34 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



would be hardier than any plants which could be purchased from nurserymen, as they are 

 usually grown from seed ripened farther south. 1 think we also have 40 or 50 plants of 

 Asclepias tuberosa we could spare you. This, although native in Western Ontario, is very 

 little known in gardens, and it is very ornamental. We also have a few Berberis Thum- 

 bergi two year old seedlings of which we could spare probably 40. Beyond this we have 

 nothing which I can suggest. 



Wm. Saunders, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 



Apples in Edinburgh. 



Sir, — The cases of apples which you sent are very nice, and we will, no doubt, make 

 a satisfactory price for you. The Cranberry Pippin, however, is by no means a favorite 

 here. Baldwins, Spya and Kings are much more likely to maintain good prices year after 

 year. 



Mr. John Penman's letter in the Canadian Horticulturist is just to hand. Mr. 

 Penman omits to say that the prices he paid were for the choicest home hothouse grapes 

 and tomatoes and for French pears, we presume Glout Morcea\i. 



Honesty in packing is certainly very essential to success, but we do not know of any 

 prejudice existing as to American goods, certainly not apples, as after they come to hand, 

 other apples have little sale. Grapes, we fear, will never succeed, if the parcel we had 

 from a Canadian grower is a fair sample of the flavor ; not to speak of the condition in 

 which they landed. Plums we are almost sickened of by the time our own crop is 

 exhausted, but we see no reason why pears should not do well. 



We recommend the French mode of packing, which is unknown with you. We shall 

 be pleased to explain fully. It saves the fruit and helps the price, besides making it 

 attractive, a very strong point, we assure you. 



We noticed a letter, copied, we think, from a Glasgow paper, published in the 

 Canadian Horticulturist some little time since, about packages. Barrels vs. Cases. It 

 is a pity that people who have no practical knowledge of the trade take it upon them to 

 write to papers, as they generally mislead the public. For general purposes, nothing beats 

 the Canadian apple barrel, though where fancy fruit is exported, a smaller package, not 

 the half barrel, however, which does not take, but such a package as the case you use, 

 holding fifty-six pounds net, is desirable. Yet since the demand tor these, at figures to 

 pay for the extra labor and expense, must always be limited comparatively, it follows that 

 to make this the rule would only be to bring down the price of the case to the ordinary 

 level, and all the extra labor and expense would be lost. 



The British public generally do not use apples for the table or dessert, except to a 

 fraction of the extent that they use them for culinary purposes, and for the latter they are 

 keen enough to combine quantity with quality to the greatest possible extent. We are 

 fully convinced that any attempt to materially increase the number of packages, except in 

 the case of fancy packages, would be resented by the whole trade, unless it brought rela- 

 tively increased profit or commission. We venture these remarks, thinking they might be 

 of service to you and other fruit growers. 



Wood, Ormerod & Co., Edinburgh, Scotland. 



Small Fruits in Scotland. 



Sir, — The samples of Canadian strawberrj' plants you sent me arrived in very fair 

 condition. The most promising of all is your namesake, the Woolverton. We had a few 

 fruits on it, and they were good in flavor, color and consistency. The best strawberry I 

 grew last season was the Sir .Joseph Paxton. Some of the berries were simply magnificent, 

 and my highest price was 15 cents ]ier pound in the market. My farm, just three years 

 old, yielded forty-five tons of strawberries, eight tons of raspberries, fourteen tons of 

 gooseberries, besides odds and ends of red and black currants, and a few apples and plums. 

 Within the next year or two I expect better crops of the latter, including pears, as I have 

 planted 5500 trees which are growing well. This year we had a bumper crop of apples 

 and pears in Scotland, but nearly all was cleared off before yours appeared in the market. 

 Scotch stuff sold very cheaply, although the quality were very good. For good, fruit 

 exporters on your side may secure extra prices, but, as the preserve makers get their stock 

 pretty well made up with Scotch apples, slacks and inferior fruit will not bring much on 

 this side. 



RoBT. Scott, 

 Clydesdale Preserve Works, Carluke, Scotland. 



