The Canadian Horticulturist. 287 



EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT SHIPMENTS. 



EAR by year it becomes more evident that Ontario is able to pro- 

 duce a larger quantity of certain varieties of fruit than our markets 

 are able to consume to the profit of the grower. Especially is this 

 the case with the grape, which has recently been sold at a very low 

 price in our markets. The profit upon grapes when at a cent a 

 pound is verj' small, but unless some outlet opens, these low prices 

 seem likely to rule in future for such productive varieties of ordinary 

 quality as the Concord. Experimental shipments of grapes were made some 

 years ago to Great Britain, by some Canadian fruit growers, but the result on 

 that occasion was not very satisfactory, the net returns not averaging as good a 

 price as could have been obtained at home. It would appear that the taste of 

 the English consumers has been accustomed to grapes grown in hothouses or 

 under the sunny skies of France or Spain, where a different class of grapes can 

 be successfully grown from those which we ripen in Canada. On this account 

 buyers hesitate to invest in such a distinct article from anything they have hitherto 

 handled. 



We believe, however, that could the British public learn to appreciate the 

 refreshing and agreeable nature of our Canadian grapes, there would be a demand 

 for all the grapes we could produce, providing we could place them in their 

 markets in first-class condition without too great an expense. With this object 

 in view, the Dominion government has been several times approached by repre- 

 sentatives of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, asking for legislation 

 favorable to this end. Prof John Cfaig, of the Central Experimental Farm, 

 Ottawa, also before a committee of the House, spoke favorably of the advantages 

 to Canadian fruit growers of opening up the British markets to our tender 

 fruits. 



Being somewhat encouraged, and hoping for success, the fruit growers of 

 the Niagara district raised by subscription a sufficient amount of money to send 

 a delegate, namely, Mr. E. D. Smith, of Winona, to place before the Dominion 

 government the wishes of the growers. The Niagara District Fruit Growers' 

 Stock Co. sent a delegate, namely, Mr. D. J. McKinnon, of Grimsby, and the 

 Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario sent their president, Mr. M. Pettitj 

 Winona. These delegates were received kindly, and they were assured of free 

 cold storage on board certain steamers for a number of trial shipments of fruit, 

 similar to that provided for butter. A grant of $20,000 had been appropriated 

 by the Dominion for the purpose of providing cold storage accommodation for 

 butter, but the Minister of Agriculture promised that he will prepare compart- 

 ments of the same kind for fruits, in order to make the experiments satisfactory. 

 The important thing now will be for Canadian growers to select some fine 

 shipments of first-class fruit and see that they are consigned to some reliable 

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