March, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



75 



precooled for western shipment than of 

 peaches. The small western movements 

 were due to fairly good local demands in 

 the early part of the season, a late crop in 

 Ontario and low prices in -.he west at the 

 height of the marketing season. Low pricos 

 in the west were due to (u) a large con- 

 sumption of California, Washington and 

 British Columbia peaches before the On- 

 tario shipping season had started, and (b) 

 the lower cost of WashingLon and British 

 Columbia fruit. 



Prom a physiical standpoint the pre- 

 cooleu peach shipmelits were very success- 

 ful. A shipment of Early Crawfords was 

 two weeks under refrigeration and arrived 

 in Winnipeg in good condition. A succo-3S- 

 ful shipment of Elbertas was made to Glas- 

 gow. The farthest western shipment >vas 

 10 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 



Tests with the- maturity of peaches for 

 precooled shipments show that a peacn 

 must not be green at the time of picking, 

 but must be picked before showing any 

 indications of softening as ripe peaches be- 

 come mealy, lose flavor and are practicably 

 worthless when held for any length of 

 time under refrigeration. Tests have 

 shown that such varieties as Belle of 

 Georgia, Yellow St. John, Early Crawford 

 and Elberta, if properly picked and packed 

 may be precooled and shipped to nearly 

 ;ny part of the Dominion. 



Extension of Markets. 



It has been shown that by precooliag the 

 better varieties of our tender fruits, not 

 including berries, they may be shipped to 

 remote parts of the Dominion without de- 

 cay or waste. With the exception of sour 

 cherries, the western shipments of which 

 increased some 900 per cent in 1915 over 

 those in 1914, the surplus of Ontario's 

 fruits has not felt the influence that pre- 

 cooling has on the extension of markets. 

 The reasons for this are obvious. 



In the past the Ontario grower has been 

 marketing a high priced product when 

 compared with prices received in other dis- 

 tricts in North America. Abnormally high 

 land values and a very great increase in 

 production have followed. Before the in- 

 crease in production was felt cheaper 

 fruits from the United States came across 

 the border to be used in Canadian canning 

 factories and to fill up the outlying markets 

 In the Canadian prairies. The importation 

 of fruit for these markets became an es- 

 tablished trade and one that is hard to 

 break off, so that during 1913, the year 

 when tons of tender fruits rotted on the 

 ground in Ontario for want of markets, 

 and when calamity first stared the Niagara 

 District fruit grower in the face, the Do- 

 minion of Canada imported from the 

 United States 12,149,207 pounds of peaches, 

 6,197.700 pound's of plums, 6,026,691 pounds 

 of grapes, and 11,054,228 pounds of pears, 

 apricots, quinces and nectarines — or an 

 equivalent of 1,767 carloads of tender fruits 

 such as might have been grown at home. 

 The importation of tender fruits from the 

 United States has made a steady increase, 

 and to-day is greater than it ever has been. 



Our Fruit Commissioner's reports Indi- 

 cate that a large proportion of these im- 

 11 ?o into our Prairie markets. For 

 three weeks during the peach rush of the 

 past season arrivals in Winnipeg ran as 

 follows: First week, imported 30 cars, 

 Ontario 13 cars, British Columbia 10 cars; 

 second week, imported 22 cars, Ontario 10 

 cars, British Columbia 16 cars; third week, 

 imported 25 cars, Ontario 10 cars, British 

 Columbia 13 cars. Points further west have 

 been consuming imported fruit at a rate to 

 make ratios even more striking. Without 

 d-oubt we have let markets slip out of our 



This Year Grow 

 Bigger Crops 



|\ yf AKE up your mind that you will make each 



acre yield a bumper crop this year. Fertilize 



more thoroughly than you have ever done before. 



FERTILIZERS 



are strictly high-grade. They have proved their worth and 

 are recommended by progressive Canadian farmers from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific. They are thoroughly mixed, 

 well-balanced, complete in every way. Following are the 

 principal lines for 1916 : 



Guaranteed Analysis 



Our 1916 Fertilizer folder contains complete particulars 

 about Harab-Davies Fertilizers. Write for it. 



The Ontario Fertilizers, Limited 



West Toronto, Ontario 



SMALL FRUIT PLANTS. 

 GOOSEBERRIES— Josselyn, Red Jacket, Down- 

 Ing, Pearl, Houghton. CURRANTS— Perfection, 

 Ruby, Cherry, White Grape, Lee's Profile, Cham- 

 pion, Black Naples, Black Victoria, Boskoop Oiant. 

 RASPBERRIES — Herbert, Plum Farmer, St. Regis, 

 Cuthbert, Marlboro, Golden Queen, Brinckle's 

 Orange. GARDEN ROOTS, Strawberry Plants, 

 Rhubarb. Write for Catalogue. 

 WM. FLEMING, Nurseryman, 496-4th Ave. W., 

 OWEN SOUND. ONT. 



