THE BEN DAVIS IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



»57 



leaves the soil high and at the same time 

 in good shape for drainage ; in this way the 

 soil has time to settle and pack before the 

 winter's severity, and frost at the root. 



Vineyards and orchards worked in this 



way very- successfully resisted that disas- 

 trous frost of the winter oi 1898, whidh 

 caused such loss of plant life in many or- 

 chards and vineyards. Junior. 

 Winona. 



THE BEN DAVIS IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



Sir, — Perhaps the discussion as to the 

 thrift and hardiness of the Ben Davis has 

 already been sufficiently extended, but, since 

 the quotation from the Nova Scotia Fruit 

 Growers' Association's report, given on page 

 63 of the FebruaHk- Horticulturist, has im- 

 plicated me somewhat, may I give my own 

 opinion of the matter. In the first place I 

 do not see how any one could draw the con- 

 clusion from what was given in the report 

 above cited that the Ben Davis was either 

 "delicate" or "of short duration." . It is 

 stated that it is slow growing, but Mr. 

 Donaldson's objection was that the Graven- 

 stein would " outgrow the Ben Davis," not 

 so much because it was a more rapid grower 

 but because of its well known habit of mak- 

 ing a comparatively few large branches in- 

 stead of dividing up into a number of smaller 

 branches as is the habit of the Ben Davis. 

 But this is a question entirely aside from the 

 one of hardiness and thrift. As to these 

 latter points my own opinion, formed from 

 observing this variety both here and in the 

 west, is that there is no other sort which is 

 more thrifty growing or more free from 

 disease. And the only objection which can 

 be urged against planting it here is the one 

 given by Mr. Parker, that we can grow bet- 

 ter varieties. Yet, so far, the Ben Davis 

 has given good profits to those who have 

 grown it, and since it is such a healthy tree, 

 it will make capital stocks on which to top- 

 graft other sorts when the Ben Davis has 

 been superseded by some other variety 

 with more juice and less wood in its fruit. 



F. C. Sears. 

 Wolfville, Nova Scotia. 



Sir, — When I saw Rev. Father Burke's 

 article in the December number of the Hor- 

 ticulturist I intended writing a correction oi 

 the views he attributed to me regarding the 

 Ben Davis apple in Nova Scotia and P. E. I., 

 but on second thought decided to put myself 

 right at the forthcoming meeting of the P. 

 E. I. Fruit Growers' Association. This I 

 did so far as stating my opinions regarding 

 the Ben Davis for propagation in Prince 

 Edward Island. The publication of Mr. 

 Parker's letter in your February number 

 seems to show that a misapprehension will 

 not down until it is plainly corrected. My 

 remark to Father Burke had regard only to 

 the character of the variety in question as a 

 fast grower which was based, as far as Nova 

 Scotia opinion was concerned, on the discus- 

 sion on page 97 of the Nova Scotia Fruit 

 Growers' report for 1898. I certainly did 

 not say that the Ben Davis was regarded as 

 delicate either in Nova Scotia or Prince Ed- 

 ward Island. 



The durability of the tree as the producer 

 of marketable apples in the Lx)wer Provinces 

 is a point which was raised by Prof. Craig 

 in his address at the Nova Scotia Exhibition 

 of 1899, and calls for careful consideration. 

 Partizanship for any variety based on in- 

 sufficient experience should be avoided. 



D. Ferguson. 



Tulloch Ave., Charlottetown, P. E. I. 



\ cheap whitewash paint for outdoors is 

 made by using just enough water to moisten 

 the slaked lime, and then adding kerosene 

 oil to thin it to a consistency for easy appli- 

 cation. 



