PEARS IN COLD STORAGE. 



435 



with each specimen folded in clean white 

 paper was enough to feast the eye upon, and 

 my pen shall not record a word against the 

 beauties. The fruiterer knows how to at- 

 tract the customer and presents this picture 

 prominently in his window with the spotless 

 paper folded back loosely from each speci- 

 men to shew the rich contrast of color. Our 

 hand naturally feels for our purse, but no, 

 let us leave it at that, and look at those 

 grapes at from 12c. to 28c. per lb., accord- 

 ing to size, all luscious. Yes, grapes are 

 very fine, but of course all are hothouse va- 

 rieties, and such is the English taste. I 

 cannot wonder that we cannot find a market 

 here for ours, and we will not until a taste 

 is cultivated among a class of consumers 

 who cannot afford to pay high prices. 



Although there is so great a demand fo'' 

 fruits of all kinds here, I can see clearly that 

 it pays to make the brands before shipping^ 

 and whatever these brands may be let them 

 always be perfectly even. No matter what 

 time and labor it may cost, separate the 

 samples with the utmost care, and do not 

 let a choice brand be spoiled by a single spot 

 or sample under size or lacking the points 

 of its kind to make the brand perfect. If 

 you wish to pack spotted fruit we might be 



tempted to say select in accordance with the 

 number and size of spots, having brands for 

 single spot and so downward ! ! A word 

 may be sufficient to convince some packers, 

 would that all might heed us. 



I cannot but feel that fruit growing has 

 become a partial failure in this country be- 

 cause growers neglect their orchards. We 

 generally hear them say, " What is the use 

 in trying, as these Canadians will undersell 

 us in all our markets with our own varieties 

 of much finer size and color." But where 

 will our growers be in a few years with ne- 

 glected orchards ? Of course our bright 

 sunlight will always do its duty, but what 

 of that if the subtance is not supplied to the 

 soil, and if the trees are not kept free from 

 filth and relieved from a burden of useless 

 wood ? 



I walked through the market on farmers' 

 day lately, and was struck specially with 

 the fact that almost every farmer was not 

 only dressed in his best, but had a button- 

 hole bouquet. He looked natty and tidy, 

 and invariably had well blackened boots. I 

 am told this is also the case in every village 

 market, and is worthy of note, and as it 

 should be. 



PEARS IN COLD STORAGE AND OTHER FRUIT MATTERS 



A LETTER FROM MR. R. BRODIE, OF MONTREAL. 



SIR, — With reference to the Flemish 

 Beauty pear in cold storage mentioned 

 in the July number of the Horticulturist, I 

 may state that the pear gathered and pack- 

 ed under the same conditions as those put 

 in chemical cold storage and stored in our 

 own cellar, ripened up nicely and gave good 

 satisfaction to the purchaser and commis- 

 sioner. 



The apple crop is very good in this locality, 



Fameuse, Wealthy, Ben Davis, Olden- 

 burgh above the average. When trees are 

 not well sprayed, there are lots of apple 

 spots (fungi) ; the worst insect enemy is the 

 apple curculio, spraying has no effect. I 

 was surprised to see the effect of the severe 

 frost of the loth May on the plum trees. 

 The frost did not injure the first buds of 

 most of the European varieties of plums 

 (Prunus Domestica) leaving us a very good 



