IMPORTATION OF FRUIT AND NURSERY STOCK. 81 



of infected nursery stock, but it is too long- to read so I will 

 just leave it here for the Society's use. The substance of it 

 is prohibiting- infected nursery stock or poor fruit from 

 coming- into the country, the Government officials to have the 

 inspection. In reg-ard to nursery stock, if the law proposed 

 by the fruit growers of Eastern Canada were passed it would 

 cause great hardship here. Our climate is very similar to 

 that of Wisconsin and fruit trees from there would be more 

 adaptable to Manitoba. I would advise planting- nothing- but 

 the very best varieties of fruit ; there is no use in wasting- 

 your time and money in putting- down poor stock. Ontario 

 people and Ontario shippers have an idea that anything- is 

 g-ood enoug-h for Manitoba, but we don't think so ; we want 

 the very best that can be grown. We are a long- distance 

 from the markets and freig-ht charg-es are hig-h and it requires 

 a considerable amount of money to handle it, so let them 

 keep their poor stock at home. I think I have never seen 

 poorer peaches than those coming- from Ontario, althoug-h 

 the}*- are able to grow very g-ood peaches. I do not think, 

 from my experience, that Ontario peaches will carry. I have 

 had friends come from the East and show me a sample of 

 what were g-ood peaches when they left home but they would 

 be all spoiled. They cannot be broug-ht in here at a profit. 

 We want to enjoy some of the g-ood fruits here as well as 

 they do there, and if they stop the importation of peaches 

 from the United States it would be a very great hardship to 

 the country. And so with apples. Take the King-, Tomp- 

 kins and Gravenstein. These three always command 1 a 

 very hig-h price in the Old Country markets, 25s. to 28s. per 

 barrel, while such as Spys and Baldwins have only broug-ht 

 as much as 16s. You see the nice profit people have in grow- 

 ing- these g-ood fruits. 



Now I will speak of the smaller fruits that we can grow 

 nearer home. A gentleman at Stonewall grows quite a num- 

 of small fruits and often he drives up to the door and his 

 g-oods look so nice that we buy them even when we do not 

 want them. Take the small item of Rhubarb or Pieplant 



