: Prey ANNUAL MEETING. 
The annual meeting of the Fruit Growers’ Association of Ontario, was held in the 
City Hall, Hamilton, on Tuesday evening, the 16th December. 1890. 
The President, Mr. A. M. Smith, of St. Catharines, took the chair at 8 o’clock p.m., 
and introduced Mr. D. McLellan, mayor of the city, whose remarks are here reportep 
in brief, owing to the absence of the official reporter. 
The mayor said that when he received a letter from the secretary of the Associa 
tion, asking for the use of the council chamber for this meeting, he had at once placed it 
before the city council, and it had received the hearty sanction of that body. He 
regretted that there was not that evening a larger local attendance of the citizens of 
Hamilton to show the interest they take in the progress of horticulture and agriculture 
in our country. He thought that the Association had done a wise thing in choosing the 
city of Hamilton as their place of meeting, because this city was situated in the very 
heart of the best fruit region of Ontario, and near to the Niagara district, which is so 
well and so favorably known on account of its great adaptability to the culture of our 
finest varieties of fruits. By such meetings as these, and through the interesting and valu- 
able reports of them which were scattered so widely by the Department of Agriculture, 
the Association was advertising the capabilities of this province throughout the whole 
world. The agricultural delegates of the British farmers who had recently visited this 
country, had carried away with them the most favorable impressions of the agricultural 
and horticultural resources of this province. He was aware that no very lengthened 
address was expected of him at this time, and he would therefore simply extend to the 
Association a most hearty welcome on behalf of the citizens of Hamilton. 
The President replied on behalf of this Association, thanking his worship the 
mayor, and through him the citizens of Hamilton generally, for the kind welcome, 
which had just been extended to them. On coming to this city the society felt that 
they were in a sense only coming home again, for it was its birthplace, and for this 
reason, as well as because of the general interest always manifested here in their work, 
the members felt more at home than in any other city in the province. The! president 
closed his remarks with some complimentary expressions regarding the {beauty of the 
hall which the city had so freely placed at the disposal of the association.” 
