July, 1908 



THE CANADIAN H O E T I C U L T U R I S T 



143 



Irrigation in British Columbia* 



A. E. Meighen, Irrigation Engineer, Kamloops, B.C. 



BOUT fifteen years ago, men be- 

 came alive to the possibilities of the 

 valleys and benches for fruit grow- 

 ling. In several localities, tracts of range 

 jand were bought up by companies, sub- 

 iivided into five, ten and twenty-acre 

 lots and irrigation systems were con- 

 fstructed. These tracts have been put 

 [on the market and have been rapidly 

 settled, adding greatly to the develop- 

 nent of wealth of the interior. The 

 frapid development and marvellous re- 

 fsults obtained on these tracts are incredi- 

 ble to persons not familiar with the bene- 

 ^fits of irrigation. 



Land which was a howling waste of 

 sage brush and bench grass, and sup- 

 porting a few head of stock, has been 

 f con verted, in a few short years, into 

 [a community of happy and contented 

 domes, where the most extensive farm- 

 ing is practised, every foot of land be- 

 ling highly cultivated, with the result 

 that a family is maintained in comfort 

 md almost affluence on ten acres of 

 land. 



THE FRUITLAND ESTATE 



A notable example of the results ob- 

 tained by a practical policy is the "Fruit- 

 land" estate of the Canadian Real Prop- 

 erties Co., at Kamloops. This estate 

 comprises 6,000 acres lying along the 



orth and South Thompson rivers. This 

 land is characteristic of the dry belt, 

 if a gently undulating surface, lending 

 itself admirably to irrigation, free from 

 "ock, stone or timber — ready for the 

 (low. The soil, being an alluvial depos- 

 it, is remarkably rich, and produces im- 



lense crops upon the application of 



ater. 



The tract was purchased by the com- 

 lany about four years ago, and the com- 

 pany immediately set to work to sub- 

 divide the land into small lots of about 

 ten acres, and to construct their irriga- 



Ition system. A main canal was built 

 seventeen miles in length along the foot- 

 hills bordering the North Thompson as 

 far as Jamieson Creek, the main source 

 of water supply. Besides their water 

 rights in Jamieson Creek the company 

 controls all the water in Noble, Gordon 

 and McQueen Creeks, whose waters are 

 diverted into the main canal as required. 

 To make assurance doubly sure this 

 company, during the last two years, has 

 been raising dams on the lakes in the 

 mountains and thus storing water to 

 provide against a possible shortage in 

 an exceptional dry season. 



After the construction of the main 

 canal the distributing laterals were built. 

 They were planned in such a way that 



'A continuation of the article on Irrigation that 

 appeared In the Juno issue. 



the water is delivered to each lot by a 

 separate gate, each man's allowance be- 

 ing measured accurately by means of a 

 weir. 



Two years ago the system was ready 

 for operation and the property was put 

 on the market. The land has sold rap- 

 idly and steadily, mostly to people who 

 settled on their land, with the result that 

 what was yesterday an unproductive 

 waste, is now a thriving community 

 where those who were fortunate enough 

 to settle are already realizing handsome 

 returns from small crops. 



SOME FRUIT RETURNS 



It is the custom of the settlers on this 

 tract, while waiting for the trees to come 

 into bearing, to plant between the tree 

 rows small crops, such as potatoes, to- 

 matoes and berries. The profits from 

 these small crops have been very satis- 

 factory" as the following figures show. 



ties for investment which will give re- 

 turns unsurpassed anywhere in the old 

 or new world. 



Chickens in an Orchard 



Is there any danger in keeping chickens 

 in an orchard that has been sprayed ? 

 Would fowls keep down the pests without 

 need ot spraying.' — A. T., Hants County, 

 N' S. 



The chickens can be kept in a sprayed 

 orchard without injury, and they will help 

 to keep down certain pests, such as cur- 

 culio. They will not keep down all the 

 insect pests, and of course can have no 

 effect whatever upon fungous diseases, 

 such as apple scab, bitter rot, and so 

 forth. Keep the fowls in the orchard, 

 and it will help both the chickens and the 

 trees — but you will still need to spra) 



, Marketing Currants 



Wm. Fleming, Owen Sound, Out. 



Currants for shipment should not be 

 so ripe when picked as for home mar- 

 ket. Every step in the ^operation of 

 harvesting and marketing should be 



Some British Columbia Peaches 



Grown in Orchard of Mr. 



Last year potatoes netted at the rate 

 of $75 an acre ; strawberries $600 ; and 

 tomatoes, $1,000. 



ROOM FOR GOOD SETTLEIJS 



These small irrigated fruit farms will 

 in the near future be a big factor in the 

 development and wealth-production of 

 this province. All that is required is 

 settlers of the right kind. British Co- 

 lumbia has been specially favored with 

 the conditions that draw the very best 

 people. A climate unequalled in Canada, 

 magnificent scenery, splendid hunting and 

 fishing — these are the considerations 

 which will draw people of culture and 

 people of wealth to the province, who, 

 at the same time, will find opportuni- 



from a Three-Year-Old Tree 



H. H. .\gur, Sumn'crland 



intelligently made. The fruit should 

 be perfectly dry and not too ripe. 



Whett picking black currants, the 

 clusters should be stripped. Those of 

 red and while currants should be pinch 

 cd off the bush carefully, so as to pre- 

 vent all possible bruising. The ])icker 

 should gather the fruit in small baskets 

 and deposit it in the shipping basket, 

 which should always be kept in the 

 shade and disturbed as little as possible. 



Ship the fruit soon after picking, as 

 a day's delay may ruin a shipment if 

 the weather is unfavorable. The fruit 

 should be shipped in eleven-quart bas- 

 kets, which should be clean and new. 

 I'ill them according to the golden rule. 



