OPE\ LETTERS. 



ever, and I'r. Mct'alliim was elected Presi- 

 dent. Siiiie then, owinj,' to tlie energy and 

 earnest work of tlie president, the society 

 rapidly Increased in membership, until today 

 it nnnihers on its roll 146 members, with a 

 splendiil Board of Directors, and may now be 

 called one of the most nourishing in Ontario 

 — and the interest in its welfare is increasing. 

 On a recent Thursday afternoon and even- 

 ing the first exhibition under the auspices of 

 the society was held in the Town Hall, and 

 so successful was it both in the way of atten- 

 dance and display, that it had to be continu- 

 ed a second afternoon and evening so as to 

 give all an opportunity of viewing the hun- 

 dreds of rare and beautiful plants ; the splen- 

 did collection of fruits, the handsome paint- 

 ings and the very attractive display of fancy 

 needle work which had been so very carefully 

 an<l tastefully an anged. The only tnuible in 

 connection with the exhibition was the lack 

 of sufficient room in which to display the 

 many plants so generously supplied, and in- 



deed many who had been asked to allow their 

 plants on exhibit were not called upon by the 

 collectors for the simple reason that the sup 

 ply was too great for the room at the disposal 

 of the society. To the ladies who ao kindly 

 lent their time and a'.tention to the arranging 

 of plants, as well as to the contributors the 

 thanks of the jjcople arc due. \Vc will not 

 attempt a description, sufficient it is to say 

 that every ime was more than delighted with 

 the splendiil exhibit, and the very pleasing 

 entertainment in the evening. 



Each m-mber of the society was to receive 

 a collection of one dozen bulbs, but owing to 

 some delay they did not arrive in time, and in 

 fact have not yet arrived, but when they do 

 they will be promptly distributed among the 

 members. 



The society is to be congratulated on this 

 its first public exhibition, and next fall if a 

 suitable place can be secured a much grander 

 display of plants, flowers, fruits, works of 

 art, etc., may be looked for. 



% ®pet7 Iscffepc^. % 



Discouraging. 



SiK, — As the fruit season is now in full 

 blast, the (juestion rises as to where we had 

 better ship our plums and pears. We receive 

 circulars from many commission men asking 

 for consignments, and ship to them hoping 

 for good returns, but alas, — as an example, 

 we shipped twenty baskets of beautiful 

 Clapp's Favorite in No. 1 condition, and all 

 that we have heard is that they sold at 2.5 

 cents a basket, just enough to pay the freight, 

 commission and basket. Plums are no bet- 

 ter. On the same day the daily papers quot- 

 ed pears from 40c. to 60c. , and plums 45c. to 

 70. I think a change in the mode of market- 

 ing our fruit is absolutely necessary, and that 

 some men will be honest enough to give us 

 back the cost of picking. A great many of 

 the apples in this district are badly spotted 

 and cracked, especially were spraying was 

 neglected. One quarter of a crop will be all 

 that will be harvested. 



R. L. Hdugakd, Whitby, Out. 

 August, 1897. 



Flowers Blooming in the Beaver 

 Valley. 



On the 'Jnd of Novendjer we received a box 

 of flowers and fruits from (Jlarksburg, from 

 our old friend Mr. C. W. Hartman ; accom- 

 panied by the following lines : 



"Sir, — By same mail I am sending you 

 some fruit and flowers gathered out of doors 

 to-day, (Nov. 1st.) The pansies, sweet peas, 

 and verbenas are from the garden of Mr. Jas. 

 Walker, our local florist, the balance are from 

 my own place, and had time permitted I 

 could have collected many more perfect speci- 

 mens in Clarksburg and Thornbury. 



" The HoRTicrLTrRisT has taken consider- 

 able interest in the " Beaver Valley' as a fruit 

 district, and I merely send the samples to 

 show that even at this late date, we have 

 plums, grapes and flowers uninjured by frost, 

 and until lately tomatoes on the vines in my 

 own garden." 



M 0^P fpcjir Jabk. ^ 



We desire to acknowledge the following 

 fruits : 



Oct. 20. —From Thomas Beall, Linijsay : 

 seven varieties of apples. No. I slightly re- 

 sembles Snow ; No. 2 is probably (iraven- 

 stein, but deficient in coloring ; No. '.i is 

 Shiawassee Beauty ; No. 7 is a seedling from 

 Township of Stanhope of great beauty, and 

 of considerable merit as a cooking apple. 



Oct. 20.— From A. M. Smith, St. Catha- 

 rines, Smilli's Octobtrplutn, ingood condition ; 



fruit medium size, roundish, skin thin, dark 

 purple, with greyish bloom ; flc«h dark yel- 

 low, tender, juicy, flavor rich, sweet and very 

 agreeable ; Campbell's Early grape in good 

 condition, but inclined to loosen from the 

 stem. Mr. Smith says : " I enclose sample 

 of Campbell's Karly grape received about 

 three weeks ago or more from Geo (iosselyn, 

 of Fredonia. It is going to be valuable. I 

 think he claims it is as early as Moore's Early, 

 a better grower, good foliage, good quality, a 

 good cropper and tirst-class shipper." 



433 



