CANADIAN APPLES IN FRANCE. 



137 



by the operations of the inspectors working un- 

 der the Fruit Marks Act has been such that the 

 public may well believe that before the act went 

 into effect honest packing was the exception 

 rather than the rule. It is to be hoped that the 

 recent police court experiences of Ontario ship- 

 pers to this market, of which the above men- 

 tioned case is a sample, will have the effect of 

 stopping the dishonest practices which, if con- 

 tinued, can only have the one effect of driving 

 Ontario out of this market altogether." 



THE FRUIT PROSPECTS. 



It is a little early to say much about the fruit 

 crop of 1904. but it is a question of such im- 

 portance to fruit growers that we welcome even 

 the probabilities. The winter has been one of 

 such universal severity that the peach and sweet 

 cherry buds in even the most favored parts of 

 the province have been very severely thinned, 

 and in the less favored places almost entirely 

 destroyed. In our own orchards we find from 

 one-third to one-half the peach buds black at 

 heart when cut open transversely ; but, unless 

 the injury is more extended than this would in- 

 dicate, a sufficient number are still alive to se- 

 cure a good peach crop. If the reports are true 

 that New York and Michigan peach buds are 

 destroyed, then we have a fair prospect for 

 good prices in 1904. 



Pears and plums are injured in sections far- 

 ther north, and even apples will be most severe- 

 ly tested in their most northerly limits. 



Mr. J. S. Mitchell, Clarksburg, near Colling- 

 wood, writes : 



" Peach buds seem to be badly hurt. All other 

 fruits are all right and prospects good. We 

 have had no thaw this winter. Most ice in 

 Georgian Bay in forty years, and deepest snow 

 I ever saw. Great damage done by mice, es- 

 pecially in uncultivated or grass orchards." 



Mr. Harold Jones, of Maitland, near Brock- 

 ville, writes : 



" It is too early in the season to state definitely 

 the condition of the fruit trees in this section. 

 The long continued cold weather and deeply 

 frozen ground has caused some shrivelling of 

 twigs and buds on the apple trees, but I cannot 

 see any serious injury as yet. 



"Pears and plums will likely suffer serious in- 

 jury, as much of the wood is darkened, and 

 cherries are in an uncertain condition. 



" The thermometer in January registered as 

 low as 38 and 40 degrees below zero, and we 

 have had steady cold with very few days above 

 zero since January last." 



Mr. W. H. Bunting, of St. Catharines, writes : 



" It is generally conceded that peach buds are 

 pretty well destroyed, although not entirely so. 

 A great many of the older trees are also badly 

 frozen, and in some cases will not in all probo- 

 bility recover. It is quite too early to discover 

 whether root killing has obtained to any de- 

 gree, but from the fact that we have had a 

 great deal of severe weather, with little snow 

 covering the ground during portions of the win- 

 ter, this trouble may be in evidence later on. 

 Under favorable circumstances we could hardly 



expect a repetition of last season's heavy crop 

 of fruit this year. I would therefore not be 

 surprised if the coming season should be marked 

 by a very great decrease in the production of 

 our tender fruits." 



CANADIAN APPLES IN FRANCE. 



That only the finest qualities of firm fruit will 

 bring profitable returns when exported to Eu- 

 rope is again made manifest. "Writing to Mr. 

 W. A. MacKinnon, chief of the Fruit Division, 

 Ottawa, M. W. Richeux, of the firm of Cham- 

 pagne Freres, Limited, Paris, says: "In August 

 and September last we had occasion to write 

 you and take advantage of your kindness to ob- 

 tain information about the apple business in 

 your country, and also about the line of steam- 

 ers from Canada to France. As was foreseen, 

 and for the first time, this year Canadian and 

 American apples have come to France in im- 

 portant quantities, on account of the French 

 crop being almost a complete failure, and we 

 are glad to say that the best goods have ob- 

 tained satisfactory prices, although the market 

 is not so very good at present. We are, how- 

 ever, of opinion that it will soon recover, and 

 that prices will rise again, but what we want in 

 France are the best qualities and hard and 

 strong apples that will arrive in good condition. 

 Any arriving in somewhat doubtful condition 

 will sell very much lower. We have started 

 this business ourselves, and hope to receive 

 some Canadian apples and obtain satisfactory 

 results." 



THE NORTH OF IRELAND MARKET. 



Once again the attention of the Fruit Division, 

 Ottawa, has been called to the excellent market 

 that exists in the north of Ireland for first-class 

 Canadian fruit and other food products. This 

 time it is Mr. R. Andrews, 56 Clifton Park 

 avenue, Belfast, who mentions the fact that this 

 market is not properly cultivated by Canadian 

 shippers, and who desires to be put in com- 

 munication with some of these gentlemen. He 

 is in a position to do general commission trade, 

 and would undertake agency for Canadian 

 manufacturers as well as produce in the north 

 of Ireland, where he has good connections. 



A similar request has also been received from 

 Albert Cabaret, 77 Bd. Gouvion, St. Cyr, Paris, 

 France. Mr. Cabaret is prepared to handle all 

 lines of Canadian goods, including fruit, of 

 which considerable quantities have been ex- 

 ported to France this season. 



JOHN H. DUNLOP 



Lansdowne Ave., Toronto, Ont. 



Makes a specialty of . . . 



POSES, CARNATIONS 

 AND VIOLETS ^ ^ ^ 



Growing these to the greatest perfection, in immense 

 quantities, and with specially built houses for the 

 purpose, thus ensuring strong, clean, healthy stock. 



Write him for anything you equire in young plants of 



roses or carnations. 



Write for catalogue or call in person and visit the greenhouses. 



