THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



183 



Prince Ed-ward Island Letter 



Rev. Father Burke 



Cold, wet spring that it is, exfoliation has 

 Ijeen very slow; indeed, at present writing, the 

 apple leaves are not more than half expanded. 

 This, however, while it will make the harvest 

 late of necessity, may not be adverse to a good 

 fruit crop. There are blossom buds in abund- 

 ance, and as the cold and wet weather must 

 i;ow, of necessity, be over, we may anticipate 

 1 s])lendid period of pollination and the setting 

 of an excellent crop of apples at least. The 

 cherr)' show is also encouraging. Under suitable 

 circumstances there will be a full crop. We have 

 not had many cherries for two years now. The 

 plums are the only trees on which fruit buds are 

 not noticeable in great quantity. Last year 

 when everything else was slack the plum trees 

 Ijore well. There can only be a very moderate 

 crop at best this season. 



The second, spraying is just in progress. 

 Many more are interested in it than previously. 

 It is, however, a very disagreeable job at best, 

 and if some means of procuring a skilled sprayer 

 with good materials and appliances could be 

 produced when wanted, we are sure but few 

 would bother with the work themselves. The 

 pulilic sprayer is at work elsewhere; we hope 

 lie may not long be an unknown quantity here. 



The Federal Government have sent their 

 [lower sprayers hither and thither over Canada 

 to meet this need, and help out systematic or- 

 rliarding; we cannot get them to come here. 

 Too small a country they think, we presume. 

 Still, we have our rights even if the privileges 

 are to be withheld, and must defend them. The 

 power sprayer would find much to do this 

 spring. 



The orchard meetings, late as they were and 

 held often in undesirable quarters, have created 

 in many [)laces mucli interest. Our Secretary 

 of Agriculture, Mr. John C. Ready, has resigned; 

 Theodore Ross, B.A., the locum tenens, went 

 about with Mr. Richard Burke, the inspector, 

 and as both are patriotic islanders, with deep 

 faith in island horticulture, a good deal of en- 

 thusiasm was engendered. Inspector Burke 

 should be employed permanently, and have a 

 free hand in these instruction tours. Official- 

 dom can't do it all — and often it has designs of 

 its own to prosecute. 



The Dominion Exhibition of 1906 is billed for 

 Halifax, Nova Scotia, and that veteran manager, 

 Mr. Bigelow, of Wolf ville, has charge of the 

 horticultural exhibit. He is working it up even 

 now, as is meet and proper. The date, Septem- 

 ber, will however find all kinds of late fruits 

 green and immature in Western Canada 



PacKing and MarKeting Fruit 



J. J. Philp, Winnipeg, Man. 



The way in which a grower packs his fruit is 

 a very good index of that man's character. 

 Into no other operation does a grower's in- 

 dividuality enter so largely as it does into the 

 manner in which he prepares for the market 

 the produce he raises. How to impress this 

 upon the growers as a body and force the 

 truth home to the betterment both of the man 

 liiniself and his |K>cket -bcxjk is the problem. 

 With the various object lessons before our eyes 

 as to the success of others known to be the 

 most careful packers or of the methods which 

 have won precedence in the general market for 

 the most carefully packed western fruit, it is 

 indeed strange that so much of Ontario fruit 

 bears an evil reputation. 



To what cause must we assign the condition? 

 Is it because of shiftlessness, carelessness, lack 

 of proper pride in the occupation we follow, a 

 desire to get a price we want for an article we 

 liave not for sale, or what is it ? The individual 

 offender is really the only one who can truth- 

 fully answer the question, and he will probably 

 dodge it. 



When we think of all the Ontario peaches that 

 came to Winnipeg last season, and how nearly 



impossible it was to get a single basket of uni- 

 formly good fruit, we began to believe that 

 something is rotten, not so nmch in Denmark, 

 as in Ontario. And in what does this condition 

 result? Just this — Ontario fruit is viewed with 

 disfavor wherever it appears and is handled with 

 a wide margin of safety; and until that prov- 

 ince learns to label the bottom of its fruit by the 

 top, she will not enjoy the favor of the buying 

 public that naturally belongs to her fruits. 



The first requisite in packing fruit is to get 

 fruit that is fit to be packed. Many growers 

 think they are selling the package instead of 

 the fruit. Try as we may, our best efforts will 

 not bring us entire crops of wholly perfect fruit. 

 Some will always be deformed, off -color or under- 

 sized. A large proportion of this fruit has no 

 legitimate place in the general market. It is 

 all of value but should be consigned to its proper 

 place in the cannery. Not more than 3 grades 

 of peaches should ever be found on the stand or 

 in the store — fancy, number one, and a family 

 grade. In the case of apples and pears, I see 

 no place usually for more than 2 grades. Small 

 fruits ought to be handled with as much care 

 and caution as to grades and uniformity of 

 packing, although handled differently from 

 orchard fruits. It pays with an average crop of 

 grapes to |)ack in two grades. 



When expert packers advise growers regarding 

 the packing to u.se and the essential points to be 

 observed in grading, ])acking and shipjjing, the 

 average producer says all this means extra 

 work, a variety of packages, loss of time, and 

 added expense in many ways. The buyer's first 

 answer is that it affords him great pleasure and 

 satisfaction to put fruit on the market in this 

 way. He knows it is the same quality from 

 top to bottom; that the purchaser gets equal 

 value all the way through the package; and, in 

 the main, that he is well satisfied to buy from 

 him again. He is sure of the top jjrice all sea- 

 son. Some one says this is not bread and butter, 

 only sentiment. That is true, but it would 

 be much better for the Ontario fruit interests 

 if some wholesome, healthy sentiment should 

 permeate more thoroughly the rank and file of 

 the growers. Close grading of our fruit and care- 

 ful packing pays in money returns, and the ex- 

 penditure in time and extra cost of packages is 

 a good investment. I recommend a thorough, 

 persistent trial of the plan to those who have 

 never tried it, and feel assured that in the end 

 it will be found a good working plan 



Prizes for Veg'etables 



The vegetable section will be one of the most 

 important features of the Ontario Horticultural 

 Exhibition to be held in Toronto Nov, 6-10, next. 

 The prize list this year has been considerably 

 extended, and special efforts will be made to 

 obtain exhibits from all parts of the province. 

 One of the rules requires that all roots exhibited 

 must be washed. The prize list will be issued- 

 some time during July, 



First, second and third prizes of $2, $1, and 

 50 cts. will be given for artichoke, red, 12; 

 artichoke, white, 12; beet, long, 6 roots; beet, 

 round or flat, 6 roots; parsley, 6 bunches; 

 radish, winter, 6 roots each, red, white, black; 

 radish, forcing, 3 bunches of 12, 



Three prizes of $2, $1,50 and $1, will be given 

 for borecole, or kale, 1 tub; brussels sprouts, 

 3 stalks; cabbage, red, 3 heads; cabbage. Savoy, 

 3 heads; cabbage, pointed, 3 heads; cabbage, 

 flat, 3 heads; cabbage Danish, baldhead, 3 

 heads; carrots, oxheart, 12 roots; carrot, inter- 

 mediate or pointed, rooted, 12 roots; cucumber, 

 greenhouse, 2; citron, large preserving, 2; egg 

 plants, 3; endive, 6 heads; kohl rabbi, green, 3 

 roots; kohl rabbi, purple, 3 r<K>ts; leek, 6; 

 lettuce, Grand Rapids, 3 heads; lettuce head, 

 3 heads; onion, white globe, 12; onion, yellow 

 G. Danvcrs, 12; onion. Red Wethersfield, 12; 

 onion. Red Globe, 12; onion. Prize Taker, 12; 

 onion, Rocca, 2; onion, white pickling, quart; 

 onion, yellow pickled, quart; parsnips, (i roots; 

 tomato, 12, any variety; jjotatoes, red Ohio, 



12; potato, white, 12; potato, any other variety, 

 12; turnip, table, white, 6; turnip, table, 

 Swede, 6; salsify, 12 roots. 



Prizes of $3, $2, and $1 are offered for cauli- 

 flower, Erfurt, 3 heads; cauliflower. Snowball 

 3 heads; celery. White Plume, 6 heads; celery! 

 Paris Golden, 6 heads; celery, red, 6 heads 

 celery, winter, 6 heads; mushrooms, 1 fb. 

 onion, best string (not to exceed 3 ft.) ; peppers, 

 12 large red; squash, Hubbard, table green, 2 

 squash, yellow, table; vegetable marrow, bush 

 or English; herbs, collection not to exceed 12 

 varieties. 



For the best collection of onions, 8 varieties, 

 5 of each, a cup donated by Cruickshank Wagon 

 Co., of Weston, Ont., valued at $10, is offered 

 for first prize; second prize, $5; third prize, $3. 



For the best collection of vegetables grown in 

 York County, not to exceed 25 varieties, 3 of 

 each variety; 3 prizes of $12, $8, and $5 are 

 offered by the York County Council, 



Fruit Prize List 



Several important additions have been made 

 this year to the fruit prize list for the Ontario 

 Horticultural Exhibition, to be held in Massey 

 Hall, Toronto, Nov, 6-10. All prize-winning 

 packages become the property of the Associa- 

 tion except in class 9. The prize list is as 

 follows: 



APPLES 



Class 1. — -Export or foreign market varieties. 



Barrels ready for shipment. Prizes of $8, $7, 

 and $6 are offered for Baldwin, Ben Davis, 

 Golden Russet, Greening (Rhode Island), 

 King, Spy, and Stark. 



Standard boxes ready for shipment (fruit 

 unwrapped). Prizes of $5, $4, and $3 for Bald- 

 win, Fameuse, Golden Russet, Greening (Rhode 

 Island), King. Mcintosh, and Sp)', 



Standard boxes readv for shipment (fruit 

 wrapped) . Prizes of $5, '$4, and $3 for Fameuse, 

 Gravenstein, King, Mcintosh, Spy, and Wealthy. 



Class 2. — Domestic or home market varieties. 



Barrels ready for shipment. Prizes of $6, 

 $5, and $4 for Blenheim, Gravenstein, Ontario, 

 Tolman, Roxberry Russet, and any other de- 

 sirable variety not included in class 1. 



Standard boxes ready for shipment (fruit 

 unwrapped). Prizes of $4, $3, and $2 for 

 Blenheim, Gravenstein, Ontario, Ribston, St. 

 Lawrence, and for any other desirable variety 

 not included in class 1. 



Class 3. — Dessert varieties. 



For plates of five, prizes of $1.50, $1, and 

 75 cts, are offered for Fameuse, Golden Russet, 

 King, Mcintosh, Wealthy, Spy, Spitzenburg, 

 or any other desirable variety named and for 

 any desirable seedling. 



Class 4. — Cooking varieties. 



For plates of 5, prizes of $1.50, $1, and 75 cts. 

 are offered for Alexander, Baldwin, Blenheim, 

 Cayuga, Greening (Rhode Island), King, Rib- 

 ston, Spy, or any other desirable variety named, 

 and any desirable seedling. 



Class 5. — Pyramids of fruit. 



For pyramids with a circular base of 17 in. 

 diameter, or barrel hoop size, prizes of $3, $2, 

 and $1 are offered for Ben Davis, Baldwin, 

 Blenheim, Gravenstein, Fallawater, Fameuse, 

 King, Mcintosh, Ontario, Scarlet Pippin, Spy. 

 and Wolf River. 



PEARS 



Class 6. — Plate exhibits. 



For plates of 5, prizes of $1.50 and 75 cts. are 

 offered for Anjou, Bosc, Clairgeau, Diel, Duchess, 

 Hardy, Howell, Kieffer, Lawrence, Winter 

 Nelis, and any other desirable variety, correctly 

 named. 



Class 7. — Export varieties. 



For boxes ready for shipmeiH (fruit wrapped), 

 prizes of $3, $2, and $1 are offered for Anjou, 

 Bosc, Clairgeau, Duchess, Winter Nelis, Kieffer, 



