374 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Mildew-Proof Gooseberries. 



Sir, — I find I must alter my list of supposed mildew-proof gooseberries, as this hot, 

 dry summer produced mildew on every variety except Houghton, Downing and fSmith. 

 Triumph showed slight mildew on the top of the shoots. This variety is less subject to 

 mildew than the ludustry. To me the new American berries, Columbus, Triumph and 

 Chautauqua appear to be simply Whitesmith seedlings. The Chautauqua and Columbus 

 have the best tiavor, but it is a very faint flavor indeed, while the Triumph is so poor to 

 eat that I infinitely prefer the Whitesmith. These large AmericdU berries show no trace 

 of any native strain. Still they are fine, satisfactory berries, e^ual to the VV'hitesmith in 

 size and of much freer growth. 



W. h. Brooks, Mount Forest, Ont. 



Good Prices for Fancy Fruit. 



Sir, — Just as I anticipated, fine summer apples are the rarest fruit in this market. 

 Friday last at 6 a.m., i went fruit hunting, so as to catch the grocers just as they came 

 from the wliolesale market. I saw and purchased a small measure (tM'o quarts) of hand- 

 some Red Astrachans, price 20 cents ; skin thick enough for upper leather. Very mild ; 

 sub-acid flavor ; there were fifteen apples in the two quarts ; price per bushel at that rate, 

 lf3.20. Saturday I purchased from the push carts on trinting-house Square, twenty superb 

 Craicford peaches for 25 cents, and fine yellow egg plums for 10 cents per dozen. From my 

 grocer, same day, prime five-pound baskets of Delaware and Niagara grapes for 25 cents ; 

 twenty prime Bartlett pears for 25 cents. The apples are scarce, but the plums, pears and 

 peaches are abundant. The plums are from California, South Carolina and Georgia. Your 

 September plums will find a good market here, and you cannot even stock this market with 

 fine blue Damson for preserving and pickling this fall. Last year ten-pound baskets of such 

 plums were scarce at 75 cents in Fulton market, and none to be had of grocers at any price. 

 The rarest of all the small fruits this year were Black-caps. They are my favorite fruit, 

 and I only secured them three times of my grocer, and paid 15 cents per quart for them. 

 Give us some good Canadian apples, apples that are appetizing, and when they are known, 

 you cannot supply the demand if you produce a million barrels. 



Francis Wayland Glen, New York. 



August, 1896. 



Astrachan Apples. 



Sir,- -To-day I purchased three handsome smooth dull red Astrachan apples, free from 

 spot of blemish, for five cents. I ate one of them and gave the other two away. Why ? 

 Because they were so near sweet that they were insipid, and produced a feeling of fullness 

 in the region of the stomach. If they had been grown in Ontario, I should have eaten all 

 three of them, and purchased three more. Ontario apples are appetizing, while those I 

 purchased to-day produced a clogging sensation, and one was enough. Ontario apples 

 create their own market when once known. Only Ontario air and sunshine can produce 

 them. Man cannot make the same combination of air and sunshine, and, thei'efore, can- 

 not grow Ontario apples south of Lake Ontario. 



Francis Wayland Glen. 



^ Qbr gooH Tabic ^ 



The Nursery Book, a complete guide to the multiplication of plants, by L. H. 

 Bailey, 3rd edition. New York : The MacMillan Co., 66 Fifth Avenue. 1896. Price $1. 



This is a most useful book for all those interested in the propagation of trees and 

 plants. Like all Prof. Bailey's writings, it is lucid and yet very comprehensive. Chap. I. 

 is devoted to Seedage ; Chap. III. to Layerage ; Chap. IV. to Cuttage ; Chap. V. to 

 Graftage. This is the 3rd edition and is M'ell illustrated. 



