CAPABILITIES OF THE KOOTEXAYS. 13 



passed the experimental stage and had been proven. 

 An equally favourable opinion was expressed about 

 the same time by Professor E. R. Lake, of the Oregon 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, a man whose 

 opinion carries considerable weight in the horticul- 

 tural world. 



Testimony of a similar character could be quoted 

 from the lips of several similar more or less competent 

 observers. But let it suffice for me to say I was quite 

 satisfied that the Kootenays was a district well suited, 

 if not, indeed, exceptionally favoured, for the growing 

 of fruit. Moreover, just about this time Earl Grey, 

 Governor-General of Canada, gave convincing proof 

 of the impression which the fruit-growing capabilities 

 of the district had made upon him by purchasing, 

 after personal inspection, 54 acres of fruit land on the 

 shore of the main Kootenay Lake. This was not 

 without its effect upon my view. The vaunts as to the 

 fitness of the Kootenays for grov\-ing fruit could not be 

 altogether without foundation after that. 



The next questions were — How far the climate 

 could be relied upon ? How did it affect the prospects 

 of the crop year by year ? What was the effect of late 

 spring frosts ? How far cold east or north winds 

 proved injurious ? What was the extent of damage 

 done by high winds to the laden trees? Were birds 

 troublesome? 



I was told that those varieties of trees which usually 

 bear a crop every year could be safely relied upon for 

 a full crop annually, and that those varieties, such as 

 Blenheim Orange, which in England yield a crop 

 every second year only, would in British Columbia 

 yield, on an average, a full crop one year and half a 

 crop the second year, and so on. 



