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Winter Apple from Strathroy. 

 1 193. Sir, — I am sending you by mail an apple 

 from a tree which was bearing when I bought this 

 property sixteen j-ears ago. Xo one has been able 

 to name the apple. Last autimm Mr. Gott. late of 

 Arkona, told me" he thought it was a natural, and 

 asked me to send you a sample. By spraying and 

 cultivating 1 have nearly doubled the size of the 

 fruit. It is an excellent winter apple of fine flavor, 

 and matures in February or March. If it is not a 

 standard variety I woiild like to know it. 



J. E. Wetherell. 



This is a fine larg-e apple, measuring- about 

 2}4 inches in diameter, with the markings 

 of the Cayug-a Red Streak, and we are in- 

 clined to think it is that variety. However, 

 it is not safe to decide from a single sam- 

 ple, and we have asked our correspondent 

 to send more specimens to our meeting- at 

 Brantford, when we will perhaps be able to 

 express a more decided opinion. If it is 

 really a new variety, it is worthy of further 

 notice. 



Apply with Mitchell's hand sprayer, or at- 

 omizer. 



Apples for Name. 



1 1 94. Sir, — I send you a box of fruit for name, 

 one variety of pear and three of apples. No. i has 

 grown in my orchard for thirty years and I have 

 never had a name for it ; No. 2 was sent me for 

 Haas and No. 3 for Baxter. 



Hyde Park. Geo. H. Nixon. 



The pear sent by our correspondent is 

 Howell. Of the apples No. r is Baxter, 

 No. 2 Haas and No. 3 probably Jonathan. 



Lice on House Plants. 



1195. Can you give me a recipe to destroy lice 

 on house plants. I have jtist destroyed some good 

 chiysanthemum plants on account of them being 

 covered with black lice. I have tried tobacco 

 smoke, but although it causes them to drop from 

 the plant I notice they recover. I have also tried 

 a solution of tobacco soap, but that seems to injure 

 the plants without destroying the vermin. 



G. W. 



Erasmus, Ont. 



A good way to apply tobacco is by mak- 

 ing an effusion in water, and spraying the 

 plants. 



Kerosene emulsion is an excellent remedy 

 for the aphis, made as follows : 



Soft soap, I quart ; 2 quarts hot water ; 

 I pint kerosene, dilute for use to }( strength. 



Boxes of Apples. 

 1196. Sir, — Would you be able to give us in- 

 formation on using boxes for packing apples in 

 place of barrels. We have a large cider mill and 

 steam boiling of apple-butter, apple preserve, jelly 

 and sjTnip. Now, after this season is over, we 

 should use our power for some other work. We 

 are carpenters. We would propose to make a half 

 barrel box, say 16 inches square, same size every 

 way ; use basswood, poplar, soft elm, etc. ; cut the 

 timber in short holds, and saw on the heading or 

 shingle saw. We think the boxes can be made as 

 cheap as the barrel. 



Reinhart Bros. 



There is doubt that boxes are all right for 

 a fancy grade of fruit, but it is a great mis- 

 take to use them for the stock usually put 

 in barrels, for the result would be certain 

 loss. 



It is most important that only uniform sizes 

 and shapes of fruit packages be adopted for 

 shipping fancy fruit to the British markets, 

 and now at the outset, when this enterprise 

 in its infancy, is the time to settle upon the 

 size and shape of the packages. For some 

 years we have been experimenting in this 

 line, and have come to the conclusion that 

 the best apple box is one to hold a bushel of 

 apples, or about 48 pounds net ; while the 

 best form is one that may be piled in any 

 way without waste of storage in either car 

 or boat. Now, speaking generally, two 

 cubic feet will equal one bushel of apples, 

 so by having a box 1x1x2 feet, we have 

 an ideal form. But for economic storage, 

 we have to modify this form somewhat ; 

 and by making our boxes 22 x 11 x 10^, 

 inside measure, we get a bushel box which 

 will store on the railway to the very best 

 advantage. These boxes are made with 

 inch ends, and y^ sides, if nailed, or ^ inch 

 sides if dovetailed. The word "top" is 

 printed on the end for opening, and the 

 packing is done from the bottom. 



The apples are sized before packing, and 



