284 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Prince Eld-wardlilsland Letter 



Rev. Father Burke, Albertont -j 



The round of exhibitions for this autiiniii is 

 about complete. It has been wonderfully well 

 sustained. The fruit end of the fairs, however, 

 especially of the earlier ones, is generally dis- 

 heartening. 



On the Island we have a later fair than usual. 

 The earlier varieties are thereft)re not jnuch 

 in evidence; generally they are the chief factor 

 in the attractions. This year the big red vari- 

 eties of fall apples are multiplied ad infinitum. 

 Alexanders, Wolf Rivers and Duchess filled 

 many tables. They made a pretty show. 



On account of the peculiar season the late 

 varieties are miniature, not full grown, in 

 many instances, and we haven't many of them. 

 Still, they looked fine on the tables, and give one 

 the impression of a thoroughly fruit-producing 

 country. The bloom on those apples surpassed 

 anything I have ever seen. They were a picture 

 of loveliness. 



This is not a plum year either, although we 

 wouldn't know it from the exhibits. The whole 

 range of this luscious fruit was exposed to our 

 admiring gaze. The flavor was surpassingly 

 exquisite. 



Mr. R. W. Starr, the veteran pomologist^ of 

 N.S., was the judge again. Old as he is, and 

 deserving of a rest, he revels in adjusting Island 

 awards, and his judgments are just. 



At the show and within the charmed fruit 

 circle, with its apples, its plums, its pears in 

 quantity, and its grapes in rarity, Mr. C E. 

 Stewart, of Oregon, talked to the fruit men 

 modestly and honestly about packing in boxes; 

 and demonstrated in the art before their inter- 

 ested eyes. He hadn't the proper packages, or 

 wrappers, but did his best. There is always 

 some jaux pas or other with government -sup- 

 plied experimenters. The men cost high, and 

 the little, comparatively inexpensive material 

 to work with , is generally wanting. Some day we 

 will strike the provident official and marvel at it. 



We found out, however, that Mr. Stewart 

 favors generous inspection. He packs apples 

 even with greater variety than Mr. Boies, and 

 packs the boxes to be opened on the side 

 "The best side to London," is now anything but 

 the top-side. Something new is learned every 

 time the stranger gets within the gates. 



The fruit show at Charlottetown had many 

 defects in its arrangements. Some people have 

 a wonderfully wise way of undertaking things 

 they know nothing at all about. Some ex- 

 hibition commissioners are marvels in this line; 

 still they handicap important industries aw- 

 fully by their presuming. 



Our Richard Burke, D.F.I., is sick unto 

 death, it is to be feared. He was a faithful friend 

 of horticulture. Who can replace him? • 



Fruit Scenes at Montreal 



E. H. Wartman, D F.I. 



On September 19, 1906, I noticed some barrels 

 marked No. 1 Spy. "What," said I, "Spys at 

 this early date — can it be possible? They are 

 good hangers, so why not left to mature and 

 color?" The first opened was found to contain 

 11 specimens, nearly rotten. This proves that 

 apples not properly matured will rot much quicker 

 than those well matured. What did I do in this 

 case? Why, I marked them "falsely marked," 

 of course, as No. 1 Spy means sound specimens. 



Another scene comes to mind of a different 

 character: A sling carrying bbls. of apples was 

 elevated; it shpped, the rope was pulled off the 

 bbls. and down the hold of the steamer they 

 went, a distance of 20 ft. Of course they were 

 badly smashed. The man to blame came to 

 me and wanted to know if they could not be 

 repacked. I said it would not he a proper thing 

 to do, as they were too badly damaged. 



Scene 3. — On a load of apples approaching a 

 shed, I noticed several bbls. plastered with mud, 

 .Ascertaining what had happened, I found the 



team had got stuck in a mud hole; in starling, 

 .several bbls. fell off in the mud, and were rolled 

 around until they were fairly coaled, A clean 

 parcel is always preferable in our English mar- 

 kets. "But," you say, "accidents will happen," 

 Yes; but, in many cases, carelessness is at the 

 bottom, and our fruit men have to suffer. 



Scene 4. — Several bbls. of apples rolled aside 

 and the heads were broken. The bbls. lacked 

 from a peck to a J^ bu. when the cooper headed 

 them lip. Of course he did not know where the 

 apples had gone, but you had only to look 

 around and see the abnormal grown pockets in 

 the coats of the helpers to prove the slackness of 

 the bbls. These scenes are not i)leasant or profit- 

 able for a shipper; but seems fim for a few, 

 lunch thrown in. 



During last season's inspection, 81 varieties 

 of apples came to my notice. As there are at 

 least 81 kinds of people in this world, surely that 

 number of varieties should be sufficient to satisfy 

 the most fastidious as to taste, color, size, etc. 



The shipments of St. Lawrence apples, so far, 

 show signs of overripeness and decay in many 

 cases. Snows, showing spot when packed, have 

 also arrived in a condition so bad that 7.^ cts. 

 would be about the highest bid at our auctions 

 for same. Imagine how disreputable they 

 would look on Old England's markets! To a 

 Canadian, across the water, it would be humiU- 

 ating to find "Canadian" marked on such poor 

 specimens On the whole, however, this season, 

 we find many packers putting up a very credit- 

 able parcel; and, no doubt, such will meet a 

 quick and profitable sale. 



The "Winnipeg' MarKet 



The more study is given to the fruit situation 

 in Winnipeg the more it is apparent that a great 

 market is before the Ontario growers. To gain 

 and to hold this market, however, several im- 

 portant essentials must be studied and practised. 

 Good fruit is required and the top price can only 

 be obtained continuously by putting it up neatly 

 and in a uniform package. As one dealer in the 

 city puts it, "They must adhere strictly to the 

 Fruit Marks Act." By adhering to the Fruit 

 Marks Act and sending only the best of their crop 

 it will not be long before Ontario growers will 

 have a very profitable market for all the fruit they 

 can produce. 



Frequent discussions with commission men 

 show that they want a uniform package. In 

 the commission business it is desirable, while in 

 the retail windows a much better display can be 

 made if only one style of package has to be used. 



Then there is the question of marking the 

 package. California fruit men built up a huge 

 trade and every package bears a bright, clear 

 stamp. British Columbia growers are following 

 suit and find a ready sale for their crops. In 

 some sections of Ontario marking is becoming 

 general. If a man has good fruit he can't mark 

 it too plainly; if the fruit is not good, and he 

 must ship it, by all means keep the mark off, if 

 any regard is held for reputation as a fruit 

 shipper. The commission men like to see a 

 standard brand on packages from a company 

 or an individual. The purchasers, if they get 

 good stock once, recognize the brand ever after- 

 wards, and will pay the top price for it until 

 they run across a lot of cheap grade stuff bearing 

 the same stamp. 



In Winnipeg, as in the Old Coimtry, the con- 

 sumers are after something showy. They 

 will pay high prices for almost any apple if high 

 colored. Russets as a rule bring a low figure. 

 Apples and pears, the dealers claim, should be 

 picked well on the green side, because many of 

 them are held for reshipment to towns through- 

 out the west. Ontario peaches go on the 

 market in fair shape if put up properly in small 

 packages, not more than two layers. Those 

 who claim to know say they should be picked 

 slightly greener than for the Montreal market 



Many tomatoes reach Winnipeg altogether too 

 green. Sales during the past season show that 

 more profit can be reaped by packing the 

 tomatoes in trays of 4 bskts each than by putting 



them in 11-qt. bskts I'lie tiays hold about i' 

 same quantity but sell readily at 12 or 1.5 n 

 higher. Besides selling higher it tends to kiL, 

 up the price for the 1 l-<it. basket. 



Fruit growers cannot be too strongly impres-std 

 with the fact that the western consumers will 

 pay for the right article. The average citizui 

 wants the best and expects to have to pay dear, 

 A little study and a little more cooi^eration will 

 tie sure to result in great things for the fruit 

 growers of Ontario. — J. A. H. 



Vegetables in Alberta 



Fred. Bennett, Edmonton, 



In Alberta, foremost among vegetables is tin 

 potato. In a bag 1/rought to my house recenii 

 variety Early Rose, there were many tub. 

 weighing from 2 to '.i lbs. each, and probabu 

 considerably more. The skins are soft, and they 

 would have grown much bigger had they Uin 

 left in the ground. There is no trace of rot 

 hollow centres in them, and one of the big poi 

 toes is sufficient for a meal. There are pleiii\ 

 of stories going around of tuljers weighing up to 

 8 or 9 lbs. 1 have never seen them that size, bui 

 the reports seem to be authentic. One genth 

 man told me that he had some even bigger ami 

 did not like them as well as the smaller si/es 

 He told the farmer who brought them that, ii 

 he could not supply him with medium-sizi (i 

 tubers, he was not to bring any more. For my- 

 self, I may say that the flavor and quality oi 

 any of them seem to be all that can be desired. 



In one of the local gardens I saw some cauli- 

 flowers grown from Enghsh seed — some variety 

 of Sutton's, I believe — that measured 18 inclH 

 across, and they were as white and as solid as 

 ball. The big English marrowfat peas are gro« :. 

 here in several places; and, if the size of the pods 

 are an indication of the size of the peas, they are 

 wonders. Tomatoes do not ripen here unless 

 they can lie got to a good size before planting. 



Nova Scotia Letter 



G. H. Vroom, Middleton 



The Gravenstein crop has been gathered and 

 nearly all sold, some going to England and the 

 balance to the local trade. The quality was 

 poor, not more than 20% No. 1. Specimens with 

 black spot are decaying rapidly, clean stock is 

 keeping well. Late fall and winter varielii 

 are clean and well colored and are going f orwa i 

 in good condition. A heavy wind on Oct, 

 blew off a lot of apples. In exposed places 2.5' 

 of the ungathered crop was shaken down. 



Prices for good, clean winter stock range from 

 $1.75 to $2.25 a bbl., according to variety for 

 packed fruit, and from $1.25 to $1.75 for tree run 

 delivered at the fruit house. Growers and 

 dealers have fallen in line with the amendments 

 to the Fruit Marks Act. The use of X's has 

 been discontinued in nearly every case, and the 

 No. 2 definition is working well. Plums were a 

 light crop and prices ran as high as $3..50 a bush. 

 Pears were a moderate crop and prices are good. 

 Cranberries are a fair crop and the quality is 

 fine, ensuring good prices. 



BritisH Colvimbia Letter 



C. p. Metcalfe, Hammond 

 The hort'l exhibits at the New Westminstt : 

 Exhibition were of better quality than last year 

 though somewhat deficient in quantity. The 

 greater part of the upper floor of the agric'I 

 building was devoted to apples, of which tht 

 display was very large. The entire space in 2 

 of the wings, and half that of the third, was 

 allotted to the apples, the other fruits occupy- 

 ing the other 1}^ of the wings. There were 12 

 district exhibits in competition for the Delwar 

 shield, 9 from B.C., and 3 from Albert: 

 Together they made a magnificent showing i 

 the products of the West. Chilliwack took first 

 place, with Langley Oast year's winner) a close 

 2nd. The competition in the commercial ex- 

 hibits of packed fruit for the Oscar Brown Cup 



