At Sifroy Guéret dit Dumont, merchant of Saint-André-de-Kamouraska

This aerial view shows almost in its entirety the property of the merchant and notable Sifroy Guéret dit Dumont.

The site measures 6 km² and runs along the river which is connected to the orchard by the Fouquette River. We see the white buildings which are the house-store and the outbuildings which surround it. The location is judiciously chosen by Dumont. It is protected from the north winds by the hill and enjoys a microclimate which allows to successfully cultivate its fruit trees.

The orchard has several varieties of apple and cherry trees. However, plum trees are the most numerous. The plum grove gathers a thousand of them. We find there the blue Damascus plum, the yellow Damascus and the Lombard. Sifroy Guéret dit Dumont ships his production of plums in barrels to the central markets by schooners. Oral tradition tells that schooners loaded with plums docked at the Trois-Rivières wharf for delivery to the public market.

At that time, Damascus plums were a real hit. Moreover, after the death of the merchant Dumont, the new owners continued the production and sale of plums.

Around 1950, the difficulty of marketing and the lack of maintenance got the better of the plum grove. But beware, it’s not really the end.