$ S)oio^? of ®tl?^p ^oci^ti^s. ^ 



Watehloo. — Considering the many counter 

 attractions, the audience gathered in the 

 Town Hall here, last Thursday evening, to 

 listen to Mr. Gammage's lecture to the Water- 

 loo Horticultural Society, may be considered 

 satisfactory. The lecturer, a practical florist, 

 in plain language that was listened to with 

 marked attention, gave a clear statement of 

 facts. Commencing with house plants he 

 showed how to obviate and evercome the dry 

 air of our dwellings, which is so injurious to 

 plant life, the different classes of plants in 

 use, the rapidly increasing taste for ornamen 

 tal and foliage plants, palms, ferns, feius, 

 dracaenas, etc., plants for vases and hang- 

 ing baskets, bulbs for winter blooming, gar- 

 den plants, annuals, seed sowing, transplant- 

 ing, and how to secure the best results with 

 herbaceous perennials, cultivation and prun- 

 ing of flowering shrubs, roses, etc. , plants for 

 shady places, the best and most easily grown 

 climbers, fertilizers and their application, 

 watering, prevention of, and remedy for in- 

 sect pests, were all in turn discussed and ex- 

 plained. The audience showed their appreci- 

 ation and interest in plying the lecturer with 

 questions at the close, all of which were an- 

 swered satisfactorily. 



Orangeville. — The lecture by Mr. Wm, 

 Bacon, of Orillia, on "Indoor and outdoor 

 flowering plants," was much appreciated by 

 the members of the local society and the pub- 

 lic generally. The lecturer occupied about an 

 hour, and afterward a large number of ques- 

 tions were handed in and answered to the 

 satisfaction of all concerned. The platform 

 was well decorated with greenhouse plants, 

 which were made use of by the lecturer in il- 

 lustration of his subject. 



KiNCAKDiNE. — The number of our member- 

 ship has now reached 96. We expect to get 4 

 more, but they will be too late to share in 

 your plant distribution, but they will get a 

 big dollar's worth without it. Mr. Bacon's 

 lecture was much appreciated. A vote of 

 thanks was tendered the Ontario Fruit Grow- 

 er's Association for their liberality in sending 

 the lecturer, and the plants for distribution. 

 — Joseph Booker, Secretary. 



PiCTON. — Sir,— Thinking you will be in- 

 terested in the Spring distribution of our 

 Horticultural Society, I enclose you a packet 

 of seeds we had put up in Germany, and send 

 you as well a list comprising all that was in- 

 cluded in the distribution, the wholesale price 

 being about $1 . Eight papers seed, 8 papers 

 sweet peas, 1 single begonia bulb, 1 double 

 begonia bulb, 1 gloxonia bulb.— Walter T. 

 Ross. 



A Lecture Tour Among the 

 Societies. 



Sir,— I thought it quite possible that you 

 might be pleased to receive some short notice 



of the meetings assigned to me under the aus- 

 pices of your association, and, therefore, se- 

 lect the following from my note-book : 



It is only just to remark that in every place 

 your representative was shewn the utmost 

 courtesy and kindness and many expressions 

 were heard of the high appreciation of the 

 Horticultural Societies at the very generous 

 action of the executive of O.F.G.A in pro- 

 viding lectures on such liberal terms, and 

 thus encouraging an increased knowledge of 

 the many plants, bulbs and flowers. It is 

 the varieties, nature and requirements of 

 very noteworthy that in such gatherings as- 

 senibled you have the very cream of the com- 

 munities as to refinement and intelligence — 

 therefore the meetings are full of interest 

 and mental activity, and always mo3t pleasur- 

 able and elevating iu their character. 



Thornbury. — On March 22nd I visited 

 Thornbury and Claiksburg and uiet many 

 old friends and a live membership of 

 the Horticultural Society. There are here, 

 to the population, perhaps, more ardent 

 lovers of the beautiful in plants and flow- 

 ers than any other place of its size in 

 Ontario, and some of its citizens have 

 beauMful specimens in ferns, palms, gloxinia, 

 begonias, geianium, etc., and others less 

 practiced are very eager to learn the secret 

 of their fellow-members' success. Attend- 

 ance very good, and interest keen as indicated 

 by the pertinent questions asked concerning 

 the many kinds spoken of, their treatment, 

 etc. Insect pests were widely dealt with. 

 We bespeak for this Society an increased 

 membership, with the full determination to 

 attain the greatest success in floriculture. 



1 might say. also, that this people make 

 bright and cheerful the "place of the dead " 

 in a very creditable and marked degree, as we 

 know from past experience. In summer they 

 make the cemetery their special charge. In 

 this it would be well for many larger places 

 to follow their example. 



Meaford — March 23rd, I reached Mea- 

 ford in good time, and making the acquaint- 

 ance of directors and members, wa^ glad to 

 find a very much interested people on the 

 subject of floriculture in this beautifully situ- 

 ated town. The formation of the Horticul- 

 tural Society has done much to awaken an in- 

 terest in plants for the house, gai-den and 

 park The Secretary, President and Direc- 

 tors, are a most courteous group of gentlemen 

 and will report new members right along. 

 Mr. Cleland, Ex-M.P.P., made, in an open- 

 ing address, some timely remarks anent the 

 beautifying of the public park and enlisted 

 the sympathy of the Society and their aid for 

 this object. We had a capital meeting and I 

 believe much satisfaction was felt at hearing 

 of best proved methods of growing, renewing, 

 watering and pruning of the many different 

 kinds of plants and bulbs. By the way, there 



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