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year bore some fine speoimeas of fruit. Peaches and apricots have made a growth 

 which is almost beyond belief; in two years they have grown from a little tree 3 feet 

 high and J inch in calibre to a tree with a large spreading top, having branches of 

 this yeai'8 growth 7 feet in length and a trunk 8 inches in circumference, and last 

 season (the second year after planting) some of them bore fruit. 



With grapes I have had varieties make 15 feet growth the season of transplant- 

 ing, and others that brought some fine bunches of fruit to perfection the same 

 season. 



But perhaps my greatest successes have been with the smaller fruits. In straw- 

 berries I can give as the result of J of an acre of Sharpless strawberries a yield of 

 $200 worth of berries in one season, or 1,800 quarts, some specimen s measuring 8 

 inches in circumference. In raspberries, last summer I had a yield from four rows 

 of 75 feet in length each, the first year after planting, 350 quarts, or at rate of over 

 200 bushels to the acre, which I fully expect will be considerably exceeded this 

 year. I have measured raspberry canes 13 feet long, which had been nipped back 

 twice during the growing season. In currants, Fay's Prolific and Lee's Prolific, the 

 third year from cuttings have yielded one quart to the bush. Gooseberries equally 

 strong-growing and prolific. Last year I had Industry gooseberries measuring IJ 

 inch in length and 1 inch in diameter. 



Blackberries also grow and produce luxuriantly. I have tried Figs twice ; the 

 first year they winter killed entirely, but last year I had some trees come through 

 safely without protection. My soil is of the very best composition, so that the 

 account I have given you would hardly be a fair estimate of what could be always 

 expected ; yet by good cultivation there is no reason why in many parts of the 

 Province equally good results cannot be secured. 



Although I believe that in no part of the continent is there to-day as bright a 

 future for the fruit-grower as in British Columbia, yet I would not have you think 

 that there are no enemies to contend with, or no ditficulties to overcome, for it might 

 only be the cause of leading many into disappointment and failure, and do more 

 harm to the fruit-growing interests of the Province than good. True, we have no 

 curculio, no black knot, nor has the apple or pear many insect enemies. But in the 

 first place the cost of getting the land cleared and fit foi- fruit-growing, is enormous; 

 then all kinds oi labour is so expensive, also the cost of getting fiuit to market and 

 everything in connection with the work. Then our markets as yet are limited ; 

 and we have got into no thorough system of handling fruit, whereby there may be 

 disappointment experienced before that success is secured which is sure to come to 

 the diligent fruit-grower in time. For markets both in the east and west are bound 

 to be opefled up for our fruit. Information will be diffused by our Fruit Growers' 

 Association, and much can be learned by us from the similar associations in these 

 Provinces, and conventions of this kind, and although we are late in getting a start 

 in fruit-growing we will have the benefit of the experiences that have been gained 

 in older fruit-growing countries, which will save us many mistakes. Instead 

 of having to wait :ind hunt up remedies, after insects and disease do come, 

 (as they are sure to do when fruit is more extensively grown), we will have our 

 weapons ready to meet these enemies beforehand, procured g,t the expense of others. 

 Tet we have our grievances, which have got here too soon for us, but which we 

 hope to procure remedies for here, to a certain extent. The matter that was 

 agitated most at our last meeting of fruit growers was the lack of a system of 

 handling and marketing plums and some other soft fruits, a diflculty which I am 

 sure we will soon overcome. 



Another matter of great importance to us is one over which we have no 

 control but which can be controlled from Ottawa, and which we hope will be 

 remedied at this Session of Parliament — that is, the present tariff; for the way it 

 now is all green fruit that we can grow in this Province is admitted free of duty 

 from other countries, while on dried and canned fruits, which we do not as yet 

 produce to any extent, also on some of the foreign fruits which we cannot grow, the 

 duty is still kept on. 'Now, this does not give us a fair chance, not but what we can 



