THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



liquid manure twice a week along three 

 or four of the principal vines of each 

 hill, often six pails to the hill if it is in 

 a dry time. Great care must be taken 

 to give plenty of water ; for instance, in 

 1893 when I grew the great specimen 

 that was the largest on exhibition at the 

 World's Fair, it was a dry time with us 

 at Goderich, and having the advantage 

 of the town water service, I sprayed 

 each hill twice a week through August 

 and the first two weeks in September, 



drenching the ground each time. 



I expect all have heard of feeding 

 squash and pumpkin by injecting milk 

 or other stuff. This is a ridiculous silly 

 humbug. I have practiced several 

 methods along this line when I was 

 younger, but it only makes me ashamed 

 to confess it, and I am now quite satis- 

 fied the only thing that will increase the 

 size of the fruit comes out of the vine, 

 and the vine must get its support from 

 the natural roots." 



THE EXPORT OF CANADIAN GRAPES. 



THE overproduction of fruit in On- 

 tario is most evident in fruits not 

 exportable. For apples and pears 

 of a No. 1 quality there seems to 

 be an unlimited demand in Europe, 

 and we are confident that if our best 

 varieties of grapes could be landed in 

 first-class condition, and once intro- 

 duced among the middle classes, they 

 too would find an unlimited sale. As 

 it now is, our own markets are glutted 

 with them, and unless the Northwest 

 opens up a large trade in them, we shall 

 soon have to dig out one half our vine- 

 yards. 



Realizing this condition of affairs, the 

 Dominion Minister of Agriculture has 

 tried for two years experimental ship- 

 ments of grapes, without success ; for 

 it has been found that the English peo- 

 ple will not take our Concords, and no 

 more of that class will be sent forward. 

 We are however hopeful that our 

 Rogers' grapes may meet with more 

 favor, and our Executive Committee 

 has submitted the following resolution 

 to the various local societies for en- 



dorsation, so that the Minister of Agri- 

 culture may be assured of the support 

 of the public in his further efforts to 

 open up English markets to our tender 

 fruits. 



To the Honorable Minister of Agriculture : 



Whereas, the grape is one of the most im- 

 portant fruit products in Canada, and very 

 large acreages are devoted to its production, 

 and 



Whereas, of late years the yield has been 

 so abundant that our home markets are glut- 

 ted, and the price too low to leave any profit 

 to the grower, and 



Whereas, certain varieties of Canadian 

 grapes have superior flavor and excellent 

 carrying qualities, as, for example, the 

 Rogers' Hybrids, and 



Wheras we are persuaded that English 

 consumers need only to become acquainted 

 with the excellence of such grapes to become 

 fond of them, 



Therefore, Resolved, that we humbly pray 

 that you will export in large quantities our 

 best Rogers^ grapes to the best English mar- 

 kets ; that they be put up in neat and at- 

 tractive packages, and sent out in costermon- 

 ger carts in such a city as Manchester, until 

 the trade reaches a firm basis. 



Already we are receiving official 

 notices from the various local societies, 

 saying that they fully endorse the above 

 resolution. 



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