NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



The fruit is large, yellow and red, and 

 considered very handsome ; the flesh is 

 tender and mild subacid. 



Apple Canker. Mr. V. Paddock 

 writes that the form of apple canker 

 which effects the trees in England is 

 distinct from that prevalent in America. 

 The former is caused by a species of 

 Nectria, the latter has been prevalent in 

 America for years, but has only recently 

 been identified. The data given on 

 page 163 are not sufficient to decide 

 finally upon the disease affecting our 

 subscriber's trees. 



A New Wrinkle in Spraying is 

 reported from California. Some old 

 apple trees of Santa Barbara were badly 

 scale infested ; and were sprayed with 

 pure kerosene, and immediately after 

 with a weak solution of caustic soda. 

 The oil routed the scale, and the caustic 

 soda then neutralized its power to in- 

 jure the tree. 



This may be a useful hint for farther 

 experiment. The usual solution of soda 

 is 2 ounces to 40 gallons of water. 



New Seedling Apples. Mr. J. P. 

 Williams of Bloomfield sends us 12 

 samples of a fine looking winter apple, 

 which he says is a seedling of the old 

 Wax apple or Belmont. He says it much 

 resembles the parent only it is a better 

 keeper, hardier and later coming to 

 maturity, is thoroughly hardy and yields 

 very few culls ; the tree is an immense 

 cropper, and begins bearing at a very 

 early age. The apple is certainly re- 

 markably fine in appearance, with a 

 beautiful bright red cheek, and should 

 sell wonderfully well in an old country 

 market. 



Mr. Williams sends us several other 

 seedlings as (1) seedling of Ben Davis, 



(2) Seedling of Greening, quite hardy, 



(3) Seedlings of the Spitzenburg. 



3 



Our Plant Distribution. — One of 

 the most difficult undertakings in hand 

 is to send out four or five thousand pre- 

 miums and give each member satis- 

 faction. During the last two or three 

 years unusual care has been taken by 

 the Nursery from whom they are pur- 

 chased to give us the very finest stock 

 and to send it out in prime condition ; 

 but who can control Jack Frost, and 

 last winter the old ice King has gripped 

 our temperate clime with an icy hand, 

 and winter-killed many trees and shrubs 

 always counted perfectly hardy. When 

 dug and shipped the premium plants 

 appeared perfectly sound, the young 

 buds were even pushing out ; but since 

 mailing them we have word from some 

 of our members that their rose and 

 their elaeagnus plants were apparently 

 drying up. This must be the effects of 

 the rigorous winter, and is something so 

 beyond our control, that we do not see 

 how we can replace them ; we can only 

 ask the indulgence of our subscribers 

 and hope that such a misfortune will not 

 again occur. 



The Value of a mulch of snow, or 

 of some cover crop in winter time, is 

 plainly evident since the severe winter 

 just passed. The protracted cold weath- 

 er in February without snow protection, 

 reached down deeper than usual and 

 destroyed many peach trees, even in the 

 milder parts of Ontario. Wherever the 

 ground was protected by a cover crop 

 the trees have survived, and are coming 

 out as healthy as usual. 



Now that we are on^ the war path 

 against fraudulent fruit packing, evidence 

 of the gigantic extent of the evil con- 

 stantly accumulates. Only to day (May 

 22nd) we are in receipt of the following 

 lines from Mr. George Maun, Leeds, 

 England. He says : — " I bought 50 

 barrels Canadian apples last year 



243 



