THE OEILLIA FBUIT EXHIBIT 



BY T. H. RACE, MITCHELL. 



IN consequence of some little contro- 

 versy regarding the capabilities of 

 the Orillia district for winter apple 

 production, the managers of the fall fair 

 this year made an extra effort in connection 

 with their apple exhibit. In order to de- 

 monstrate to me the correctness of their 

 faith in their district and the error of my 

 opinion, they invited me out to judge their 

 fruit. I frankly admit that I feel compelled 

 to modify the opinion that I had been led to 

 by my former visits to that picturesque dis- 

 trict. The apple exhibit at Orillia this 

 year was very fine, though still excelling 

 in fall varieties. Going directly from Lon- 

 don to Orillia, I was enabled to make com- 

 parisons between the two points. Again 

 the superiority of the Alexander and Wolfe 

 River at Orillia impressed itself upon me, 

 and I must be frank enough to say also the 

 superiority of the Spy, Baldwin and Green- 

 ing. I am not surprised regarding the two 

 last named, for they are not supposed to do 

 well in any of our inland northern districts. 

 And for the Spy, it may be said that the 

 season being quite two weeks later at Orillia 

 than at London, two more weeks would 

 make a considerable difference on the Spy 

 exhibit at the former place. Of the four- 

 teen plates of Spys shown, two lots were of 

 fine size, while all the rest were considerably 

 below the average. But they were all very 

 clean and fairly well colored, and their size 

 will be much improved by the middle of Oc- 

 tober. The Ben Davis was, this year, con- 

 sidering their season there, quite up to the 

 mark, and the exhibit was fairly large. 

 Two exhibits especially attracted my atten- 

 tion, and are worthy of note, the St. Law- 

 rence the the Stark. In both of these the 

 display was the finest I had seen this year 

 up to the time of my visit, and both of them 

 was a pleasing surprise. In the St. Law- 

 rence display there were thirteen plates, and 

 in the Stark seven. Two very fine exhibits 



of the Hubbardson's Nonsuch and one of 

 the Blenheim pippin convinced me that 

 these very desirable winter shippers could 

 be grown about Orillia if top-grafted into 

 Tallman or Pewaukee stock. Two plates 

 of the North Star attracted a good deal of 

 attention and were pretty well tested by 

 both judges and visitors as to their quality. 

 The latter is so little inferior to the Graven- 

 stein, if any, that it promises to be one of 

 the choicest fall apples of our northern ap- 

 ple sections. Indeed, its quality, as pro- 

 duced about Orillia, entitles it to be classed 

 as an early winter variety. 



On the whole the apple display at Orillia 

 this year was very satisfactory, and what 

 makes it pleasing to a judge to go there is 

 the interest that the people take in the thing. 

 The lawyers, clergymen and tradesmen of 

 the town, as well as the farmers round 

 about, are all there to see and hear and 

 taste, and take an interested part in examin- 

 ing whatever is shown. They believe in 

 making use of an object lesson to make it as 

 far as possible education. 



A NEW PLUM. 



In connection with my visit to Orillia I 

 want to make note of a new plum that I 

 found on exhibition there. This plum was 

 shown by Mr. Frank Kean, a farmer, who 

 grew it from a Lombard pit. It is similar 

 in size and appearance to the Quackenbos, 

 with a smaller pit, finer quality of flesh, and 

 a heavier and handsomer bloom. It is one 

 of the meatiest of plums, in fact, that I have 

 met with, and will make an excellent ship- 

 per. This opinion was endorsed by Mr. 

 Alex. O'Neill, who also examined the plum 

 and was much impressed with its appear- 

 ance, quality and shipping qualities. We 

 named it the " Orillia," and consider it well 

 worthy of propagation, as the tree is said to 

 be a good grader and regular bearer. 



