NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



51 



A WONDERFUL APPLE CROP. 

 *' A PPLES can be made to pay, ' said 

 l\ Mr. E. D. Smith, Winona, "and the 

 success of Mr. Joseph Tweddle, P'ruitland, 

 in taking in hand several orchards which 

 had been neglected by the owners until they 

 were a mass of wood, tangled together and 

 left without defence to the ravages of insects 

 and fungi, is a proof of my position." A 

 few years of careful cultivation, pruning and 

 spraying had brought these orchards into 

 fruitfulness, and well repaid Mr. Tweddle 

 for his speculation, and the owner for his 

 investment. 



Mulching versus cultivation for an apple 

 orchard was also discussed, and, as Mr. 

 Smith stated, the former is no doubt ideal, 

 providing a sufficient quantity of material is 

 at hand. It saves a great deal of labor and 

 it does not injure the tree roots. Mr. Race 

 objected strongly to deep ploughing in an 

 orchard because it disturbs the young root- 

 lets which are at work drawing moisture 

 and nourishment from the soil. 



In illustration of what can be done in 

 apple growing, if the orchard is properly 

 cultivated and sprayed, Mr. Smith cited one 

 he had visited by request last summer. It 

 was situated in New York State between 

 Lockport and Rochester. He found fifty 

 acres of Baldwins, every tree a picture and 

 carrying over ten barrels to a tree. 

 There were only twenty trees to the acre, 

 but they reached an immense size, and were 

 weighed to the ground with their enormous 

 load of apples. It was estimated that the 

 yield would not be less than 10,000 barrels 

 of apples, and all perfectly free from scab ; 

 the crop must have given the owner a 

 small fortune in a season like this when 

 prices have ruled so high. 



The only explanation of this phenomenal 

 success given by the owner was, that for 

 the past seven years he had sprayed regu- 

 larly and faithfully ; for previously he had 

 had very little fruit, but since he had given 



his orchard this treatment, he had never 

 failed to have a good crop. 



GOOD VARIETIES OF GRAPES. 



MR. E. D. SMITH, of Winona, was 

 asked to talk on "What varieties of 

 fruit to plant to suit the requirements of the 

 trade." In speaking of grapes, he believed 

 that the destruction of grape vines by the 

 cold winter three years ago had not been 

 made up by the planting since that time, and 

 consequently the price of this fruit had ad- 

 vanced, until wine makers even had been 

 offering $25 a ton for Concords. At this 

 price he believed there was money in grow- 

 ing this variety. Compared with Niagara 

 he had more confidence in the Concord, un- 

 less on certain rich soils in southern parts of 

 Ontario; but, generally speaking, the Concord 

 was more reliable. He had himself planted 

 an acre of Campbell's Early which had this 

 year borne its first crop. The fruit was as 

 early in ripening as Moore's Early, the vine 

 seems to be productive and the berry is large 

 and of much better quality. The only defect 

 he had observed was, that occasionally a 

 vine had clusters with a good many small 

 green berries, and only for this defect he 

 would be inclined to plant this variety in 

 preference to any other. Lindley was too 

 uncertain. In his vineyard of 1,000 vines 

 he had gathered one year an average of 30 

 pounds to the vine, for which he had netted 4c. 

 a pound or $1,200 for the crop; but for the 

 succeeding two years he had only harvested 

 about 3 pounds to the vine. He had therefore 

 lost confidence in this grape for profit. Ver- 

 gennes was profitable, but was subject to 

 leaf blight, which, however, could be con- 

 trolled by use of the Bordeaux. Of the 

 Rogers grapes he thought highly of the 

 Agawam, especially for sale in the Niagara 

 district to buyers who want a good shipper. 

 It keeps and it carries well and is therefore 

 very suitable for sending to the North-west. 

 In other places, where it was sold for table 



