54 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



For a great many years Liverpool, London 

 and Glasgow were the only foreign points to 

 which our apples were consigned, but of 

 late one port after another has been calling 

 for them until now we have before us the 

 choice out of at least a dozen foreign mar- 

 kets competing for our shipments. This 

 competition, together with the improved 

 methods of growing and packing, which our 

 association is rapidly bringing about among 

 Ontario Fruit growers, means much for the 

 future in apple growing in Ontario. Among 

 the more recent markets calling out to us 

 for increased shipments of apples, is Ham- 

 burgh, a distributing centre for the great 

 cities in the interior of Europe. As a rule 

 green apples are not much in demgind in 

 Hamburgh, because green cooking apples 

 are produced in great quantity in Germany ; 

 but our fancy red stock is highly prized. 

 Mr. Tweddle of Fruitland, however, says 

 that his shipments of Greenings have created 

 a great impression on account of their excel- 

 lent quality, and he believes he will succeed 

 in working up a demand for this variety. 



Of the markets for our apples which have 

 opened up during the season just passed is 

 the great country of South Africa, to which 

 a shipment has been made of 250 bis. and 

 1828 boxes, Burlington and Grimsby contri- 

 buting. We shall await the results with 

 great interest. 



In the pamphlet referred to, credit is 

 given to the Canadian Fruit Marks Act for 

 the establishment ot the Canadian XXX, or 

 No. I, brand as fairly uniform, a thing that 

 has never been known before. This brand 

 seems likely to gain the confidence of buyers 

 in foreign markets, and to lead to f. o. b. 

 sales, at shipping points in Ontario, a con- 

 dition which will be of the utmost value to 

 our fruit growers. 



THE NIAGARA DISTRICT FRUIT GROWERS. 



THIS body of practical fruit growers met 

 at St. Catharines on Saturday, the 

 3rd of January, and in the election of officers 



for the new year chose Mr. D. J. McKinnon, 

 of Grimsby, president, and Mr. C. E. Fisher, 

 of Queenston, secretary. The Fruit Marks 

 Act was criticised, (i) as causing many 

 growers to be afraid to pack their own ap- 

 ples, and (2) as leading many growers to 

 mark their first-class apples No. 2, in order 

 to be quite safe from the dreaded inspector ; 

 and (3) as being a violation of individual 

 rights. Inspector McNeill was present and 

 explained that the inspectors were the 

 friends and not the enemies of the fruit 

 grower, and that there was no inclination on 

 their part to prosecute except in cases where 

 there were evidences of intentional fraud. 

 On the whole, a general feeling of approval 

 of the Act prevailed, unless with regard to 

 one or two minor clauses, which may be 

 more carefully considered at a later date. 



THE TRANSPORTATION OF FRUIT 



WAS one important topic under discus- 

 sion, and it resulted in the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. D. J. McKinnon, the president, 

 and Mr. W. H. Bunting, president of the 

 Ontario Fruit Growers' Association, as a 

 delegation to Ottawa, in company with the 

 representatives of other bodies, to urge upon 

 the Government the appointment of a Rail- 

 way Commission. 



The discussion on this subject was ably 

 introduced by Mr. W. L. Smith, Secretary 

 of the Farmers' Association and Editor of 

 the Weekly Sun, and from his address we 

 take the following points : 



" The importance of the question of trans- 

 portation to the Niagara fruit-growers is 

 indicated by the statement that the district 

 is producing about $2,000,000 worth of 

 fruit annually, and that practically all of the 

 fruit is carried to market by rail. Under 

 present conditions the railways are able to 

 say how much of the price received for the 

 fruit produced shall go to the grower and 

 how much shall be retained by the carrying 

 company for taking it to market. 



