July, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



185 



The Refrigerator Car Service 



G. E. Mcintosh, Forest, Ont. 



The supply of refrigerator cars was a seri- 

 ous matter to fruit growers a few years ago, 

 and while even now there are times when 

 considerable delay is experienced, yet the 

 service has greatly " improved. Realizing 

 the importance of having cars when the 

 fruit is ready to move, I have endeavored 

 on behalf of the Ontario Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation, to impress this upon the railway 

 representatives, and have the past two 

 years been able to supply them before the 

 rush comes, with a fair estimate of the 

 number of cars that would be required and 

 the probable shipping period at each point. 

 This has been appreciated by the railways, 

 and they have assured me that it is a great 

 help in arranging for an adequate supply of 

 cars. 



One of the railway companies which fruit 

 t; rowers criticized two years ago for having 

 gone behind in its refrigerator car equip- 

 ment from 955 cars in 1908 to 941 cars in 

 1912, is to-day credited with having 1,990 re- 

 frigerator cars, while other lines have also 

 made some increases, there being 4,716 re- 

 frigerator cars to-day, compared with 2,466 

 in 1909. It requires an equivalent of say 

 100,000 cars to market the fruit and vege- 

 table crop of Ontario. These cars have an 

 average haul of 216 miles. The total box 

 and refrigerator car equipment of all the 

 railways operating in Canada is 151,323, so 

 that approximately two-thirds of the entire 

 freight car supply would be required to 

 move the output of this great industry. 



In 1914 during the apple movement in 

 Ontario more refrigerator cars were re- 

 quired for fruit than all the Canadian rail- 

 ways possessed. However, we appreciate 

 the fact that the supply is now being in- 

 creased. In 1909 there was one refrigerator 

 car for every 2,023 of the population. To- 

 day there is one for every 1,696 of the popu- 

 lation. 



The Mcintosh Apple 



C. B. Hatchings, Macdonald Collepc, Que. 



The headquarters for the production and 

 marketing of the Mcintosh apple are in the 

 province of Quebec. It thrives best along 

 the banks and .streams of the St. Lawrence 

 River and will be found in every orchard, 

 small and big, growing beside Its celebrated 

 ancestor the Fameuse. 



The supply of this apple has not kept pace 

 with the demand. Prices are good and 

 steady. No. I's in boxes readily bring $2.50, 

 while the .same quality in barrels are 

 bought for $4,50 and $5.00. In the face of 

 these facts of steady demand, good prices 



(the excellent qualifications of the 

 (t, it is strange that the supply is so 

 [ted. An investigation into this matter, 

 Je by the Quebec Pomological Society 

 l912 and 1913, proved that the orchards 

 the majority of the farmers and fruit 

 growers were grossly neglected. With but 

 few exceptions, such as at Abbotsford, Sher- 

 brooke, Farnham and Knowlton, and some 

 of the larger commercial orchards, the trees 

 were left untouched. Very little cultivation 

 or pruning was done. Few men did any 

 spraying and still fewer considered the all 

 important matter of grading and packing. 

 The fruit was often sold on the trees to the 

 first buyer who came along, or disposed of 

 to middlemen. A lack of unity, ignorance 

 and carlessness were found to be the three 

 main reasons responsible for this unbusi- 

 llesslike condition. 



• Something should be done to arouse our 

 lebec fruit growers to their responaibili- 



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