12 



live organizations amongst the individual growers from the fact that they are 

 widely separated. The establishment of large holdings in desirable localities 

 would, in all probability, form the nucleus at a later date, whereby individual 

 growers might be enabled to join forces in the establishment of central packing 

 houses for the Province. 



Several other farms were visited during the trip down the river, of which 

 perhaps the most important were the large orchards on the property known as 

 the Cossar Farm. At this place careful methods are being put into effect, and 

 the crop gives evidence of responding to the treatment which the orchard has 

 received. A good deal of the fruit from this farm is packed in boxes and Mr. 

 Meiklejohn, the Manager, hopes to export some of his best grades to the Old 

 Country. 



VALUE OF SHEEP IN SOD ORCHARDS. 



Many of the orchards along the banks of the river, doubtless to economize 

 labour, have been allowed to go into sod, some of them remaining in this condition 

 for many years. In nearly every case they show very great depreciation from 

 lack of care. One solution of this difficulty would, in all probability, be the 

 maintaining of large flocks of sheep in these hillside orchards where cultivation 

 cannot very well be practiced. An evidence of the good effect of such practice 

 was found on the premises of Mr. Bayard Slipp at Hampstead, who for a number 

 of years has operated his orchard in this manner. The foliage of the trees was 

 remarkably healthy, and the fruit of good size and very clean, forming a remark- 

 able contrast to other orchards in the neighbourhood where the ordinary sod 

 culture obtained. 



Mr. S. L. Peters, one of the veteran fruitgrowers of this section, stated 

 that it was only of recent years that people in New Brunswick had realized 

 that fruit might be grown successfully. In the early days, when he had carried 

 fruit in baskets to the city of Fredericton, people there were much surprised 

 and could hardly credit him with its production. 



An apple that does extemely well in this district is the Bishop Pippin, 

 known elsewhere as the Yellow Bellflower. Mr. A. P. Slipp of Upper Hampstead 

 values his trees of this variety at $100 each. 



SMALL FRUITS DO WELL. 



As the city of St. John is reached, the smaller fruits are more generally 

 cultivated, and large areas are devoted to strawberries, raspberries and currants, 

 which find a ready market in the neighbouring city. 



SEAPORT OF ST. JOHN. 



St. John is favourably situated for the export trade of apples during the 

 winter season, there being regular sailings of the C. P. R. and Allan Line steamers 

 to Great Britain. Such is not the case, however, for the early fall trade, shippers 

 being practically confined to one line of steamers whose sailing dates are irre- 

 gular and who are frequently delayed at Halifax for a considerable time awaiting 

 cargo. This condition is of course detrimental, if not disastrous, to the shipment 

 of more perishable fruits in the early part of the season. As the apple crop of 

 New Brunswick increases the question of suitable facilities for the export trade 

 in the early season will become much more important, and will require consider- 

 able attention. 



EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES. 



In regard to this part of the Province it might be well to state that there 

 is possibly no district in the Maritime Provinces where cheaper or more suitable 



