14 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE BIG APPLE CROP IN WATERLOO. 



HE past season's apple crop throughout Waterloo County has 

 been the largest that ever has been harvested. Owing to the 

 favorable weather which prevailed during September and the first 

 half of October, the fruit was well developed, reaching its maxi- 

 -^ mum si/.e, and finely colored. Hitherto, in seasons of plenty, 

 few purchasers for the export trade made their appearance in our markets, and, 

 as a consequence, a large amount of the surplus crop was (<jd to stock, and 

 made into cider, the home market not being of much account. The past season, 

 however, was different, for quite a number of buyers were here, which induced 

 a lively competition, and fair and remunerative prices obtained. Some were 

 purchasing for the British markets, and others for the United States markets, 

 the former only long keeping winter varieties, while for the latter, both fall and 

 winter varieties of the best grades were largely sought after. 



Many consignments were made to Chicago, some to St. Paul, to Iowa, 

 and to Springfield, Mass. I am not in a position to give you the exact number 

 of barrels shipped from the various railway stations throughout the county, but 

 from what I have been informed at least 50,000 have left this fall. Owing to the 

 scarcity of barrels (the coopers were not prepared for the emergency), a large 

 number could not be got ready in time for fall shipping, and had to be stored 

 for spring delivery. A local buyer here for the British markets has several 

 thousand barrels on hand. A lively business has also been done in the purchase 

 of cider for the Chicago market. A party in town has secured in the immediate 

 neighborhood about r,ooo barrels, which he intends to ship as soon as the 

 weather is favorable in spring. 



Owing to the failure of the apple crop in the Western States, we had a 

 good opportunity of getting rid of our surplus of fall apples (which, by the way, 

 by far too many are grown in the province), otherwise we could not have 

 disposed of them profitably, but the market for fall fruit does not often occur, 

 consequently, we should plant such varieties that always find a ready demand in 

 the British market, and are remunerative to the grower ; the varieties being few, 

 such as Spy, Baldwin, G. Russet, R. Greening, King and Blenheim. These are 

 all good bearers, and the fruit will sell anywhere : the only early and fall apples 

 that money can be made of are the Tetofsky, Duchess, Alexander and Graven- 

 stein. A new Russian apple of recent introduction, namely, the Bietigheime^ 

 is likely to become popular for home and export trade. The fruit is large, 

 beautifully colored, and in quality good. It is hard enough to bear distant 

 transportation. 



A considerable amount of foreign money has been distributed through the 

 county among the farmers, who are the principal apple growers, and which will 

 evidently compensate for the low price obtained for wheat, which they com- 

 plain of. 



Berlin. Simon Row 



