50 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

FRUIT GRO VUNG:

HE fruit industry of British Columbia is still in its infancy, but the
Ap results so far secured are convincing as toits futureimportance. The
actual extent of land suitable for this purpose has not yet been
definitely ascertained, but by a conservative estimate at least one million
acres south of the 52nd degree will produce all the fruits of the temperate
‘zone. The recognized fruit districts include the southern half of Vancouver
Island, the Gulf Islands, Lower Fraser River Valley, Thompson River
Valley, Shuswap Lake, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Boundary, Kettle River
Valley, Similkameen, Windermere Valley, Kootenay River Valley, Koote-
nay Lake, Arrow Lake and also Columbia River, which are all suited to the

Keremeos Apples. Prize winners at Vancouver Apple Show.

best grades of fruit and which contain extensive areas of fruit lands. Other
good fruit districts are; Vancouver Island, notably Alberni Valley, West
Coast of Mainland, Nicola, Grand Pacific and many other localities. In
some of these interior sections irrigation is necessary. It is now an estab-
lished fact that apples of excellent quality grow as far as Hazelton, on the
Skeena River, between 55 and 56 degrees north.

In 1891 the total orchard area of the province was 6,500 acres. In
ten years it had only increased 1000 acres, but from 1901 to the close of
1908 it had increased to 100,000 acres and a very large addition was made
to this territory during the years 1909 and 1910.