4 



to do the same. Thorough drainage is essential, and if necessary artificial 

 drainage should be given, though it is usually not wise to plant on soils which 

 need tilling to make an orchard possible. The trees may be fall or spring- 

 planted, depending on the climate. Generally speaking, on Vancouver Island 

 and in the Kootenay, fall-planting is better, while on the Lower Mainland 

 and in the Dry Belt, spring-planting is better. 



It is better even if one season is lost, to have the ground in thorough 

 condition before planting, than to plant out on poorly-prepared land. The 

 year lost will be more than made up before the trees come into bearing. 



SELECTION OF TREES. 



Where possible, the planter should inspect the trees at the nursery as 

 he buys them. As a rule, good, well-grown yearlings are preferable, and 

 the Board of Horticulture recommends that you deal with a sound, reliable 

 nurseryman, who has a reputation to maintain, and who is under bond to the 

 Provincial Board of Horticulture. For particulars regarding this bond, write 

 to the Department of Agriculture asking for a copy of the Horticultural 

 Regulations ; and as for further information with regard to the choice of sites 

 and soil, the preparation of the ground, the selection of trees, and the proper 

 planting and pruning of trees, a new bulletin will shortly be issued by the 

 Department covering these points. 



Where and How to Buy. 



The following is an excerpt from a circular letter issued by the Deputy 

 Minister of Agriculture and the Inspector of Fruit Pests, dated 8th November, 

 1902 : 



" Unless a fruit-grower is undertaking experiments and we do not for 

 a moment attempt to discourage such enterprise we would strongly urge 

 fruit-growers who are starting orchards for commercial purposes to buy only 

 those varieties of fruit trees which, from previous experience, have proved 

 themselves to be of value, and to avoid all varieties which are unknown, or 

 are not well known to be profitable. Do not trust to the word of a tree- 

 pedlar ; the chances are that he is more ignorant of the wares he is attempting 

 to sell than the prospective purchaser. In most cases those varieties of fruit 

 trees for which extraordinary claims are made turn out to be worthless, and 

 the unlucky purchaser finds himself out, first in the actual cost of the trees, 

 which, after all, is the least; but, in the second place, that which is impos- 

 sible to estimate, viz., the loss of years of waiting, to find out at last that 

 the trees are worthless and have to be rooted out ; leaving him not only worse 

 off than he w r as in the first place, but without recourse against anyone." 



Whilst in no way depreciating the extra-provincial nurseries, it is a 

 self-evident fact that acclimatised nursery stock is preferable to imported 

 stock, and, therefore, it is recommended that, when possible, trees should be 

 obtained from local nurserymen. The wisdom of this advice is, I believe* 

 sound, for the following reasons: Being acclimatised, no time is lost in 

 adaptation to the new conditions; being freshly taken up and transplanted, 

 the risk of loss by drying out and by frost are so minimised that very few 



