2l8 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



through spraying at such a time. If the 

 practice of spraying when trees are in bloom 

 became at all general it would in time lead 

 to lighter crops through the destruction of 

 the bees and lack of fertilization of the blos- 

 soms. 



Cooperation in British Columbia 



n^'^ HE British Columbia Fruit Grower.^;' 

 X Association has a programme at each 

 of its quarterly meetings, including ad- 

 dresses and papers by persons competent to 

 deal with the questions allotted to tbem. In 

 addition to the regular quarterly meetings 

 supplementary meetings are held in newly 

 settled districts, the object being to point 

 out the proper modes of planting, pruning, 

 spraying and cultivation of orchards, advis- 

 ing varieties of plant, giving instruction in 

 grading an^d packing fruit, and assisting to 

 have the orchards established on a proper 

 basis. 



In the older districts the meetings are to 

 encourage the spirit of cooperation, which 

 does not stop at marketing, but includes co- 

 operation in planting. The growers in a 

 section join in planting the same varieties, 

 thus establishing a name for say Spitzen- 

 "burgs from Salmon Arm. Cooperation in 

 purchasing supplies, such as boxes, spray- 

 ing material, fertilizers, etc., is also encour- 

 aged, as well as in marketing the fruit. The 

 first efforts were directed to securing uni- 

 form quotations and the success encouraged 

 the association to widen its field. The re- 

 sult is four cooperative shipping unions 

 'have been formed, with others ready to .fall 

 into line. 



The association has three vice-presidents, 

 one in each of the natural divisions of the 

 province — Vancouver Island, Lower Fraser 

 Valley, and the interior. The vice-presi- 

 dent on the island presides at all meetings 

 on the island ; the second vice-president on 

 the lower Fraser ; the president in the 



Okanagan valley, and the third vice-presi- 

 dent in the Kootenay valley. The secre- 

 tary is the only paid member of the execu- 

 tive who attends all meetings, thus saving 

 travelling expenses. 



Since the annual meeting in January 

 three meetings have been held, one of the 

 former class at Matsqui, and two of the 

 latter at Chilliwack and one at Mission City. 

 Meetings to encourage cooperation were ar- 

 ranged for Port Hammond, Burnaby and 

 Langley in March, and at Salmon Arm, En- 

 derby, Armstrong, Kelowna, Peachland and 

 Summerland for early in May. These 

 meetings were a combination of the two 

 classes. Meetings will also be held in July 

 in the Kootenay valley. 



Let the Robins Live. — Robins have not 

 become so troublesome that I would like to 

 see them destroyed. They take a large 

 number of our cherries, and are increasing 

 rapidly in numbers, so that it may soon be- 

 come necessary to destroy them. They 

 should not be protected by law when they 

 become so numerous as to destroy our crops. 

 I would not wish to drive them away as long 

 as they leave me a reasonable portion of the 

 fruit. — (W. W. Hillborn, Leamington, Ont. 



The British Columbia Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation has adopted a resolution in favor 

 of establishing an experimental orchard on 

 Vancouver Island. They also decided to 

 ask the provincial government to enforce 

 section seven of the rules of the Board of 

 Horticulture which gives inspectors power 

 to destroy or ship to the grower any fruit 

 not considered merchantable by reason of 

 scab or other defects. 



Our provincial fruit growers' association 

 was only instituted last year, but a good 

 deal of interest has already been shown and 

 the membership is steadily increasing. — 

 (Henry Wilmot. Oromocto. N. B. 



