cally useless to plant soft fruits where there is a haul of ten or twelve miles before 

 the rail is reached. Similarly, fruit may be planted in a section so far from its 

 possible markets that the transportation charges consume all the profits. The 

 districts which require transfer from boat to rail, or a transfer en route on the 

 rail-line, are handicapped over those which have main-line facilities. 



These questions all have an important bearing on the success of the softer 

 kinds of fruit, and the cost of transportation has an intimate bearing on the profiU 

 with every type of fruit. The reductions in freight rates and the improvements 

 in shipping facilities which have marked the conclusion of negotiations between 

 the British Columbia Fruit-growers' Association and the Canadian Pacific Railway 

 are already proving a tremendous advantage to many of our districts. There is no 

 way, however, of securing as cheap rates for a distant district as for one much 

 nearer the market. There is a handicap in cost and time which can only be 

 overcome by superior producing advantages or superior quality of fruit. 



The Department will be glad to advise intending shippers of the present 

 transportation rates, on both car-loads and less than car-loads, and both freight 

 and express, to the different markets available for each district. The question of 

 service is one which the intending planter can study for himself on the ground. 

 He will understand readily the advantages of nearness to markets, in time consumed, 

 in lessened handling, and in rates. 



One 'fundamental feature of the evolution of the fruit-growing industry is 

 the development of car-load shipments. These effect an economy in time, in rates, 

 in handling, and in facility of marketing. Orchards so situated that they cannot 

 readily make up car-loads for a number of years are handicapped to an extent 

 which a man who has only reached the planting stage can scarcely realize. The 

 assembly-rate principle, the adoption of which has been secured for our growers 

 by the British Columbia Fruit-growers' Association, will be of some service to 

 these scattered points, but the handicap cannot be entirely removed. The people 

 of a new district should get together and plan the development of the district, as 

 each does his own orchard, so as to secure shipment of straight car-loads at as 

 early a date as possible. 



(12.) MARKETS. 



The list of varieties selected must meet the market. This question is the one 

 which receives first consideration, and in some cases entire consideration, the 

 varieties being chosen entirely with reference to market requirements, to the 

 entire neglect of cost of production and all that enters into it. We aim to choose 

 varieties for which the net price received per box is as much above the net cost 

 of production per box as possible. Those varieties for which higher prices are 

 paid in the market are not necessarily the most profitable ones. 



It is only a few years since certain varieties, then in the nature of novelties, 

 fetched extremely high prices, and were in consequence heavily planted, and have 

 now reached the market-level warranted by their intrinsic value. It is a serious 

 mistake to plant a variety on the fashion of the moment. The effort should be 

 to plant varieties which have real intrinsic merit, and which, from the character 

 of the fruit, are likely to meet a stable market for a considerable period. It is 

 not possible for any one to forecast the market indefinitely, but we endeavour to 

 choose varieties which are likely to meet the requirements of our various markets, 

 as far as we can at present foresee the demand. 



The Canadian Prairie Provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, furnish 

 the logical market for the great bulk of the fruit produced in the Interior of the 

 Province. The consumption in the Prairies is increasing tremendously with their 

 rapid growth in population and in wealth. 



Sour cherries are usually in great demand, but they must be marketed when the 

 rush of sweet cherries is over. 



We have never supplied one-half of the demand for strawberries, but require a 

 greater organization, so as to ship car-load lots by express, to do much in this line. 



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