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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



LIQUID FOR PRESERVING FRUIT. 



It is difficult for me to give you a 

 formula for liquid for preserving fruits. 

 I have experimented with some 13 or 

 14 different preparations, some are 

 hetter for one sort of fruit and some 

 better for others. A strong solution of 

 sulphurous acid T have found very use- 

 ful for light colored fruits which are 

 yellow when ripe. 



Salicylic acid in the proportion of 

 about a drachm to the quart of fluid, 

 the fluid consisting of four parts of 

 water with one of alcohol, I have 

 found to be very good for dark colored 

 grapes. The red colors of apples and 

 pears I have found to be best preserved 

 as far as my experience has gone, by 

 using a mixture of three parts of gly- 

 cerine with five parts of water and dis- 

 solving in it Boroglyceride in the 

 proportion of two per cent. I have 

 used several other fluids, among which 

 some may prove better than this, but 

 they have not been tested long enough 

 to admit of my reaching any definite 

 conclusion. 



The subject is a very complex one, 

 and needs much experimenting yet be- 

 fore entirely satisfactory conclusions 

 can be reached, and whether any treat- 

 ment will ensure the permanent re- 

 tention of the pinks and reds in fruits 

 with the difficulty of long continued ex- 

 posure to the bleaching influences of 

 light to contend with, is still surroun- 

 ded with much doubt. 



Wm. ISaunders. 

 London, Ontario. 



THE MARTHA GRAPE. 



My Martha grape vines planted in 

 the spring of 1883, bore last fall, 1885, 

 for the first time. Fruit not large, but 

 very sweet, and a good keeper having 

 eaten the last of them, this month, Feb , 

 1^^6. Yours truly, 



Jos. WOON. 



A PRETTY NATIVE SHRUB. 



In speaking of our native ornamen- 

 tal trees, I have never noticed any ac- 

 count of a tree that grows on the mar- 

 gins of streams, and produces clusters 

 of black berries, or rather fruit, quite 

 sweet, with a flat seed in them. I 

 don't know the name of it, but I dare 

 say you can give me the information. 

 About two years ago I got two of them 

 growing in a swamp, on the Nottawa- 

 saga Kiver. I planted them on the 

 top of the hill in my place ; and to-day 

 I look on them as two of the hand- 

 somest trees or shrubs I have in the 

 spring. They are covered with large 

 clusters of white flowers, a peculiar 

 shade of green leaves and thick foliage, j 

 about seven feet high. 



I look upon this shrub as one well 

 woi'thy a conspicuous place in any of 

 our ornamental grounds. Unfortu- 

 nately 1 have never found out any one 

 who can name it for me. 



Barrie, Simcoe Co. J. R. CoTTER. 



Can 

 name 1 



any 



of our readers give the 



NO OFFENCE. 



Dear Sir, — Allow me to say that I 

 believe all the readers of our Horticul- 

 turist heartily appreciate the efforts put 

 fort by yourself and other contributing 

 members, in disseminating invaluable 

 information in regard to the cultivation 

 of fruits, flowers, etc., but I do not 

 think it was ever intended that writers, 

 in their contributions, should make the 

 columns of our magazine a medium for 

 advertising something which they are 

 interested in selling. 



An article giving accurate descrip- 

 tions, modes of cultivation etc., we all 

 admire, but it takes away more than 

 half of the admiration and interest if it 

 winds up with a " pufl*" for something 

 in which the writer is interested in 

 making sales. I submit this, believing 



