February, 1910 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



37 



found in most cities and towns to occupy 

 two or three months in spring and the same 

 in fall. 



Public spraying could be conducted by 

 local horticultural societies and fruit grow- 

 ers' associations. Spray pumps and mater- 

 ials could be purchased by the societies, men 

 hired to do the work and a charge made to 

 each member at so much per gallon of spray 

 mixture used. This scheme has been tried 

 already by Grimsby, Ont., and other towns 

 and villages. The spraying outfit would 

 soon pay for itself and the societies would 

 have another strong scheme for securing 

 membership. 



The departments of agriculture of the va- 

 rious provinces might introduce this sys- 

 tem of pubic spraying. For the past two 

 years the state government of Maryland has 

 been conducting public sprayers in differ- 

 ent parts of that state. Twenty-three out- 

 fits were operated there last spring and the 

 state intends to increase operations. The 

 success of the work has resulted in a great 

 demand for public sprayers. A recent bul- 

 letin issued by the Maryland Agricultural 

 Experiment Station states that such spray- 

 ing can be conducted by private parties on 

 a reasonably profitable basis. That state 

 "conducts the work upon a basis of cost of 

 operation, and not with any desire to make 

 a profit." The provincial departments of 

 agriculture in Canada might well start the 

 work in this country in a small way and 

 thereby help people who are in need of such 

 assistance. A means of controlling the de- 

 velopment of pests in and their spread 

 from town and city breeding places would 

 thus be provided. By showing that there 

 is a demand and by demonstrating that 

 I such work can be done profitably the de- 

 • partments would prepare the way for pri- 

 vate parties to undertake the work. 



PUBLISHERS' DESK 



An index to Thk Canadian HoiiTicii.TTR- 

 IST for 1909 has been prepared. Copies will 

 be sent only to those subscribers that apply 

 for them. If you keep your copies on file, 

 you will find an index very Useful. Write 

 for one right away. 



A Niagara Man in the Okanagan Valley 



"Ceraini, " Kelowna, Britiih Colombia 



Two or three of our friends have asked 

 by letter recently why we do not establish 

 a nature study column in The Canadian 

 Horticulturist. While nature study has 

 an indirect bearing on the practice of hor- 

 ticulture we do not feel that we can afford 

 the space just yet for a department of this 

 nature. Occasional articles on the economic 

 phases of nature study will be published. 



As our readers feel that they cannot do 

 without the monthly visit of this maga- 

 zine, most subscriptions are renewed 

 promptly. Those that neglect to renew are 

 reminded by mail. In most cases we have 

 no difficulty in securing renewals, but what 

 are we to do with a subscriber who writes 

 as follows: "I would like to renew this sub- 

 scription, but what's the use when I don't 

 know the difference between a perennial, a 

 biennial, a diurnal or a Chinese pompon, 

 and am too chronically lazy to till the soil 

 for gardening, and too old and rickety to 

 start fresh; so, wot's the use?" Friend, 

 the teachings of The Canadi.an Horticul- 

 TURI.ST will make you wise in all things 

 horticultural, its counsellingg will baffle the 

 hook worm and its motives will bring you 

 back to youth and start you right ; it will 

 put you into harmony with the out-of- 

 doors — that's the use I Send stamps, if 

 most convenient. 



NOT having been in the valley long 

 enough to speak authoritatively 

 about cultural methods, I will 

 tell some of my impressions 

 about a country and climate very 

 different from that in which I was 

 brought up, the Niagara district of 

 Ontario. From Sicamous Junction on the 

 0. P. E. southward to Vernon is sometimes- 

 included in the Okanagan Valley. Proba- 

 bly more often it is known as the Spallum- 

 cheen Valley. It is a splendid country for 

 agriculture and apples, and is claimed to 

 resemble Ontario in climate more than any 

 other part of British Columbia. From Ver- 

 non, it is but a short distance to Okanagan 

 Landing where navigation on the lake be- 

 gins. From the landing to Penticton at the 

 southern end of the lake, a daily boat ser- 

 vice is maintained by the C. P. E. Kel- 

 owna. Peachland, Summerland and Pentic- 

 ton are ports on the lake and fruit growing 

 sections of importance. 



Vernon is well known for its superb ao- 

 ples and the location of the famous Cold- 

 stream Eanch. There are large areas of 

 good fruit lands at Vernon. Some of the 

 more tender fruits do not seem as much at 

 home as on places on the lake, where the 

 water moderates the winter, as Lake On- 

 tario does for the Niagara fruit b?lt. 



From Penticton southward along the 

 Okanagan Eiver, there is some fruit land 

 right to the international boundary. A good 

 country it will be when water is got on to 

 the land and a railway is put through. 



Summerland is a progressive little town, 

 in which some C. P. E. men are quite in- 

 terested. A splendid and rapidly increasing 

 quantity of fruit is shipped from here. 

 Peaches, prunes and apricots are grown 

 with entire success and also at Peachland, 

 the latter a busy little place and notorious 

 for its abundant crops of peaches. Kelowna, 

 the largest place in the valley, excepting 

 Vernon, has 1,200 population, and is grow- 

 ing rapidly. The largest compact area of 

 fruit land in the province lies in the wide 

 flat and benches back of the town. 



IRRIGATION REQUIRED 



As yet there is not irrigation water for 

 all the land, even if there were settlers. 

 Eeservoirs or dams are needed in the moun- 

 tains to conserve t,he snow water which 

 comes down in greatest quantity in early 

 June. It will mean more big companies 

 and capital before more than a fraction of 

 this land can be nroperlv irrigated. Bench 

 land that gets ab.^olutely parched in mid- 

 summer seems to grow fruit trees splen- 

 didly when water is got on to it. 



Last summer was unusually dry, but or- 

 chards continued to smile on well-irrigated 

 land. There is a great variety of insects 

 here, but the wise precautions of the pro- 

 vincial govornnient in fumigating incom- 

 ing stock, and the careful spraying prnc- 

 tised in nearly every orchard, has kept the 

 orchards very clean. 



KIND OF PACKAGES 



Fruit is all sold bv weight. The Califor- 

 nian idea of small, neat packages has 

 caught on here and is a great .step in ad- 

 vance of eastern methods of packing. Ten- 

 pound cherry boxes, for instance, are more 

 reasonable packages in which to ship that 

 fruit than 10 or 12-quart baskets. Though 

 many sorts are grown which are rather ten 

 der in the east, and the fruit generally is 

 beautifully colored, I cannot say that, for 

 juiciness or flavor, the fruit here excellsthe 

 same sorts grown in the Niagara district. 



People taking up land in this valley 

 should make sure that it is suitable for 



fruit growing. Real estate men are very 

 fond of selling side-hill farms to those who 

 will buy them. Even if the soil is suitable, 

 it should be remembered that steep land is 

 always difficult to irrigate well. The job 

 of watering an orchard here is no small 

 part of the routine work. The Kelowna 

 district will be a power in the fruit market 

 in a few years as there are thousands ol 

 acres of young orchard that will be in bear- 

 ing soon. 



Grapes in Niagara District 



At the conference of the American Pomo- 

 logical Society held at St. Catharines, Ont., 

 la.st September, Mr. Murray Pettit, Winona, 

 Ont., read and discussed the following 

 paper : 



"Grape growing in the Niagara district 

 is confined chiefly to a narrow belt along 

 the southern shore of Lake Ontario, 40 

 miles in length, and from two to three miles 

 in width, and along the Niagara Eiver. 

 From 1861 to 1871 a few small commercial 

 vineyards were planted; in 1881, about 400 

 acres were under cultivation; in 1891, 2",397 

 acres; in 1901, 7,888 acres; and at the pre- 

 sent time, 1909, 14,504 acres. 



"The average yield for Concord and Nia- 

 gara is over three tons per acre, other kinds 

 about two and one half tons. One-third 

 of the crop is used for wine, the balance in 

 the fresh state. Sixty per cent, of the 

 grapes grown in this section are Concord ; 

 20 per cent. Niagara ; 10 per cent. Cham- 

 pion, Worden and Black Rogers ; 10 ner 

 cent. Red Rogers, Delaware, and other 

 kinds. 



"Bright sunshine during the maturing 

 months of August, September, October and 

 a high average temperature, make it an 

 ideal condition for grape growing. Des- 

 tructive frosts seldom occur before the close 

 of October, giving a long maturing and 

 harvesting season, which begins about the 

 end of August, and lasts until November. 



"Insect pests are neither numerous nor 

 particularly destructive. Fungous troubles 

 are chiefly confined to the downy mildew, 

 powdery mildew and black rot, in some sec- 

 tions on moist, sandy soils. Spraying in 

 early snring with lime and sulphur and later 

 with Bordeaux mixture practically controls 

 these troubles. 



"In reference to varieties : I have fruited 

 for several years 154 varieties, new and 

 old, which i place in three groups with 

 regard to profit, and in order of ripening. 



"The first eight varieties which I have 

 found the most profitable, are Champion, 

 Worden, Lindloy (Roger No. 9), Delaware, 

 Niagara, Concord, Agawam, (Roger No. 

 15) and Catawba. For the Niagara dis- 

 trict. Champion 'and Catawba should be 

 struck out of a general list for profit, except 

 in very early locations and soil. 



"The next group in point of profit is : 

 Campbell's Early, Moore's Early, Massas- 

 soit (Roger No. 3), Moore's Diamond, Wyo- 

 ming Red, Brighton, Wilder (Roger No. 4) 

 Herbert (Roger No. 44), Barry (Roge) 

 No. 43), and Vergennes. 



"Next most profitable are: Mover, Early 

 Victor, Winchell, Eumolan, Brilliant, 

 Cambridge, Roque (Roger No. 28) and Di- 



Thk Canadian Horticulturist should 

 be in the hands of every practical farmer 

 and fruit grower. It is worth many times 

 the price of subscription. I am both pleased 

 and benefited by perusing it.— W. G. Clarke, 

 Bear River, N. 8. 



