The Canadian Horticulturist. 241 



A very simple method of serving cauliflower is with milk and butter, after 

 the manner of cabbage, but a more elaborate white sauce generally accompanies 

 it. This is the familiar drawn butter sauce, to which may be added a little vine- 

 gar or lemon juice to give piquancy of flavor. Sometimes this sauce is varied 

 by adding milk or cream to the flour and butter, when it is called, " cream 

 sauce." — From, Hoiv to Groiv Cauliflowers, by A. A. Crozier. 



THE FRUIT CROP. 



As the season progresses it is becoming more and more evident that the 

 estimates which have already been given in this journal are correct, and that the 

 crop of apples and pears will be comparatively light all over Ontario. In a few 

 counties about half a crop is reported, but, for the most part, it will not be over 

 one quarter of the average, either in apples or pears. Fortunately, however, 

 the sample will be beautifully bright and clean, a great satisfaction both to the 

 grower and to the dealer, saving the former much waste of fruit and much labor 

 in picking, and giving to the latter much more satisfaction in the sale of the 

 crop. Under these circumstances it is quite possible that our fruit growers may 

 find the proceeds of their orchards more encouraging than in those years of 

 great abundance, when much of the fruit is inferior and has either to be rejected 

 or sold at a low figure. At the present writing the Red Astracan and Early 

 Harvest trees are breaking down with their loads of fruit, but these are almost 

 the only varieties of which such a thing can be said. As there are not very 

 many early apples grown throughout our country in a commercial way, the price 

 of these will not average very low. Indeed, they are at the present time start- 

 ing at a high figure, being quoted at 40 cts. per twelve quart basket in Toronto 

 and from 50 cts. to $ i in Montreal ; while in barrels they are being sold at from 

 $3.25 to $3.50. The " Trade Bulletin " seems to think that there is a good 

 deal of humbug in our statements concerning the short crop in the Niagara Pen- 

 insula, because in spite of the statements last year that there was no crop in this 

 section, there were harvested from it from eight to one hundred thousand 

 barrels. This is probably an over-estimate of last year's apple crop, but, grant- 

 ing it correct, it simply shows to what an enormous figure a full crop would 

 reach, should we ever be so favored as to have one. The whole country, from 

 Hamilton to Niagara, is rapidly developing into one vast orchard and the import- 

 ance of the industry in this section of country can scarcely be over-estimated. 

 For instance, take Grimsby section, which is counted in many respects the fruit 

 centre of this district, and look at the shipments by express during the year 

 1 890, a year when there was really no crop at all, considering the number of or- 

 chards and gardens in this vicinity. That year the fruit shipments from this 

 place by express were as follows: June, 1765 baskets; July, 4214; August, 

 3906; September, 6909 ; October, 3445. Total, 20,239 baskets ! 

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