6 



THE CANADIAN H0BTI0ULTUBI8T. 



fruits is acquired. Specimens from the 

 same orchard, or from the same tree, 

 differ greatly in flavor. In the Phila- 

 delphia market the wholesale condem- 

 nation of the fruit, due to its deceptive 

 appearance, has given way to a modei'ate 

 appreciation, and it brings readily from 

 $1 to $1.50 per basket. — Rural New 

 Yorker. 



Garden Cats. — Attention is being 

 given in England to training cats to 

 protect strawberry beds and other gar- 

 den treasures from the voracious English 

 sparrow. The cats wear collars, and 

 are tethered by light and sti'ong cords. 

 The tethers are attached to comfortable 

 cat houses which can be moved about 

 from place to place as desirable. It is 

 said a thoroughly trained cat enjoys the 

 life hugely. — Gardeners^ Monthly. 



Care of an Apple Orchard. — The 

 lack of manure and cultivation, and a 

 general lack of proper care for orchards 

 are the causes, in a great part, of their 

 sterility. Neglected orchards produce 

 small quantities of small, poorly-flav- 

 ored and poorly-ripened fruit. The 

 orchard should be supplied with all the 

 manure the trees can appropriate, and 

 the trees will then be vigorous and will 

 show it by a good growth of wood and 

 handsome fruit. When the trees do 

 not make a free growth of wood it is 

 certain that they are in ill condition 

 and need the assistance of fertilizers and 

 cultivation — probably, also, judicious 

 pruning, cleaning the bark and the de- 

 struction of worms and insects. — Vick's 

 McKjazine. 



[We would call especial attention to 

 the above extract. It is worthy of 

 consideration whether the barrenness 

 of orchards in Ontario of late is not in. 

 part at least due to causes therein 

 pointed out.] 



VITICULTURAL. 



The Grape Market. — Mr. G.S. Pal- 

 mer, a New York fruit merchant, is re- 



ported in the Wine and Fruit Grower as 

 saying that there is no cause for discour- 

 agement to grape growers, notwith- 

 standing the extensive vineyards that 

 have been planted. 



Immense quantities of grapes are 

 grown along the Hudson river ; nearly 

 every farmer for miles back has from 

 one to fifty acres in vineyard, with an 

 average yield of from three to five tons 

 per acre. A similar statement might 

 be made concerning Central New York 

 and parts of Ohio. About Euclid 

 alone, in the latter State, there are 

 about 3,000 acres in grapes, which are 

 mostly sent to Cleveland market, a city 

 which alone consumes 10,000 pounds 

 per day. 



Besides these immense qualities 

 grown in the Eastern States, California 

 ships East some 20,000 tons yearly ; 

 and nearly one million pounds are an- 

 nually imported from Malaga and 

 Almeria. 



Notwithstanding all this, Mr. Pal- 

 mer states that the demand in the 

 United States is increasing faster than 

 the supply. 



Pruning theGrape — Mr.G.Arnaud, 

 in the Monticello Grape Grower, says : 

 — "Any system of pruning is good 

 which will preserve a good equilibrium 

 between the roots and branches of a 

 vine, will let the vine have a good crop 

 of fine fruit, and at the same time good 

 wood for the next year's pruning," 



Dr. Guyot says, and he is truly 

 right : — " Each vine should produce, 

 each year, at least one bi-anch for wood 

 and one for fruiting. The branch for 

 wood should produce each year two 

 sprouts or canes ; one to replace the 

 branch which has borne fruit ; the 

 other, cut back so as to leave two eyes, 

 will become the branch for wood, and 

 will produce the two shoots necessary 

 for the succeeding year." 



Of course if a vine is strong enough, 

 it may have two branches for fruit and 



