*ft ©p^i? I®etfer^. Sft 



FRUIT EXPERIENCE AT SANDWICH. 



Sir, — My fruit has all done well. I use a great quantity of ashes on rry orchard 

 every year and sow rye among the vines in the fall and plough it under in the spring. 

 Last year I got nine and a half tons of grapes from one and three-quarter acres ; my 

 usual average is about four and a half tons per acie T _; 



Geo. Gray, Sandwich. 



GOOD WISHES. 



Sir, — I hope that the Horticulturist will continue to be useful to our fruit growers. 

 I think that the Fruit Urowers' Association should try to assist in the sale of fruit. Cana- 

 dian apples will never take the place they ought in the the British markets until they are 

 handled differently. One important point is to get them on the market in the proper 

 season. There were some left in this section last fall until they were nearly spoiled before 

 they were shipped. Such methods will spoil the market for other shippers. 



John Dalgarno, Marmion. 



THE ONE JUDGE SYSTEM. 



Sir, — I see by the December number of the Horticulturist, page 400, that Mr. 

 Halloway, of Clinton, expresses himself as decidedly against the one judge system at fairs, 

 and he quotes a case where he has been a sufferer. He says he had on exhibition as beauti- 

 ful a sample of potato onions as was ever seen, and the judge declared they were not potato 

 onions. As I was the judge in this case, I am very glad Mr. Halloway has given a chance 

 for a discussion on the subject of the identity of the potato onion, for there can be tricks 

 practiced in exhibiting this variety of onion, as I will show. It is known that in a field of 

 potato onions, planted with pure seed, many specimens of single onions may be produced, 

 which will sometimes grow to the size of a fair Yellow Danvers. Now. I will not say those 

 single onions are not potato onions, but I will say they cannot compete in the generic of the 

 potato onion until they produce the multiplier, which will be the next year. I claim the 

 strongest point is identity in a multiplier. In Mr. Halloway's case this was wanting, and 

 I called two market gardeners, who happened to be on the grounds, to give me their opinion 

 as to the exhibit being all single onions, on which fact I wished to have evidence. Now, 

 in this case two exhibits were found in competition, one a fine sample of single onion, as 

 the sample in contention, and the other sample a perfect multiplier, being in bunches or 

 broken apart. Now, which should have the prize, the first not having the identity of the 

 potato onion ? Would all have to be cut through horizontally to see whether they all had 

 several centres? — for no judge could know otherwise with perfect samples of single onions. 

 So you can see what trouble it would make, both to the judge and the exhibitor, the latter 

 of whom certainly would be disgusted to see his beautiful sample of onions all destroyed 

 just because they did not show their generic identity, which, in my mind, is the strongest 

 point in deciding correctly in this variety of onion. It is easily seen if exhibits of single 

 onions were allowed by judges to compete a3 potato onions, any kind could be exhibited in 

 part or altogether by trickey persons. I am sure Mr. Halloway will agree with me when 

 he gives this question his sincere study, and will bring on his perfectly developed potato 

 onions another year ; for, if three judges or one, I am sure the decision will be the same. 

 I would like to hear the opinion of others on this question, as a thorough discussion of it 

 now might save trouble in the future at fairs. Wm. Warnock, Goderich. 



(73) 



