MEETING OF NOVA SCOTIA FRUIT GROWERS. 



'HE 31st annual meeting- of the Nova 

 Ijj^ Scotia Fruit Growers' Association 

 ^j has passed into history. In point of 

 attendance and in the interest shown in the 

 discussion, it was one of the best ever held 

 by this association, though there was great 

 diversity of opinion on most of the subjects 

 considered. The transportation problem, 

 spraying and agricultural education were the 

 three principal questions discussed, though 

 there were a number of others of consider- 

 able importance. 



President J. \V. Bigelow, in his annual 

 address, stated that he could find no record 

 of any export of fruit grown in North Amer- 

 ica in 1801, which has developed in the last 

 century to a product now valued atover four 

 hundred million dollars a year. In Canada 

 the annual value of fruit grown may be safe- 

 ly estimated at eight million dollars, and in 

 Nova Scotia it has passed the one million 

 dollar mark annually. The past year has 

 been one of the most disappointing and un- 

 profitable for fruit culture in Nova Scotia 

 ever recorded. Starting in June, with 

 abundant blossoms, our apple crop develop- 

 ed unfavorably, with a yield of less than 

 300,000 bbls. of inferior fruit, one-half of 

 which never should have been marketed, and 

 one-third of which was lost in drops and 

 culls ; and having to compete with a good 

 crop of superior fruit from U. S. and Ontario, 

 as well as Europe, in foreign markets, the 

 price has ranged from to $2 per barrel, 

 and in many cases money has been remitted 

 to pay expenses. A number of unfavorable 

 conditions conspired to render this year's 

 fruit business unfavorable : ist — An un- 

 usually mild winter, with frequent cold 

 changes, injured the fruit buds ; 2nd — A 

 cold, wet May produced an increased fun- 

 gous and insect development ; 3rd — A ter- 

 riffic windstorm, on the 12th September, 



destroyed one-fourth of the best of the fruit, 

 and injured both trees and fruit ; 4th — An 

 unusually severe frost, early in October, in- 

 jured the fruit and produced a skin rot ; 5th 

 — The worst class of steamers ever employ- 

 ed in the carrying trade, cooked and practi- 

 cally destroyed the fruit during the 15 to 20 

 days cargo was in transit. The plum crop, 

 where carefully cultivated, was abundant, 

 and is estimated at twelve thousand baslcets 

 (10 lbs. each). Pears were a good crop, 

 and of fair average quality. Peaches, 

 strawberries and other berries were a good 

 crop, and brought remunerative prices. 



The 200 bottles of fruit in acid, and 80 

 boxes and 30 barrels of Nova Scotia fruit 

 sent to Paris Exhibition, and exhibited in 

 cold storage by the Canadian Government, 

 proved to be one of the most important and 

 attractive exhibits of food products of the 

 world there shown, and our Nonpareils and 

 other long keepers were shown, after being- 

 twelve months in cold storag-e, perfect in 

 flavor and keeping quality. The exhibit of 

 food products from Canada at Paris has de- 

 veloped our trade to all parts of the world, 

 and orders for Canadian apples are now be- 

 ing filled from almost every country. The 

 bottled fruits shown at Paris, supplemented 

 by 65 Cochran cases of this season's crop 

 of apples, will be staged in the exhibit at 

 Glasgow, Scotland, from May ist to Nov. 

 I St, 1 90 1. 



The School of Horticulture is progressing 

 most favorably under the able direction of 

 Prof. Sears, with 64 students, representing 

 nearly every county in the province, and 

 many from N. B., P. E. I., and England. 

 Prof. Sears' lectures through the province, 

 on practical points of fruit culture are devel- 

 oping an interest in fruit culture of great 

 value, and the fact is being demonstrated 

 that every county can raise superior fruits in 



