NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



done to create uniformity of packages, 

 and thus prevent fraud. But to confine 

 growers to use certain fixed sizes for 

 their fruits might not always prove a 

 wise regulation. 



Perhaps a simpler method would be 

 to make net weight the standard of sale. 

 The weight of the package being 'mown, 

 it would be quite easy to stamp or write 

 in pencil, on the outside of a crate, the. 

 number of pounds net of the fruit con- 

 tents. This is commonly done now 

 with grapes, and the same habit could 

 easily be extended to other fruits. 



Better Service for Fruit Grow- 

 ers. — A special express fruit train for 

 the rapid delivery of fruit from the Niag- 

 ara, Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville 

 districts was put on the C P. R on the 

 19th June by the Dominion Express Co. 

 Seventeen new ventilated fruit cars, 

 models of construction, clean and 

 bright, have been put at the service of 

 the fruit men. To feed this line of cars 

 fruit will be collected by the H. G. & B. 

 electric road, and by steamers which 

 call at Jordan, Port Dalhousie, Niagara 

 and Queenston, and carry the fruit 

 across to Toronto in time for this new- 

 fruit train. We understand that the 

 Grand Trunk proposes a similar ser- 

 vice. 



The San Jose Scale inspection 

 cannot be carried on without hurting 

 somebody, and the great question is 

 how to protect the interests of the pub- 

 lic generally and at the same time do 

 justice to the individual. For example, 

 Mr. Angus Wigle, of Kingsville, has a 

 peach orchard of about 1200 trees, 

 which has largely escaped winter killing. 

 In this orchard the inspector has found 

 eighty trees badly affected with San Jose 

 scale, from which the pest will quickly 



spread throughout the whole orchard ; 

 and no doubt many of the others are 

 slightly infested. Consequently the in- 

 spector has ordered the whole orchard 

 destroyed. Mr Wigle would not object 

 to the badly infested trees being des- 

 troyed at once, if the balance could be 

 left until after he has gathered the fruit. 



We hope the Department will find 

 some way of satisfying Mr. Wigle's 

 claims, and at the same time clearing 

 out an orchard such as his, which 

 threatens to be a breeding ground for 

 the whole country*. 



Obviously a peach tree with a load 

 of peaches on it in a year of scarcity is 

 to be valued higher than a tree with lit- 

 tle or no fruit and in a year of plenty. 



Minnesota State Horticultural 

 Society. — Twenty-sixth Annual Report ; 

 a fine volume, bound in black cloth, 

 illustrated and with much profitable 

 reading. 



Peaches in Essex. — Our frontispiece 

 shows a magnificent peach orchard of 

 over 12,000 trees that were loaded with 

 blossom and fruit this spring ; but alas, 

 the exceptional winter has done fatal 

 work with the roots, and Mr Wellington 

 writes that the whole orchard is now 

 dead, except about 200 trees. He esti- 

 mates they would this year have paid 10 

 per cent, net profit on a valuation of 

 $60,000. 



Kansas.— The R. N. Y. quotes Mr. 

 Wellhou^e as saying that this year's 

 apple crop will be the largest in the 

 history of the State. He estimates that 

 his 1,600 acres of apple trees will yield 

 100,000 bushels. The hard Winter in- 

 jured only the tender varieties, and these 

 are scarce in that State. 



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