REFRIGERATOR CARS. 



407 



lands, which, as a rule, are heavy loams 

 containing- a fairly large amount of clay, the 

 soils are, for the most part, light and grav- 

 elly. As we ascend the slopes of the hills 

 or mountains, the soils become poorer in 

 quality, gravels or sandy loams containing 

 a gfood deal of stone. Of course, as in other 

 parts of Canada, there are great differences 

 in quality to be observed, but one may say 

 there is a predominating type on the slopes 

 and higher lands of a sandy or gravelly loam. 

 Such are warm and responsive to good 

 treatment. Supplied with humus and plant 

 foods, they are well adapted to orcharding. 

 Perhaps the system of maintaining- or in- 

 creasing fertility of the soil by growing and 

 turning under clover, will be of more value 

 to the Maritime orchardist than to the 

 Ontario farmer." 



Why do you think so ? " Because the fruit 

 growers as a class keep very few cattle ; 

 they produce very little manure on their 

 farms, hence their lands become impoverish- 

 ed in humus, which, you must remember, is 

 a most valuable soil constituent, but one not 

 furnished by commercial fertilizers. Clover 

 adds a large amount of humus, as well as 

 nitrogen to the soil. By its decomposition 

 in the soil it also sets free considerable 



amounts of phosphoric acid, potash and lime 

 in forms available to succeeding crops. I 

 feel sure there is no way in which the Nova 

 Scotian can so cheaply, and we may say per- 

 manently, improve his upland soils as by 

 growing clover. They have a quick, re- 

 sponsive soil which only needs feeding and 

 cultivation (to conserve moisture) to obtain 

 excellent results." 



I hear that their apple crop is poor this 

 year ? " That is true. Not only is it small 

 in quantity, but there is a large percentage of 

 inferior quality fruit. Nevertheless, there 

 are many orchards, as I can personally 

 testify, bearing a good average crop. On the 

 whole I should say it would be below, rather 

 than above, 50 per cent. Some varieties are 

 poorer than others. Thus, the Golden Rus- 

 set is practically a failure this year ; but the 

 Blenheims are yielding fairly — very fairly — 

 well. Those who have fed their soils and 

 sprayed their trees will have a good crop to 

 market." 



Is there any special reason for this failure ? 

 "I think it principally due to cold, wet 

 winds prevailing when the trees were in 

 bloom. The frost did not do so much harm 

 as the rain and wind." 



EEFEIGEEATOE CAES 



THE Canada Atlantic Railway Company 

 has recently constructed a number of 

 Hanrahan refrigerator cars for the carriage 

 of tender fruits. The cars have been run- 

 ning between Grimsby and Ottawa, at a 

 cost of about one-third that charged for ex- 

 pressage. The Ottawa Fruit and Produce 

 Exchange, for whom the C. A. R. cars were 

 built, report as follows, under date Sept. 20: 



"Hanrahan car 401 91, loaded at Grimsby 

 on Saturday 13th, arrived here on Monday 

 night and was sold on Tuesday morning in 

 perfect condition, and realized prices equal 

 to Express goods sold at the same time. 



' ' Hanrahan car 1517, loaded part on Mon- 

 day, balance on Tuesday, arrived here on 

 Thursday, the i8th, in perfect order, and 

 sold Thursday evening at 6,30, realizing 

 prices equal to Express. No sign of decay 

 or any of the goods being affected with age 

 or with time of standing whatever. 



"Hanrahan car 1522, loaded on Wednes- 

 day the 17th, arrived here Friday the 19th, 

 at 8.30 p. m., and was sold on the morning 

 of the 20th, when every package in the car 

 was in perfect order and realized excellent 

 prices." 



Car No. 40191 is the car that was re- 

 modelled by the Grand Trunk Railway at 

 the instance of the Ontario Government. 



