60 



it is hoped will result in box packing becoming as popular in Ontario and Eastern 

 Canada as it is now in the West. 



Fall spraying seems to be the rule here, and the majority of the orchards 

 had already, (November 20th,) been treated with lime and sulphur spray. From 

 present appearances a very considerable extension in the facilities for handling 

 the output from this valley will be necessary in the very near future. 



Conditions were somewhat different in the Wenatchee Valley, situated 

 in the State of Washington on the Columbia River. While at Hood River 

 irrigation has not been found to be essential, a conservation of the winter rainfall 

 being usually found sufficient, at Wenatchee irrigation is practiced and found 

 very useful. The favourite varieties of fruit are also slightly different, those 

 most popular in the Wenatchee Valley being Jonathan, Rome Beauty, Black 

 Twig, Winesap and Delicious. 



The same thorough methods have been made use of here as are followed 

 at Hood River, and there is no doubt that if the same methods are generally 

 adopted in British Columbia and in the Central and Eastern Provinces of 

 Canada, equally satisfactory results will be obtained. Owing to the fact that 

 the production of apples is the chief business of the people in these valleys, 

 every known means is made use of and the most determined effort is put forth 

 to secure a crop of fancy fruit. Careful pruning, thorough spraying, liberal 

 fertilizing and systematic thinning of the fruit are practiced. Culls and inferior 

 fruit are removed from the trees in the early part of the season and as far as 

 possible only fancy fruit is permitted to mature. This practice, if generally 

 adopted by Canadian fruitgrowers, would, I think, work a revolution in the apple 

 industry of this country. 



The National Apple Show was in progress at Spokane during the week of 

 November 23-30. The most outstanding feature of this exhibition, apart from 

 the magnificent display of fruit, was the wonderful enthusiasm and interest 

 displayed, not only by the growers and exhibitors at the exhibition, but by 

 the entire business community in the city. For the time being everything 

 gave way to a thorough entering into the spirit of the occasion. A daily round 

 of amusements and entertainments was provided during the entire week, and 

 people laid aside their business engagements to a large extent to devote them- 

 selves to the laudable work of emphasizing the importamce of the apple industry. 

 Large sums of money were expended in the erection of temporary buildings, 

 and for installing the exhibits which were displayed in abundance. Nearly 

 every shop window in the city was decorated with beautiful displays of apples, 

 the hotels everywhere were festooned with the product of the orchard, and 

 everything went to show that for the time being King Apple had the right 

 of way. 



A considerable number of exhibits from the Province of British Columbia 

 were to be seen, for which a large number of first prizes were received in com- 

 petition with the American fruit. 



These National Apple Shows, which originated at Spokane four years ago, 

 and which have been continued each year t have done a great deal to draw public 

 attention to the value and importance of the apple industry of the Western 

 States. Perhaps in no other way could this publicity have been obtained 

 so well and at such comparatively small cost. 



British Columbia fruitgrowers were not tardy in recognizing this fact, 

 and not content with availing themselves of the opportunity of competing with 

 their neighbours in friendly and successful rivalry on their own ground, they 

 decided in 1910 to hold an exhibition in Vancouver on their own account, open to 

 the world. The success of this great exhibition under the able management of 

 Mr. Maxwell Smith is now a matter of history. It was without doubt the largest 

 and most important distinctive apple show" ever held, and demonstrated fully 

 the potentialities of the fruit areas of British Columbia, one single carload of 

 Jonathan apples from the city of Kelowna being conceded by the best authority 



