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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



April, 1910 



NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES 



British Columbia 



At the convention of tlio British Cohimbia 

 Fruit Growers' Association held at Victoria 

 in February, Mr. W. E. Scott, deputy min- 

 ister of agriculture, gave an account of his 

 experiences in England, where he went in 

 charge of the British Columbia fruit des- 

 tined to be exhibited there. He stated that 

 there is a market for A. No. 1 fruit only, but 

 none other pays to ship. The highest price 

 he obtained on selling boxes of apples that 

 had been on exhibition there was for Spit- 

 zenberg, from 10s. to 12s. 6d., a box. Freight 

 costs $1 a box and as ordinary No. 1 pack 

 would bring but 8s., there are better markets 

 nearer home. 



The cry is for a big red apple and Jona- 

 than, Mcintosh, Spitzenberg, and King are 

 recommended as the best varieties for this 

 market. He gave a warning against plant- 

 ing too many trees of Cox's Orange as they 

 were not the most satisfactory. 



Exhibitions were made at 24 different 

 places, each exhibition lasting from two 

 days to a week, and" much good has been 

 effected. The fruit obtained 22 medals, as 

 follows : Nine gold, three silver gilt, nine 



.silver and one award of merit. All this was 

 in addition to a Royal Horticultural So- 

 ciety's gold modal. 



"Two important questions," remarked Mr. 

 Scott, "have to be solved before we can 

 cater to the better class settler ; the first 

 being land clearing on a financial basis, 

 and the second, the question of labor and 

 domestic service." The acute want now is 

 to obtain suitable girls for domestics and 

 he suggested that the Government establish 

 a home for these and some financial assis- 

 tance until places could be bound for them. 

 — W.J.L.H. 



Vancouver Island, B. C. 



F. Palmer 



With the exception of a few days' cold or 

 wet weather now and again, fruit growers 

 were able to work in their orchards through- 

 out the winter. Shortly after the fall spray- 

 ing of lime-sulphur solution was over, prun- 

 ing was commenced and was carried on 

 briskly during all fine weather. 



For spring spraying a few growers intend 

 to use the lime-sulphur solution, but the 



Edison 



Talent 



_ making 



Kecords ^ryou 



In what other way can you hear so cheaply 

 and so comfortably such an array of talent as 

 that engaged in making Amberol and Standard 

 Records for the Edison Phonograph. 



To mention only a few of these star enter- 

 tainers, whose records are the joy of thous- 

 ands, there are: 



Mabel McKinley Grace Cameron 



Albert Spalding Harry Lauder 



Vesta Tilley Ada Jones 



Nat Wills Marshall P. Wilder 



There are several good records from each 

 of these and a hundred others that you can 

 hear at the dealers and own and hear in your 

 own home for a trifle. 



Edison Standard Records - - - 40c. 

 Edison Amberol Records (twice as long) 65c. 

 Edison Grand Opera Records - • 85c. 

 Edison Phonographs - $16.50 to $162.50 



There are Edison dealers everywhere. Go to the nearest 

 and hear the Edison Phonograph play both Edison Standard 

 and Amberol Records and get complete catalogs from your 

 dealer or from us. 



NatioiuJPhonosrapfaCo.,100L.al«-sic<i:Ave..OranK<?,N.J.. U.S.A. 



majority are in favor of an extra strong 

 Horduaux solution, aiming to kill the aphis 

 and rod spider eggs that were missed in the 

 fall spraying of lime-sulphur. 



Mr. U. il. Winslow, provincial horticul- 

 turist, gave a series of sprayinj? demonstra- 

 tions and lectures in the different fruit 

 growing sections of the island. At the 

 mo<!ting, which were all well attended, the 

 afternoons were given over to spraying de- 

 mon.strations proper, and the evenings to 

 lectures on various spraying mixtures, 

 pumps, nozzles, etc. This is the first work 

 of its kind that has been attempted on 

 Vancouver Island and it will result in the 

 fruit growers having a more intelligent idea 

 of spraying. 



Prices on Vancouver Island 



W. J. L. Hamillon 



Since I have contributed to The Canadian 

 HORTICULTURIST, I have had many enquiries 

 from subscribers as to prices of fruits, etc., 

 in this locality ; so, perhaps a few words on 

 these lines may prove of interest. I must 

 premise, however, that this district tributary 

 to Victoria is an ideal country for the fruit 

 industry, so the prices I quote are only those 

 of which I have personal experience, and 

 might prove misleading in other parts of the 

 province. 



Apples of good varieties, from 10 to 12 

 year-old trees, should bring in about $200 an 

 acre net. Pears are less profitable, also 

 plums, whilst cherries and prunes bring 

 rather more. 



Strawberries rule at from 8 to 10 cents for 

 main crop, with fancy prices for a limited 

 number early in the season. The net profit 

 per acre is in the neighborhood of $400., 

 whilst red raspberries, loganberries and 

 blackberries bring some $300 an acre, rang- 

 ing from six cents for canning up to 10 

 cents in crates. 



Currants are not in much demand. Goose- 

 berries are, but, as their price fluctuates, 

 they are not so staple a crop. 



Asparagus is worth 8 to 10 cents a pound 

 and rhubarb averages about three cents. 



Transportation facilities are improving 

 and great changes are projected ; so, the 

 land values will soon jump. In fact, the 

 value is steadily rising all the time, and 

 will continue to do so, as once the land 

 rises to a price prohibitive to profitable 

 horticulture, the wealthy man steps in and 

 pays a long figure for it for a home, for the 

 climate is ideal and the surroundings of 

 great beauty. 



This is partly the secret of the town of 

 Victoria proving such a good market, as it 

 is just the place for a man with a love of 

 beauty who has' "made his pile" to end his 

 days in and enjoy the years still left him. 



Manitoba 



Dtvid Alexander, Oakville 



I have about 45 crab apple, three standard 

 apple and six plum trees all doing well. Most 

 of the crab trees have been bearing for seven 

 or eight years. These are the only ones in 

 the district that I know of that are doing 

 well. 



Mistakes are made by not having the 

 ground properly prepared by summer fallow, 

 in not digging a large enough hole for plant- 

 ing and in putting the subsoil back around 

 the roots instead of good surface soil. When 

 planting, the top requires to be severely cut 

 back, then give good cultivation for at least 

 the first three or four years which gives the 

 trees strength and allows them to mature 

 for the winter. 



My trees have very little protection, al- 

 though I think it would be advisable. 1 

 all;)w the trees to grow to a full top, except 



