Practical Pointers from Practical Men 



PicKed up and Penned by A. B. Cutting', D.S.A., the Special Representative of TKe Horticulturist, 



Visiting tKe Homes of Fruit and Vegfetable Gro-wers 



■wHc 



THE privilege and the pleasure afforded me, 

 during the past few weeks, of visiting some 

 of the fruit and vegetable farms of this prov- 

 ince, more particularly along the shore of Lake 

 Ontario, between Toronto and Hamilton, has 

 given me the opportunity of hearing at "first 

 hand", the opinions of growers on different 

 phases of their various pursuits. I have picked 

 up pointers on proper methods of orchard man- 

 agement, on market economics, on the tariff 

 question and on other topics of interest to the 

 readers of The Canadian Horticulturist. 



From observations made in certain localities 

 it would seem that some of our local fruit and 

 vegetable growers' associations are not taking 

 full advantage of their opportunities during 

 the winter months. In some places, these or- 

 ganizations hold meetings only once, twice or 

 perhaps three times a year, and then only for 

 business purposes. The business factors of the 

 fruit industry are important, and too much at- 

 tention can scarcely be given them, but they 

 are not of more consequence than the factor of 

 orchard management. Some associations dis- 

 cuss only the questions of markets and market- 

 ing. They fail to realize that there is always a 

 market for the best in any commodity, but that 

 the best is not always produced. In the fruit 

 industry there is a most decided surplus of the 

 ordinary. For this reason it is of advantage 

 for each association to meet at least once a 

 month during the winter season, as I find is the 

 custom of the most progressive organizations, 

 for the purpose of discussing and exchanging 

 ideas on pruning, spraying, cultivation and on 

 all the maiiy practices that are needed in the 

 production of high grade fruit. Such "ex- 

 perience" meetings should be more informal 

 than those visited once or twice a year by 

 speakers from the Department of Agriculture. 

 By carrying on a series of local meetings, some 

 of our associations, now inactive in this respect, 

 would profit by the change. 



FRUIT WORK IN CLARKSON 



One of the most progressive local fruit grow- 

 ers' associations is in Clarkson. The officers 

 are: Wm. Oughterd, president; Robt. Shook, 

 secretary; and Wm. Clements, treasurer. Reg- 

 ular meetings are held on the first Saturday of 

 each month, when all questions relating to 

 fruit are freely and thoroughly discussed. The 

 area devoted to fruit growing in Clarkson is 

 taken up largely with small fruits, followed, in 

 order of extent of culture, by apples, cherries, 

 pears and plums. Next season, according to 

 Mr. Clements, about 1,000,000 quarts of small 

 fruits will be grown. The association buys all 

 the working material for the members, includ- 

 ing barrels, crates and berry boxes. They 

 have a trade mark for their packages registered 

 in Ottawa so that returnable crates and boxes 

 can be claimed and located when lost, strayed 

 or stolen. 



OUR TARIFF ON FRUITS 



Although the Ontario Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation, in convention assembled in Toronto 

 last November, decided not to ask for a higher 

 tariff on fruits, and although the stand of the 

 association is supported by the opinion of fruit 

 growers in general, yet there are some who 

 claim that the action of the association is not 

 in accord with the best interests of the indus- 

 try. Mr. P. Y. Babcock, a well-known shipper 

 of Buriington, believes that we need a material 

 increase in the duties. In the words of Mr. 

 Babcock: "The Canadian fruit grower is handi- 

 capped by climatic conditions, by a high Am- 

 erican tariff, and by the high cost of labor, and 

 should be protected against foreign importa- 

 tions by a higher tariff. In support of this, I 

 can get hundreds of names in the Niagara dis- 



trict to sign a petition for more tariff." Mr. E. 

 Thorpe, Burlington, in his own ])eculiar way, 

 supports the views of Mr. Babcock, and said 

 to the writer: "I'll bet money that those fel- 

 lows at the fruit convention who don't want 

 more tariff must have had a jag on. We cer- 

 tainly want more duty on strawberries and on 

 early vegetables. Under the present tariff we 

 cannot sell at a paying figure in Toronto on 

 account of competition from over the line." 

 Another grower, and a neighbor of Mr. Thorpe's, 

 tbinks differently, as he told the writer that he 

 did not fear competition from American fruits, 

 as home-grown fruit is far superior in appear- 

 ance and quality to that imported from the 

 other side. In the face of these pertinent ex- 

 pressions of opinion, it is fit to remark that, 

 when growers themselves fall out, the tariff is 

 safe. 



THE FRUIT DIVISION AT OTTAWA 



Many and to the point are the comments 

 from growers regarding the placing of the fruit 

 division at Ottawa under the control of the 

 dairy commissioner. That this condition of 

 affairs should not be is the unanimous opinion 

 of fruit growers everywhere I go. That the 

 chief of the fruit division of this country should 

 be given a back seat and made subservient to 

 the dairy commissioner or any other commis- 

 sioner is most humiliating to the fruit growers 

 and not conducive to the extension of fruit 

 work. On all sides I hear a general tone of 

 disapproval and protest against this action of 

 the Dominion Minister of Agriculture. 



Among the many growers who have ex- 

 pressed their opinions on this subject, Mr. J. S. 

 Freeman, Freeman, Ont., said: "The fruit in- 

 dustry of Canada is large enough and far enough 

 advanced to warrant the appointing of a fruit 

 commissioner, responsible only to the Minister 

 of Agriculture. The fruit division should be 

 placed on a par with the dairy and other divi- 

 sions and should be given the place its import- 

 ance deserves." 



On this question Mr. J. C. Smith, Burling- 

 ton, remarked: "I think that the fruit division 

 should receive more than second-hand atten- 

 tion. The fruit industry has attained enor- 

 mous proportions, and this should be recog- 

 nized by the appointment of a fruit commis- 

 sioner separate from the dairy division, and 

 responsible only to the Minister." 



FRAUDULENT PACKING AND SELLING 



Another matter referred to by a prominent 

 shipper in Burlington was the fact that the 

 Dominion force of fruit inspectors should be 

 increased at least threefold. Although the 

 present inspectors are competent and are do- 

 ing excellent work, they cannot be everywhere 

 at the same time. "During the past season," 

 said the shipper referred to, ' ' some very marked 

 cases of fraudulent packing have come under 

 my personal notice. In particular, I can cite 

 the case of buyers coming here from France 

 who were taken advantage of by the packers 

 in a certain section of Ontario. I saw in one 

 house, growers packing windfalls for XXX 

 fruit, the packers were boasting alx)ut how they 

 were soaking the poor Frenchmen, and this 

 was going on right in the face of the inspectors." 

 This is a most deplorable state of affairs, and 

 should not be allowed to occur another season. 



When speaking of our foreign commerce in 

 fruits, Mr. J. C. Smith said: "I do not think 

 that peaches and plums can ever be shipped 

 regularly and with success from here to England. 

 Our peaches haven't the body, the dryness and 

 the carrying qualities of western fruit, and should 

 not be expected to compete with the California 

 fruit in the foreign market. Furthermore, we 

 haven't yet secured a system of refrigeration 



20 



that can be depended upon to carry fruit safely 

 to England. The best kind of refrigeration, 

 however, is of no value unless we first cool our 

 fruit before it enters the car for transport to the 

 seaboard. Present refrigerator cars cannot cool 

 fresh picked fruit quickly enough. Fruit must 

 first be cooled for Ijest results; it will save ice 

 also, as the cars can then go from here to Mon- 

 treal without re-icing." 



A letter from England to the Biggs Fruit and 

 Produce Co., Ltd., Burlington, says, in part: 

 ''Prices for apples are now good — Kings most 

 in demand, some selling as high as 9s. per 40 

 pound box. We advise the wrapping of all 

 Spy apples, as they are so easily bruised. Th^ 

 more I see of the Biggs case the better I like it. 

 The first impression is undoubtedly unfavorable, 

 but as soon as buyers get used to them, they 

 go with a swing." 



IT PAYS TO SPRAV 



"This year I had buyers in my orchard com- 

 peting against each other for my crop of apples, 

 which averaged 75% XXX stock. I credit the 

 excellence of the crop to good pruning and culti- 

 vation, and particularly to the methods of 

 spraying that were employed, as recommended 

 by Prof. Lochhead, of Guelph, and by The 

 Canadian Horticulturist. Systematic spray- 

 ing gives results. Three years ago, when spray- 

 ing was not practised in this orchard, I could 

 scarcely sell my apples for any price, because 

 they were unsound and undersized." So said 

 Mr. A. C. Cummins, of Burlington, who is a 

 firm behever in the value of spraying, and quite 

 rightly, for his apples the past season, particu- 

 larly his Spys, were among the finest grown in 

 the Burlington district. 



pears for the BURLINGTON DISTRICT 



Mr. Wm. F. W. Fisher, president Burlington 

 Horticultural Association, is the owner and man- 

 ager of one of the best fruit farms in his locality. 

 Among the many kinds of fruit grown on his 

 place, the pear is very much in evidence. The 

 writer happened upon Mr. Fisher in the act of 

 directing and assisting the pruners in a young 

 orchard of dwarf pears, and obtained a few 

 pruning pointers that are of value to all. "As 

 far as the time for pruning is concerned," re- 

 marked Mr. Fisher, "I believe somewhat in the 

 old rule 'whenever the knife is sharp,' particu- 

 larly here where labor is scarce, but for ideal 

 results pears should be pruned in late winter 

 for wood growth, and in early summer to induce 

 fruitfulness The form of the tree should be 

 kept in mind and made pyramidal, a central 

 axis should be maintained as far as possible, 

 the superfluous limbs and all branches that rub 

 and cross should be removed, and the remain- 

 ing branches should be well headed back, prun- 

 ing away about two-thirds of the new growth." 



Mr. Fisher recommends for his district the 

 Bartlett, which is the best of all; Boussock, an 

 old variety of same season, good size, fair qual- 

 ity, with tree free from blight, not very early 

 bearers, but long-lived; Duchess, an excellent 

 export pear; Howell and Kieffer. 



BUSH fruit culture 



A method of pruning red raspberries prac- 

 tised by B. E. Chapman, of Bronte, is very 

 effective, even though it does appear as though 

 the same ground is gone over twice. Mr. Chap- 

 man adopts the hill system of culture and 

 prunes three times during the year. In sum- 

 mer he nips back the new growth as soon as it 

 has reached the height of the fruiting canes, 

 say three and a half feet. After the berries are 

 harvested, he hooks out all old canes and all 

 new ones above six in number. The following 

 spring he prunes back all canes that may have 



