The demand for raspberries, blackberries, and other small fruits is now largely 

 supplied by imported fruit, and in this case, as in strawberries, the great necessity 

 is for greater production and organization, so as to market in straight car-loads 

 by express. 



There is considerable outlet for a further supply of sweet cherries, but not of 

 the softer and light-coloured varieties, the dark cherries being in demand. 



Early plums have always paid a remunerative price, and as a rule late plurns 

 and prunes have also been very satisfactory. The latter are used more largely for 

 preserving purposes, and on this account shipments should be made in the cheapest 

 package viz., the peach-box. Early varieties of peaches of nearly all kinds fetch 

 remunerative prices, but later in the season only yellow-fleshed and freestone varieties 

 are desired; indications are that, even with proper kinds, peach prices are likely to 

 be comparatively unremunerative for several years. 



It is likely that present plantings of peaches will largely take care of this market. 

 In pears the demand has, as a rule, been very good, and fully warrants the extensive 

 plantings made in recent years, and we believe, also, further plantings in those 

 districts suitable for commercial pear-culture. The Prairie demand for apples, both 

 early and late, has heretofore been very good, and is likely to continue so. As a 

 rule, red apples are desired, and the higher grade and larger sizes, which lind 

 favour in the big cities, are not so much desired as medium-sized, well-coloured 

 fruit at a moderate price. The varieties of apples recommended are calculated to. 

 meet this demand. Our problem will be to get our share of the trade, and do it at 

 a reasonable profit. 



Our great problem in the Prairie and Coast markets is most certainly that of 

 our competition. The fruit of Ontario and Nova Scotia has a more or less distinct 

 market of its own, but the North-western States, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and 

 Montana, compete directly with us in our own lines, and at the present time supply 

 the bulk of the trade. It has been assumed that, as our production increased, these 

 markets would come to us naturally and without difficulty by reason of our advant- 

 ages of lower freight rates and the protecting Customs tariff. Actual experience in 

 the past three years demonstrates that the task will be a much more difficult one. 

 Our competitors to the south have several advantages, which at present more than 

 offset ours mentioned above: an earlier season which enables them to supply the 

 markets before our fruit is ripe ; an older industry, with all that it means in skilful 

 production, packing, and selling; lower costs of labour, money, supplies, and of 

 living; an established trade in our natural markets, which they have supplied in 

 larger measure than we have up to the present; and the control of many of the 

 Prairie fruit-jobbing houses by one body of United States men and capital. 

 Obviously, some of these advantages will be overcome naturally in the rapid 

 increase of our production, but the market will not become ours without effort, 

 and, perhaps, not without considerable expenditure for a separate distributing 

 organization. 



This American competition in the markets of Western Canada is perhaps the 

 greatest problem of our industry to-day, and it promises to remain a big question 

 for some time. 



In observing the general trend of crops and prices as they will affect our future 

 markets, it is worth noting that in the decade 1900-1910 the production of various 

 soft fruits in the United States increased much more rapidly than the population. 

 Plums and prunes increased 76 per cent. ; apricots, 57 per cent. ; cherries 43 per cent. ; 

 grapes, 100 per cent. ; and peaches, over 100 per cent. Since 1910 the tendency has 

 beeai to still further increase, the 1912 crop being much the largest yet produced and 

 far exceeding 1910, which was the largest up to that time. 



A similar increase in production has taken place in Eastern Canada, while the 

 fruit industry of British Columbia has been practically created since 1900. 



Under these circumstances of production, it would not be right to expect a 

 general high range of prices for the soft fruits in our competitive markets, and this 

 would affect us more severely than others, because of our present higher costs of 

 production and the fact that our fruits come on the markets when prices are lowest. 



18 



