the quality of the product continues to improve. When one realizes that the 

 cost of supplying this demand depends to a great extent upon the distance 

 between orchard and shipping point, upon the care and dispatch with which the 

 transportation companies handle the shipments, and upon the tariffs which these 

 companies demand from the shipper, then the importance of these features 

 cannot fail to impress itself upon the would-be grower. These conditions do not 

 apply so strongly to local markets, but even in cases where the demand 

 is purely a local one, it is of the greatest importance to have the orchard site 

 located to good advantage, so far as its proximiity to market is concerned. 



The three main factors to be considered in selecting an orchard site have 

 now been outlined, viz., the classes of fruit to be grown, the soil and climatic 

 conditions, and the marketing and transportation facilities; if the prospective 

 grower bears these well in mind, and realizes their importance, he will be taking 

 a wide step towards successfully establishing himself in one or other of the fruit- 

 growing sections of Canada. 



SELECTION OF TREES. 



Having selected a suitable area of land upon which the orchard is to be 

 established, and having given the soil the necessary preparation, the question of 

 securing suitable trees presents itself, and is one which very often causes growers 

 a great deal of trouble and ultimate monetary loss. 



Throughout the entire Dominion, wherever fruit is grown in an extensive 

 way, there may be found reliable nursery firms from whom growers can obtain 

 young stock of any of the standard varieties of fruit, of good quality and suitable 

 for the locality where they are to be planted. In spite of this, it is a deplorable 

 fact that hundreds of growers have secured their stock through so-called ' travel- 

 ling agents.' As a result of this, a great many have found that when their 

 orchards came into bearing, they contained a considerable number of trees of 

 unprofitable varieties and comparatively few of those standard sorts which they 

 had ordered. This state of affairs is very unfortunate, and should be avoided 

 as much as possible, for while it is true that some of these agents are representing 

 well-known firms, and are perfectly reliable, yet their utility is being handicapped 

 by others who are travelling under a false flag. The unsuspecting grower is 

 impressed with the highly coloured * cuts' which the latter shows him, and 

 places his order. The agent in his turn, taking advantage of the fact that it 

 is difficult to distinguish between varieties until they bear fruit may, and frequent- 

 ly does, fill the greater part of the order with poor stock of equally poor varieties. 



Fortunately substitution of this kind is not so prevalent as formerly, but 

 even now the grower would be much safer, unless he is certain that the agent is 

 honest, to deal direct with the nearest reliable nursery firm wherever it is possible 

 to do so. Where co-operative societies are in existence, orders may be pooled 

 to very great advantage. 



Although it is now generally recognized that planting in the spring is prefer- 

 able to fall planting for most districts, all orders for trees should be placed some 

 time in advance so as to assure an early delivery of stock. In some cases it 

 may be necessary to secure the trees in the fall and heel them in over winter, 

 rather than run the risk of having them arrive too late in the spring. Medium 

 sized trees with a good root system, are preferable to very large stock and can 

 usually be secured cheaper and more easily, and are much more likely to give 

 satisfaction. 



PLANTING. 



Planting an orchard is important because it means laying the foundation 

 upon which a superstruction will be reared that is intended to last and be a 

 thing of beauty for many years. Mistakes made at this time will be serious 

 and very hard to overcome as time goes on. 



