguson acquired this im- 

 pression that Ben Davis was a s/o7V grotver in 

 Nova Scotia. Mr. Donaldson may have been 

 mistaken, but in our official reports it will be 

 well always to revise the discussions carefully 

 and see that no unreliable information is let out 

 uncorrected, for the inexperienced, looking for 

 information, will accept such and have a right 

 to accept such reports as thoroughly reliable. 

 But it is satisfactory to know now on the best 

 authority that the Davis is a " grand grower " 

 and a grand bearer in N. S. and P. E. I, 



A. E. Burke. 

 Alberton, P. E. I. 



Sir, — I notice on page 483 of the December 

 number, from A E. Burke, that Senator Fergu- 

 son went home from visiting us during the ex- 

 hibition with the idea that in Nova Scotia the 

 Ben Davis tree was regarded as slow growing, 

 delicate and of short duration. 1 can assure the 

 genial Senator that he carried away a very 

 erroneous impression of the popular idea in Nova 

 Scotia concerning the Ben Davis. Certainly pub- 

 lic opinion here would concur with Mr. Burke. 

 The Ben Davis tree in Nova Scotia is a rampant 

 grower, a remarkably early and prolific bearer, 

 hardy and healthy, always clean and thrifty. If 

 any person thinks its career will be short, and 

 many do, it is because of its poor quality. We 

 fear that when it becomes well known in the. 

 English market it will fail to sell. While on the 

 authority of Prof Craig, in Gravensteins and 

 Ribstons the Annapolis Valley has no equal on 

 this continent, it seems like tempting Providence 

 to plant an apple that as grown with us is at 

 best third class and much inferior to the same 

 apple as grown in the Middle and Western 

 States. 



Personally I am of the opinion that Stark is 

 fully equal to the Ben Davis as as a grower and 

 bearer, and being larger will be a more profitable 

 apple. 

 Berwick, N. S., Dec. 20, '99. S. C. Parker. 



COLD STORAGE FOR FRUIT GROWERS. 



>^HE fruit farm is the proper place for the 

 ^^ cold storage of fruit. This is the con- 

 sensus of opinion of all authorities. There are 

 many reasons, but the one which appeals most 

 to farmers and sellers is, that with cold storage 

 on the spot, the fruit will not be damaged in 

 handling before it reaches cold stores in the 

 selling centres. Another thing : with the farmer 

 having a knowledge of cold storage he will be 

 more careful of his own harvest in putting it 

 where it will keep. He will reap the profits 

 consequent on the rise in prices where he only 

 only received the market value of his product. 



This will be added to the value lost in deteri- 

 oration caused in transit. Thus the grower 

 will, with his own cold stores, obtain from one- 

 third to one-half more for his crop than he 

 would if he possessed no storage facilities. 



In the grape districts in Western New York 

 the growers have their own cold storage, and 

 they have found that the grapes picked from 

 the vines and carried direct to storage keep 

 much better and longer than any put in cold 

 storage in the cities. These grapes can be 

 marketed in the middle of winter without much 

 loss from waste. 



