opportunities for Market Gardening in British Columbia 



IT IS only during the past few years 

 that market gardening has been con- 

 ducted by the white population in 

 British Columbia. Previously it has been 

 controlled by Chinamen, who sold their 

 produce at so low a figure that it was 

 considered unprofitable for others to en- 

 gage in the business. Since the $500 

 liead tax on Chinamen has been in oper- 

 ation, however, numerous enterprising 

 whites have entered the arena and devel- 

 oped the business to such an extent that 

 not only have they supplied the home 

 market, but they are building up an ex- 



By a British Columbian 



tion owing to the large amount of sun- 

 shine and practically no frost or snow in 

 the winter. Many gardeners make a 

 specialty of supplying the out-of-season 

 trade with greenhouse lettuce and toma- 

 toes. Others are contemplating forcing 

 rhubarb in dark sheds, cauliflower and 

 kindred vegetables in cold and hot 

 frames. As the winter is so mild, it is 

 not necessary to have such substantially 

 constructed glass houses as it is in the 

 east, or to consume so much fuel and 

 the possibilities in this direction are un- 

 limited. 



A Large Market Garden in British Columbia— Cabbages Pulled and Piled 



Vegetables may be grow n successfully in all the valleys of the province and on Vancouver Island, a particularly 

 favored district. The field illustrated is near Armstrong in the Okanagan Valley. 



tensive export trade for early vegetables 

 to that portion of British Columbia which 

 lies east of the mountains, and to the 

 provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and 

 Manitoba. In these provinces, where 

 the rigorous winter forbids the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil for five or six months in 

 the year, there is an inexhaustible mar- 

 ket for our .products. 



By a beginner contemplating entering 

 the business, a great many things must 

 first be taken into consideration. If it is 

 intended to cater to a local market, it is 

 important that he must locate near a 

 large city. On the other hand, if the in- 

 tention is to supply the eastern market, 

 then it is a question of climatic condi- 

 tions which will enable him to furnish 

 the market with vegetables for the out- 

 of-season trade. 



The southern portion of Vancouver Is- 

 land is probably the most favored sec- 



All the vegetables of the temperate 

 zone are grown to their fullest develop- 

 ment, as in the south of England. The 

 writer last year secured ten bushels of 

 thoroughly ripe tomatoes from twenty- 

 four plants. The method of cultivation 

 was as follows : In the fall the soil was 

 prepared by trenching and working in 

 thoroughly rotted stable manure into the 

 sub-soil. This was left in a rough con- 

 dition till spring, when the surface soil 

 was incorporated with well-prepared 

 manure, and made as rich as possible. 

 The plants were secured from a local 

 nurseryman, and permitted to develop 

 until they had attained a height of nearly 

 four feet, when they were severely 

 pruned of side shoots, merely leaving 

 three or four bare stalks which were 

 trained to stakes driven into the ground 

 about six inches asunder. The plants 

 required (or received) ne further atten- 



220 



tion, with the exception of an occasional 

 watering until the fruit was about Iwo- 

 thirds grown, when most of the new 

 leaves were partially cut away to admit 

 all the sunshine possible to develop and 

 ripen the fruit. This year the singk- 

 stem plan has been followed out with the 

 result that ripe tomatoes were gathered 

 on the 20th of August. 



If these results can be accomplished 

 by an amateur, surely a per.son who un- 

 derstands the business should be able to 

 do at least as well. There is no reason 

 why tomatoes should not be ripened in 

 the open during the latter part of July, 

 by potting in five inch pots, and keep- 

 ing in a cool frame until the roots begin 

 to fill the pots, and fruit to set upon the 

 \ines, before transplanting outdoors. 

 Other growers have had success in dif- 

 ferent lines ; some making a specialty of 

 raising brussels sprouts and savoy cab- 

 bage during December, borecole in Feb- 

 ruary, and green onions, etc., to meet 

 the early spring demand. 



There is no doubt that the future pros- 

 perity of the British Columbia market 

 gardener depends on his ability to sup- 

 ply the needs of the great northwest. 

 I>"nthusiasts look forward to the time 

 when this favored section will be known 

 as the California of Canada. 



Subsoiling gives best results when per- 

 formed in the autumn. 



It was erroneously ."-tated in the Sep- 

 tember issue of The Canadian Horti- 

 culturist, that the ginseng garden il- 

 lustrated on page 190, is the establish- 

 ment of Mr. J. E. Janelle, Caughnawaga, 

 Que. The cut was published to show 

 readers how a lattice shade is built. It 

 illustrates a garden in Missouri. 



Through an error in printing, Mr. 

 George Syme, Jr., the author of the 

 article on "Growing Cauliflowers for 

 Market," which appeared in the Septem- 

 ber issue, was made to say, "when 

 cauliflowers begin to form, they .should 

 be well watered and tied....". Mr. 

 Syme originally wrote watched, instead 

 of watered. 



Celery should be harvested about 

 November i. Store in the cellar by 

 placing the stalks upright in rows, with 

 the roots in sand. The rows may be as 

 close as the plants will stand. Water 

 every week. I have tried trenching in 

 the' field, the plants being covered for 

 winter wtih earth and straw, leaving 

 vent holes at the ends for the entrance 

 of air ; but that method draws dampness 

 and is not so successful as the cellar. — 

 T. W. Stephens, Aurora, Ont. 



