THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



119 



ers, the commission is usually 5 per ct. 

 If retailed, 10 per ct. • In Canada, most 

 commission houses charge 10 per ct. 

 for wholesaling fruit, and 15 per ct. for 

 retail sales. Perhaps, as the quantity 

 increases, our Canadian houses may be 

 able to lessen their charges. 



40. Berry Picker. — Where can it he 

 purcliased ? 



Address Mr. J. Benedict, Dundee, 

 N. Y. 



The machine will only be useful for 

 gathering fruit for the evaporator. Its 

 work is too I'ough to be used where 

 the fruit is intended for market. 



41. Sea-Kale. — / should like to grow 

 some Sect-Kale in my garden, knowing 

 the vegetable well in England. Can the 

 plants be got in Canada, and would you 

 give me some hints for its cultiration f 



[Mrs. W. Townsexd, Toronto.] 

 Mr. John A. Bruce, Hamilton, says : 

 " Sea-Kale is a delicious vegetable, 

 much superior to Asparagus, and ought 

 to be better known. We used to grow 

 plants for sale, but the demand was so 

 uncertain and limited that we ceased, 

 but we still keep the seed. It should 

 be sowed in hills one foot apart, and 

 thinned to four inches. When one year 

 old the plants should be transplanted 

 into hills eighteen inches apart, and 

 three plants to a hill. On approach of 

 frost, cover about two feet thick with 

 dried leaves. It is fit for use when the 

 stidks are about four inches long and 

 thoroughly blanched." 



42. London Purple.— /s this as danger- 

 ous to use as Paris Green ? 



[G. E. L., Centerville, N. S.] 

 No, it is not quite as dangerous a 

 poison, and it is easier of application 

 because soluble in water, while Paris 

 Green is not, the particles of which can 

 only be kept in suspension by frequent 

 stirring. But it is difficult to procure 

 an even grade of London Purple. 



43. Ants. — Should they he destroyed in 

 the orchard. a. C. McD., Dunlop. 



These industrious little workers are 

 are quite harmless. Some people ac- 

 cuse them of bringing the aphides to the 

 cheri-y trees, but, instead, it is the ap- 

 hides which attract the ants, by reason 

 the sweet juice they exude. Entomolo- 

 gists tells us that the ants actually milk 

 the aphides for this sweet juice, for 

 which reason, they are called the ant's 

 cows. 



44. t hosphates. — Hoio coidd ravj 

 ground phosphates be obtained in Ham- 

 iltmi, at what rate, and what would be 

 considered a fair dressing per acre for 

 grass, grain, or small fruits ? 



J. P. Mdir, Hamilton. 



As far as we know, the raw phos- 

 phates are not offered for sale in Can- 

 ada. In Chicago they are offered at 

 .$25 to S35 per ton. The phosphates 

 of commercial fertiliezrs have one ad- 

 vantage over the rock, viz., they are 

 more easily dissolved in the soil water, 

 by reason of the sulphuric acid with 

 which they have been treated. 



45. Quart Boxes. — Canyou tell meif there 

 are any berry boxes made in Ontario that 

 will hold a quart ? Why do not Can- 

 adian manufacturers advertise in the 

 Canadian Horticulturist. w. E. 



There is a basket factory at Oakville, 

 one at Grimsby and one at Jordan, but 

 do not know that any one of them 

 make the quart size. Perhaps one of 

 the firms will take the hint, and adver- 

 tize, that we may know what they are 

 doing. 



46. Plums. — What is the average yield 

 per tree ? [G. W. Cline, Winona, Ont.] 



There are many diffei'ent kinds of 

 plums and each are diffei'ent in growth 

 and bearing. Lombard and Victoria 

 avei'age about 5 baskets, ti-ees 10 years 

 old ; Columbian, 6 to ^8 ; Gen. Hand, 

 6 to 8 ; Yellow Egg, about the same ; 

 Washington. 5 ; Golden Gage, 5 ; Bo- 

 hemian Prune, 6 to 8 ; Duanes Pur- 

 ple, 5 ; Smith's Orleans, 4 or 5 ; Brad- 



