The Canadian Horticulturist. 353 



Spy apple tree. I feel satisfied it is caused by the old bark lodging in the 

 crutch of the trees. The Spy is a very upright grower, and only in that kind of 

 a crutch have I found the least sign of the bark showing signs of rot wherever 

 the branches are at an angle of forty-five degrees, or nearer a right angle. Spys 

 are all right ; the old bark should be carefully scraped out, if not at the age he 

 mentioned (about sixteen years), it will be found that the green bark has rotted 

 away and the wood begins to decay. 



Vandektir. J. I. Graham. 



APPLE PICKING AND PACKING. 



OW that the vexed question of the size of apple barrels is finally 

 settled (the larger being universally adopted), the manner of har- 

 vesting these immense crops the most expeditiously, and with least 

 expense during the shorter days of uncertain autumn weather, should 

 be considered. As now generally practised — picking each apple 

 separately — it is necessarily slow, laborious and expensive. But 

 thanks to the Yankee ingenuity the needs of this emergency, like 

 many others seems to be successfully met. A prominent and extensive fruit 

 grower of Genesee county has invented and quite satisfactorily used for two 

 seasons an apparatus constructed of canvas, resembling somewhat that of an 

 inverted umbrella, into which the fruit is shaken from the tree. And from an 

 aperture in the smaller and lower part, it is deposited in a basket, to be carried 

 away and assorted. While many are prejudiced against shaking winter fruit 

 from trees under any consideration, the sales of fruits at diflferent periods during 

 the season gathered in this manner, the condition, relative to its keeping quali- 

 ties, and the prices obtained, prove that in the harvesting the fruit of the exten- 

 sive apple orchards of western New York, and other parts of our country, hand 

 picking as generally practised, is now hopefully being superseded. 



The ease and convenience in assorting apples can be greatly enhanced by 

 using a table constructed for the purpose as follows : Length 7 feet, width 3^ 

 feet, height 3 feet. The top should consist of canvas or oilcloth securely nailed 

 to the frame, strips three inches wide of inch stuff, and, for convenience, open- 

 ings should be left in each corner large enough to admit a half bushel basket. 

 These rest on supports fastened to the legs of the table, the latter being made 

 three inches wide and two inches thick, all well braced. The writer can vouch 

 for the ease, comfort and facility of the work performed by its aid, and could 

 not be induced to return to the tiresome, back-aching method of sorting on the 

 ground. Not being patented they are free to all, and are truly a great acquisi- 

 tion, not only in the apple orchard, but are desirable for handling pears and 

 quinces as well. — Farm and Vineyard. 



