152 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



A knowledjre of the nature of weeds 

 becomes of iuiportance in destroying 

 them. Annuals live but a year, bear 

 many seeds, and when young are weak 

 and tender, such as shepherd's purse, 

 mustard, cockle, pennycress, wild oats, 

 chess, ragweed, chickweed, sow thistle. 



Biennials continue two years and 

 usually have a tap-root. Unless these 

 plants are cut below the surface, cutting 

 increases their vigour. Wild carrot, 

 blueweed, burdock and mullein are 

 pereniiials. 



Simple perennials continue from year 

 and will reappear til the root is utterly 

 destroyed, of which are the ox-eye 

 daisy, mallow, chicory, bind-weed, sor- 

 rel and campion. 



Creeping perennials are more or less 

 jointed in the roots, each joint capable 

 of growing if separated. Continued 

 cultivation and smothering from light 

 are necessary to kill these, among which 

 are Canadian thistle, couch grass, toad- 

 flax, milkweed and sow thistle (peren- 

 nial). — Bulletin X, Agricultural College, 

 Guelph. 



Jfrutts. 



FRUIT PACKAGES. 



It is stated that thirty-five of the 

 fruit growers of Berrien Co., Michigan, 

 have signed an agreement to use the 

 full quart box for all fruits, except red 

 raspberries, and to pack in twenty-four 

 quart cases. We have also some 

 enquiries from Canadian growers, who 

 seem to favor its adoption here. 



We question whether it would pay 

 to make the change, now that a basket 

 holding less than a quart has been so 

 long in use in Canada. It is thorougly 

 understood among buyers and con- 

 sumers that the. basket does not hold a 

 quart, and probably a larger size would 

 not sell at a proportionate advance in 

 price. 



What we do want is a 



STANDARD SIZE, 



and an agreement among fruit growei's 

 upon this should be made as soon as 

 possible, looking to our legislature for 

 confirmation of the same ; for as things 

 are now there is a constant teoiptation 

 to cheat the buyer, by using a basket a 

 shade smaller than the customary one, so 

 that the difference may escape his 

 notice and bring the same price. This 

 trick is allied to that of concealing all 

 the small, mean berries in the middle 

 of the basket and topping out with the 

 biggest ones. It may succeed for a few 

 shipments, but as soon the name of such 

 a shipper becomes known in the 

 market, his packages are viewed with 

 suspicion. 



For i-aspberries and blackcaps the 

 same package i-> si*table which has 

 been advised for the strawberry, but 

 with closer corners. The pint size is 

 recommended for them by some, but 

 we have never received any advantages 

 from their use. The expense is greater, 

 and buyers at wholesale are seldom 

 willing to pay more for a crate of 

 berries, containing 48 half baskets, 

 than for the same crate containing 24 

 of the usual size. 



The most generally 



USEFUL BASKET 



we have in Canada is th " tuelvc-quart 

 peach basket. It costs so little, and is 



12-QT. PEACH BASKET. 



SO convenient to handle, that it is 

 being adopted for carrying almost 

 every kind of fruit that is at all firm 

 in texture. How beautiful is one of 

 these baskets filled with Early Crawford 

 peaches, and neatly covered with car- 



