2 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



January, 1908 



These two apples are always in great 

 demand in Canada, the United States 

 and Great Britain, and high prices are 

 usually paid for No. 1 fruit. The fol- 

 lowing are descriptions of these fruits: 



FAMEUSE OR SNOW 



Origin unknown. Supposed to have 

 been a seedling originated near Mon- 

 treal or Quebec early in the seven- 

 teenth century. Fruit of medium size, 

 roundish to oblate; skin, pale yellow, 

 either almost or completely covered 

 with deep red or splashed and washed 

 with red when fruit is not well colored; 

 dots not prominent; cavity of medium 

 depth and width; stem, short to me- 

 dium in length, slender or moderately 

 stout; basin, small, somewhat nar- 

 row, almost smooth; flesh, very white, 

 very tender, juicy, subacid with a fine 

 flavor and a delicate perfume; core, 

 small; quaUty, very good to best; sea- 

 son, early winter; tree, strong grower, 

 spreading, and a heavy bearer. This 

 is one of the best dessert apples, and 

 one of the most profitable where it 

 succeeds. 



MCINTOSH 



Originated with John Mcintosh, Dun- 

 dela, Ont., early in the nineteenth cen- 

 tury. Probably a seedling of Fam- 

 euse. Fruit above medium to large, 

 roundish, slightly angular, highly per- 

 fumed; skin, pale yellow, almost en- 

 tirelv covered with crimson, dark on 

 sunny side and brighter on rest of 

 fruit; dots, few, small, yellow, dis- 

 tinct, but not prominent; cavity of 

 medium depth and width; stem, short, 

 stout; basin, narrow, almost smooth, 

 medium depth; calyx, partly open; 

 flesh, white, crisp, very tender, melting, 

 juicy, subacid, sprightly with a pleas- 

 ant aromatic flavor; core of medium 

 size; quality, very good to best; sea- 

 son, November to January; tree, hardy, 

 and a strong, moderately upright grower 

 and an annual and medium bearer. 

 For its season the Mcintosh apple is 

 one of the best varieties grown. In 

 some places, it is very subject to spot, 

 but this has not been the experience 

 at the Central Experimental Farm, 

 where the trees are sprayed. It has 

 also not been found to be a shy bearer 

 as reported by some. 



FAMEUSE vs. MCINTOSH 



In the provinces of Ontario and 

 Quebec are many orchards of Fam- 

 euse trees, and in the United States, in 

 which this variety succeeds, it is also 

 popular and has been largely planted. 

 It is only during the last forty years 

 that the Mcintosh apple has been prop- 

 agated, the son of the originator 

 first beginning this work, and other 

 nurserymen eventually doing the same. 

 The oldest orchards are in the vicinity 

 of the original tree, which still remains 

 alive, although in bad condition. Nat- 



urally, there was not much fruit avail- 

 able until comparatively recently, and 

 it is only during the past ten or fifteen 

 years that the fruit has become widely 

 known. So great is the popularity 

 of this variety at present that the 

 nurserymen cannot meet the demand 

 for trees. The Mcintosh is superior 

 to the Fameuse in several respects. 

 It is larger, more uniformly handsome, 

 and by most people considered of bet- 

 ter quahty. It is perhaps not quite 

 sp productive as Fameuse, but in our 

 experience is a more regular bearer. 

 Like the Fameuse, it is subject to 

 spot, but this can be prevented by 

 thorough spraying. 



SCARLET PIPPIN 



Another Canadian apple of the Fam- 

 euse group is the Scarlet Pippin, which, 

 though not quite as useful as the Mc- 

 intosh, is a very profitable sort on 

 account of its handsome appearance, 

 productiveness and good quality. It 

 is sometimes called "Leeds Beauty" 

 and is described as follows: Originated 

 at Lyn, Leeds County, Ontario, near 

 Brockville. Mr. Harold Jones, Mait- 

 land, Ont., has had most to do in 

 bringing this fine apple before the 

 public. Fruit of medium size, oblate 

 to roundish; skin, yellow, waxy, more 

 or less washed or splashed with bright 

 and dark crimson, and covered with a 

 light bloom; cavity, deep and of me- 

 dium width; stem, short, slender; basin, 

 narrow, shallow, almost smooth; calyx, 

 generally closed; flesh, white, firm, 

 crisp, tender, melting, juicy, a mild 

 subacid, with a pleasant but not high 

 flavor; core, small; quahty, very good; 

 season, early winter. .\ very attrac- 

 tive apple, and said to sell better than 

 Fameuse, which it does not, however, 

 equal in quaUty. Tree a strong, up- 

 right grower, and a heavy bearer. 



ST. LAWRENCE 



Closely related to the Fameuse, if 

 not of the same group, is the St. Law- 

 rence, which also is scarcely surpassed 

 by any apple of its season, which is 

 between Duchess and Wealthy. It is 

 grown in considerable quantities in 

 the province of Quebec, and finds a 

 ready sale among the best class of 

 customers. It was originated in Mon- 

 treal early in the nineteenth century. 

 The tree is a strong, spreading grower, 

 moderately productive; fruit, above 

 medium to large, oblate conic; cavity, 

 medium depth, open; stem, short, 

 stout; basin, medium depth and width, 

 wrinkled; calyx, closed; color, pale 

 greenish-yellow, splashed and streaked 

 with dark purplish red; dots, obscure; 

 skin, thin, tender; flesh, white tinged 

 with red, tender, juicy, subacid, pleasant 

 flavor; core, medium; very good quality; 

 season, mid-September to October. 



(To be continued) 



Amateur Grape Gro-win^ 



Fruits of all kinds should be grown 

 in amateur gardens more extensively 

 than they are at present. -Most fruits 

 are not difiScult to grow. They are in- 

 teresting subjects to Ijandle, and will 

 furnish much pleasure and reward to 

 the grower. Among the kinds of fruits 

 that can be trained to occupy small 

 space if necessary, is the grape. An 

 enthusiastic horticulturist in Hespeler, 

 Ont., Mr. G. W. Tebbs, secretary of 

 the Hespeler Horticultural Society, has 

 experienced considerable success with 

 grapes, as is evidenced by the illustra- 

 tion on page 3. In the following letter 

 Mr. Tebbs outlines his methods of care 

 and treatment: 



"I had no experience with grapes 

 until two years ago, when we took over 

 this property and found vines that 

 were simply a tangled mass of branches 

 - — more like a hedgerow than anj'thing 

 else, and the grapes were not fit for 

 chickens to eat. In the fall of the 

 first year, I cut them mercilessly back 

 to the main trunk of the vine. The 

 trellises were to pieces, and I rebuilt 

 them. The grass was growing around 

 the roots, and during the season is 

 still doing so to a large extent. It is 

 the tiresome twitch grass that is so 

 difficult to remove. I did my best, 

 however, in getting as much air to 

 the roots as possible. I cleaned the 

 bark of all sorts of vermin. The first 

 year w-e had a dandy little crop, not 

 large in quantity, but good in size, 

 and well ripened. 



"Last fall, 1 repeated the same 

 treatment, but began training the vines 

 to the trellises, and did not cut back 

 quite so vigorously, leaving about two 

 buds on the branch. When the grapes 

 begin to turn color I strip off a few 

 leaves near the bunches to let in the 

 sun, and the fruit always ripens be- 

 fore we get a frost. To help them out, 

 I cut the tips off the branches and 

 throw all the support into the fruit. 



"In sending samples to the Old 

 Country, I pack in boxes when nearly 

 ripe, making them firmly and what I 

 call 'cosy,' with paper shavings ob- 

 tained from confectionery goods. The 

 boxes are well papered inside, as it 

 acts as a non-conductor of heat. My 

 friends on the other side of the water 

 say that the grapes arrive in Al con- 

 dition, with the bloom as perfect as 

 on the day they were gathered. If 

 this can be improved upon I should 

 be glad to have a few pointers from 

 your readers. We had bunches weigh- 

 ing over two pounds. If more were 

 grown in this section as they are grown 

 in the Niagara district, they would 

 do just as well. I have had no early 

 frost trouble here." 



