48 



Mh. Johnson. — I think the growth of edueation, during the past ten years, has 

 been so great that we will not have the trouble which we had at the last censu m 

 inducing the people to furnish the information that we want. With the gentlemen 

 around me to educate the agricultural communities on the subject, we will be pretty 

 sure to have a fair statement of our fruit and other products. 



Mr. E. W. Starr. — One industry has been left out of all past censuses, which I 

 think should be taken notice of in the coming census — that is, the nursery trade. It 

 is a great industry in the Dominion. We hope to see it larger than it is now. I 

 think in the past we have been depending too much on our neighbours for our fruit 

 trees, much to the detriment of the fruit growers of Canada. We want northern 

 grown trees ; we want to know what our capabilities are for growing them and what 

 we are doing. The census should give us full returns, if a column is inserted in the 

 schedules asking for this information. 



Mr. Prankland. — At the end of the annual reports published by the conventions 

 held in the United States the association gives a list of nurseries within the bounds 

 that the convention represents. I do not think it would be a bad idea if we were to 

 adopt a similar plan in Canada. 



THE DEVLOMIENT 01" THE NOVA SOOTIA APPLE TRADE. 



The President. — I will now ask Mr. Starr for his paper on " The Develoj)ment 

 of the Nova Scotia Apple Trade with England." 



Mr. C. E. H. Starr. — Mr. President and Gentlemen, — I must apologize for not 

 having a written paper to present to you. Circumstances have prevented me having 

 anything more than a few notes, and you will be kind enough on that account to 

 bear with me for any imperfections in the remarks which I might make. I assure 

 you that as far as any figures or statements that I may present are concerned I shall 

 endeavour to be within the mark, at all events. I find by the programme that I am 

 to speak on the development of the Nova Scotia apple trade with England. I would 

 say, Mr. President, that the export of apples from JSTova Scotia to England began in 

 a very small way about the year 1860. There may have been a few barrels sent over 

 by private parties previous to that date, but they were very few. The first shipment 

 of any large quantity was in 1867 or 1868, when four or five thousand barrels were 

 sent to England in a sailing vessel. These, as you will observe by the reports of the 

 Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association at that time, were thrown upon the London 

 market, rather to the astonishment of the London people. The agent, who accom- 

 panied the cargo, met with a great difiiculty in procuring brokers who would under- 

 take the handling at that time, as they would riot look at Canadian fruit, and 

 although he insisted upon it that they should be sold as Nova Scotia fruit, it was 

 not until the third cargo had been landed that he got the name of "Nova Scotia 

 Apples " on them. The first two cargoes the brokers insisted upon calling them 

 American fruit ; otherwise, they said, they could not sell that quantity on the market; 

 but the third cargo was put out as Nova Scotia fruit. Notwithstanding the diffi- 

 culties of this experiment in the way of packages and suitable ships, the whole 

 ventui-e proved satisfactory, and from that shipment arose the present, trade in apples 

 from Nova Scotia. _ I may just say here, that although Nova Scotia apples have been 

 sent in small quantities to Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and even to the continent 

 in some cases, London has been our chief market. In comparison with the circulars 

 of sales from the various other markets, we find, as a rule, that we make better prices 

 in London than our friends do elsewhere. Whether this is owing to the quality of our 

 fruit or not I am not prepared to say, but I think, probably, that has something to 

 do with it, although I am free to confess that our Nova Scotia apples in many cases 

 are not what they ought to be, and we have the same difficulties which I have heard 

 mentioned this morning, and have felt them from the commencement of the export 

 trade up to the present, of getting the fruit packed and delivered on the market in an 

 improper condition. Every one here, doubtless, knows of these difficulties and I need 

 not take up your time in discussing them further. I, myself, began shipping in a 

 small way to London by sailing vessels from Halifax. We had at that time a laro-e 



