17 

 APPLE GROWING CHIEF INDUSTRY. 



After a short interview with Dr. Black, M.P. for the county and Mr. G. 

 N. Goudge, one of the pioneers of the district, both enthusiastic horticulturists, 

 we left for the pretty town of Wolfville in Kings County, whence several trips 

 wore projected. Here we met Mr. Peter Innes of Coldbrook, R. W. Starr and 

 J. W. Bigelow of Wolfville, veteran fruitgrowers of Nova Scotia. These gentle- 

 men have seen, during the course of years, the fruit interests of this Valley develop 

 from small and insignificant proportions, until at the present time the production 

 of apples of standard sorts has become the chief industry. They may look 

 back with satisfaction upon having assisted in laying the foundations of an 

 enterprise which has made Nova Scotia, and particularly this section, known 

 far and wide. 



STARR'S POINT. 



During the next two or three days, in company with Mr. Chas. Starr, 

 Professor Gumming and Mr. G. H. Vroom, the latter of whom acted as our 

 guide throughout Nova Scotia, we drove or motored for many miles through 

 what seemed almost one continuous orchard. In the course of this trip we 

 visited the celebrated Starr's Point, a section where some of the first commercial 

 orchards of the Valley were established. Many of these orchards, planted 

 more than half a century ago, are remarkably thrifty and vigorous. Immense 

 trees with a spread of forty feet and more show the very great adaptability of 

 this district for successful orchard culture. Special mention might be made 

 of the orchards of Messrs. C. R. H. Starr and Son, and Mr. A. C. Starr, which 

 are being handled according to the best practice and which show the results of 

 care and generous treatment. 



In this vicinity at Port Williams is found one of the largest barrel factories 

 in the Province, which at the time of our visit was turning out about 1,200 

 apple barrels per day. 



ONLY 10% OF LAND UNDER FRUIT. 



Adjoining the town of Wolfville are the extensive orchards of Messrs. J. 

 W. Bigelow and Son and the Wolfville Orchard Company. Mr. Bigelow is 

 of the opinion that not more than ten per cent of the land in the three counties 

 of Hants, Kings and Annapolis is under orchard and about 25 per cent under 

 the plough, leaving 75 per cent of probably the best orchard land in the Province 

 still untouched. He also gives in the following order a list of what he considers 

 the best commercial apples for this section, Baldwin, King of Tompkins, 

 Gravenstein and Ribston Pippin, to which he would also add Bishop Pippin, 

 Rhode Island Greening, Blenheim Orange and Nonpareil as worthy of consider- 

 ation. Northern Spy, Fameuse and Mclntosh Red have not given the best 

 results on account of their liability to spot or scab, but this objection can no 

 doubt be removed by careful spraying at the proper season. In this vicinity 

 plums are grown to a considerable extent, Mr. A. H. Johnson growing large 

 quantities of this fruit. 



INTENSIVE PLANTING. 



A remarkable and curious orchard is to be found in the vicinity of Grand 

 Pre, the property of Judge Weatherby. Mr. Weatherby's attention having been 

 called to the wonderful productiveness of a celebrated Gravenstein tree on the 

 the farm of Mr. J. A. Kinsman at Lakeville which carries the record for yield 

 in the Province and which consists of three large trunks proceeding from the 

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