978 EXPERIMEMAL FARMS 



7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 



REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS ON THE FRUIT FARM OF 

 THOS. A. SHARPE, SALMON ARM, B.C. 



The snow came on in the autumn of 1914 before any very severe frost was in the 

 ground, and the snowfall for the winter of 1914 and 1915 was pretty heavy for this dis- 

 trict. The snow melted without any rush in the spring of 1915 and was mostly all 

 absorbed by the land, thus furnishing a moist seed bed for all seed sown. The season 

 was moderately wet. 



The fruit crop last season was on the whole a fairly good one, and prices more satis- 

 factory than for some years past. This applies to both small and tree fruits. The 

 trouble with apple scab, perhaps owing to the showery weather and consequent warm 

 moist air, was a good deal more prevalent than for some time past. 



A good many varieties in the experimental orchard fruited this year for the fifth 

 year, and as quite a number of them do not appear to be of sufficient value to merit 

 continued cultivation, a number have been budded to other promising but untested 

 varieties, and more of this will be done as the tests call for. 



A small orchard of apples and one of cherries was planted to test as a commercial 

 venture. The trees have made a satisfactory growth and many of the cherry trees bore 

 a small crop last summer. As the cherries from this district are about the last to come 

 onto the market, a better price is obtained here than by growers in districts where 

 the fruit has more competition, and it is to be hoped that more cherries will be grown 

 on the uplands. Ten trees, five each of Olivet and De Planchoury planted in the 

 spring of 1908 have averaged per tree, for the last four years, $3.50. 



Several of the pear trees planted in the spring of 1911 bore specimens in 1915, 

 and two varieties, the Margaret Marallat, a large October pear of good quality and a 

 medium sized pear named Eva Baltet produced fine crops considering the age of the 

 trees, and these varieties should prove of value in this locality. Of the better known 

 varieties, the Anjou and Dr. Jules Guyot produced good crops and promise to be 

 profitable here. 



Plums. — Several varieties of plums new to this district fruited freely, and of these 

 several are promising in a commercial way as the trees are vigorous growers, productive, 

 and the fruit is of a desirable size, beauty and quality. 



The most promising blackberry so far tested is the Eldorado, the canes being vigor- 

 ous and productive, the fruit large, of good quality and a good shipper. 



The best raspberries so far tested are the Cuthbert and Herbert. The St. Regis 

 everbearing raspberry has also been tested, but in this district it is lacking in quality 

 and the berry is crumbly and very uneven in size. 



Salmon Arm. 



