FRUIT INTERESTS IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, 



der and nubbins. A few of the most 

 progressive fruit growers have passed 

 the experimental stage of the business 

 and practice thinning their growing fruit 

 with as much certainty of profitable 

 return as they do tillage or any other 

 part of the business. 



One large peach grower in New York 

 showed me an orchard in which he had 

 expended about $80 in thinning in 1897, 

 with an increase of over $2,000. This 



he knew from comparing it with another 

 orchard which was not thinned. Another 

 of the leading fruit growers of New York 

 has repeatedly stated in my hearing 

 and written me that he has been experi- 

 menting for many years with some large 

 trees of Esopus and since he began 

 thinning and spraying he has not failed 

 once to have a fair crop, and the apples 

 have always been extra large, well color- 

 ed and richly flavored. — 



FRUIT LNTERESTS IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 



In Hansard of April 26th, we read the 

 following : 



Mr. Martin asked : 



Does the (iovernment propose to initiate, 

 as advocated by Professor Robertson, any 

 scheme tor experimental spraying of fruit 

 trees ? 



If so, to what extent is it proposed to ex- 

 tend it this coming summer ? 



What sections are to be chosen for these 

 experiments ? 



Is it proposed to extend them to all the 

 provinces ? 



Is it intended that these expeiiments are 

 to be made without any charge to orchard- 

 ists? 



If not, what charge is to be made ? 



The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Fisher). 

 Professor Robertson has not advocated any 

 scheme for spraying fruit trees ; but it is pro- 

 posed to co-operate with the provincial 

 fovernment of Prince Edward Island and the 

 'rince Edward Island Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation in preparing for some trial shipments 

 of fruit by the spraying of fruit trees, and iu 

 the packing and shipping of apples in the 

 season of 1899. 



Mr. Martin is a member of parlia- 

 ment for Queens (East) Prince Edward 

 Island, where recently, thanks to a well 

 organized Fruit Growers' Association, 

 the production of apples especially has 

 received a wonderful impetus. Every- 

 body now feels compelled to walk in 

 the ways of the Association and hence 

 the keen interest of the politician who 

 scents the necessity of cooperation, in a 

 matter of vital importance to his pro- 

 vince, afar. 



When Hon. Senator Ferguson resigned 

 the presidency of the F. G. A. of P. E. 

 I., owing to enforced absence from home 

 at a season of the year when the presi- 

 dent of such a live organization would 

 need to be engaged in active work, he 

 advised, in view of a resolution passed 

 at the general meeting of the Associa- 

 tion to inaugurate a service on top- 

 grafting for the province, the placing of 

 this whole matter of orchard advance- 

 ment into the hands of Professor 

 Robertson, Dairy Commissioner for 

 Canada, of whose judgment and superior 

 intelligence on all matters pertaining to 

 Agriculture, nobody, at this late day, has 

 the slightest doubt. Down in the 

 island province Professor Robertson 

 had taught them how to make cheese — 

 had actually built the first cheese factory 

 but a few years ago and now that fair 

 province is, according to Governor 

 Howlan's happy expression, "A million 

 acre dairy farm." The whole island is 

 dotted over with cheese and butter fac- 

 tories, and their numbers will go on in- 

 creasing, for all the conditions for mak- 

 ing the best possible cheese at the least 

 possible expense obtain there. The 

 people there admire Professor Robert- 

 son and trust in him implicitly. It was 



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