46 

 APPLE TREES BEAR EARLY. 



Mr. Thomas Abriel, who has resided here for a number of years and has 

 given considerable attention to the subject, has planted some very fine young 

 orchards on land that has lately been cleared from the forest. These orchards 

 are thrifty, the trees are making a strong rapid growth, and begin to bear fruit 

 very early, a Wealthy tree not yet four years planted being pointed out as having 

 borne over three boxes of apples in 1911 after severe thinning. 



We visited quite a number of the settlements in this locality, and found 

 all the owners well satisfied with their holdings, and endeavouring to develop 

 them as fast as possible. There are in this immediate vicinity several thousand 

 acres which may be cleared and devoted to fruit, the land consisting of a series 

 of 'benches' of varying altitudes, and for the most part densely wooded. This 

 valley, however, is only one of a number of similar areas extending along the 

 entire length of these lakes, which are some 129 miles in extent. Owing to 

 considerable rainfall in summer, aided by seepage from the mountains, and 

 large quantities of snow during the winter season, irrigation throughout this 

 district is not considered necessary. 



B. C. APPLES PRIZE-WINNERS. 



Further down the lakes there are some orchards of earlier planting which 

 have become established and which atre now producing considerable quantities 

 of superior fruit. We were shown at the hotel fine samples of Mclntosh Red 

 apples and Lombard plums which were grown at the Needles, where considerable 

 planting has already been done. Captain F. G. Fauquier, a well-known fruit- 

 grower in the last named place, made a number of exhibits at the National 

 Apple Show at Spokane during the past year, and in competition with other 

 parts of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, received seven first and 

 four second prizes out of fourteen entries for apples grown on his ranch. 



There are also lower lying sections of deep alluvial soil, the wash of the 

 mountain sides, which are well adapted for luxuriant vegetable growth. Celery, 

 cabbage, and all other kinds of vegetables do well. Potatoes, while perhaps 

 not of as high quality as those grown on higher elevations, are smooth and 

 handsome, finding a ready sale. The vegetable business here, however, is 

 largely in the hands of the Chinese, who seem to take naturally to vegetable 

 gardening in the west. 



OKANAGAN. 



Leaving the Arrow Lakes, we next branched off the main line of the C.P.R. 

 at Sicamous Junction, en route for the famous Okanagan Valley, which, on 

 account of the enterprise and effort of the various development companies and 

 individual growers of the district, has not only come to be well known in British 

 Columbia and throughout the Dominion, but has also had the attention of the 

 outside world drawn to the opportunities which are here presented for profitable 

 fruit and vegetable culture. 



ARMSTRONG A CENTRE FOR VEGETABLES. 



The first two places of importance before reaching the Lake district proper 

 are the towns of Enderby and Armstrong on the branch line running south to 

 the head of the lake. These two places, particularly the latter, have become 

 noted for the large quantities of vegetables of all kinds that have been produced 

 here during the past few years, the trade in which has become the chief industry 

 of the people, and has assumed large proportions. There are considerable 



