68 



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(he frrit fjtAn, 



SEASONABLE HINTS, 



Planting of fruit-trees and berry-plants 

 may be continued during this month, and, if 

 ordinary care is exercised, as successfully 

 as during the earlier part of spring. Many 

 city people move now to the country and 

 country residents change their homes, which 

 undertaking causes naturally much work and 

 confusion, during which the garden "that is 

 to be" is likely to be forgotten. Yet it is 

 not wise policy, even under such perplexing 

 circumstances, to devote all one's energy and 

 time to painting and papering and carpet- 

 laying, without giving a thought to the plant- 

 ing of fruits until the proper season is past. 

 Better to live in an uncarpeted house a few 

 days longer than to be without a supply of 

 berries next year. Walks and edgings and 

 " fixing up " may be made later, but the 

 planting must be done now. 



Strawberries, without a bed of which we can 

 hardly imagine a country home, will naturally 

 attract our first attention. We have given 

 last month a list of the most desirable 

 and reliable varieties which may serve as 

 a guide to the novice in fruit-culture. 

 When the plants are received from the 

 nursery the box or package should be 

 opened at once, as at this season plants 

 are liable to heat when closely packed, 

 and a single day's delay in unpacking 

 may prove fatal to them. If the roots 

 are found dry they should be dipped in 

 water and covered with moss or soil, 

 otherwise no water should be given. The 

 indiscriminate pouring of water into boxes 

 packed with plants does more harm than 

 good, as plants in transit suffer generally 

 more from too much than too little moist- 

 ure. If the ground is very dry and the 

 weather hot, it is usually safer to defer 

 planting till a cloudy day, to open the 

 bundles and keep the plants meanwhile 

 in a cellar or heeled in outdoors in a shady 

 place. When there is no near prospect of 

 rain, however, and the plants have to be set 

 out in a dry time, it becomes very important 

 to keep the roots covered with moss and 

 not to expose them to the sun more than is 

 unavoidable ; remove all decayed leaves, 

 pinch off all flower-buds, water well after 

 planting, and keep shaded during daytime 

 until new leaves commence to grow. 



Baspberries and Blackberries, if they have 

 been kept dormant by having been dug early 

 in spring and heeled in, may now be planted 

 without risk. The later in the season they 

 are planted, the more necessary it is to 

 cut off the canes to within nearly the level 

 of the ground. These canes are of no good 

 whatever to the plant and only deprive the 

 young sprouts of nourishment. 



Planting Trees. — Some persons would not 

 plant a large tree if it was given to them, 

 while others cannot get them large enough. 

 The fact is that the size of a tree is not 

 nearly as important as the condition of its 

 roots and its general character. A large 

 nursery-grown tree, properly cared for, and 

 dug without mutilating its roots materially, 

 may be preferable to a smaller one not so 

 treated, and if carefully planted and cut 

 back, in proportion to the loss of roots, will 

 have a better chance to live than a smaller 

 one carelessly handled. 



FRUIT-GROWERS VS, MERCHANTS. 



The interests of fruit-growers and commis- 

 sion merchants are so directly connected, 

 that the more closely they study and weave 

 these interests together, the more benefit 

 will each derive without detriment to the 

 other. It is not to be expected that a mer- 

 chant can know all about the growing of fruit, 

 but it is indispensable that he should keep 

 himself well informed about all the new fruits 

 introduced into the market, and be able to 

 inform the grower as to their respective 

 merits, so as to protect him from imposition. 

 A dealer should make it his business to know 

 how the different varieties yield in the various 

 soils in which they grow, as the large and 

 practical experience which he may derive 

 from studying the various conditions that 

 come under his observation are of the great- 

 est importance to the grower, and it is evi- 

 dent that a dealer can handle fruit with more 

 satisfaction to the shipper and to himself, if 

 he knows all the peculiarities connected with 

 it. Commission-men, or middle-men, as they 

 are sometimes called in a disrespectful sense, 

 receive naturally a percentage of the pro- 

 ceeds ; yet it seems difficult to perceive how 



HIGHLAND BEAUTY. 



this could be avoided, and those who grow 

 fruit for distant markets cannot do without 

 them. 



The grower must stay at home to superin- 

 tend the picking and shipping of his fruit, 

 and only a fruit-grower can know the amount 

 of energy and brains necessary to do this 

 work well. He knows how difficult it is to 

 procure men who possess these qualifica- 

 tions. 



The merchants make it their business to 

 sell the fruit, and it requires all their time 

 and talent to do it well. Besides, new pack- 

 ages for the marketing of fruit are frequently 

 introduced, and when one is found more 

 valuable than older ones, it is his duty to 

 inform his growers, and recommend its adop- 

 tion. Frequently a defect is found in a pack- 

 age used by some shipper, which should be 

 mentioned to him at once, that he may 

 remedy it. 



The rapidity with which some dealers han- 

 dle large quantities of fruit is really astonish- 

 ing to those who stand by and see it done ; 

 but it is simply the result of experience, a 

 thorough system of business, and having a 

 number of intelligent buyers, and a thorough 

 understanding between the growers and the 

 dealers in regard to the quality of the fruit 

 sold. 



As a general rule, merchants try to secure 

 special buyers for particular marks of fruit 



that can always be relied upon, and when 

 these marks are expected, the customers will 

 wait for them, rather than buy others. 



A grower should also be careful not to con- 

 sign his fruit to a merchant of whom he does 

 not know anything. Every fruit-grower re- 

 ceives occasional solicitations from parties 

 unknown to him, who make great promises 

 without being able to substantiate their 

 claims. It is generally a safer plan to take no 

 risks of this kind, and to deal only with per- 

 sons of well-known reliability. After selecting 

 your merchant, tell him what quantities and 

 varieties you intend to market, and get his 

 opinion in regard to the shipping of them ; 

 and before you begin to ship, write him and 

 let him know about how large your daily 

 shipments will be, and if you find that your 

 fruit is ripening more rapidly than you ex- 

 pected, let him know at once so he may be 

 prepared to handle a larger quantity without 

 extra trouble to himself or loss to you ; for 

 remember that the conditions which ripen 

 your fruit also ripen your neighbors, and 

 they too will send larger quantities. Without 

 this information, the dealer may become 

 overstocked and be compelled to sell the 

 fruit at a low figure. Even a few hours 

 advanced information may save the ship- 

 pers many dollars, for dealers have many 

 outlets for fruit, and if they know in time 

 of its coming, they can open these safety- 

 valves and dispose of the fruit to good 

 advantage. I remember of an instance 

 where a shipper lost one hundred dollars 

 on a single shipment of berries simply be- 

 cause he did not telegraph to the merchant 

 when he started the fruit. 



Much delay is often caused by the 

 neglect of growers, who ship from more 

 than one station, to give the name of 

 their post-office. 



These and other difficulties, many of 

 which may be avoided by a little con- 

 sideration and forethought, cause often 

 unnecessary misunderstandings. As was 

 stated above, a careful study of the mu- 

 I tual interests benefits both parties, and 

 i nothing adds so much to make business 

 transactions run smoothly and agreeably 

 than an interchange of opinions and a kind 

 word of commendation when deserved. 



C. W. IDELL. 



THE HIGHLAND BEAUTY APPLE. 



For the past two or three years we have oc- 

 casionally noticed this golden, rosy-cheeked 

 beauty at the exhibitions of the New York 

 Horticultural Society, but had not before an 

 opportunity to examine it more closely until 

 recently, when Eev. E. P. Roe, of Cornwall, 

 N. Y., the proprietor of the stock, kindly sent 

 us a few specimens for trial. 



It is supposed to be a seedling of the Lady 

 Apple, which it somewhat resembles. Our 

 samples were not quite as large as the 

 above illustration, which, for a dessert fruit, 

 would not be considered a disadvantage. 

 These specimens were in good condition 

 during the first week of April, and as hand- 

 some as an apple can well be. Its quality is 

 good, although lacking somewhat in spright- 

 liness. Its principal value seems to consist 

 in its excellent keeping quality and great 

 beauty, which it possesses in such high de- 

 gree as to be entitled to a place among the 

 most desirable dessert fruits. 



