5i8 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



plant. Just previous to bedding 250 pounds 

 fine ground bone and 100 pounds muriate 

 potash was spread where the plants were to 

 be bedded and thoroughly cultivated in. A 

 third application of 400 pounds ground bone 

 and 250 pounds sulphate of potash was made 

 broadcast between the rows in October. 



The field is now covered with straw at the 

 rate of three tons per acre spread between 

 the rows, care being taken to keep it off the 

 plants. We believe in early mulching. 



As has been the custom for many years, 

 the fruit will be carefully picked stems on, 

 avoiding all bruising, careless handling, 

 etc., thoroughly sorted by the pickers, who 

 place all small, mis-shapen, over or under 

 ripe or otherwise objectional fruit in separ- 

 arate baskets to be sold as culls to peddlers 

 for local consumption, while the perfect 

 fruit packed in new baskets in either new or 



well painted crates will be shipped to various 

 markets or sold to buyers here as circum- 

 stances shall dictate. 



Herewith I append cost of growing block 

 of two acres described : 



Plowing and fitting $18 00 



Plants 23 20 



Setting 6 00 



Filling in i 00 



Fertilizer 1 8 00 



Applying fertilizer i 00 



Fertilizer (500 ground bone, 200 muriate 



potash) 11 00 



Application i 60 



Cultivating and hoeing 28 20 



Bedding runners 18 20 



Cutting runners 20 60 



Fertilizer (800 ground bone, 500 sulph. pot- 

 ash) 23 00 



Mixing and applying 2 00 



Straw, 6 tons (@ 85. 00) 30 00 



Spreading 5 00 



Total $206 50 



— The Strawberry Culttirist. 



FOOD VALUE OF FRUIT. 



MN recent years the growing of fruits has 

 5^ assumed great commercial importance 

 ^ in many regions of the United States* 

 especially in the South and on the Pacific 

 coast. The amount of fruit consumed in 

 the average household has undoubtedly 

 increased with the greater production and 

 facilities for shipping and marketing. 



Many stations have reported analyses of 

 fruits and made extended studies of the 

 different methods of growing fruit trees, 

 their soil requirements, enemies, etc. 



The stone fruits constitute an important 

 gronp, and have been studied for a number 

 of years by the California and Oregon 

 stations. Fresh peaches, apricots, cherries, 

 prunes and plums are general favorites, 

 while enormous quantities of these fruits are 

 canned, dried or preserved in some way. It 

 is interesting to compare the composition of 



these fruits, fresh and dried, with each 

 other and with some of the staple articles 

 of diet. 



It must not be forgotten, however, that 

 fruits are valuable for other reasons than 

 the nutrients which they furnish. They 

 contain acids and other bodies which are 

 believed by physiologists to have a beneficial 

 effect on the system and, doubtless, very 

 often stimulate the appetite for other food. 

 They are also useful in counteracting a 

 tendency to constipation. Another point — 

 and one entirely apart from food value — 

 should not be overlooked. That is, fruits 

 add very materially to the attractiveness of 

 the diet. It is not easy to estimate their 

 value from this standpoint, since often the 

 appearance of food has a value which cannot 

 be measured in dollars and cents. — The 

 Fanner, 



