THE 



Canadian Horticulturist. 



Vol. XXII. 



1899 



No. 10 



FRUIT AT THE INDUSTRIAL. 



^TT^HE Industrial Fair is about one 

 week too early for a fruit exhibit 

 to be at its best, for while it has 

 the advantage of taking in plums 

 and peaches, it shows our best apples 

 and grapes at a great disadvantage. The 

 best Rogers grapes, for example, have no 

 color, and the finest winter apples, such 

 as Spy and King, are still very green. 



The change in the tables to raised 

 shelves instead of fiat is very helpful 

 to a display and breaks the monotony 

 of the fruit exhibit ; but the shelves 

 should be nine inches wide instead 

 of twelve, and four set of them in- 

 stead of three, so that there would be 

 no waste of space. The risers also are 

 at least an inch too high. 



On the whole, the fruit exhibit never 

 showed to such advantage ; thanks to 

 our President, who is chairman of that 

 department. 



Our experimental exhibit is beginning 

 to be of real use to fruit growers, and 

 will be more so every year, as the new 

 varieties come into bearing. 



This year our apple specialist, W. H. 

 Dempsey, Trenton, shows 140 varieties, 

 labelled in alphabetical order. 



Of the older commercial varieties, 

 his Alexander, Stark, Ben Davis, Falla- 

 water and Kentish Fillbasket were ex- 

 ceptionally fine, the last two, Falla- 

 water (though a showy variety) never 

 pays, because not productive enough ; 

 and Fillbasket drops too early to be a 

 paying summer variety. His Primates 

 were exceptionally fine, so large and 

 highly colored. They hang from July 

 to October, and no variety of its season 

 is a greater favorite for eating. 



Among the newer varieties shown by 

 Mr Dempsey we notice : 



Golden White, not a white apple, but 

 striped, large in size, a Russian fall 

 apple, very desirable for its hardiness, 

 as well as good appearance. 



Rochelle, another large apple, red 

 striped, very promising. 



Winter Banana, a deep red streaked 

 apple, of good size and much promise. 



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