THE Cx\NADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



157 



Prince Ed"ward Island Letter 



Rev. Father A. E. BvirKe, Alberton 



FOLLOWING closely on the demand made 

 at Ottawa, Inspector Richard Burke, 

 who. unfortunately, has not been retained 

 on the i)ermanent list of fruit inspectors, 

 much as he is needed in that capacity here, 

 will give a series of 12 instruction meetings 

 over the province, four in each county, in the 

 month of June. Mr. Burke was obliged to 

 interrupt this very important work last season, 

 at a time, too, when we needed it worse than 

 ever in our liorticultural history. We had 

 gone through a crucial period ; great breakdowns 

 were everywhere discernible in our plantations 

 owing to the extraordinary snowfall of the 

 winter of 190,5. The people had only started in 

 the orcharding business. A fit of economy 

 struck the department, or some unwise counsel 

 prevailed in the case. 



When Dr. James W. Robertson was General 

 Commissioner, knowing P.E.I, better than any 

 other official at Ottawa, and Vieing desirous of 

 helping her in the restricted matters in which 

 she could successfully engage, there was no 

 trouble in getting the assistance required to 

 IJromote agricultural interests, from dairying 

 to fruit growing. He loved the Island, and 

 knew she could give a good account of herself 

 in the new field. In the Normal School Hall at 

 ^)ttawa recently, when all the provinces of the 

 Dominion were represented, the Minister said 

 • )ne thing of P.E.I, apples which we were glad 

 111 hear. He said P.E.I, apples may be smaller 

 I lian those of some of the other ])rovinces, but 

 they are the best colored and best flavored in 

 ihe world. He might have added, too, that 

 ihey are the longest keeping apples grown — 

 and this not because they are often of the Ben 

 Davis class' 



The change which followed Dr. Roliertson's 



relinquishment of government work has not 

 been to our advantage. The whole official 

 horticultural work of Canada has been in some 

 way degraded. It cannot be restored properly 

 to its rightful place and set out on the almost 

 infinite lield before it, until its chief has direct 

 appeal to the minister, and until there is a 

 Horticultural Commissioner at Ottawa, as well 

 as a Dairy Commissioner, a Seeds Commissioner 

 and a Live Stock Commissioner. 



The meetings which Inspector Burke now 

 undertakes should be of great benefit, not only 

 in repairing and enthusing horticulturally, but 

 in ascertaining the actual state of things, and 

 suggesting the means which must be introduced 

 in order to make this fruitful little province 

 what it easily can be made — an orchard from 

 end to end. 



We notice a great deal of erosion of fertile 

 soils this year — a great loss of the fertility of 

 field, which the flood unimpeded carries away 

 to the ocean. Tlie planting of trees in needed 

 localities will greatly help this, and the planting 

 of apple areas at proper distances from ever- 

 green windbreaks will indirectly help this 

 work, as well as directly turn in the dollars so 

 essential to successful husbandry everywhere. 

 There will be considerable planting out of 

 trees this spring as usual. There is no use in 

 doing so if they are not protected against cattle 

 by proper fencing and fertilized like any other 

 cro]). Good money is actually thrown away 

 in buying trees to be stuck out in the open, 

 unfenced, unprotected and uncared. Leave 

 the tree-planting till you are ready for it, and 

 get good and ready at once. There is nothing 

 which will do more to make your life enjoyable 

 in this beautiful place than a plantation of 

 apple trees intelligently tended. 



ready to take advantage of the opportunities 

 that one can get their share of the benefits. 



If by writing these letters or answering any 

 private communications I can help any one 

 to share in the general prosperity, I shall be 

 only too glad to do all I can. 



TKe Winnipeg MarKet 



J. J. Philp, D.r.I.. -Winnipeg 



WH1-;n' one begins to contemplate the won- 

 derful strides that the City of Winnipeg 

 is making, one begins to realize that the 

 reality has the realms of romance prac- 

 tically skinned alive. Probably this is not an 

 elegant phrase, but it is true. Winnipeg at the 

 last census had a population of 4(),.'i69. By the 

 estimate of the assessment commissioner (and he 

 is very conservative), there are in this city to- 

 day not less tlian 97,000 some hundreds of a 

 population, an increase in five years of almost 

 1.50 percent., or in other words, where there were 

 in 1901 two people here, there are now five. 



The bank clearings have reached a point 

 where they are the largest in the Dominion; 

 the taxable property increased last year to 

 he extent of $10,000,000. A year ago it was 

 :dd that there was a great many more houses 

 eing built than was needed; this year up to 

 jiate the increase is almost double that of last 

 ear, and still the patient householder has not 

 feceived any notice that the burden of rent under 

 '-which he is laboring, and which is in most 

 cases fully one-tliird of the average man's sal- 

 ary, is to be reduced. 



That the fruit interests have advanced along 

 with the others goes without saying. I have 

 just gathered from the dealers here a count of 

 the numl>er of cars they have severally handled 

 since April 1, and find it reaches the astonish- 

 ing number of 170 cars of fruit and vegetables, 

 ind by vegetables I do not include potatoes 

 nd that kind of thing shipjx;d in from provin- 

 cial points, but ])ie plant, tomatoes, and new- 

 cabbage from the south. About 40 of these 

 cars were bananas, then conies oranges, and all 

 the other varieties of fruit that are in season 

 at this time of the year. One carload of apples 



cost on arrival here $1,632. There is, also, one 

 car of strawberries in the lot. In commenting 

 on this state of affairs the eastern men can 

 judge for themselves whether or not it is worth 

 their while to try to capture the bulk of this 

 trade, Ijut I wish to draw their attention to 

 one or two points, which are very ajjparent to 

 me, and in doing so I shall "Nothing extenuate, 

 nor set ought down in malice." 



The charge has frequently been made that 

 the Winnipeg jjeople are not willing to ])ay a 

 fair price for a good article. This is manifest- 

 ly unfair, and can easily be proven to be incor- 

 rect, but one must discriminate. There is a 

 vast difference between a disposition to pay a 

 fair price for a first-rate article, and a refusal 

 to be held up for a big price for something that 

 is worth i)erhaps but little more than the freight. 



In writing these letters it is to be distinctly 

 understood that I am voicing nobody's senti- 

 ments but my own, and I am writing ex-officio 

 at that. The press reports an extraordinary 

 good show for peaches at Leamington. If this 

 is correct, now is the time to perfect the plans 

 to get them to this market, and not wait till 

 the week they are to be shipped. 



This is a ticklish subject to touch, but with- 

 out wishing to give ofi'ence, one cannot but dep- 

 recate the sad want of self-reliance that is 

 apparent in the actions of the fruit growers. 

 They have the Railway Commission at their 

 disposal to hell) them lick the transportation 

 companies into line, and that is a great advan- 

 tage compared with the conditions that used 

 to obtain in years past. 



The prospects for a great and successful busi- 

 ness the present season are better than ever 

 before, but it is only by being prepared and 



Montreal Frxiit Trade Letter 



E. H. Wartman, D.F.I. 



Several steamers have left this port for 

 England, but I have heard of no apples 

 going forward on any of them. Usually a few 

 consignments are sent on the first steamers out 

 in May The reason for none going this year 

 is that number one Spies are worth $7 a barrel 

 here with no risk to run. 



The only new fruit coming in is strawberries. 

 Those from North Carolina are in good condition. 

 The boxes contain full imperial quarts, 32 to 

 the crate. Although they are selling cheap for 

 so early, 11 to 13 cts., the demand is not keen 

 The weather early in May was too cool. 



If berries can be landed in Montreal from 

 Florida and North Carolina in perfect condition, 

 what about our early apples that ripen in July 

 and August, and arrive on our markets in 

 rotten condition? If they were packed in cool 

 storage buildings, instead of outdoors and in 

 heated buildings, and shipped in well-iced cars, 

 they, also, would arrive in good condition. If 

 our numerous apple houses, which are generally 

 close to lakes and rivers, had ice houses to 

 hold a sufficient quantity, not only to cool the 

 packing rooms, but to ice the cars when ready 

 to load, this would help to remedy matters. 

 There could be tanks at proper distances apart 

 in these packing houses to hold about one 

 ton of ice each. If this were done and the 

 building closed, in a few hours the temperature 

 would be low enough to commence work. 

 There would be plenty of men glad to take a 

 contract to put in ice to fill these houses at. 25 

 to 35 cts. per ton. If apples are put up at a 

 temperature of 70 to SO degrees and never 

 cooled, what could we expect but disaster? 

 When fruit can be cooled so cheaply it never 

 pays to run any risk. Sometimes even in the 

 middle of October a few hot days come. Hot 

 weather at this time frequently does untold 

 harm and results in heavy loss to the fruit 

 shippers. 



Ovir Nova Scotia Letter 



G. H. Vroom, D.F.L 



The spring in N.S. has been cold and wet. 

 The rains have been frequent and heavy. North 

 and east winds have helped to retard the work 

 of cultivation and cause vegetation to come 

 along slowly. The past week has been better 

 and the fruit trees are showing considerable 

 life. On some early varieties of apples the bloom 

 is beginning to show. 



All kinds of fruit will bloom full, and the pros- 

 pect for an average crop is exceedingly good 

 Spraying is being carried on extensively, par- 

 ticularly in the counties of Kings and Hants. 

 'Die power-spraying outfit is doing good work 

 in Falmouth and giving general satisfaction. 

 The tent caterpillar is very troublesome in this 

 locality as well as the other [jests orchardists 

 have to contend with, and the fruit growers are 

 awake and will i)rofit by the demonstrations 

 given this season with the power outfit. 



SKippin^ Green Melons 



W. A. Emory, Aldershot 

 The foolish practice of growers shipping green 

 melons is hurting the melon trade more than 

 anything else. Green melons are fit for nothing 

 else than feeding to hogs. A consumer who 

 buys a green melon never wants another. 



We had a good trade in melons in Montreal, 

 but lost it because growers insi.sted on ship- 

 ping green melons. We cannot get nearly as 

 higli iJrices as we used to. The fruit inspec- 

 tors do not seem to know anything about 

 melons or thev would stop this practice. 



