EMPIRE TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 20995, 8 January 1932, Page 14

EMPIRE TRADE

CANADIAN'S VIEW THE FRUIT INDUSTRY While on a visit to Blenheim a few days ago, Mr H. D. Somerford, of Kelowna, British Columbia, who is sidestepping the severe Canadian winter by a tour of the dominion, made some interesting observations with regard to fruit-growing in the dominion, and also in regard to Empire trade. Mr Somerford is engaged in the orchard industry in Canada, and is, naturally, particularly interested in comparing New Zealand’s fruit-growing methods with those of his own country. He has been struck by the fact that the apple trees in Now Zealand are considerably smaller than _ those in Canada, and he thinks this may_ be partly due to more severe pruning, though it is probably to be accounted for to a very large degree by the use of a different parent stock. However, New Zealand, in his view, has adopted the type of tree most suitable for this country, and he is impressed with the splendid appearance of the crop, its cleanliness, and the fact that the pests are well under control.

He mentioned that in the western provinces of Canada orchardists grow principally the M'lntosh Red, a solt,, early apple, but there are fair numbers of Delicious, Newtown, and Jonathan.' He had no actual figures in regard to,; the output of British Columbia, but said it was very large. The market ,iii“ Canada 'was a big one, but, unfortun-; ately, the American growers in thp.- ; , south supplied it heavily, to tli(r' disadvantage of orchardists in the west-r, ern provinces. Attempts to reach the t English markets from western Canadahad not proved a brilliant success, qjR account of the long railway journey to the Atlantic coast, and there was little..' doubt that better results would bo obtained if the apples could be shipped: direct to England from Vancouver by:, sea. Unfortunately, the absence of cool; storage space on the ships engaged iih that service prevented this. New Zealand orchardists, lie remarked, were fortunate in the fact that practically every:' ship in the dominion trade was fitted;.! for refrigerated work, and was thlisj;; available for the carriage of fruit and’' other produce demanding cool Conditions on the Pacific Slope,_ he were very different, and refrigeration' ships were a rarity. ~ \ GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES.

Mr Somerford is an ardent advocate,; of the policy of trading within the pire, being of the opinion that goldoh': opportunities are being lost under tliopresent haphazard system. He als®' looks forward to the establishment, a result of the Honolulu conversations, of a complete trade agreement between Canada and New Zealand, on the lines of that recently completed between Canada and Australia. He says that the average Canadian has a warmer regard for New Zealand and New_ Zealanders than ho has for Australia, so that the present difficulties between the two dominions have been regretfully noted all over Canada. In his view there is no reason why Canada should not take every pound of surplus butter which New Zealand has to offer, for he points out that under present conditions Canada makes butter in the summer and stores it for winter use. Instead of that, she could export her summer surplus, and then import the New Zealand article, which came on the market in the Canadian winter, for winter use. He added that there were many other articles of New Zealand origin which would find a ready market in Canada.

Another of Mr Somerford’s suggestions is that Canadians should be encouraged to spend part of the Canadian winter in New Zealand, and New Zealanders to visit Canada. There was an exceptionally fine shipping service, he pointed out, and to be true to the principles of trade within the Empire, colonials should patronise it in preference to using a foreign-owned service. “I am all for trade within the Empire,” he concluded, “ and let the foreigner go hang !” The visitor has been in New Zealand since the end of November, and will remain here until February. Ho says lie is charmed with the country and its warm-hearted, hospitable people, and is delighted to meet English birds and trees again, while he has fallen a victim to the lure of the glorious New Zealand bush.