The Canadian HoRiicnn/ruRiST. 



75 



-^ ]S[e(jo OP Isittle JKrioLoi) T^p^its. ^ 



Fig. 16 — The Jonathan. 



the jonathan apple. 

 ;homas meehan, 



well known authority 

 on horticultural matters, writes 

 of this apple in the Country 

 Gentleman : 



I recently heard a promi- 

 nent Pennsylvania orchardist 

 say that if he were limited to 

 one variety of apple, he did 

 not know but that kind would 

 be the Jonathan. The strang- 

 est commentary on this opin- 

 ion is, that this apple has not 

 even a solitary star to its credit 

 for Pennsylvania in the cata- 

 logue of the American Pomo- 



logical Society, though it is starred in a very large number of others, and in very 

 many States double-starred, which indicates a high degree of popularity. It may 

 be doubted whether many orchardists would place this on the unique plane my 

 friend above cited would do ; yet it undoubtedly combines in one variety a greater 

 number of good qualities than many others. 



It is in nice condition in November, and this does not soon disappear ; it is 

 just as good when the bluebirds and robins arrive in the Spring. It is not a large 

 apple to be sure, but then it is not a small one, and the enormous quantity it 

 yields makes up for a want of great size. Then it bears fairly well every year, which 

 many of the monsters rarely do. Then, again, you can rarely catch it in a dis- 

 eased or hide-bound condition. It seems to do as well in sand as in clay, in 

 limestone, sandstone or in any other stone, and the rot troubleth it not. How 

 few are so happy and contented ! 



In most cases we are told i{ we could be perfect in apple-growing we should 

 go to our neighbor, learn by his experience what to plant, and be governed 

 accordingly. In this way progress has a poor chance. At any rate, here is one 

 that is safe to plaTit, though there may be no neighbor to consult within a hun- 

 dred miles of us. 



I have just been reading over a list of about a thousand kinds of Russian 

 apples, which it is proposed to place on trial in our country. All right. But 

 among the couple of thousand we already have, let us not lose sight of well- 

 known kinds that have been tried in the balance and found not wanting. 



