CANADIAN MARKETS 71 
annual production of the entire province is, compara- 
tively speaking, of no more effect on the volume of the 
world’s fruit markets than the outflow of the Mississippi 
is upon the volume of the Atlantic Ocean. It is per- 
ceptible, it is true, but proportionally it is as nothing in 
amount. 
Marxkets.—The Canadian prairies are the nearest 
markets—markets which are growing at a wonderfully 
rapid rate both through immigration and through the 
natural increase of the population. And these are markets 
which, owing to the rigorous winter climate that prevails 
generally, can never expect to be satisfied by local supply. 
Here British Columbia fruit-growers have already gained 
a good footing with their small fruits, such as straw- 
berries and raspberries. But the quantity of apples sent 
into the prairie provinces from British Columbia is as 
yet extremely small. Nevertheless, such apples as do go 
are beginning to command better prices than the American 
apples which come into competition with them. The 
reason that so few are sent is simply that British Columbia 
does not produce a sufficiently large quantity. Except 
for the Okanagan Valley, a few localities in the Fraser 
Valley, one or two places on Vanccuver Island, and the 
district of Grand Forks, none of the larger fruit-growing 
regions of British Columbia are yet in a position to send 
out a whole carload at one time. The day is fast approach- 
ing, however, when every fruit district and subdistrict 
will be able to do this. It was not until 1903 that the 
first carload of British Columbia apples was sent to 
England. Since then a few, but only a few, tons have 
been sent over every year ; and during the last few years 
