The Canadian Horticulturist. 147 



some of my impressions regarding the fruit possibilities of Elgin, Bruce, 

 Grey and Simcoe counties. In the meantime my firm conviction is that for 

 solidity and crispness in quality, freedom from worms and destroying insects, 

 for beauty in color and smoothness of skin, there is no apple produced in 

 America to surpass that grown in western Ontario. 



Mitchell, March 12. T. H. RACE. 



"AN ESTIMATE OF APPLES." 



IN the February No. of the Canadian Horticulturist, page 46, may be 

 found a long quotation from an article published in an American paper, 



from the pen of Dr. Hoskins, of Vermont, with an introductory note by 

 the Editor. 



Why a whole page of this Journal, which is published in the interest of 

 the people of Ontario, should have been given to this article is not apparent, 

 for there is not one single sentence in it that can have the most remote 

 beneficial effect on our people. On the contrary, it can only affect us injuri- 

 ously ; and, it is also calculated to produce an unfavorable impression in the 

 minds of persons in other countries. The whole paragraph, from beginning 

 to end, is unjust to our country, and in part untrue. 



That Ben Davis is a leading market apple in the Mississippi valley, 

 or, that it " is indeed entitled to stand first as the great American market 

 apple " is of no special interest to us. If an apple of such inferior quality 

 as the Ben Davis suits the taste of " the great American people " we can 

 only pity " the great American people." It is not good enough for us! 



The statement that the Baldwin is a failure north of 43° is not true so far 

 as this province is concerned; and I think if a Canadian should tell the 

 people of the State of New York that Baldwin apples cannot be profitably . 

 grown north of a line passing east and west, touching points twelve or 

 fifteen miles south of Utica ; five or six miles south of Syracuse; fifteen or 

 twenty miles south of Rochester, and about ten milessouthcf Lockport, they 

 would certainly think him an ignoramus. The points indicated are nearly 

 on the line of the 43^ of N. latitude. The same degree of latitude passing 

 west through Ontario would touch Welland, Cayuga, a point about thirty 

 miles south of Hamilton, and on through London, and Sarnia. Will not 

 apple growers throughout central Ontario laugh at the idea of being told 

 that the Baldwin apple cannot be successfully grown north of the line 

 indicated ? Yet this is what we are told by this " excellent authority on 

 pomological matters." 



We are also told that the discovery of the Wealthy apple ^^ has extended 

 profitable apple culture at least 100 miles further north." If this were a fact, 



