26 



tributed over the whole tree. It would have been a difficult task to have 

 found an inferior specimen after going the rounds of the whole garden. 

 On referring to the list of awards of premiums made at the Annual Exhibi- 

 tion, it will be noticed that Mr. Low was enabled to carry off one of the 

 premiums for the " best ten varieties." It is an encouragement to begin- 

 ners, to know that so much can be done on so small a piece of ground, and 

 in so short a time. Any one designing to lay out a small fruit garden, 

 would do well to make a visit to the garden of Mr. Low and take a lesson 

 from one who is deservedly entitled to the thanks of his horticultural breth- 

 ren for the accomplishment of so much in the brief time allotted. 



A Sub-Committee also visited the fruit garden of Mr. John Gordon, 

 Brighton, which comprises some three or four acres, the most part of which 

 has been deeply trenched and underdrained. The grounds are entirely 

 covered with pear trees, thickly planted, about two thirds of which are on 

 the quince — and so thickly planted that he does not grow vegetables (as a 

 general thing) among his trees. Mr. Gordon confines himself to only a 

 few varieties, since he grows for market, and by experience has learned 

 what varieties will and what will not pay a handsome return. He says he 

 finds a ready sale for those having a reddish or a russety skin, while those 

 with a green skin could not be disposed of. All his fruit is carefully 

 gathered by hand, and some four days before designing to market it he 

 takes his fruit boxes, which are about twenty inches square and six or eight 

 inches deep, and places some woollen substance over the inside bottom ; he 

 then places a layer of pears and then another layer of woollen, and another 

 layer of pears, covering the whole with woollen. In«no case does he pack 

 more than two layers of fruit. 



The fruit is then allowed to go through a sweating process, which serves 

 to give it a rich coloring, and it is then sufficiently ripened for market. We 

 asked him if cotton batting would not answer the same purpose ? He said 

 cotton would not ripen them so fast ; that some woollen substance was bet- 

 ter, as being more expeditious, and that it left a finer blush on the skin. 



Mr. Gordon is noted for his fine specimens of pears, which command the 

 highest price. He instanced a fact in regard to his Bartletts, that, " while 

 his were yielding him ten dollars per bushel, other wagons, by the side of 

 his, had pears of the same variety, equally as large, but in consequence of 

 retaining a green skin were offered at three dollars per bushel." 



And we would here say, that to the perfect completion of a good fruit 

 garden, it must be thoroughly underdrained. If possible, let it be done be- 

 fore setting out the trees, though it could be done at some future day, with 

 some slight root pruning; which might not prove injurious if carefully man- 

 aged, only let it be remembered that it must be done. 



Apples, in quantity, have been an entire failure ; yet dishes of fine 

 specimens have been shown during the season, (with the exception of win- 

 ter varieties,) which would favorably compare with former years. This, 

 we believe, is the first year since the formation of the Society, when there 

 has not been a competition for the premiums offered for winter apples. 

 This year there was not a single dish presented on the third Saturday in 



