NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



441 



shape and form, and at the time of picking 

 free from the action of worms, defacement 

 of surface and breaking of skin. The Ben 

 Davis, Baldwin, Greenings and other varie- 

 ties kindred in size, must not be less than 

 two and one-half inches in diameter. The 

 Russet, Jonathan, Spitz and other varieties 

 kindred in size, must not be less than two 

 and one-quarter inches in diameter. 



Second grade apples must be hand picked 

 from the tree and not smaller than two and 

 one-quarter inches in diameter. The skin 

 must not be broken or the apple bruised. 

 This grade must be faced and packed with 

 as much care as number one grade. 



Third grade apples should never be 

 packed for export. 



4. To prepare the barrels. Tighten all 

 hoops, nail them well, and clinch all nails on 

 barrels. Mark on the end of the barrel with 

 a clear stencil, (i) Shipper's name. (2) The 

 shipper's brand. (3) Grade of fruit. 

 (4) Variety of fruit. 



5. The barrel should be placed on a solid 

 plank, and continually racked as each basket 

 of apples is placed in the barrel. A piece 

 of timber should be used for this purpose 

 about two inches thick, and of such circum- 

 ference as will fit nicely in the barrel 

 without leaving too much space ; it should 

 be well padded to prevent cutting or bruis- 

 ing the apples. 



6. In filling the barrels with different 

 grades of apples, pick out well colored 

 apples of normal shape and standard size, 

 cut off all stems and set or face the heads 

 of the barrel with them, leaving the very 

 largest apples of each grade for the middle 

 of the barrel, so that if a buyer turns out a 

 barrel he will find the best apples in the centre. 



7. Fill the barrels so full that the apples 

 are level with the top of the staves, using 

 the same grade of apples for tailing as are 

 used for facing the barrel. 



8. Press the apples first with the padded 

 block, so tight that not an apple will move 



in the barrel, and then put in the head, nail 

 hoops and securely fasten the heads with 

 strips or liners. 



9. Apple barrels when being hauled to 

 the station should never be loaded on end, 

 for in all cases it is bound to slacken the 

 barrels. 



Summer Planted Strawberries. — Just 

 as soon as these first runners are nicely 

 rooted, which hereabouts is in July, the 

 new bed may be made. Lift the plants with 

 some little ball of earth attached and set 

 them in the new bed, and with a good 

 watering afterwards the plants will take 

 care of themselves. But when plants are 

 purchased and have no soil with them, much 

 more care in watering and shading is neces- 

 sary, especially when the planting is in the 

 heat of summer. I do not think much is 

 gained in setting out runners without soil 

 attached at any time but early spring. The 

 chief object of suftimer or fall planting is to 

 gain a bed for fruiting the next spring, and 

 this cannot be done unless the plants make 

 a good growth after they are planted. 

 Plants removed with a ball of earth at- 

 tached, or those grown in pots, will pro- 

 duce a fair crop the next season. To get 

 these plants as vigorous as possible is the 

 object desired. 



A bed of plants set out in summer and 

 encouraged to grow nicely will give a fair 

 crop of large berries, perhaps not as full a 

 crop as an older bed, but still a very satis- 

 factory one. It may be let alone for 

 another season, but strawberry beds should 

 not be permitted to stand longer than two 

 years. Indeed when plants are set in spring 

 it is quite common to let them bear but the 

 one crop, in the spring following, thus 

 setting a new bed annually. Better results 

 in the way of profits are obtained under this 

 system than under the old one of permitting 

 the beds' to remain for several years. — 

 Gardening. 



