IRRIGATION OF APPLES AND PEARS. 



281 



orchard in full bearing, from which he is 

 annually exporting to Great Britain and 

 Germany in car lots, he has ten acres of Spy 

 apples now in full bearing. These are har- 

 vested later than such apples as Baldwins 

 and Greenings, and not until they have on 

 their richest coloring and when their flesh is 

 at its best stage of crisp, juicy texture. The 

 smaller sizes, and the No. 2 grade are bar- 

 reled in the orchard from the packing table 

 but all the A No. i grade are sent into the 

 fruit house and graded into uniform sizes, 

 the smallest grade being 2}^ inch and the 

 largest 3 inch, those below or above these 

 sizes not being considered up to the grade. 

 This delicate variety is handled with the 

 greatest care, wrapped in tissue paper, and 

 packed in boxes weighing when filled, from 

 forty to fifty pounds each. A padding of 

 fine excelsior is laid in the bottom and top 

 and also between the layers of frnit, thus 

 entirely preventing the least marking of the 

 fruit by the pressing, or by handling upon 

 the journey. Packed in this way the Spy 

 may be kept in cold storage, or shipped 



around the world, and come out in perfect 

 condition. In proof of this the writer has 

 only to mention the magnificent Ontario 

 Spys shown at Glasgow in the summer of 

 1901, which he had packed in cases as above 

 described, in the fall of 1900. These were 

 kept in cold storage until needed, and 

 brought on the tables as required, and at- 

 tracted so much attention that Mr. Robert 

 Hamilton, who was one of the Canadians in 

 charge, reported that he could have sold ten 

 thousand bushel cases in the month of July 

 at $3.50 a case ! ! 



Where the Canadian Spy is known in 

 Great Britain, no other apple is wanted for 

 a fancy trade. For three successive years, 

 the writer has had a special enquiry for this 

 apple trom a dealer in Leeds : and one sea- 

 son finding the crop short, he asked to be 

 allowed to substitute Kings and selected 

 Baldwins in place of Spys, but would not 

 consent, because, said he, I have built up 

 my reputation on this apple, and I want no 

 other for my special trade. 



TEEIGATiON OF APPLES AND PEAES 



A HAND book for the proper applica- 

 tion of water has just been pub- 

 lished by the Orange Judd Co. 

 It is written by Lucius M. Wilcox, and 

 this revised and enlarged edition seems to 

 bring the whole matter quite up to date. In 

 looking over the book we have made a 

 selection which is just now of practical in- 

 terest to fruit growers, being a portion of 

 the chapter on Irrigation for the Orchard. 



Apples. — This king of fruits may be irri- 

 gated in many ways, and. a liberal quantity 



♦Irrigition Farming: a guide book for the 

 proper ap plication of water in the production of 

 cr }\)S. 



of water is advisable. We have noticed one 

 thing about growing apples under irrigation. 

 By giving them plenty of water when they 

 are attaining full size, or are nearly full 

 grown, they receive more sap and attain 

 fully one-eighth more weight, or specific 

 gravity, compared with similar fruit of the 

 same size. The color of the apple is alsb 

 greatly improved in this way, and it puts on 

 a polish that could not be attained without 

 irrigation. The characteristic of polishing 

 nicely is noticed principally in the Ben Davis 

 and Jonathan varieties. If the early spring 

 season has been dry the orchard should be 

 irrigated just as soon as the canals are 



