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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



J. W. Brandrith, Ladner, B.C. 

 One of the Delegates a d Secictary of the B.C.F.G. Assn. 



province should endeavor to publish 

 annual reports showing the amounts 

 of fruit raised, acreage under the dif- 

 ferent fruits, etc. About 12 years ago, 

 British Columbia shipped its first car- 

 load of fruit. Last year the C.P.R. 

 alone handled 4,000 tons by freight. 

 In 1903, there were one million trees, 

 in 1904 there were 1,750,000 ; in 

 1905 2,500,000, and this year, it is 

 probable nearly 1,000,000 trees will be 

 planted. He looked forward to the 

 time when, 10 years from now, British 

 Columbia will have assumed first place 

 among the provinces for fruit produc- 

 tion. Its possibilities in this direction 

 are only beginning to be realized. As 

 an evidence of what can be done, lu 

 stated that 10,000 crates of strawberries 

 were shipped last season from the 

 Kootenay district alone, where a few 

 years ago it was thought to be impos- 

 sible to raise any strawberries. He 

 spoke of the eight medals that have 

 been won by British Columbia fruit in 

 Great Britain in competition with fruit 

 from the other provinces, and conclud- 

 ed by saying that however much Brit- 

 ish Columbia growers may brag of their 

 ability to grow fruit, they are one with 

 the growers of the other provinces in 

 their desire to promote the fruit inter- 

 ests of the Dominion as a whole. 



Brief reports were presented from 

 Manitoba and Saskatchewan by Messrs. 

 Manson and Goodfellow respectively. 

 Dr. Saunders, of the Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farm, described the experi- 

 ments that have been conducted to 

 find varieties of fruit which can be 

 raised in the Northwest, and reported 

 that Mr. Stevenson, of Morden, Man., 

 last year raised 70 barrels of different 

 varieties of fruit, showing that it is 

 possible to raise fruit in that district. 

 While the results at the Experimental 

 Farms have not been very satisfactory. 



he felt encouraged with the success 

 which has attended their experiments. 



FRUIT CROP REPORTS 



The first business taken up Tuesday 

 afternoon was the consideration of 

 the gathering of fruit crop reports. The 

 following motion was submitted by 

 Mr. Peart: "Resolved that the Fruit 

 Division be asked 



1. To issue monthly reports from 

 May to .\ugust inclusive, and semi- 

 monthly from September to December 

 inclusive. 



2. That the reports should include 

 weather, general condition of trees, 

 plants, vines, bushes, insects, fungous 

 diseases, outlook or probable quantity 

 of crop and market quotations for each 

 of the provinces. 



3. That there be set forth the out- 

 look or probable crop of apples in those 



J. M. Fisk, Abbottsford, Que. 

 A. Quebec Representive to the Fruit Conference 



countries to which Canada exports 

 such as Great Britain, Germany, France, 

 South Africa, Mexico, and other coun- 

 tries where profitable markets ' may 

 be secured. 



4. That Canadian representatives in 

 the above countries be instructed to 

 cable weekly, at the proper season, 

 the prices ruling for apples and pears 

 in those countries, said cables to be 

 published in a weekly report, and in 

 such newspapers as may be willing to 

 print them. 



Mr. Graham, of Belleville, said that 

 the apple dealers spend large sums of 

 money each year to gain information 

 as to the crop conditions throughout 

 the United States and Europe, and 

 claimed that the dealers will be as glad 

 to get these reports as the growers. Mr. 

 Fisher asked what Mr. Peart meant 

 by the words, "the proper season," in 

 clause 4 of the resolution. Mr. Peart 



replied, that what was desired was 

 that just l)efore making shipments to 

 Germany, he would like to be able to 

 consult a government cable to ascer 

 tain if it would be wise to do so. 



Mr. Graham was afraid that cable 

 messages would not be as valuable as 

 crop reports, as were a cable to be re- 

 ceived raying that the Liverpool market 

 was in a satisfactory condition, it 

 might lead to a lot of fruit being shipped 

 there and the market being glutted. 

 He thought an effort should be made 

 to do away with the auction sales 

 rooms, believing that they are pro- 

 ductive of great harm to the Canadian 

 fruit industry. This remark was ap- 

 plauded. Mr. Fisher asked how such 

 reports could be secured in other 

 countries. Mr. Graham suggested that 

 the commercial agents in such centres 

 as Paris and Hamburg should place 

 themselves in touch with the fruit 

 interests and make reports. Mr. E. 

 D. Smith asked if the Department could 

 not appoint paid crop correspondents 

 in those countries. 



Mr. Fisher asked if the delegates 

 would like to discuss further the auction 

 sales method of selling fruit in Great 

 Britain. Mr. Graham said that fruit 

 has a standard value, and should not 

 be sold at prices varying from 15 to 

 20 shillings a barrel. The differences 

 in price are due to large shipments 

 being received one week, glutting the 

 market, while the following week, owing 

 to fewer arrivals, prices are forced up. 

 If British retailers knew they could 

 get all the fruit they wanted in regular 

 quantities, they would be able to con- 

 tract for it in advance, which would 

 ensure the fruit being sold at more 

 uniform prices, thereby enlarging and 

 steadying the market. 



(continued on page 99.) 



A. W. Peart, Burlington, Ont 



An Ontario Delegate to the Fruit Conference 



