PROCEELIINCiS, 1913. 17 



Frof'es!-or Wilson: It is only a question of time that iiowdered arsenates will 

 be used altogethef. 



The Chairman : This has been a very excellent discussion. Forasmiieb as the 

 next paper by Jlr. 'Winslow lias a bearing on the present discussion, I take [Pleasure 

 in asking Mr. Winslow. Provincial Ilorticnlturist, to present bis paper. 



THE ECONOMIC SIDE OF PEST-CONTROL. 



By It. >I. WiN.SLOW. rROVINCIAL IIORTICULTURLST, A'ICTOIUA. B.C. 



I propose to deal with pest-control on fruit-trees and with the economic side 

 of that question, largely in its relation to the question of costs of production. The 

 cost of controlling insects and diseases on fruit-trees is a part of the larger one of 

 total cost. Our present cost of fruit-production, I am safe in saying, is out of 

 proportion not only to the market prices being received for the product, but is 

 further greater than the production costs of our competitors in those markets. It 

 is true that our fruit has a certain percentage from the Customs tariff, and is, in 

 addition, ju'otected in some cases even more heavily tlian b.v the tariff, by more 

 advantageous freight and express rates than our competitors enjoy. It is my own 

 conclusion, however, that the advantage given us by lower freight rates and the 

 Customs tariff does not nearl.y equal the higher cost of production. If, therefore, 

 iiur competitors were receiving remunerative prices for their product, our prices, 

 though relatively higher, would be actually less remunerative because of our much 

 higher costs. For instance, skilled orchard labour costs us approximately 25 per 

 cent, more than it does iu Oregon and Washington. Most of the materials, such as 

 land, nursery stock, spraying materials, tillage, tools and implements, fruit-padcages, 

 paper, nails, packing-house equipment, etc., cost us approximately 20 to 40 per cent, 

 more than our competitors. The fruit-grower's cost of livipg itself is, perhaps, even 

 higher proportionately, while money both on mortgages and on personal loans costs 

 from 10 to 25 per cent. more. The effect of all these differences is to raise the 

 average cost of apple-production, for instance, in bearing orchards in the interior of 

 British Columbia to about 75 cents a box, as against 50 cents for our competitors ; 

 in many cases the difference is very much greater. 



The big problem of successful fruit-culture is strictl.v an economic one. Wo 

 must be able to sell our fruit at a return that represents at least a margin of profit 

 to the producer, and every possible assistance should be given him to that end. 

 .-Vction has been taken to provide a marketing organization which, while it may not 

 be expected to reduce the cost of marketing, is expected to enhance to some degree 

 the selling-price of the fruit, so providing a larger net return to the grower. The 

 cost of actual production is beginning to give many fruit-growers much concern, and 

 many of them are working to reduce their costs as much as they justifiabl.v can. 



As Secretary of the British Columbia Fruit-growers' Association and as Pro- 

 vincial Horticulturist, I have had special opportunities to study the costs of fruit- 

 liroduction, and I am aware that much remains to be accomplished in making savings 

 in every operation in the oi-chard. Our growers are just beginning to study the 

 economics of their work. Many of them started in fruit-growing with the assumption 

 that profits were so great as to make little economies in production unnecessary. 

 It is an economic law that one part of any general business in the world will stand 

 inordinately high costs, and fruit-growing in British Columbia is not likely to prove 

 any exception. The history of fruit-growing in California and in Western Oregon, 

 the first two fruit sections of the Pacific Coast, amply illustrates this. 



Among other things, then, the cost of pest-control is a consideration. You may 

 remember that in the literature issued by Government and by those with land for 

 sale it has been said that pests are at a minimum in the Dry Belt, in which the 

 greater part of our orchards are located; the absence of codling-moth, San Jo.se 

 scale, and apple-scab, the three most injurious orchard pests, as cited, was undoubt- 

 edly correct, and by this intending fruit-growers were led to conclude that injuries 

 3 



