The Canadian Horticulturist. 435 



SMITH'S CIDER APPLE. 



HJMONG the apples which have acquired extensive popularity in 

 certain localities Smith's Cider is one of the most prominent. 

 The name, however, is misleading, for while it is a valuable cook- 

 ing apple on suitable soils it is by no means equal to Fink and 

 many others as a cider apple. Indeed for making cider it may be 

 said to be one of the poorest ; not but there is an abundance of the juice — there 

 is a superabundance rather — but it is not of high quality. Some think the 

 name was not intended to indicate its value for cider. The original tree, it has 

 been said, sprung up near the cider press of a farmer named Smith, in Bucks 

 County, Pennsylvania, many years ago ; and when it began to attract attention 

 it was spoken of Smith's cider press apple which in the days before the establish- 

 ment of pomological societies was naturally shortened to Smith's Cider. And 

 yet if this be the same fruit that is mentioned by Coxe in his view of the 

 cultivation of fruit trees, etc., (Philadelphia, 181 7) as grown " in the county of 

 Bucks and the contiguous parts of Pennsylvania," it was then "chiefly used for 

 cider," although " a pleasant table fruit." And his description of both tree and 

 fruit seems to suit. It is No. 52 in his list, and he calls it Cider apple— the same 

 name appliedto it by the well-informed agricultural editor of the Cincinnati 

 Gazette, who has know it for over half a century ; first in Bucks county, its 

 original home, and afterwards in the West. 



In certain portions of Ohio and Indiana it is a popular and profitable apple. 

 On the uplands of the Central Ohio it is less valuable ; not equal to Rome 

 Beauty, Ben Davis, Kentucky Long Stem and several others, either in produc- 

 tiveness or appearance ; and in quality there are many varieties that are much 

 superior. 



There is a red variety, known in the East by the name of Red Cider, or 

 Red Smith's Cider, which some think is a sport from the above, but others con- 

 sider it an original seedling. It is high colored without stripes, and some say of 

 finer quality ; and those who have tasted both say the red is the most popular. 

 On the whole, Smith's Cider may be recommended for planting whereever 

 it has been tried and found to do well ; which will not be in any of the colder 

 regions, for the tree is not very hardy, even less so than Rambo. — Exchange. 



Packing Pears in Small Cases — Through a verbal mistake in November 



No., Mr. J. L. Thompson was made to say that for the British markets, pears 



should be handled with care and packed in very large cases ; the reading should 



be " not too large cases," for as he writes : 



" It is obvious to all who cultivate pears, which arc among the very softest of the large 

 fruits, that packing them in very large cast's would cause them to heat, thus initiating ami 

 promoting decay, which, in " not too large cases," would be much less likely \<< occur, and 

 perhaps, be altogether avoided." 



