Thk Canadian Horticui.turist. . 31 



^ Opei; Is)ettcps. $ 



A REMARKAHLE I'LUM. 



SiK,— I am not an aspirant for fame, present or posthumous, but I have the largest 

 plum tree I ever saw in any country in which I have travelled. It is fifteen years old and 

 has never had the blac^k knot in the smallest degree, while many varieties surrounding it 

 have been badly mutilated each year on account of the knot. The plum is a seedling. 'I"he 

 fruit is like the (4reen Imperial in appearance and very excellent either for table or for 

 canning. It was so loaded this year that it was a curiosity to all visitors. The crop was 

 estimated at from six to ten bushels. The branches were very fine, mostly the size of a 

 pipe stem and all weeping. Even the larger branches had to perform the same ceremony 

 out of sympathy, so that the tree formed a perfect weeping tree. The curculio does not 

 damage this variety as much as the others, indeed I failed to notice any ravages by this 

 insect this year. The tree is a good bearer, though never before has done so well as this 

 season. The chief defect is the quantity of sprouts which come up all about the trunk. 



I would very much like to discover a Russian apple that would thrive in the North- 

 West, besides the Siberians. The Duchess of Oldenburg will grow and flourish up to the 

 end of Lake Superior, but I think not beyond. 



Cha.s. Jakvis, Bran/jonl, Ont. 



Note. —Our friends who are desirous of discovering some hardy ajjple that will flourish 

 in the North-West, should give a fair trial to the Gipsy Girl, and the other Russian kinds, 

 whicii are upon our list for distribution for the spring of 1892. 



FRUIT INSPECTION. 



SiK,-- 1 realized 50 cents more per barrel for Fameuse shipped to Scotland than I 

 could get in Montreal (|'2 2.") net). 



I am in hearty sympathy with Mr. A. H. Pettit, regarding a system of fruit inspec- 

 tion, if a practicable plan could be devised. It would be a slow process to examinetwenty, 

 or thirty thousand barrels of apples that leave our port every week. I had occasion to be 

 in one of our leading commission houses last season wlien a lady came in with some small 

 wild apples she had found in the middle of a barrel of Kings ! All the commission mer- 

 chant could do was to hand her back 50 cents, with strong language against the fruit 

 grower who sent the apples, who also was docked 50 cents on each barrel. I asked him 

 why he did not write the fruit grower about the matter. He answered, " I cannot kick, 

 he sends me such lots of berries."' 



I always make a practice of branding my name upon the barrels, but we do not get 

 the credit. For instance, I had occasion to load a car of onions for one of our leading com- 

 mission houses. They had their man scraping otf my name and i)utting on theirs. "Of 

 course they are not going to pay to advertise another man's business." 

 What about a Dominion Fruit (irowers' Convention this season ? 



R. Bkouik, Montnal, Qw. 



THE CR AN DA 1,1 



Sir,— Last spring I purchased some plants of the " C'randall Black Currant ' from a 

 nurseryman in whose catalogue it was lengthily described as a most desirable novelty. Of 

 course, they have not yet fruited with me, but the foliage and habit of growth is so exactly 

 sindlar to that of a large bush of the old establishe.l yellow flowering currant (Kibes aureuni 

 pr;ecox), growing in my garden, that I am getting suspicious that this vaunted " novelty 

 may be none other than our old friend under a new name. If so, it is worthless as a fruit 

 producer, as a few scattered berries, single or in i)airs, is all that my old bush produces. 

 I think it well to ventilate this subject in your pages for the consideration of others before 

 the next planting season arrives. 



Arthtr (Jeo. Heaven, Boynt, Oiil. 



