General Observations and Comments Based 

 on the Survey of the Districts 



I. GRADES. 



In this report the results of the survey are presented showing the effect that 

 yield, grade and price have on the returns for the different varieties. It is not 

 practicable in a report of this nature to give such detailed directions as would 

 help the fruit-grower to improve the yields or to strengthen the market price for 

 his fruit. It does seem practicable, however, to suggest briefly the means avail- 

 able by which the percentage of No. 1 fruit may be increased relatively to 

 grades 2 and 3. 



In general, grade percentages of nearly all varieties might be considerably 

 raised by better cultural methods and by giving more attention to pruning, 

 thinning, time of picking, and methods of handling. 



The Okanagan orchards are on the whole fairly well pruned, but many 

 growers do not practise sufficiently intelligent thinning of fruit to obtain best 

 results. To do this work properly requires a knowledge of the manner in which 

 the fruit is carried on the tree by the different varieties, and also a knowledge 

 of the normal size that the fruit should be when developed. Some varieties do 

 not require heavy thinning, even though the tree may be carrying what appears 

 to be a heavy load of fruit, because the fruit is fairly evenly distributed over the 

 tree. On the other hand, some varieties have a tendency to bunch their fruit; 

 and unless such bunched apples are thinned, to allow proper development for the 

 fruit left on the tree, the percentage of No. I apples will be materially decreased. 



There is need for more information regarding the proper time to harvest 

 the different varieties of apples. A great deal of money is lost and grade per- 

 centages are lowered -by picking certain varieties at the wrong time. Invariably, 

 when apples are picked either too green or too ripe, the percentage of No. 1 

 apples is materially decreased, while the percentage of No. 3's and culls is 

 increased. The cost of handling culls is disproportionately high as compared 

 with the returns, whereas No. 1's and No. 2's will generally return a profit for 

 the time and labour spent on them. 



Again, rough handling is often responsible for low percentage of No. 1 

 apples. Some varieties, especially the early ones, bruise very easily, and must be 

 very carefully handled, otherwise they will not grade out well, and the returns 

 to the grower will be correspondingly reduced. On the score of rough handling, 

 not only is the grower frequently to blame, but the packing-house employees are 

 often guilty. It is the grower alone, however, who has to stand the loss due to 

 such abuse. A careless worker, no matter whether he is handling fruit in an 

 orchard or in the packing-house, should be dismissed; those labourers only should 

 be employed who show that they can and will handle fruit carefully. 



II. CHOICE OF VARIETIES. 



From the tables in this report it is apparent that certain varieties are con- 

 tinually bringing lower returns than others. Nor is it always the low-yielding 

 variety that brings the poorest returns. Occasionally it has been found that 

 orchards containing varieties of high quality but of a comparatively light yield 

 are fully as profitable as orchards containing varieties of inferior quality but 

 with a relatively heavy yield. (In some cases they are even more profitable.) 

 The larger crop in the second instance was not sufficient to offset the lower 

 market price of the inferior quality of fruit. 



Varieties showing high yields, high grades and high prices demand the 

 special attention of the fruit-grower. Additional planting of such varieties might 

 wisely be considered. Varieties continually producing small crops of poor quality 

 fruit which sells at low prices are, of course, practically worthless, especially if 

 grown where better varieties would grow successfully. 



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