THE BEN DAVIS CONTROVERSY. 



235 



should soon run its course, when it now 

 g-ives every evidence of a fresh old age, I 

 could not see. Professor Craig was cited as 

 having issued its death warrant, and it had 

 to die. The Professor was altogether mis- 

 understood, and as his opinion, or a miscon- 

 ception of it, led to all this discussion, it was 

 of prime importance that we should have it 

 clearly expressed by himself. I have there- 

 fore great pleasure in appending the kind 

 letter of the learned Professor herewith. It 

 is in reply to a note from me asking for a 

 categoric statement on the subject, and will 

 be read with interest by even those Upper 

 Province horticulturists who may perhaps 

 betimes be bored by the iteration of maritime 

 difficulties in these columns : 



Dear Father Burke, — After a very long 

 silence, I am glad to hear from you again. I 

 have noticed one or two references to some re- 

 marks which I made somewhere regarding the 

 Ben Davis apple — its present value, and its future 

 prospects. 



The Ben Davis apple tree is more at home in 

 the Ozark regions of Missouri and Arkansas than 

 anywhere else in the apple belt. It is extremely 

 productive there. The apples grow to a fine size, 

 and really are quite eatable when thoroughly ripe. 

 The quality is better in that region than anywhere 

 else that I know of. 



The Ben Davis is being planted very freely all 

 over the apple-growing region. The point is this 

 — that it is an apple of very poor quality at the 

 best, that it is much better adapted to this western 

 country than to the east, and finally, that when its 

 true merits are recognized upon the British and 

 foreign markets the price is sure to fall, and 

 people will discriminate between well-g^own 

 apples of this variety and other Ben Davises less 

 handsome and of inferior quality. According to 



my observation, the Maritime Provinces cannot 

 compete — nor can New York — with Missouri and 

 Arkansas, in growing the Ben Davis. I did not 

 say that the apple, when widely g^own. would de- 

 teriorate in quality, but I intended to convey the 

 impression that its true quality would eventually 

 become generally recognized, and that in time it 

 would take its proper place in the markets of the 

 world, and this, from the quality standpoint, would 

 be near the bottom. 



As far as the tree itself is concerned, I am of the 

 opinion that it would be longer lived in Nova 

 Scotia and on the Island than here in the west ; 

 but it originated out here, and it requires the warm 

 suns and intense heat of our summers to improve 

 the quality of the fruit and give it plenty of color. 



I thank you for sending me a copy of your An- 

 nual Report, which is most interesting, and also 

 for doing me the honor of placing me among your 

 honorary members. I think your society is enter- 

 ing upon an era of prosperity, and I feel sure that 

 it will do much to advance the fruit interests of 

 the Island. 



I have pleasure in sending you a copy of a 

 bulletin on plums recently issued here, with the 

 hope that you may find in it something of interest. 



Yours very truly, 



Ames, Iowa, April 20. John Craig. 



It will thus be seen that the Ben Davis' 

 " short duration," according to Professor 

 Craig, is altogether of a commercial charac- 

 ter, and even upon this point, many will 

 agree to differ with him, while of the tree 

 itself, the indications are that it will be en- 

 joying as great an immunity from the ravages 

 of time as it will do from the depredations of 

 sneak thieves, without a change comes over 

 present tastes — and de gustibus non est dispu- 

 tandiim — when we are all gathered to our 

 fathers. 



Alberton, P. E. I. A. E. Burke. 



Number of Trees or Plants on an Acre at Various Distances. 



At 4 feet apart each way 2729 The number of plants required for an acre, 



,, ^ ^j ^^ ^742 at any given distance apart, may be ascer- 



.. g ,, ,, ,j, tained by dividing the number of square feet 



«« jQ 4. i( in an acre (43,560) by the number of square 



»« 12 «« •' ^2- ^^^^ given to each plant, which is obtained 



"15 «« «♦ 200 by multiplying the distance between rows 



"18 •• •' 135 by the distance between Xht^ plants. Thus, 



"20 *' •' no strawberries planted three feet by one foot 



"25 " '• 70 gives each plant three square feet, or 14,520 



*' 30 " " 50 plants to the acre. 



