126 



LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



mans objected to its merits being discussed by thesociety, 

 and to its being placed upon the official fruit-list, for the 

 reason that the rules of the society exclude from con- 

 sideration any new fruit sold under restrictions. 



J. H. Hale wasin favor of letting people sell their new 

 fruits in any way they please even if a deviation from 

 the old beaten track. The society made a mistake, he 

 said, by its refusal to recognize or list a good new fruit, 

 merely because people have their own ideas about sell- 

 ing it. ""'^'^'''^ 

 r'Fruit-Notes from Canada. — L. Woolverton, sec- 

 retary of the Ontario Fruit-Growers' Association had 

 sent a paper telling of the great prosperity of the Canada 

 Society, which has a membership of 2,500. Itisagreat 

 aid to the fruit-grower. I 



The apple industry, especially for export, is growing 

 very rapidly. While in 1881 not much over 3,000 barrels 

 were exported, the number had increased in 1889 to about 

 1,500,000 barrels, and more will be produced and shipped 

 abroad in future. Reform of present methods of judg- 

 ing fruits at fairs is one of the aims of the association. 

 The first remedy proposed is the employment of one 

 judge instead of three— a judge who should be fully 

 posted as to varieties, andreceivegoodpay for his services. 

 Some standard of values should be placed in his hands- 

 The society is now engaged in getting out a fruit cata- 

 logue for this very purpose. All varieties are supposed 

 to be perfect specimens, and such perfect specimens of 

 a perfect variety are rated at 10, and of imperfect varie- 

 ties something less than 10. Imperfect samples are re- 

 duced one or more pointsfor the variousdisqualifications. 

 Another aim of the association is the appointment of 

 national fruit-inspectors, being under the authority of 

 the government. All fruits should be examined and 

 branded by them at point of shipment. 



Mr. Woolverton gives the following notes on varie- 

 ties : Early Harvest and Fall Pippin, formerly the prm- 

 cipal summer and fall sorts, are no longer of value, on 

 account of their being subject to scab. Northern Spy 

 and Greening have been badly affected of late. The 

 society feels greatly indebted to the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture for its efforts to find valuable 

 remedies. 



Among Russian fruits some good ones have been found; 

 for instance, the Golden White. The Wealthy, an 

 American seedling, has also proved of value. Renaud's 

 seedling is very promising. Bartlett is the great market 

 pear for profit in Canada. Beurre Boussock is one of 

 the best for canning also, free from the musky flavor of 

 the Bartlett, and just a little acid. Early Green is a 

 new plum of medium size, roundish in form, with dark 

 skin and marbled in two shades of green ; pit smooth 

 and free, stem black, three-quarters inch long. It is in 

 prime condition early in August. Baker's German Prune 

 is an annual bearer and wonderfully productive, of ex- 

 cellent flavor. At the secretary's home (Grimsby) the 

 following strawberries have given most satisfaction, viz., 

 Bubach, Haverland, Saunders and Eureka. The 

 Williams, a Canada seedling, promises well. In the 



Russian Ostheim and Vladimir cherries it is hoped to- 

 find suitable varieties for the northern part of the 

 Niagara district. 



A Great Apple-Orchard. — Mr. F. Wellhouse, of 

 Kansas, writes to the society about his success in apple- 

 growing. The orchards are a piece of good, well- 

 drained soil, about 1,000 feet above sea-level. Thetrees 

 were planted in trenches rather than in holes, the 

 trenches being made by plowing out furrows nearly or 

 fully ten inches in depth. This avoids all danger of 

 surplus water standing around the roots of the trees. 

 These are thirty-two feet apart east and west, and twelve 

 feet apart north and south. This close planting shades 

 and protects the orchard from winds. Corn was planted 

 between the trees while young, and is considered the 

 best crop for the purpose. After the trees have come 

 into bearing, the ground is sown to clover. This is cut 

 down every year when seed is ripe. The process is re- 

 peated in September. The tool used in the operation is 

 a home-made rolling cutter, consisting of a stick of tim- 

 ber twelve or fifteen inches square and ten feet long. 

 The corners are dressed off so as to form an octagon, 

 and eight knives, running the whole length, are inserted, 

 one at each corner. This stick of timber is fastened in 

 a frame, and revolves in it when pulled over the ground 

 by teams, its own weight being sufficient to chop up the 

 clover and chance weeds. 



The trees are all low-headed, trained in pyramidal 

 form, with limbs starting out about one foot from the 

 ground. This is best, as the bodies of the trees must be 

 protected from the fierce sun-rays, otherwise they will 

 be sun-scalded and ruined. An ordinary box-trap is used 

 for the rabbits, which are very plentiful. Most of the 

 insect enemies are destroyed by spraying with London 

 purple. 



The gathering forces use ordinary seamless two-bushel 

 bags, with one bottom corner fastened to a top corner 

 by means of hook-and-eye, and a hoop put into the 

 mouth to keep it open. This is swung over the shoulder 

 in the same manner as used for sowing grain by hand. 

 This arrangement leaves the picker's hands free. The 

 sacks are filled from the trees and then emptied into 

 boxes on platform wagons and taken to the packing- 

 house. Almost five-sixths of all the fruit thus grown 

 can be reached by the pickers while standing on the 

 ground. In the packing-house the apples are carefully 

 assorted by hand. Three and even four grades are made. 

 All unfit for other use are left in the field or fed to hogs. 



The yield on the 225 acres in 1880 was 1,594 bushels; 

 in 1890, 79,170 bushels. The Missouri pippin is the 

 best yielder, followed by Wine Sap, then by Ben Davis, 

 Jonathan, and lastly, by Maiden's-Blush and Cooper's 

 Early. The last named is not 'profitable. The most 

 fruit and most money has been obtained from the Mis- 

 souri pippin, but the trees are becoming exhausted and 

 fruit small. Ben Davis is now the leader. 



The expenses up to the time that the trees came into 

 bearing (in 1883) aggregated $20,352, or about 35 cents 

 per tree. Rent of land is not included in this, however. 



