The*Canadian Horticulturist. 95 



SOME ABUSES OF| FRUIT GROWERS. 



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LLOW me to draw the attention of fruit growers in general 

 to the fact that there is a duty of 35 per cent, upon all 

 spraying aparatus, such as knapsack sprayers, nozzles, and 

 all other appliances of the sort. Apart from politics I do 

 not think this should be so, as according to the horticulturist 

 at Ottawa, and indeed to our own knowledge, no machine 

 of any use is manufactured in Canada. I tried through 

 our M. P. to have it altered last year, but without result. I 

 should suggest that the President of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association of Ontario should take steps to have the matter brought to the notice 

 of the Government. 1 have orders for a number of Vermorel knapsack for spring 

 delivery from England, and the price laid down in Ontario is $12, and the duty is 

 another $4, a perfectly unnecessary addition to what is almost a necessity in the 

 present day, in my opinion. I consider that under present circumstances fruit 

 growers will be wiser to see what can be done to improve the quality of what 

 they already grow, rather than trouble themselves about new plantations and more 

 hardy varieties. Have you any statistics as to the employment of the Official In- 

 s sector of apples this season? His inspection will have to be made compulsory, it 

 would appear, if Canadian apples keep their reputation, or I should say regain 

 their lost reputation. Canada had the world's markets pretty well to herself 

 this year, and a pretty mess has been made of the opportunity. Either the 

 packers have been most criminally careless, or the English agents are a poor lot 

 of sellers ! I believe it is chiefly owing to the bad apples put up and to bad 

 information as to the expected crops of apples and oranges. These were all said 

 to be bad and they turned out larger than was expected (except U. S. apple crop) 

 and in consequence the shipper gave too much money for apples. Our informa- 

 tion as to crups of all kinds of fruit is most lamentably deficient, and I favor a 

 member of the board of directors, or some trustworthy fruit grower, being paid 

 to visit the chief fruit-growing districts to report. You would then get a true 

 estimate from one man, whereas with these estimates from various persons in 

 different districts you get a lot of views often diametrically opposed to each other. 

 The writers are some of a gloomy disposition, some of sanguine, often a very san- 

 guine, disposition, others only just guess, whilst again others apparently are suffer- 

 ing from biliousness ! The consequence being, I submit, that during the last few 

 years, in spite of the most praiseworthy efforts of the editor to get at the truth, the 

 estimates have by no means been borne out by the crops. You have tried another 

 most excellent innovation, namely, weekly market reports, but most unfortu- 

 nately you were extinguished by the post office. Cannot something be done in 

 that line this year? If the Society will print the reports, and have them up to 

 date, I have little doubt that enough members would be willing to pay their own 

 postage. 



