A chemical soil analysis to determine the lime require- 

 ments of soil samples taken in the nine counties wherein 

 these deposits of lime rock occur, disclosed the fact that in 

 the top soil, represented by these samples, from two to three 

 tons of pulverized limestone were required to neutralize 

 soil acidity. Herein was disclosed the probable cause of 

 the low crop yields per acre. Farmers wanted cheap lime 

 and, since it was not available in any quantity, the problem 

 of its manufacture and of meeting the farmer half-way in 

 his desire to secure ground limestone, was referred to the 

 Minister of the Department of Agriculture to take action. 



It was decided in 1920 that, in the interests of the agri- 

 cultural industry, the Government of the province would 

 equip a modern lime-pulverizing plant of such capacity 

 that the peak-load of demand, which occurs in the spring 

 months, could be handled. The railways offered conces- 

 sions of tariff, to apply to the shipments of agricultural lime, 

 and the comprehensive policy of supplying cheap lime was 

 fulfilled in the purchase by the Government of a lime quarry, 

 so situated as to command excellent transportation facili- 

 ties, and of rock-crushing machinery capable of an output 

 of eighty tons a day. 



Plant Installed at Brookville 



The grinding plant was installed at Brookville and a 

 contract entered into with the contractors, now the Brook- 

 ville Manufacturing Company, to supply ground limestone 

 at three dollars per ton in bulk, f. o. b. Brookville, and to 

 pay a royalty of twenty-five cents per ton to the Govern- 

 ment Treasury. The factory, a three story building, has 

 the most modern equipment of lime crushing machinery in 

 Canada. This consists of a large jaw crusher for coarse 

 crushing, a ring-roll pulverizing mill and steel equipment 

 for screening, elevating, conveying, weighing and sacking, 

 installed by the Sturtevant Mill Company, Boston. The 

 jaw crusher used for the preliminary breaking of the rock 

 and preparing it for the pulverizing mill, is of cast steel 

 design with a jaw opening of 14" x 24". The moving jaw 

 is hung from the top so that where the large rocks are first 

 nipped the jaw motion is the least. After the first fracture 

 the partially crushed pieces pass down between the jaws 

 toward thedischarge, at which point the motion is maximum, 

 crushing the rock to pieces of egg size which then are con- 

 veyed by a chute to the pulverizer. A 75 H. P. electric 

 motor supplies the power for driving the crushing and 

 pulverizing machinery, as well as operating a compressed- 

 air apparatus by which the drilling for the quarrying of 

 the stone is done. 



Industry Now Firmly Established 



The cost of producing agricultural lime closely ap- 

 proaches the contract selling price at which the Brookville 

 Mfg. Co. operate. The manufacturers' hope rests in the 

 disposing of a large output evenly distributed during the 

 fall, winter and spring months. The items which make up 

 the costs are: quarrying, drilling, shooting and sledging the 

 stone to a proper size for crushing; wages for superintend- 

 ence and mill help; replacing of worn parts of machinery, 

 power and interest on investment. 



The patronage extended to the operators of lime grind- 

 ing plants during the past year indicates that in the future 

 the grinding of limestone will be a very important industry. 

 The output of the Government-owned Brookville quarry 

 for the provincial fiscal year ended Oct. 3 1st, was six thou- 

 sand six hundred and sixty-six tons. Other private oper- 

 ators sold a considerable quantity, which, with the quantity 

 ground at Brookville, aggregate ten thousand tons. 



Testimonies of the high estimation held by farmers of 

 pulverized limestone as a soil amendment for increasing 

 crops, and particularly as a fertilizer for red clover, manifest 

 that greater quantities will be used in future years, and 

 the stability of this local industry is thereby assured. 



Loganberries in British Columbia 



An attempt is being made by the Provin- 

 cial Department of Agriculture to stimulate the 

 production of loganberries in the Pacific coast 



province of British Columbia, to induce more 

 berry growers to include the loganberry in their 

 crops and encourage newcomers to secure the 

 fertile vacant lands of the Pacific slopes for this 

 purpose. This endeavor has the best of support 

 and justification in the proved adaptability of 

 the province's soil and climate to this culture 

 and in the unqualified success which has so 

 far attended efforts which have been promoted 

 on a small scale. The drawback which grow- 

 ers previously experienced in the lack of mar- 

 kets has largely been overcome, and the demand 

 for the berry and its products is on the increase 

 as their peculiarly desirable qualities are be- 

 coming more generally known and find wider 

 favor. There would appear to be a decidedly 

 bright and promising future ahead of this in- 

 dustry in British Columbia and the pursuit will 

 provide a profitable living to many growers. 



Loganberries are, so far, a fruit peculiar to 

 the central Pacific coast of North America. 

 Though this fruit was first produced in Califor- 

 nia, it was not in this State that the berry was 

 brought to its state of perfection or made for 

 itself a place on the market. Loganberries must 

 have a climate that is damp and cool, with no 

 hard frosts. A warm but not hot climate is 

 desirable, whilst the salt sea air is especially 

 conducive to the healthiest and finest growth. 

 Such a climate is found west of the Cascade 

 Mountains in the Columbia river basin as far 

 as thirty-five or forty miles north of the inter- 

 national boundary. It has even been suggested 

 that the equable climate of the North British 

 Columbia coast would suit the loganberry ex- 

 cellently. A promising area is the west coast 

 of Vancouver Island. 



A Revenue of $40,000 



In 1920 the total acreage in British Colum- 

 bia devoted to the culture of the loganberry 

 was 226 acres, less than one half of one square 

 mile, 91 acres being on Vancouver Island and 

 135 acres on the Mainland. The total revenue 

 derived from this acreage was $40,642. 

 total of 2,105 crates of the fresh fruit were mar 

 keted at prices ranging from $4.15 to $4.50 pe 

 crate, and accounting for $9,216.80; 158,672 

 pounds of jam sold at 19 and 20 cents per pounc 

 realized $31,425.20. Taking the whole revenue 

 together an acre of this fruit was worth approx- 

 imately $180 to the growers. 



Loganberry juice is just coming into world- 

 wide demand. There is a tang about it which 

 no other fruit juice has, and it appeals to the 

 palates of those who have been accustomed to 

 stronger liquors. Loganberry jelly is also growing 

 rapidly in popularity and is much in request. Since 

 the advent of loganberries among the world's 

 fruits seven years ago, they have rapidly passed 

 the pioneer growing stage and have fully entered 

 into the class of fruits scientifically produced. 

 The market for the fruit and its products has 



44 



