The Canadian Horticulturist. 273 



The only variety of cucumber recognized, whether in glass or field culture, 

 is the White Spine. It is sold in bushel boxes, and should be of such size that 

 ninety will evenly fill the box. Cucumbers are sold by count, and if the 

 number is short, the trade knows ihat there are overgrown, seedy ones in the 

 bottom. If the number is more than ninety, they are too small to please retail 

 customers. Therefore, a box containing ninety cucumbers brings the top price 

 if they are straight and true in shape. — American Gardeni/is;. 



LAND FOR EARLY PEAS. 



Sir, — Please say what is the best way to prepare land for early peas. 



S. Peddle. Whitechurch. 



Reply by J. J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. 

 In reply we would advise your correspondent to select a piece of warm, 

 early land— fall plowed, if possible — and spread on and plow in good composted 

 horse and cow manure, at the rate of six cords per acre. Plant as early in 

 the spring as the ground can be worked. 



HOW TO OBTAIN MORE HIGH-GRADE FRUIT. 



This subject was treated by Mr. George T. Powell in a practical address 

 from which we make the following extracts : " We cannot plant young orchards 

 in land from which we have taken continued crops of grain and grass for years, 

 and, while the trees are growing, continue to take off potatoes, oats and grass for 

 fifteen or twenty years longer, and then hope to secure full crops of good fruit. 

 The trees must be well planted in the first place, with roots pruned back to half 

 their length and the top cut in quite as severely. The branches of a nursery 

 tree are not where they are needed ; often two of them are nearly opposite, 

 which will make the tree liable to split apart. Therefore, it is good practice to 

 take off the top entirely, leaving only buds on the main trunk where the future 

 branches are desired. When trees are thus prepared for planting, pruning for 

 the next ten years can be done with a pocket-knife, and the fruit and foliage will 

 be where they are needed. Since the foliage plays so important a part in pre- 

 paring plant-food for use, a good growth of leaves should always be ensured. It 

 is of little consecjuence to use poisons against insects that devour fruit, and fun- 

 gus diseases which destroy fruit, when the leaves are left to be infested with 

 insects and parasites. Since I have sprayed the foliage of my orchards good 

 Spitzenburgs can be grown once more. Before they were treated in this way 

 these trees set full of fruit, but they never matured into large handsome apples. 

 Healthy wood and healthy foliage are essential to vigorous fruit-buds and perfect 

 ("ruit. There is a demand abroad, which has never been supplied, for fruit of 

 high quality. In the Old World flavor counts for more than appearance. Every 

 barrel of Ben Davis apples we send abroad depreciates the value of the best 

 American apples. — Proceedings W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. 



