Copyright, 1699, by 

 FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO., .520-535 Caxton Building. CHICAGO. 



Vol. IV. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 28, 1899. 



No. 96. 



CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL AS- 

 SOCIATION. 



Second Annua! Convention. 



The convention held in Ottawa last 

 week was in every way a great suc- 

 cess, and those who attended returned 

 home well satisfied with what they 

 had seen and heard and with the en- 

 tertainment given to them by the Ot- 

 tawa florists. '"Well satisfied" is per- 

 haps too mild an expression to use 

 in this connection, every one was en- 

 thusiastic, and there is no doubt but 

 this convention will pave the way tor 

 greater successes in the future. The 

 only thing to be regretted is that more 

 of the florists throughout the country 

 could not (or thought they could not) 

 attend. They missed it, and it is their 

 great loss. Those who did attend had 

 to make some sacrifice, every one of 

 them, but I am sure there is not one 

 of them who regrets that he did so. 

 They took it in and gained by it. 

 However, there will be a bigger crowd 

 next year. 



The convention was opened by the 

 Mayor, who made a suitable speech, 

 and Alderman Black, Chairman of the 

 Reception Committee, gave the mem- 

 bers the run of the city and invited 

 them to a hack ride round the city 

 at the expense of the taxpayers, and 

 Mr. Scrim in turn invited the Mayor 

 and Alderman Black to join in a car 

 ride to Aylmer at the expense! of the 

 Ottawa Gardeners and Florists. Both 

 invitations were accepted. 



President Gammage then made an 

 eloquent address, a copy of which is 

 herewith sent. 



The reports of the secretary and 

 treasurer, although both short, show- 

 ed that the affairs of the association 

 were in a satisfactory condition. 



At the evening session Professor 

 Fletcher of the Central Experimental 

 Farm gave his lecture (extempore) on 

 "Insect Enemies in Greenhouses." Pro- 

 fessor Fletcher is an inimitable lectur- 

 er, he is more practical than theoreti- 



cal, and uses no crack-jaw scientific 

 terms. He is the most interesting and 

 enjoyable man to listen to I ever 

 heard, and the matter has been gain- 

 ed by him from practical experience, 

 and not only from the reading of 

 books, and is therefore solid and to be 

 relied on. An enthusiastic vote of 

 thanks was tendered him. 



The motion to change the constitu- 

 tion, making the association a purely 

 trade body, was discussed and on be- 

 ing put to the meeting was lost. 



The question "How can the relations 

 between wholesaler and retailer be 

 improved?" elicited a very lively dis- 

 cussion. The retailers aired their 

 grievances and the wholesalers ably 

 defended themselves. No practical so- 

 lution of the difficulties experienced 

 by both retailer and wholesaler at cer- 

 tain times of the year was arrived at, 

 but the effect of the discussion on both 

 sides will doubtless be beneficial. 



The second day's proceedings open- 

 ed with the reading of a letter from 

 Mr. Frank Shutt, Professor of Chemis- 

 try at the Experimental Farm, ex- 

 pressing regret at his inabilitj to be 

 present and give his promised lecture 

 on Nitrogenous Fertilizers. The mem- 

 bers were much disappointed at not 

 hearing this lecture, and the secretary 

 was instructed to ask Mr. Shutt for a 

 synopsis of his lecture, have it printed 

 and sent to the members. 



Mr. A. H. Ewing then propounded 

 "The advantages to be derived from a 

 trade paper in Canada," on which 

 there was a long discussion, the mat- 

 ter being finally left to a committee. 

 I may say here that before the mem- 

 bers separated a sufficient guarantee 

 was secured to ensure the early pub- 

 lication of a trade paper in Canada. 

 A company was formed and the matter 

 will be carried out on business princi- 

 ples, the gentlemen who will compose 

 the first directorate being very san- 

 guine as to the success of the under- 

 taking. 



Mr. H. Dale, of Brampton, read a 

 most instructive paper entitled "Build- 



ing Commercial Greenhouses," a copy 

 of which is also enclosed herewith. I 

 have no doubt that many of your read- 

 ers will be glad to read the views of 

 so eminent an authority on the sub- 

 ject. In answer to questions Mr. Dale 

 and Mr. Dunlop gave their methods 

 used in working out the various de- 

 tails in building on a large scale. 



At the evening session of the second 

 day Mr. S. S. Bain, of Montreal, read 

 a paper: "European Horticulture as 

 viewed by a Canadian," which was 

 most enthusiastically received by the 

 members. It contained many useful 

 hints, hints which I expect to see 

 made use of by many in the near fu- 

 ture, as far as their means will allow. 



Mr. E. Mepsted also read a paper 

 which was listened to with the inter- 

 est the subject deserved, "Plants 

 Versus Cut Flowers at Holiday Time." 

 Mr. Mepsted treated the subject as if 

 he knew what he was talking about, 

 as indeed he does, having had plenty 

 of experience in the matter. I regret 

 being unable to send his paper at pres- 

 ent, but hope to do so next week. 



Mr. James McKenna, of Cote des 

 Neiges, P. Q., read a very useful paper 

 on "'Cemetery Decoration," at which 

 he is a thorough expert. His listeners 

 were able to gather some knowledge 

 which will be very useful to them in 

 their business. This paper was, I re- 

 gret to say, also unprocurable at the 

 time. 



Then came the choice of place for 

 meeting next year and election of of- 

 ficers. On the former subject the 

 president warned the members that it 

 was not a matter of likes and dislikes, 

 but a matter of great importance to 

 the life and vitality of the association. 

 The matter was earnestly discussed 

 before the ballot was taken. Montreal 

 was choseni by a large majority. 



The election of officers is done by 

 informal ballot and in no case was 

 more than one balloting necessary. 

 The following is the result: 



President, Mr. James McKenna 

 Montreal. 



