398 



THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTURIS7 



If we could once establish such a reputa- 

 tion for our brands that we could bring the 

 world's buyers to Ontario for their high class 

 stock, we would be masters of the situation. 

 No apples are finer than Ontario apples, 

 either in color or flavor, and the whole 

 world wants such fruit. Why then should 

 we not supply that want? 



ASTRACHANS EXPORTED SUCCESSFULLY. 



IT seemed a considerable risk, our send- 

 ing- forward to Glasgow a car load of 

 such tender apples as the Red Astrachan ; the 

 carrier cases cost us 22c. each delivered, and 

 the freight and commission on a bushel of 

 apples amounts to about 50c. , so that in case 

 of failure we might be in debt nearly $500, 

 besides losing the fruit. It was therefore 

 with some pleasure that we received the 

 cable from the consignee saying that the 

 fruit had arrived in perfect condition, and 

 had netted us ^^o at Grimsby ! Pretty 

 good for an apple that is wasting under the 

 trees in Ontario ! And still, even at home, 

 there are ways of succeeding with them. 

 Here, for example, is the way a writer in 

 Green's Fruit Grower managed with them : 



" So many early apples in sight, with help 

 scarce and poor at that, how to handle them 

 successfully was a problem. We used "fifth" 

 baskets, discarding all inferior fruit. My 

 wite and I attended to the grading and put- 

 ting up, while the hired man did the gather- 

 ing. The baskets were new and clean, cost- 

 30 to 35 cents per dozen. The apples were 

 handled one by one, and polished with a 

 cotton cloth until they shone. When care- 

 fully graded and attractively put up fruit 

 will seldom go begging for a market. I 

 went only to private houses, and the best at 

 that, and could readily find sale at good 

 prices for fancy eating or cooking apples. 

 I made the business honorable by fair deal- 

 ing, and at each visit found ready custom- 

 ers. Knowing that I had the best to be 

 ' found, I was not afraid or ashamed to step 



up like a man and ring the door bell of the 

 finest residences. Why should I be ashamed? 

 Husbandry was the labor that God first in- 

 stituted and blessed, and its devotees are 

 and ought to be the kings and queens of the 

 realm. Well, it was slow work to put up 

 fruit in that way, but I could sell at 15 to 25 

 cents per basket, and it paid. Others were 

 offering apples by the bushel at the same 

 prices that I was getting for " fifths " bas- 

 kets, but it was the way of putting them up, 

 I think, that gave me the advantage. 



" The best grade of culls was either dried 

 or made into cider. The dried apples would 

 keep over and wait for a shorter supply, and 

 the cider would make vinegar to be sold later 

 on at good prices. The apples not fit for 

 drying or cider were carefully gathered up 

 and fed out, none being allowed to decay on 

 the ground. Why ? Well, I have been 

 through orchards and seen the apples lying 

 on the ground and decaying by the bushel. 

 The worms were crawling out by hundreds 

 and seeking a home somewhere else, and, 

 rest assured, they are always heard from the 

 following year." 



THE APPLE SHORTAGE IN EUROPE. 



MESSRS. WOODALL & CO., of Liv- 

 erpool, always send us reliable re- 

 portsof foreign markets, and we have plea- 

 sure in quoting from their circular of August 

 ist, which encourages us to hope for good 

 prices for our No. i stock, but very pro- 

 perly discourages the shipping of inferior 

 stock. 



"The crop in Great Britain is about the 

 same as the season of 1901, which was a 

 small one. The comparisons are shown in 

 the following figures, bnt this year there are 

 twenty-six more reports than in previous 



one. Under 



Over Average. Average. Average. 



This year 12 98 184 



Last year 15 90 163 



Year 1900 14S 138 16 



Year 1899 20 137 194 



