January, 1908 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



17 



Our Apples in Engfland 



W. Hieatt, Covent Garden Market, London 

 During the past few years there has been 

 great improvement in the manner of packing 

 and sorting Canadian apples, but it is still 

 faulty in one or two particiJars. Occasionally 

 we find a mixture of varieties in the same barrel 

 and very often a mixture of grades. This con- 

 dition of affairs should not be. Buyers soon 

 spot the brand on such packages, and when 

 the next consignment arrives, it does not realize 

 satisfactory prices. The best policy is to pack 

 fairly and honestly. 



Canadian shippers should consign always to 

 the same buyer in the same market. By so 

 doing, more satisfactory results and prices are 

 secured. Canadian apples are doing well this 

 season, as ours are scarce and poor in quality. 



Keep Up Standard 



Editor Canadian Horticulturist, — The fol- 

 lowing circular has been sent by the Fruit 

 Division to all the Dominion fruit inspectors. 

 It will be of interest to all who have apples in 

 store for repacking : 



"You will note by the sales' catalogs, 

 particularly from Liverpool and Glasgow, that 

 there is a surplus of the smaller grade of No. 1 

 apples on the market at present, the effect being, 

 of course, to greatly lower the price for this 

 class of apples. This is an indication that you 

 should in no way relax your vigilance in the 

 examination of this grade. Brand "Falsely 

 Marked" any barrel marked No. 1 in which 

 the apples fall short in point of size. In order 

 to maintain the reputation of Canadian apples, 

 it is more necessary that emphasis be given to 

 the matter of size in a year like this, when the 

 general crop is undersized, than in an ordinary 

 year when there should be a normal quantity of 

 large apples." — A. McNeill, Chief, Fruit Divi- 

 sion, Ottawa. 



Ontario Fruit in tHe "West 



Despite the efforts which eastern fruit men are 

 putting forth to capture and retain the markets 

 of the prairie provinces, there is less Ontario 

 fruit on sale in our cities and towns this year 

 than for some time past. Consumers paying the 

 prices ordinarily charged for barrelled apples 

 here expect a better quality in the article than a 

 good proportion of the Ontario fruit offered in 

 our markets can show. 



Despite the Fruit Marks .\cts, packers seem 

 to be able to fill up the packages pretty much as 

 they like and the centre of many a barrel con- 

 tains altogether too varied an assortment to 

 rank in the grade it's stamped. Such practices 

 as these, continued for any time, will work for 

 the permanent closing of this market to Ontario 

 fruit. The east will learn to its own loss that 

 this country cannot he made a dumping ground 

 ff)r unexportable fruit. — Farmer's Advocate, 

 Winnipeg. 



Want Ne-w Fruit Marhet 



'In the opinion of the fruit growers of On- 

 rio and the dealers of Toronto the time has 

 Tivcd when the city of Toronto should have 

 ■ adequate fruit market, open on equal terms 

 all the transportation companies running 

 pto Toronto." The foregoing resolution was 

 ^asscd unanimously at a joint meeting of rep- 

 resentative fruit men, dealers and a special 

 committee of the City Council, held in Toronto 

 on Dec. 18. Among the fruit growers in at- 

 tendance were: W. H. Bunting, vSt. Catharines- 

 Wm. Armstrong and H. St. C. Fisher, Queens- 

 ton: L. A. Hamilton, Clarkson; and P. W. 

 Hodgctts, secretary of the Ontario Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Association. Those who appeared for 

 the dealers were: W. H. Dawson, T. Ferguson 

 Chas. Kempton, Thos. Vance, R. W. Husband 

 and David Spence. Alderman Foster was 

 elected chairman of the committee, and Con- 

 troller Hubbard, Alderman Chisholm and Ald- 



erman Lytle were present. The meeting was 

 attended also by Property Commissioner Harris. 



Addresses were made by nearly all those 

 present, in which the importance of the fruit 

 trade to Toronto was urged. There was un- 

 animity in declaring that the present accom- 

 modation at the Scott St. market was in- 

 adequate, and that all transportation com- 

 panies should have equal facilities. The con- 

 census of opinion was that a permanent mar- 

 ket, to be kept open the year round, should 

 be established at Bayside Park. A revenue 

 of from 10% to 15% on the outlay was prom- 

 ised. It was pointed out that the proposed 

 location would be convenient for marine as 

 well as railway traffic. 



Property Commissioner Harris said that it 

 would be impracticable to report on the ad- 

 visability of suing Bayside Park until the via- 

 duct question had been settled. Neither would 

 it be possible to use the wharf on the east side 

 of Yonge St., because it was a private one. 

 He was of the opinion that something should 

 be done to better the facilities for handling 

 fruit, and would do what he could to improve 

 matters. Mr. Harris predicted that the radial 

 railway lines soon would carry most of the 

 fruit traffic. Commissioner Harris was in- 

 structed by a resolution to report on the matter. 



COOPERATIVE COMMITTEE 



Mr. A. E. Sherrington, Walkerton, reported 

 as follows: "The committee held two meetings 

 during the year 1907. At the first meeting, 

 various methods were discussed for carrying on 

 the work of cooperation. It was decided that 

 we should again cooperate with the depart- 

 ments of agriculture for Ontario and the Domin- 

 ion in holding a large number of fruit institute 

 meetings, when the benefits of cooperation could 

 be brought before the growers. Your committee 

 desires to express the .appreciation for the help 

 that the Dominion Department has rendered to 

 us by sending their inspectors to assist at the 

 fruit meetings. We trust that they may con- 

 tinue to give us their aid at the first meeting in 

 March . 



"The subject of boolc-keeping for the associa- 

 tion was discussed. A committee was appointed 

 to work out a uniform system of book-keeping 

 for the associations. A great deal of informa- 

 tion was obtained from the associations on the 

 subject, and at the June meeting it was definitely 

 arf-anged to get out a set of counter check books 

 and a uniform plan for as many of the associa- 

 tions as wished to avail themselves of the offer. 

 Ten associations adopted these books, but owing 

 to rush of work at the factory, there was some 

 delay in getting them out. The committee also 

 discussed getting out other books for the associa- 

 tions, but nothing definite was done. The com- 

 mittee hopes, however, that they may be able 

 to work out some possible scheme for another 

 year. A number of resolutions relating to the 

 industry generally were passed. 



"During March, April and June, somewhere 

 in the neighborhood of 60 fruit institute meet- 

 ings were iheld. These meetings were addressed 

 by Messrs. D. Johnson, Gifford, Carey, Baker, 

 myself, and a number oif other fruit growers. In 

 most cases, these meetings were well attended and 

 a great deal of interest was taken in cooperation 

 and the industry generally. In connection with 

 the meetings, a large number of associations were 

 founded. We have now something over 40 in 

 operation, and so far as I am aware, they are all 

 making a success of it. 



"Your committee finds that there is a great deal 

 of work to be done yet to bring the cooperation 

 to perfection. Cooperation has taken hold of 

 the people in America. A few weeks ago a man 

 from Cornell visited this province to study the 

 cooperative systems in use here. He expressed 

 surprise at finding such a young province as 

 Ontario so far advanced in the methods of hand- 

 ling the products of her orchards over such 

 states as New York. He said that it .spoke 

 volumes for the enterprise of our government. 

 A few days ago I had a letter from a gentleman 



who wishes to have the opportunity of laying 

 before the associations a plan for the consolidat- 

 ing of the associations, and with that end in 

 view, a meeting will be held in the near future, 

 probably in early January, to hear this gentle- 

 man's suggestions." 



Up-to-date Sprayers 



It has been our privilege to inspect the latest 

 product of the Spramotor Co. at London, who 

 are to be commended for the enterprise shown 

 in their many machines. Their hand-operated 

 machines have for so long a time been recog- 

 nized in Canada as standard, that a mere men- 

 tion that they are being turned out in larger 

 numbers each year is enough. Our attention 

 has been drawn to their latest type of horse- 

 power and gasolene-power machines. 



These machines show great ingenuity. The 

 horse-power machine is capable of doing a 

 great range of work. Having a capacity of 

 12 nozzles at 125 lbs. pressure, makes it pos- 

 sible to spray all small and medium sized trees, 

 such as apples, pears, plums and peaches, per- 

 fectly with one man, and a boy to drive. The 

 plan is to use one line of hose with an extension 

 pipe of suitable length and an eight-nozzle 

 cluster or smaller for small trees, and, all ex- 

 cept the largest apple trees, can lie sprayed 

 in passing. The large air chamber (12 gallons 

 capacity) gives ample reserve to stop for short 

 intervals at each tree if desired. "The motor 

 being of large capacity will pick up the pres- 

 sure from tree to tree, not possible hitherto. 

 By a simple change of spray rods the rig can 

 be changed from a tree spraying rig to spray 

 vineyards, potatoes, or grain crops. 



The extent to which this company has gone 

 to make the sprayer under the control of the 

 driver is commendable. As the pressure is 

 regulated automatically, no attention is re- 

 quired in that respect, yet a means is provided 

 to throw in and out of gear by hand. The 

 stand pipes that spray the grapes are so arranged 

 that they can be raised or lowered or made wider 

 or narrower, each independent of the other, 

 thereby providing a means of keeping the 

 nozzles the right height and distance from the 

 vines, all of which is under the control of the 

 driver without moving from his seat. 



Growers who have 100 acres of grapes, that 

 are sprayed five times during the season, say 

 that they have never during the entire season 

 had a nozzle clog, which tells the story of the 

 nozzle protector. We could not suggest any 

 improvement to this fine rig. It is a gratification 

 to have a Canadian concern who are so well 

 ahead of the times. 



The new features in the way of nozzles and 

 accessories all tending to greater effectiveness 

 and economy, show great activity and inven- 

 tion. Mr. Johnson, of Forest, who used one 

 of the power machines this year, says he saved 

 $50 in labor and material, besides doing a bet- 

 ter job. We would recommend any who re- 

 quire changes or renewals in their spraying 

 rigs this year to send for really valuable liter- 

 ature, supplied free by the' SPRAMOTOR 

 WORKS, 1169 King St., London, Ont. 



As an indication of the development of the 

 nursery business in British Columbia, it is in- 

 teresting to note that M. J. Henry, of Van- 

 couver, recently shipped from that city eight 

 tons of seeds and trees to Shanghai, China. 



At the Royal Horticultural Society's show 

 in London, Eng., the fruit exhibit of the British 

 Columbia Government was awarded the gold 

 medal. Nova Scotia fruit also received awards. 

 The Ontario exhibit arrived in bad condition. 



During the several years I have taken yoju: 

 journal, I have read it carefully each month. 

 It has been a valuable aid to nie, and I believe 

 it is the best fruit publication with which I am 

 acquainted. — \. Ross Mathcson, Pomona, N.Y. 



