3i8 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



pean grapes from California, the injury to 

 the roots by the phylloxera, and the diffi- 

 culty of getting the intelligent labor to 

 manage the vines properly. It is clear, 

 however, that no more fear of competition 

 with the California product need be feared 

 than with the Spanish grapes that come in 

 barrels of cork dust from the Old World. 

 These are very good in their way, and will 

 usually bring remunerative returns, though 

 the figures be small. There is no compari- 

 son between these in quality as compared 

 with those grown under glass, by one who 

 knows his business. This has been abund- 

 antly proved in England. The Spanish 



grapes come to England and are sold by 

 auction by the 10,000 barrels at a time, and 

 bring no more than sixpence or ninepence a 

 pound in the famous Covent Garden Market. 

 While the home-grown Muscats and Black 

 Hamburgs bring comparatively enormous 

 prices. 



In our country, it was once thought to be 

 absurd to try to raise tomatoes at a profit 

 under glass in winter, on account of the 

 shipments from Florida and the West India 

 Islands. But it has been found a profitable 

 business of late years, by reason of the 

 superior quality of the home-grown article. — 

 Meehans Monthly. 



THE CROTHERS PEACH. 



Fig. 2117. 



'HE old Saying that "there is always 

 room up higher " is as true in pom- 

 ology as in the professions, and there 

 is a peach called Crothers, now almost un- 

 known, that is worthy of a chance to show 

 its merit to a place among the best peaches 

 of the country. When I lived in Kansas I 

 had in my orchards about 150 of the best 

 named varieties of the peach then known. 

 but I saw a new one at a local fair that, for 

 its season, surpassed any that I knew. I 

 found it to be a seedling growing on the 

 farm of a Mr. Crothers, near Neosho Falls, 

 Kan., and his reports of the good habits of 



the tree, together with my opinion of the 

 specimens, induced me to get buds and put 

 it in my trial orchard. I also sent a few to 

 Prof. T. V. Munson, of Denison, Texas. 

 He has been so much pleased with the var- 

 iety, that he mentions it in his catalogue of 

 rarely good peaches, as without an equal of 

 its color and season combined. It has also 

 been fruiting at the Experiment Station at 

 South Haven, Mich., for several years, 

 where it is much liked. The tree is a very 

 abundant and regular bearer of strong growth 

 and somewhat drooping form. The fruit is 

 of medium size, nearly round in shape, not 

 pointed, and has a slight suture on one side; 

 color, creamy white, with a bright red cheek, 

 making a handsome appearance ; flesh, 

 creamy white, red at pit, very juicy, melt- 

 ing ; flavor, rich yet mild, vinous and very 

 pleasant ; seed, rather large, roundish oval, 

 free from flesh ; season, the last of Septem- 

 ber and early October in southern Michigan. 

 It meets the want of a late, red and white 

 freestone of high quality ; entirely supersed- 

 ing Ward's Late, which has long been about 

 the only peach of that character. All lovers 

 of a good peach should get buds or trees 

 and test the Crothers. 



H. E. Van Dem.w ix R. N. Y. 



