274 



CAJ^ADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



The Value of Apples. 

 There is scarcely any article of 

 vegetable food more widely useful and 

 more universally liked than the apple, 

 says Prof. Faraday. Let every family, 

 in autumn, lay in from two to ten, or 

 more, barrels, and it will be to them 

 the most economical investment in the 

 whole range of culinary supplies. A 

 raw, mellow apple is digested in an 

 hour and a half, while boiled cabbage 

 requires five hours. The most health- 

 ful dessert that can be placed on the 

 table is baked apple. If taken freely 

 at breakfast, with coarse bread, and 



without meat or flesh of any kind, it 

 has an admirable effect on the general 

 system, often lemoving constipation, 

 correcting acidities, and cooling off" 

 febrile conditions more effectually than 

 the most approved medicines. If fami- 

 lies could be induced to substitute the 

 apple — sound, ripe and luscious — for 

 the pies, cakes, candies and other 

 sweetmeats with which children are 

 too often stuffed, there would be a 

 diminution of doctors' bills sufficient, 

 in a single year, to lay up a stock of 

 this delicious fruit for a sea.son's 

 use. 



MARKETING FRUIT, 



Pears fpom a Marketman's Stand- 

 point. 



The varieties of pears are so numer- 

 ous, and the quality of each so peculiar 

 to itself, that it necessarily requires 

 study on the part of the cultivator to 

 know just how to manage his crop. 

 The early sorts need more care and 

 management than the later, for they 

 ripen early and are more exposed to 

 the heat. Growers living near a market 

 might with safety permit the Bartletts 

 to color on the tree, but it would not 

 answer to delay marketing after the 

 fruit colors. If intended for the refri- 

 gerator, the taking on of the slightest 

 color should be a hint to pick at once, 

 as further delay might be fatal to its 

 keeping. Should it be picked too 

 green it will fail to color when taken 

 out and placed under the influence of 

 warm air. Most late varieties keep 

 well in the refrigerator if picked at the 

 proper time and carefully handled. 

 The Seckel, Bosc, Shelden and Clair- 

 geau are all considered flrst-class varie- 

 ties, and are preferred according to the 

 order in which they are named. If the 

 last variety is put on ice it should be 

 watched closely for fear it may spot. 



Should that symptom of decay make 

 its appearance, the sooner the f ruit is 

 disposed of, the better. The Anjou 

 becomes popular late in the season, 

 being a good keeper and possessing a 

 ffne flavor. The extra large ones sell 

 for a high pi ice to fancy dealers, while 

 those of medium size are used largely 

 on the tables of hotels and steamships. 

 While picking the fruit, one should be 

 careful not to bruise it or to .separate the 

 stem, which is considered an orna- 

 mental feature. If picking for the 

 refrigerator, cull out all impei'fect fruit 

 and sell it, for there is little demand 

 for it after September. 



There are several good packages used 

 for shipping and among them is a 

 bushel box. Some growers pack from 

 the top, and when the box is full, lay 

 strong, coarse paper over, then nail on 

 old barrel staves for a cover. Others 

 have a tight lid, then open the bottom 

 and lay the fruit in regular rows until 

 two rows are formed, then pack irregu- 

 larly until full. Should the pressure 

 injure a few, the fruit will carry with- 

 out shaking, and on opening make a 

 better appearance. Half barrels are 

 good packages and sell well, but barrels 



