BRITISH NORTH AMERICA 



BRITISH NORTH AMERICA 561 



The larger proportion of this fruit is produced in the 

 provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia, but rapidly 

 increasing quantities are grown in British Columbia. 



The fruit areas of Canada are large enough to sup- 

 ply Canada and a large part of the world with some 

 kinds of fruit, and particularly with the apple, for 

 many years to come. In the great province of Ontario, 

 220,000 square miles in area, larger than the states of 

 New York, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan together, there 

 are large districts in which apples, pears, peaches, plums, 

 cherries, grapes and the small fruits can be grown to 

 perfection. The province of Quebec is considerably 

 larger than Ontario, and while the tender fruits do not 

 succeed except in the most favored parts, apples are 

 grown in large quantities yearly. From east to west in 

 the provinces of Quebec and Ontario there is a belt of 

 about 700 miles in length in which apples and other 

 hardy fruits can be grown; while in the province of 

 Ontario alone the best winter apples, pears, and plums 

 can be grown successfully over an area about 350 miles 

 long and 30 to loO miles in width. The successful 

 cultivation of peaches in Ontario is confined to the 

 Niagara district and to points along Lake Erie and 

 Lake Huron, but the area suitable for this fruit is 

 extensive enough to supply a large population. 



Nova Scotia has long been noted for its apples. The 

 most favored districts are the Annapolis and Corn- 

 wallis valleys, where apples, pears, plums and 

 cherries can be grown and where even peaches 

 can be successfully raised. These valleys have a 

 total length of about 100 miles and vary in 

 width from 6 to 11 miles. Fruit-culture is not 

 confined to this district, as over most of the 

 province the hardier fruits can be grown suc- 

 cessfully. New Brunswick has not yet developed 

 a fruit industry to any great extent, but in some 

 of the valleys apples and other hardy fruits of 

 the finest appearance and best quality can be 

 produced. In recent years there has been a 

 marked awakening in this province and, owing 

 to the cheapness of land and the beauty and 

 quality of the fruits that can be produced, 

 there would seem to be a good future for 

 horticulture. 



Prince Edward Island, the smallest province 

 of the Dominion, produces excellent tree fruits, and, 

 owing to the late season, the apples keep better than in 

 any other part of the Dominion. Means of transporta- 

 tion are not yet good, but it is hoped that this will 

 soon be much improved. 



British Columbia, the area of which is about 370,000 

 square miles, or more than twice the size of California, 

 has large sections admirably adapted to fruits. Like 

 the states of Oregon and Washington, with which its 

 natural conditions may be compared, British Columbia 

 has a number of districts with special conditions. 

 Three of these are, (1) that in the damp coast climate 

 of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland; (2) in 

 the dry interior country where irrigation is, as a rule, 

 necessary; (3) in the Kootenays, east and west, where 

 irrigation is necessary only in places. In these districts 

 all the best fruits, including peaches in some places, can 

 be grown to great advantage. There are, however, 

 many valleys that are being found suitable for fruit- 

 culture, varying much in climate and extending from 

 the American boundary far north. 



British Columbia is expending its efforts mainly to 

 supplying the prairie provinces of Canada; and it has 

 been very successful in placing fruits on these markets 

 in good condition. The trade abroad is growing also. 

 Ontario is a close competitor of British Columbia for 

 the prairie trade, but the increase in population is so 

 rapid that it will require both provinces to supply the 

 demands for a long time to come. 



The prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan 

 and Alberta and the great territories to the north pro- 



36 



duce excellent bush fruits, but. the tree fruits have for 

 the most part not done well up to the present, although 

 the hardiest varieties of apples succeed in some of the 

 more favored localities and plums are native to Mani- 

 toba and the early varieties can be grown successfully 

 over a wide area. 



Some of the influences affecting Canadian horti- 

 culture may be mentioned. The Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farms, now sixteen in number, work upon 

 which was begun twenty-five years ago, have played an 

 important part. There are six Provincial Agricultural 

 Colleges, all of which have Experiment Stations that 

 disseminate information both through the students and 

 by literature. The Provincial Experiment Stations and 

 demonstration orchards are also doing much to explain 

 the possibilities of fruit-culture in their several dis- 

 tricts. Seven Provincial Fruit Growers' Associations 

 lend their aid in spreading a knowledge of the best 

 methods of fruit-culture and of uniting the growers in 

 cooperation and legislation. The horticultural periodical 

 literature of Canada, although represented by few 

 papers, has done much to aid fruit-, flower- and vege- 

 table-growers. 



The Fanners' Institute and orchard meetings organ- 

 ized by the Provincial Governments and assisted by the 

 Dominion Government, are very practical and helpful. 

 In the province of Ontario, a large proportion of the 



653. The fruit regions in eastern Canada. 



counties have the District Representative, a Government 

 official whose duty it is to instruct the people by word, 

 by experiment and by demonstration. 



The horticultural societies assisted by the Provincial 

 Government, of which there are seventy-five in Ontario, 

 are doing excellent work in awakening a greater interest 

 in horticulture and in spreading information, especially 

 in regard to ornamental plants. 



The apples originated by Wm. Saunders in crossing 

 the wild Siberian crab-apple, Pyrus baccata, and the 

 varieties of the apple, have enabled the settlers in the 

 prairie provinces to grow at least small apples where 

 larger ones do not succeed; and the larger-fruited varie- 

 ties obtained by Saunders, by introducing more of the 

 blood of the apple into the first crosses, are now being 

 tested for hardiness, and, if found worthy, will mark a 

 step in advance. 



All these factors affecting horticultural conditions 

 and progress have been made still more effective by the 

 cooperative movement that has in recent years made 

 much progress in Canada. In the provinces of Ontario 

 and Nova Scotia are many cooperative associations 

 that now have central organizations where plans affect- 

 ing the weliare of all the associations are discussed. 

 These associations are doing much to make the fruit 

 marketed of more uniform character and to bring better 

 returns to the producer. One of the best influences in 

 the improvement of horticultural products in Canada 

 is the Fruit Marks Act (now the Inspection and Sales 

 Act) passed in 1901, and operative over the whole of 

 Canada. By this Act, growers are compelled to pack 



