FRUITS, OLD AND XEW. 



283 



of opening up new markets for our surplus 

 fruits and the prices obtained for the same 

 when properly put on the foreig-n markets, 

 and just as soon as our people find out that it 

 is more money in their pockets to grow one 

 pound of choice Canadian fruit than to grow 

 and handle two pounds of mixed or inferior 

 stuff, more spraying, thinning, sorting and 

 packing will be attended to, and certainly 

 no shipper will attempt to forward to the 

 European markets inferior fruit and expect 

 the importers to inake it O. K. unless the 

 goods are as represented, and then we may 

 look for a rise in the price when the pur- 

 chaser knows before hand what he is getting. 

 As a fruit grower, I think our system of sell- 

 ing not the right system. I believe our fruit 

 ought to be handled more profitably if 

 handled the same as grain or wool or other 

 farm commodities, that is, for every one or 

 two men in a municipality for instance, to 

 receive all fruits subject to inspection, that 

 grows in their district, forward it and sell it 

 and pay the patrons what the goods are sold 

 for. Our present system here is usually to 

 sell to exporters and take what they give, 

 which sometimes amounts to very little, but 

 I anticipate considerable difficulty next 

 season in getting the inspectors to pass the 

 fruit unless more care is taken by shippers in 

 having their fruit more properly graded and 

 packed than formerly. Our fruit in this dis- 

 trict appears at present to be the largest on 

 record, beating the crop of '96. The apple, 

 pear and cherry orchards has been from 

 about the 20th ult. to the present time, one 

 magnificent display of bloom, and the air 

 was laden with the perfumes of the flowers. 

 I notice, too, that the fruit on the apple, 

 pear and cherry trees are very abundant, and 

 unless thinning is resorted to a large propor- 

 tion of the fruit will be below the standard 

 sizes. In plums there was no bloom con- 

 sequently we will have no fruit. In small 

 fruits the crop will likely be above the 

 average, in other words, a full crop. There 

 are not many strawberries grown here for 



export, but what are growing are looking 

 very fine. Grapes have made a vigorous 

 growth and are setting their fruit well. Cur- 

 rants will be a good average and raspberries 

 a full crop. Nearly all our planting of 1896 

 and '97 are or have been in bloom and I ex- 

 pect to add largely to our exhibits of new 

 varieties, especially in pears. Quite a 

 number planted in '97 have fruit on them, 

 some are not 3 ft. high. Take all in all the 

 fruit prospects in this district are ven,- favor- 

 able, and bid fair to eclipse any former year. 

 The timely rain last night was of immense 

 benefit to the growing crops of this county ; 

 it was much needed. Tent caterpillars are 

 ver\- plentiful where spraying has not been 

 attended to, but the careless will reap the 

 result. Regarding newer varieties that I 

 have tested and find very satisfactory-, are 

 the Salome, Shackleford, Gideon and Stark; 

 they are all good growers, early bearers, good 

 keepers and good color. The Stark is the 

 fastest grower of any apple in the orchard, 

 the Gideon coming a good second. The 

 Salome is the longest keeper that I have ; 

 the Shackleford is a beautiful apple, but 

 rather small if allowed to over bear. I have 

 a large number more new varieties that had 

 a few apples last year, a detailed account of 

 which I propose to give you later on, as most 

 of the trees planted in '96 have set their 

 fruit this year and many will require severe 

 thinning. In pears, the Dempsey takes the 

 lead in growing and is also loaded with 

 young fruit. Winter Nelis, Doyenne 'd 

 Ete, Beurre Easter, Bartlett, Seckel (a most 

 delicious pear). Petite Marguerite and some 

 others fruited last season and are again 

 loaded this season ; I would just say that ac- 

 cording to present prospects the apples and 

 pears will be a record breaker this year. 

 Cherries are well set and will be a good crop, 

 but plums will hardly be found in this dis- 

 trict. The weather is delightful and all 

 sprayed orchards are looking fine at present. 



Whitby. R. L. Huggard. 



