July, 191 2 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



177 



Fruit Conditions in British Columbia'' 



W. H. Bunting, St. Catharines, Ont. 



FRUIT conditions are varied in British 

 Columbia and are very different to 

 those which obtain in Ontario and 

 the eastern provinces, complying more 

 nearly with such as are to be found south 

 of the line in Washington, Oregon and 

 Idaho, states which have gained a wonder- 

 ful reputation during the past few years 

 for the production of enormous quantities 

 of fancy, high-colored apples, as well as 

 other fruits. 



District number nine comprises what is 

 known as the Lower Mainland and the Is- 

 lands of the Coast, of which Vancouver is- 

 land is much the largest and most impor- 

 tant. Tnis area is characterized by a mud 

 climate for the most part, with a very con- 

 siderable humidity and great precipitation 

 during certain seasons of the year, the total 

 rainfall at Vancouver averaging about 

 seventy inches annually, i'or this reason, 

 and on account of the great fertility of the 

 soil, small fruits do exceptionally well all 

 thiough this territory, b'or the same rea- 

 son the range of tree fruits is somewhat 

 limited, and the varieties chosen for plant- 

 ing must be selected with care in order to 

 be successful with them. Several varieties 

 of apples, pears, plums and cherries do very 

 well, more particularly the earlier kinds of 

 apples, and those stone fruits not suscept- 

 ible to brown rot. Some very fine orchards 

 are to be found in this district, that of Mr. 

 T. A. Bryden, near the city of Victoria, be- 

 ing a good example of what can be accom- 

 plished under proper caie and management. 

 Strawberries, raspberries and other small 

 fruits luxuriate in many parts of this dis- 

 trict, and have been planted largely in dif- 

 ferent localities. The section on the main 

 line of the Canadian Pacific Railway from 

 Mission to the Coast, and the territory in 

 the southern portion of Vancouver Island 

 are the most largely developed and im- 

 portant. An excellent market is available, 

 both locally and in the prairie towns and 

 cities, and is not by any means adequately 

 supplied. There is plenty of suitable land 

 available for further planting. One of the 

 chief hindrances to a rapid extension of 

 the small fruit industry is the difficulty of 

 securing sufficient help, especially during 

 the picking season. This might be remedied 

 to a large extent by adopting the methods 

 in vogue in the states to the south, where 

 cheap summer cottages are provided for 

 families who are brought from the cities 



•Extract from a paper read at the recent Do- 

 minion Fruit Conferen<« in Ottawa. 



and taken care of on tJie farms during the 

 busy season. 



District number ten includes the various 

 inland valleys of the province, and contains 

 large areas of land where irrigation is ne- 

 cessary to secure profitable crops. There 

 are also several important sections where 

 the rain and snowfall are sufficient to fur- 

 nish all the moisture required. 



A remarkable movement has been under- 

 taken during recent years in connection 

 with the development of the semi-arid or 

 dry areas. Encouraged by the success 

 which has attended similar enterprises in 

 the states to the south, and the results ob- 

 tained from the orchards planted by the 

 early settlers, where a supply of water was 

 easily available, public attention was drawn 

 to the establishment of irrigation projects in 

 many parts of these valleys. Many thous- 

 ands of acres have been brought under these 

 systems and are being rapidly changed from 

 comparatively barren areas of little or no 

 value to magnificent orchards of fruit, and 

 farms where large quantitiee of vegetables 

 and other crops are being profitably pro- 

 duced. 



PERMANENT SYSTEMS 



Many of these irrigation systems are be- 

 ing constructed and extended in a most 

 permanent and substantial manner by the 

 more general use of concrete ditches and 

 pipes, with steel flumes where necessary, in- 

 stead of the ordinary open ditch and wood- 

 en flume which, while answering the pur- 

 pose, allows considerable waste of water 

 and requires frequent repair. It will not 

 be possible to go into detail with regard to 

 this feature of the development of British 

 Columbia fruit-growing, and I can only 

 mention as a type of these systems the one 

 under the control of the Coldstream Estates 

 Company at Vernon, known as the White 

 Valley Irrigation and Power Company, 

 which is perhaps the most extensive and 

 important of the large number established 

 in the Okanagan Valley, tf not in the entire 

 west. In this vicinity are also to be found 

 the celebrated orchards of the Coldstream 

 Estate Company, containing five hundred 

 and forty-eight acres of fruit trees in va- 

 rious stages of growth, planted by the com- 

 pany as a commercial undertaking, with 

 three hundred additional acres planted for 

 clients. A number of the orchards on this 

 property have been producing crops of fruit 

 for some years, and very large profits have 

 been derived from them. 



There are many important centres 



PACKER'S "SAFETY" 



FRUIT WRAPPER 



PAP ER 



Recommended by GoTemment inspectors 

 Used with Perfect Results by Largest Growers 



Take No Chances with 



Untried Papers 



Large stock, following sizes 

 always on hand : 



10x10 I Oc per ream (480 sheets) 

 20x30 55c " " 

 30x40 1. 00 " " 



in addition to Fruit Wrapper, 

 following supplies necessary to the 

 modern Fruit Export Business are 

 carried in stock at our Hamilton 

 w^arehouse. Prices supplied on 

 application. 



Wrapping Papers 



Twines 



Pulp Board Box Linings 



Corrugated Straw Boards 



Manilla Tissue 



Lace Papers 



Lace Box Tops 



Buntin, Gillies & Co. 



LIMITED 



HAMILTON - - CANADA 



Mention The Cakadiaw Horticulturist 



We Solicit Your 

 Consignments 



Send for 

 Shipping Stamp 



Good Prices Alvyays 



For Your Fruit and Vegetables 



OUR facilities enable us to realize top prices at all times for your fruit, vegetables or general 

 produce. Aside from our large connection on the Toronto market, we have established 

 branch warehouses with competent men in charge at Sudbury, North Bay 

 Cobalt, Cochrane and Porcupine. In time of congestion on the Toronto market we 

 have a ready outlet through these branche.s. We never have to sacrifice your interests. 



References : The Canadian Ban 



Branch Warehouses: Sudbury, 



North Bay, Cobalt, Cochrane 



and Porcupine 



H. PETERS 



88 Front St. East, Toronto 



of Commerce, (Market Branch) 

 and Commercial Agencies. 



