OPEN LETTERS. 



than the bases and more particularly phos- 

 phoric acid. It is undoubtedly in compara- 

 tively poor supply in most soils and as it is 

 carried off in the ripening of grains, roots, 

 fruits and animals, and in the bone it does not 

 get returned to such an extent as potash. 

 Also what the soil does contain is usually 

 locked up harder than the potash and is not so 

 easily liberated. I do not for a moment wish 

 to be understood as desiring to discourage 

 the application of potash as kaiuit because 

 I think it is wise to supply sufficient available 

 material to meet the possible requirements of 

 the largest conceivable crops, but I am within 

 the line of latest and most exteasive research 

 and in accord with the best authorities in say- 

 ing that, in particular, phosphoric acid is the 

 most important of the inorganic elements 

 which we have to provide return of in a com- 

 mercial form. In the matter of the fertility 

 of the seed phosphoric-acid is by far the most 

 important substance, in fact in most seeds 

 potash is but little in evidence in comparison. 

 It is the bulky parts of the plant and not the 

 reproducing parts which abounds in potash. 

 Fruit growers have not been very careless in 

 the matter of supplying more potash to their 

 soils, but they have, not been supplying phos- 

 phoric-acid as they should. I understand that 

 the reason for this has been that they have 

 given too much heed to the teaching, that as 

 potash enters so much with the composition 

 of flesh in fruit that supplying lots of it would 

 work the oracle. Also they are in the 

 position of having had their fingers burned by 

 the use of vitriolized superphosphates. As 

 they want strength, firmness, ripening and 

 reproducing powers of the best in their 

 orchards they must supply in particular 

 an abundance of phosphoric-acid but they 

 must stipulate that the phosphate is free from 

 sulphuric acid (vitriol) and available to their 

 plants under proper circumstances of applica- 

 tion. It is all the better if it is in a tetra- 

 basic form and that the bases be lime, mag- 

 nesia and iron. 



T. C. Wallace. 



Adaptation of Varieties. 



Sir, — I would like much to see an article 

 on the adaption of varieties of apples to local- 

 ities, the Newton Pippin is grown to perfec- 

 tion only in an area of a few miles up the 

 Hudson, around the mountains of Virginia, 

 and one or two other Southern States, under 

 the name of Albermarle Pippin, this worth- 

 less, as grown in Nova Scotia, I have tried 

 cuttings sent from Mr. Downing, but never 

 saw even a blossom, the tree too for my local- 

 ity, nor does it succeed in any part of Can- 

 ada. The Gravenstein, as grown in Nova 

 Scotia, to for as my experience goes, is not 

 excelled anywhere, with you I think it is 

 drier, ripens earlier, and is a short keeper. 

 Now that is our one kind in which alone we 

 excel, we judge few of our fruit growers have 

 ever seen a Ribston Pippin such as I got 10 

 barrels of once from Grimsby, as juicy and as 

 rich and as fragrant as a pine apple, and going 

 in October. For the Famause you must go to 

 Montreal. The best Wagener I ever saw, 

 beating Ontario, came from C. W. Gillespie's 

 orchard, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where 

 does the Swaar excel ? We can never get it 

 from Ontario, nor Grimes, nor Swazie Pomme 

 Grise, or along other choice kinds. Shippers 

 sre too apt to send too many of R. I. Greening, 

 Mann, Ben Davis, and a lot of rubbish that 

 no one wants, if he can get others. 



At a meeting of our N. S. fruit growers, a 

 few weeks since, I found as much uncertainity 

 as ever, as to what kinds of apples to grow 

 for profit, and the largest buyer and dealer 

 at Wolf ville, that has become wealthy through 

 his apple shipment, advised a fi iend of mine 

 to plant this coming spring, in a lot of 500 

 trees, not less than 200 Ben Davies. 



I do not believe the English people will 

 remain fools forever, but that they will gradu- 

 ally learn what are useful varieties, for the 

 table and for cooking. 



C. E. Brown, Yarmouth, N. S. 



$ ©lif Soo^ Table. $ 



Ellwanger & Barry, Mt. Hope Nurse- 

 ries, Rochester, N. Y. Novelties in fruit 

 and ornamantal trees, etc., etc. j 



Baltet Freres, Nurseries at Troyes, 

 France. Catalogue and Prices Current of 

 fruit trees, forest trees, ornamental trees, 

 conifers, shrubs, roses, plants, etc., etc. 



Annual Report of the Superintendent of 

 Spraying, 1898. W. M. Orr, Winona. 



This valuable and convincing report may 

 be had on application to the Dapt. of Agricul- 

 ture, Toronto. 



Report of the Supt. of Farmers' Institute 

 for 1898. F. W. Hodson, Dept. of Agricul- 

 ture, Toronto. A most interesting report, 

 and one well worthy of the widest circulation. 



Simmers General Annual Seed Cata- 

 logue for 1899, 147 King St. E., Toronto. A 

 magnificent Cata'ogue, with a tine set of illus- 

 trations. Free on application. 



Seed Annual, 1899, D. M. Ferry & Co., 

 Windsor, Ont. A very fine catalogue, highly 

 illustrated. 



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