502 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



astonished to read that all the fruit exhibited, 

 which included some of the finest peaches imagin- 

 able, was grown in the open air. One fancies the 

 Canadian climate to be more or less like a severe 

 Christmas in this country, but during the summer 

 season the land is a veritable garden, where flow- 

 ers and fruits, which it is only possible to produce 

 in hothouses in this country, are to be found in 

 every garden. The fruit sent by the Manchester 

 Commerce is grown at Grimsby, Niagara District, 

 Ontario, a place famous for its orchards and vine- 

 yards ; and here every description of fruit, includ- 

 ing the finest Williams and other varieties of 

 pears, and many kind of peaches, are grown in 

 the open air. Those on view at the offices of the 

 C. P. R. on James street were a continual source 

 of attraction to passers-by, and some were so car- 

 ried away by the exceptional appearance of the 

 fruit as to be induced to enter and attempt to pur- 

 chase what was only exhibited as samples. In 

 Canada the fruit is carefully picked, the peaches 

 when almost ripe, the pears and apples somewhat 

 earlier, and as carefully packed, being forwarded 

 by rail to the port of shipment in refrigerator cars. 

 These cars are specially fitted for the purpose, 

 and, bemg properly attended to, the fruit is car- 

 ried through to the steamer in excellent condition. 

 Of late owing to the splendid arrangements on 

 most of the newer boats crossing the Atlantic, the 

 carriage to this country has been perfectly satis- 

 factory, and the result is that the Canadian grow- 

 ers have been able to put their fruit on the English 

 market in perfect condition. It has been well in 

 demand wherever offered, and has been sold at 

 prices which equal, when they do not exceed 

 those paid for the more hardy, but less juicy and 

 delicious, fruits from California. Orders have 

 already been received for large quantities of 

 Canadian fruit, which is only being shipped. 

 This includes some consignments of Canadian 

 grapes, which will be put on the market in the 

 cour.se of the next two or three weeks." 



Shipment No. 3 was by the steamer 

 Trader again, saiHng- October 5th, but this 

 was too late a date for peaches or Bartlett 

 pears, both of which were In season for the 

 previous shipment of September 15. Added 

 to this the ice at the Grimsby storage gave 

 out, and the weather came on exceedingly 

 warm while we were packing. Under these 

 unfavorable conditions we thought best to 

 setjd forward only about sixty cases of 

 peaches, which arrived in Manchester quite 

 over ripe, and the same was the case with 

 the few cases of Bartlett pears, but the prin- 

 cipal part of the shipment consisted of fall 

 apples, such as Ribston, Fall Pippin, Blen- 

 heim and King, which sold at from $1.50 to 

 ^1-75 per bushel box ; and of such pears as 

 Duchess, Louise, Anjou and Sheldon, which 



also arrived in fine condition and sold well. 

 There were also some red and black 

 Rogers grapes, about two tons, sent forward 

 in the storage chamber. These arrived in 

 fine condition, but, as usual, failed to bring 

 paying prices. 



Mr. P. Byrne, Ontario Government Agent, 

 writes to the Department of Agriculture at 

 Toronto, on the 24th of October, as follows : 



"The grapes, speaking generally, were in very 

 good condition. An occasional sample was .slightly 

 wet or mouldy, but, on the whole, they looked 

 attractive and sound. 



' ' The pears were generally good also ; some 

 Louise Bonnes from ' Bonnie Brae ' had several 

 bad fruits ifl each 'sample.' The Bartletts were 

 also soaky, but the other varieties were in excellent 

 condition ; especially the Duchess pears, which 

 were all good without exception. 



"I assisted in preparing and arranging an ex- 

 hibit of the fruit at Manchester, and brought with 

 me selected samples for a display in Liverpool 

 similar to the one which was so successful in con- 

 nection with the shipment brought by the Man- 

 chester Commerce. The samples I am showing 

 consist of a tray of twenty-five very fine Elberta 

 peaches— all that was fairly sound in two entire 

 cases ! Also two cases of red and black Rogeis' 

 grapes, two cases of pears and one case of apples. 

 They make a very handsome and effective display 

 and constitute a most valuable object lesson as to 

 what our province is capable of producing. I sent 

 notices to the press announcmg the exhibit, and 

 the consequence is continuous crowds as before 

 inspecting and admiring the fruit." 



Messrs. B. W. Potter & Co., the con- 

 signees, write on the 27th of October as fol- 

 lows concerning the second "Trader" 

 shipment : 



" We have now the pleasure to report upon the 

 shipment per Manchester Trader of grapes, pears, 

 apples and peaches. The latter were nearly all 

 spoiled and we should say that they were packed 

 too ripe. Besides this we see the Wilson cases 

 are not ventilated at all. Kindly examine them 

 and you will see that this is correct. It must have 

 a serious effect upon the fruit. 



" The Duchess pears have carried splendidly 

 and taken much the best with buyers, prices vary- 

 ing from 73c. to $1 .40 per case. The Louise turned 

 out very wasty, but the White Doyenne and An- 

 jou were mostly sound. The Bartletts were al- 

 most wholly rotten, and we should judge had 

 been picked at the wrong time, or stood before 

 being placed in store. The prices will give you 

 a good idea of the public taste. 



"All the apples were in excellent condition, 

 the Ribston 's fetching the best prices— $1.71 per 

 bushel ca.se, with Blenheims and Kings $1.58, and 

 Fall Pippins Si. 46. We could have disposed of 

 any quantity of these fruits. 



"The grapes arrived in very much better con- 



