Fruit Gro\«^ing in British Columbia and the Outlook 



I 



IN THE beginning of my experience, of 

 over forty years, with fruit growing 

 in British Cohimbia, I was inexper- 

 ienced and, in consequence, made the 

 great mistake of having too many varie- 

 ties. When an agent came along with 

 a book of plates of fancy apples, such 

 as the Alexander and Wolf River, I or- 

 dered some of them. Now, I have to 

 top-graft them, as well as other varie- 

 ties, as I find that they are not suited 

 to the demand. 



At this date, fruit-growing is down to 

 a science. The person who is going to 

 succeed in fruit-growing, requires only a 

 very few choice varieties. The fancy 

 red varieties find the readiest sale. Some 

 choice varieties that do well in the east, 

 such as the Baldwin, will not do here. 

 The Baldwin is affected with what is 

 termed the "Baldwin speck," or dry rot 

 in specks. What will do well in one 

 locality may not do well a few miles 

 distant. The best way for the beginner 

 is to carefully ascertain what variety 

 will succeed in his locality. 



WHAT TO PLANT 



For commercial apples, one needs not 

 over six varieties, and "most of them 

 red. For early summer, the Williams' 

 Favorite is early, and a nice sweet red 

 apple. Then the Duchess comes in for 

 cooking. These will do for family use, 

 or what is earlier, the Yellow Transpar- 

 ent. Then comes the Wealthy, a fine 

 reddish showy apple that will keep until 

 early winter. After this, the King, a 

 large, fine apple, comes in. A splendid 

 apple is the Spitzenburg. The Jonathan 

 is one of the nicest dessert apples, and 

 will keep fairly well. Wagener and 

 Grime's Golden are very nice. Now, 

 out of these and the Rome Beauty make 

 a selection of not more than six varieties 

 for commercial purposes. The Northern 

 .Spy is a very noted apple that does bet- 

 ter in the east than here. As it is very 

 long coming into bearing, I don't think 

 they are as profitable as some others. 



PICKING AND PACKING 



When picking fruit, one should be 

 very careful in seeing that the pickers 

 do not pull the apples, pears, plums or 

 cherries, off without the stems, as they 

 will not keep as long. Care must be 

 taken not to bruise the fruit. Nice fruit 

 does not look well in rough boxes and 

 will not sell as well. Use the nicest 

 boxes or packages that there is to be 

 had and it will pay. No bruised or 

 scabby fruit should be packed as it will 

 not keep. All peaches and pears should 

 be wrapped and packed closely together, 

 an<l the boxes or crates well filled, so 

 that the fruil will not move in transpor- 

 tation. 



Thos. G. Earle, ILytton 



Apples should remain on the trees un- 

 til ripe. Pears are best picked on the 

 green side and will ripen in the boxes 

 All apples and pears should be selected 

 of uniform size for each box and without 

 bruise or blemish. No apple or pear that 

 falls to the ground should be sold as 

 first-class fruit ; but, if sold, they should 

 be marked and sold for fruit that will 

 not keep. 



Apples should be packed in tiers and of 

 uniform size. Some will have from three 

 to six tiers, but a four-tier apple is the 

 most in demand. Apples should fill the 



would suppose that the C. P. R. would 

 try and place our fruit in the Northwest 

 promptly and properly, as we have there 

 to compete with the growers of the 

 United States. The duty on fruit is very 

 light. They can grow and put it up 

 here cheaper than we can. We have in 

 this provice as good soil and climate for 

 friHt as there is in the world, also for 

 vegetables and produce of all kinds. To 

 make a success of fruit growing, we 

 must have a fair chance of placing it 

 on the markets of the northwest. 



I wonder how we will come out wiun 



One of the Many Beau, if ui 



box closely and, before the lid is put on, 

 they ought to be about one inch above 

 the top of the box. When the lid is 

 pressed and nailed down, they may 

 bulge out in the middle. Pack closely, 

 so that they will not rattle or bruise in 

 moving the boxes. The variety and tiers 

 with the grower's name and residence, 

 must be plainly marked on the ends of 

 each box or barrel to comply with the 

 Fruit Marks Act. This is a fine thing, 

 as, if any cheating is done, it can be 

 easily shown who did it. 



As fruit-growing has come down to a 

 science, we must take pattern from the 

 Californians, as they are very expert in 

 boxing. We must be up-to-date if we 

 are going to compete with them, as we 

 surely have to do. 



POOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES 



We are badly handicapped in having 

 only one main line of railroad. They 

 charge a high rate and often side-track 

 a car with perishable fruit for days. I 

 sent last fall some apples by freight to 

 Milestone, about 600 miles; they were 

 twenty days in getting there, and were 

 spoilt ; but, of course, there was no re- 

 dress. I fail to see what good the Rail- 

 way Commission has done us as yet. One 



213 



Scenes in the Okanagan Valley 



the millions of trees that are being 

 planted come into bearing, or how those 

 that are paying exhorbitant prices for 

 all kinds of lands are coming out, es- 

 pecially those that are buying five or ten 

 acres of land and have a family to sup- 

 port. I would suppose a family would 

 want at least five acres more for a 

 house, barn and a chicken house, also a 

 cow or two, and a team. The owner 

 has to pay also for water to irrigate his 

 land and, in many localities, he is not 

 certain of even that. I am not referring 

 to those who have located at Peachland, 

 or Summerland, and some other points, 

 as they have money, and do not have to 

 depend entirely upon the fruit or produce 

 that they raise. There is a glorious future 

 for this province, but it will take time 

 to fully develop it. In order to make 

 the fruit-growers prosperous, we must 

 give them a fair show, and not deceive 

 them with the idea that they can make 

 money and prosper on five or ten acres 

 of land, as so many of the speculators 

 are doing. I have had many years of 

 experience and I hope this article may 

 do some good. I am well aware that it 

 will not suit all, even if it is plain truth. 



