114 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE BEN DAVIS APPLE. 



^^ SEND you by this mail a sample of Ben Davis Apple as grown in 

 Simcoe. The apple is a small specimen but you will be able to 

 pronounce upon its flavor. Now, that this variety has got into con- 

 dition, which it is always late in doing, hence its superb keeping 

 quality, it is in my opinion a very good apple, quite as good as 

 the Baldwin. Some persons here who were prejudiced against this 

 variety and who have lately tasted it for the first time in condition, could hardly 

 credit the evidence of their senses, and declared it to be as good as the Spy. 



During the fall and early winter this apple is certainly not eatable, and for 

 that matter neither is the Spy and some others of our best keepers, and this the 

 English, American, and even the Canadian consumer knows, as its price through 

 a period of years testifies. This preference cannot all be attributed to color, as 

 the Baldwin is a beautifully colored apple. 



A great many of the people here who have the notion that the Ben Davis is 

 a very poor apple don't grow it themselves and their opinion of it has been 

 formed from hearsay. 



We must not forget that the public got its first impressions of this apple 

 from those grown in Kansas and the adjacent States ; which, if they do grow 

 very large apples, have never been noted for the superior quality of their apples. 

 Farmers here are waking up to thfe possibilities of apple growing and some 

 two thousand or more will be set out in the spring within a radius of three miles. 

 We have three varieties which have been pretty thoroughly tested here and 

 found to possess the requisite qualities for the commercial orchard, these are 

 the Ben Davis, Pewaukee and Ontario. What are considered the essential 

 qualities of a variety for this purpose are given below in the order of their im- 

 portance : I, Productiveness; 2, early bearing; 3, hardiness; 4, good solid 

 trunk with good foliage ; 5, shipping qualities; 6, shape and color; 7, quality. 

 Nantyre. S. Spillett. 



Note by the Editor. — We cannot agree with our correspondent in 

 placing quality last in order of importance for a market apple. On the other 

 hand we would place it at the very beginning of the list of essential qualities. 

 That the specimen of Ben Davis sent us on the 20th of February by Mr. Spillett, 

 is equal in quality to the Baldwin is not saying a great deal ; for the Baldwin is 

 not an apple of high quality. Both these apples at the present time stand 

 among the most profitable of apples, just as Mr. Spillett says, on account of the 

 color and productiveness ; but in the near future when apples are ten times as 

 plentiful in our market, quality will surely command the top prices. If 

 then a first class apple, with quality equal to King or Spy, can be originated, 

 which is also healthy, hardy and productive, that will be the apple to recommend 

 to planters. 



