352 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



that is, it must be dry. Standing water 

 about the roots of cherry trees will certainly 

 stunt or else wholly destroy them, and for 

 this reason many writers advise planting 

 sweet cherry trees only on elevated, light, 

 dry soils. 



GOOD VARIETIES OF PEARS FOR EXPORT 



OF the early varieties of Canadian pears 

 the Clapp's Favorite and the Bartlett 

 are the best, but the latter is sent forward 

 with much the greater risk, because it ripens 

 so rapidly, and unless all the cold stor- 

 age is perfect from start to finish, they 

 are almost sure to arrive in an over-jipe 

 condition. The Clapp's Favorite is such a 

 beautiful appearing pear, so large in size, 

 and, if gathered at the proper season, so 

 gfood in flavor, that it seems well adapted 

 for early export. Prof. Robertson, in speak- 

 ing of Clapp's Favorite in the same report, 

 said : "I would like to read you one other 

 brief reference from The North of England 

 Brokers, Limited, of Manchester : The 

 quality of those you sent was most excellent, 

 especially Clapp's Favorite, but there will 

 have to be great improvement in the cold 

 storage arrangements for transit, and much 

 more care exercised to make the temperature 

 suit the fruit, maintaining the same degree 

 all through the voyage. If they could only 

 be put in this market in the same condition 

 in which they are put on your markets, 

 good business would be done." 



Another excellent variety is the Duchess, 

 when grown large, clean and free from cur- 

 culio knots. Such pears, carefully graded 

 as to size, may be shipped with confidence, 

 for they are slower in ripening and will 

 bring the highest prices in any of the British 

 markets. Where the soil is suitable, prob- 

 ably no variety would be more desirable to 

 plant in quantity for export. Of other var- 

 ieties we have several that have proved 

 themselves safe to export for profit, such as 

 Bosc, Clairgeau, Diel, Lawrence and Anjou. 



The latter is a special favorite. The Kieffer 

 is still on the doubtful list. There is little 

 trouble in its reaching England in perfect 

 condition, the only trouble is in its quality, 

 which is most disappointing, and it is sel- 

 dom wanted twice by the same buyer except 

 for canning. 



APPLES IN BOXES 



FOR several years past the writer has 

 been exporting a portion of his finest 

 apples in boxes with good satisfaction. It 

 may not have been altogether due to the 

 boxes, but rather the greater care taken in 

 putting up fancy samples in a small package. 

 Some of our early apples were put up in 

 half bushel cases, but these were too small 

 for apples. Quoting on this point Prof. 

 Robertson says : "I have only little to say 

 about apples. We sent over altogether 146 

 packages. They were all landed in good 

 condition. Nearly all pleased well, but there 

 was a common complaint that the packages 

 were much too small, holding only from 

 14 to 16 lbs. net of apples in each. 

 We found these too small. They netted 

 some fair prices, considering the size, but 

 still they did not pay. Taking off the ex- 

 penses, which were very heavy, these small 

 packages netted anywhere from 5 or 6 cents 

 up to 22 and 25 and 30 cents, which, after 

 all, is a good price for 15 lbs of apples. 

 A 40 or 50 pound case is the case that 

 they want as a minimum for fancy apples. 

 We sent some half bushel and some bushel 

 cases. Here is one report : Apples — Speak- 

 ing generally, we beg to say that in our 

 judgment these boxes are much too small 

 for apples. We think that apples should 

 never be put, at this time of year, in boxes 

 containing less than 40 lbs. That is still a 

 a small package. For the last six weeks 

 very large quantities of English eating 

 apples have came in our market and been 

 sold at an average of six shillings per 

 hundred weight, which were quite as good 



