30 



scarcely be called hardy, and the district shades off into the characteristics 

 of the eastern part of the Province, where only such hardy varieties as the 

 Duchess, Wealthy and Mcintosh can be grown with profit. 



Prince Edward County is pre-eminently a fruit county. The orchards 

 are large, exceedingly prolific, and there is no limit with regard to hardiness 

 for any of the common varieties. Large quantities of small fruits are grown 

 and many large canning factories have been established to make use of the 

 surplus. In passing it may be noted that, largely as a result of these factories, 

 vegetables of all kinds also form a large part of the products of the county. 



The southern portion of the County of Hastings shares with Prince Edward 

 county in large and profitable apple orchards. The single township of Sydney 

 has shipped 30,000 barrels of choice fruit, in one season. One of the earliest 

 co-operative associations in Ontario was formed here in the year 1880, but the 

 original society no longer exists. 



Extensive Exporting District. 



Northumberland and Durham have developed the commercial side of 

 apple growing within the last few years, perhaps more generally than any other 

 part of Ontario. In common with other counties this district began a few years 

 ago to improve its methods of orchard culture, adopting among other things 

 clean culture. Unfortunately the full significance of this was not at first under- 

 stood and any of the old orchards that had been allowed to grow in sod for 

 years, showed a very strong tendency to winter root-killing when exposed to 

 these new conditions of clean culture. This was particularly noticeable during 

 the years 1903 and 1904, since which time many of the old orchards have become 

 sadly reduced. However, the younger trees, perhaps as the result of somewhat 

 greater care in the use of cover crops, are showing no such tendency, even under 

 the system of clean culture. 



The export business started upon a large scale from these counties, chiefly 

 as the result of the large quantities of apples grown, but also on account of the 

 excellent keeping qualities developed in the apples in this district. The climatic 

 conditions are such that the trees do not start into growth so early as in southern 

 Ontario, and yet the season is sufficiently long for the best varieties to mature. 

 This results in the apple being just ready to pick at the advent of freezing point 

 weather, and when stored in the ordinary warehouse, it goes into a natural 

 cold storage, where it retains its qualities admirably until the warm weather 

 of the following spring. 



Apples Keep Well. 



This characteristic of climate is also shared with the narrow strip about 

 the west and south shore of the Georgian Bay and with the counties bordering 

 on Lake Huron. The economic value of this can be readily understood when 

 we note that in the State of New York to the south of Lake Ontario the orchardists 

 find it necessary, in order to preserve their winter varieties in the proper condition 

 to use artificial refrigeration. As this system costs on the average about fifty 

 cents a barrel it will be readily seen that the district north of Lake Ontario 

 has a distinct advantage that will undoubtedly tell, should the price of apples 

 approach more nearly than it does now to the cost of production. 



Along with the growth of the orchards, and' as the result of this develop- 

 ment, large storehouses have been erected at the stations of Whitby, Oshawa, 

 Bowmanville, Newcastle, Port Hope, Cobourg, Grafton, Colborne, Brighton, 

 Trenton, Belleville, and in lesser numbers at other convenient points. At 



