PRICES OF FRUIT. 33 



The setting out and care 'of an orchard, until it 

 becomes a source of profit, does require a considerable 

 outlay of money and considerable personal exertion. 

 The clearing is by no means an easy task. It is often 

 an arduous undertaking, costing from a few dollars 

 up to $100 and even $125 per acre. In the moun- 

 tainous south-eastern corner of British Columbia, 

 where the Kootenays (East and West) are situated, 

 the slopes are often fairly steep, and the surface is 

 littered with large boulders, which render ploughing 

 and other operations of the cultivator a matter of 

 some difficulty. But, provided the slope is not too 

 steep to retain the soil, fruit-trees may be confidently 

 counted on to grow and produce the finest of fruit in 

 ample abundance. 



It is pretty evident, therefore, that the amount of 

 capital required for a 20-acre orchard, even if the 

 settler buys land which is as yet in a state of nature, 

 is something like $3,500-$4,000, or at the rate of 

 nearly $200 per acre. 



