FRUIT GROWING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 



FVkUlT growers in British Columbia 

 had a successful season last year and 

 are looking forward hopefully to the future. 

 This was shown at the annual convention, 

 of the Fruit Growers' Association held at 

 Duncans, B. C, January 5. 



In his annual address the president, Mr. 

 J. C. Metcalfe, of Port Hammond, B. C, 

 reported that schedule prices had been ob- 

 tained antl well maintained throughout the 

 season. There was a marked general im- 

 provement, not so much in areas planted, 

 ((uantities and qualities of fruit grown, as in 

 the mechanical part, viz., packing and grad- 

 ing, qualities of packages used, and the cul- 

 tural methods employed in orchard work. 

 The fruit growers, he considered, should 

 congratulate themselves on the prices ob- 

 tained, as compared with either eastern 

 Canadian or United States growers. 



There has been a disposition on the part 

 of British Columbia growers in the past to 

 cut prices as the season advances. With 

 this in view, the association in the early part 

 of the last year attempted to secure the co- 

 operation, of fruit growers, and thus far 

 has been quite successful. In no case has 

 a member of any of the local unions quoted 

 below the schedule of prices agreed on 

 and sent out to dealers in British Columbia, 

 Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. 



President Metcalfe strongly urged grow- 

 ers to cooperate more, not only that lower 

 rates may be secured from the railroads, but 

 that fruit may be marketed in better condi- 

 tion and to better advantage. 



the; secretary's report. 

 Much interesting information was con- 

 tained in the report of the secretary, Mr. W. 

 J. Brandrith, of Ladner. B. C. which was, 

 in part, as follows : 



Fruit growing in British Columbia is not 

 a " get rich quick " proposition, but those 

 who have paid attention to their business, 

 neglecting no detail, however trivial, have 

 had the pleasure of handling more monev 



for their fruit during the past season than 

 for several years. Although the plantings 

 have been large the acreage of fruit bear- 

 ing orchard is still insufficient to supply the 

 rapidly increasing demand for No. i fruit. 

 The large increase in the population of our 

 cities and the immense immigration, into 

 the northwest and Manitoba assures us of a 

 profitable market, to say nothing of the trade 

 that might be developed with the far east. 

 The opening of the Panama Canal will give 

 us a chance in the markets of Great Britain 

 and Ireland. With such an outlook for 

 profitable markets we should use every en- 

 deavor to produce strictly No. i fruit and 

 advertise it in every way. The people of 

 the northwest are as anxious to get our fruit 

 as we are to get their flour. 



I think I may justly compliment the as- 

 sociation on the success of the display of 

 British Columbia fruit at the Dominion Ex- 

 hibition in Winnipeg last summer, under 

 the auspices of the Provincial Government, 

 and al-so on the splendid achievement of 

 British Columbia fruit at the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's show in London, Eng., 

 during October, at which the province re- 

 ceived the first prize. 



The success achieved in this competition 

 in London should stimulate those who have 

 the direction and supervision of the British 

 Columbia fruit industry to still greater ef- 

 forts to maintain and improve the quality 

 of the fruit raised and to protect the crops 

 from the inroad of insects and other pests. 

 It is a matter of common knowledge how 

 the orchards of Ontario and some of the 

 Pacific Coast states have been ravaged and 

 almost made valueless by the lack of pre- 

 cautions and the absence of a system of 

 rigid inspection and supervision. 



Considerable as the growth of the indus- 

 try has been it is but in its infancy. Some 

 of the districts on the island and coast sec- 

 tion of the mainland will be put largely 

 under fruit, while the Okanagan and some. 



