OPEN LETTERS. 



437 



we pick our apples carefully and keep them 

 in cool air, which prolongs their lives. Now 

 there is one thing I have heard about our 

 apples in England and Ireland which I dis- 

 like very much, to the effect' that our apples 

 are dry and woody. One gentleman said, 

 '* I don't know whether they are American or 

 Canadian, but wish they would keep their 

 apples at home." Now this seemed to warm 

 my, Canadian blood and I commenced to cut 

 a few of such apples as Spy, Wagoner, 

 Spitz, reminding them they had been gather- 

 ed over ten months ago, which would result 

 in a certain amount of good being evapor- 

 ated, and they unanimously said "marvel- 

 lous, marvellous." But can we wonder at 

 people saing our apples are dry and woody 



when so large a percentage of our apples 

 are Ben Davis? I fancy this is the secret 

 of such remarks ; their beautiful color and 

 symetrical form attracts the buyer. 



Their shape, color and keeping quality is 

 unsurpassed, but what good is an apple 

 without lots of well flavored juice ? It is 

 said by some one Ben Davis improves while 

 crossing salt water, but I think this state- 

 ment is a farce. How many apple growers 

 in Canada lay aside carefully Ben Davis for 

 home use? Fruit growers of Canada, it 

 would pay you to consider this subject care- 

 fully and come to conclusions very soon on 

 such an important subject. Hoping these 

 lines may be of profit to some one, I remain, 

 yours faithfully, E. H. Wartman. 



A SPRUCE GALL LOUSE 



Dear Sir, — I have read Mr. G. E. Fisher's 

 letter in September Horticulturist about the 

 application of fumigation methods to the 

 destruction of the Spruce Gall Louse. So 

 far as I know the life story of this insect the 

 gall louse passes the winter about the base 

 of the bud in a half grown state, and not in 

 the Q^^ state. I was not aware that the 

 louse was viviparous. I was under the im- 

 pression that the louse, not long after being 

 hatched in May, formed a gall at the base 

 of the leaf, and remained within the gall un- 

 til the middle of August, when it emerged 

 to lay eggs. I believe, with Mr. Fisher, 



that with small shrubs it would be quite 

 practicable to fumigate, but how would he 

 pitch his tent when he had rows of tall 

 spruce trees to deal with ? I have found 

 the whale oil and soap and tobacco solution 

 effective if applied when the young gall lice 

 were moving. This movement occurs twice 

 a year, on hatching from the eggs about 

 May loth and August 20th. 



I should think, also, that these dates 

 would be the best for effective fumigation, 

 for the lice are practically living in gas-tight 

 cells from June ist to August loth. 



•'A Spruce Lover." 



Hews f vxrttt tlijc Sxrcijettus 



Kincardine.— The Horticultural Society of this 

 place held their Sixth Annual Exhibition of Pot 

 Plant and Cut Flowers in the Town Hall on Friday 

 last. The display was first-class which proved that 

 the efforts of the Society in the encouragement of 

 this refining recreation is being appreciate d by old 

 and young. 



The display consisted of common and rare plants 

 so nicely arranged on the tables that the blending 

 and harmonizing of color and form gave an addi- 



tional beauty to the common without detracting 

 from that of the rare. There were rubber plants 

 and palms, ferns, asparagus, sprengeri, geraniums, 

 gloxinias, and begonias, with hosts of other plants 

 no less beautiful. The Otaheite orange trees, one 

 with ripe fruit, was to many a great curiosity. 

 Some of the plants and trees exhibited required a 

 great deal of care and skill in handling and the 

 wonder is that only one mishap occurred in the 

 handling of so many hundreds of pots and vases. 



