REPORT OF THE EORTICULTURIHT 113 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Thesi- expense are estimated from about one-third of an acre and on the assump- 

 tion that the percentage of sales in boxes and bsakets would be the same from a full 

 acre. There was no expense for cultivating either in 1903 or 1904, as the trees being 

 close, cultivation was impracticable. There was no expenditure on barn-yard manure 

 or chemical fertilizers in 1903 or 1904, as none were applied up to the time of making 

 these calculations. 



While tliis system of close planting is not recommended for general adoption, it 

 is well worthy of a trial by fruit specialists who will give sufficient attention to it. 

 Only a few varieties of apples are suitable for close planting, "Wealthy being one of 

 the best, and Wagoner probably almost as good, on account of their early bearing habit. 

 The "Wealthy orchard at the Central Experimental Farm will receive a good dressing 

 of barnyard manure this v.-inter. As the trees are now meeting and it would be un- 

 wise to continue to grow them as thick any longer, an experiment will be tried next 

 spring of heading back a proportion of the trees severely, the object being to re-head 

 the trees alternatively, thus keeping up the vigour and allowing light to get at the 

 fruit. If this is not found satisfactory some of the trees will be removed altogether. 

 The total crop this year ou about one-tiiird of an acre was 2,134 gallons, about 90 

 barrels, or at the rate of about 270 barrels to the acre. Thtere were 564 gallons wind- 

 falls and 1,570 gallons picked fruit. There are still 131 trees of the original 14-i 

 alive, most of them in a thrifty condition. 



EXPERIMENTAL APPLE SHIPMENTS TO IRELAND AND SCOTLAND IN 1904. 



In 1902 and 1903 experimental shipments of apples in boxes were made to Glas- 

 gow. Scotland, with gratifying results, both in regard to the condition in which the 

 fruit arrived on the other side and in the prices obtained for it. The information 

 furnished in the annual report regarding sales and cost of shipment proved very ac- 

 crptaWe to growers in Canada who had not had any experience in shipping apples and 

 who did not know how to go about it. 



As agents in Ireland had been requesting Canadian fruit growers to give the 

 Irish market a trial this year, it was thought that useful information would be ob- 

 tained by making some experimental shipments there. This was considered particular- 

 ly desirable this year when there was such a large crop of apples in England and it 

 was thought the Irish market would not be as well supplied with home-grown fruit, 

 and better prices would therefore be obtained. The crop in Ireland, however, was a 

 very large one also, and the prices obtained for summer and autumn apples from Can- 

 ada was low, in some cases not covering the cost of shipment. 



Six shipments in all were made, four being to Belfast, Ireland, one to Dublin, 

 Ireland, and one in Glasgow, Scotland, for comparison. All the apples were packed 

 in boxes 10 x 11 x 20 inches, inside measurement. The fruit was placed in regular 

 rows ami tiers in the boxes with a sheet of cardboard above and below and a very 

 little excelsior between the cardboard and the sides of the box. The Charlamoff ap- 

 ples in the second shipment were wrapped in tissue paper, and the Anis and "Winter 

 Stripe in the third shipment, the others were not wrapped. As a rule the apples were 

 well coloured but still hard, with the exception of the Duchess apples in the first ship- 

 ment, which were not as well coloured as in the second, being picked earlier. 'J'hc fruit 

 was inspected by the Dominion fruit inspectors at Montreal and all graded XXX. 



Following is a table showing the prices obtained for the different varieties, the 

 dat/3 and steamer on which they were shipped : name of variety, number of boxes, 

 celling price per box, destination and route, and whether sent in cold storage or not. 

 Il will be seen from the t^ible below that fair profits for the season were had from thj 

 Dublin and Glasgow shipments. The fruit sent to Belfast realized considerably less. 

 The charges on these are not yet available, but it is expected the returns will not d.'» 

 much more than cover expenses. 



16—8 



