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complain through the Fruit Growers’ Association to the Legislature, asking for legislation 
_ to protect the public from such pilfering. The agent sent the complaint to headquarters 
At the same time Mr. Race enquired whether others in the town had similar complaints 
to make, and found that it was a common occurrence to have fruit packages pilfered on 
the train. In about two weeks a reply from headquarters came, giving the agent 
written authority to settle Mr. Race’s claim and hush up the matter; but this he was 
4 anwilling to do until there was some guarantee of safer transportation. 
| The following letter, from the Grand Trunk Railway Company, was handed in and 
 vead by the Secretary : 
* As .egards cars being specially fitted with shelves for holding the baskets to prevent the fruit being 
_ bruised by the baskets when piled on top of each other. This has been done to some extent by the G. T. R. 
©o., but it takes so long for the cars to return,—say from Montreal—that practically it is impossible to 
- provide enough of such cars, the season being so short, and they cannot be used for other freight on the 
_ return journey, it must be apparent the cost to the Railway Co. would be too great, excepting in the case 
of short distances, such as between the Niagara district and Toronto where the cars can return daily and 
therefore a few of them can do a large amount of work. The circumstances here are very different, the 
_ distances being so great. However this difficulty of damage by bruising has beea solved to a great extent 
_ by the new style of basket manufactured in Walkerville, as several tiers can be piled on top of each other 
without injury to the fruit. On behalf of the G. T. R. Co. I may say that the importance of rapid and 
cheap transit is fully recognised. 
> THOS. DOW. 
The following letter also, from the Grand Trunk Railway Company, was handed in 
read by the secretary : 
In regard to shipping facilities for grapes and smali fruits generally so far as the Grand Trunk Railway 
isconcerned: The possibilities of this district for the cultivation of fruits generally have been recognised, 
and for several years efforts have been made to encourage those engaged in the forwarding of this traftic 
viz. by allowing cars to go direct to their destination, even when loaded with but a small quantity of fruit, 
_ rather than load the same car for several stations, There has been no hesitation in forwarding three tons 
direct at any time, but even as low as 1,500 Ib have been sent. Asa rule there is no delay in reaching the 
larger places in good time, as there is always other freight that can be used to fill up a car. But the diffi- 
culty arises with small lots, more especially when for places off the mainline. Such consignments are apt to 
be delayed more or less at junction points, but three days should be the maximum time in transit in any 
ease. We have been able to give quick despatch to Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, and London shipments, 
cars going direct, and those interested may rest assured that no effort will be spared to co-operate with 
shippers in reaching the markets as speedily as possible. 
’ HEDGES FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO. 
‘ 
The Prestpent.—Mr. McNeill will now address us on the subject, “ What kind of 
hedges are best suited for Southern Ontario.” 
Mr. McNritt —Hedges are of particular interest to fruit men; as you are well 
aware they serve the purpose of a wind-break and a protection from the inroads of 
animals and asan ornament. I think those three purposes are served by hedges. I was 
converted to hedges by a short visit to England, and I think Canada will never be really 
beautiful until it has its hedgerows. Asa matter of protection against animals I am not 
altogether so sure that they are a success. I am afraid that in the case of cows the un- 
sightly wire fence is ahead of it, and I do not see how it is possible to grow a hedge for 
less than a wire fence can be constructed for. In the case of the wire fence you have 
_ the protection at once, while in the case of the hedge you must wait a number of years, 
so merely for protection I do not think the hedge is a live question for many years to 
come. There is another aspect, however, of particular interest to fruit growers—the 
wind-break ; it is conceded that the wind-break is of material advantage to the fruit 
grower, and it is from that and the wsthetic standpoint that it must stand or fall with 
them, for on the score of cost it cannot compete with the wire fence. ‘Twenty-five years 
ago I helped my father to plant a white willow hedge. We tcok long pieces of willow 
limbs and dug a narrow trench and put our willow sticks down five or six inches apart, 
and had no trouble whatever in getting them to grow. My father left that neighborhood 
a year or two afterwards, but I saw that hedge about five years ago, and it was a perfect 
solid wall of vegetation, through which a mouse could hardly crawl. But I think it was 
costly as far as the occupation of ground was concerned, and white willow must pass out 
of consideration altogether. Mv father and I experimented with the common thorn. 
