viii PREFATORY KOTE. 



" Pai/ ! You are forgettinir that tins is the 

 gross return. There are all the expenses to put 

 against that — interest on capita/, labour, railwaij 

 rates, losses of fruit, nncertaintij of the markets, 

 bad debts, cost of boxes or hampers, middlemeiis 

 commissions, and all that sort of tJiingy 



" And Jiow much irould all that come to ? " 



Walter seemed determined to get to the bottom 

 of every tiling. 



" Well, really, I couldnt tell you. It would 

 vary much from year to year, and would )iot be 

 the same for any two men, even supposing they 

 were working in the same district. I really 

 couldnt tell you. But it would amount to a 

 pretty high proportion.'' 



" Then, in your opinion, a?i orchard is not 

 exactly a Garden of Eden ? " 



" Not in England, at any rate'' 



" Is it so anywhere — in any part of the 

 world?" 



" Yes : in Canada. At least, so I am told. I 

 mean in British Columbia. It certainly is a 

 paying occupation in Oregon and Washingto?i 

 and other Western States (f America. And in 

 the Okanagan district of British Columbia it is 

 equally profitable. In those parts (f the world the 

 industry is old enough to have been thoroughly 

 tested, and the results are satisfactory." 



