EDITORIAL. 



119 



and is not likely to appeal to the citizens of 

 Toronto. An attempt will be made next fall 

 to bring the growers and consumers into closer 

 touch in the manner indicated. It is possible 

 this movement may have far reaching results. 



SEVERAL APPLICANTS. 



Three applicants for the $10 prize offered by 

 The Canadian Horticulturist to the reader pur- 

 chasing goods to the greatest value from adver- 

 tisers in the January issue, were received dur- 

 ing February. The successful winner was Mi'. 

 W. H. Bunting, of St. Catharines, whose pur- 

 chases of fertilizers from S. W. Marchment, of 

 Toronto, amounted to $97.27, and of pots from 

 the Foster Pottery Co., of Hamilton, to $21.19, 

 a total of $118.27. The two other applicants 

 were Messrs. Charles Mackey, of Thornbury, 

 who bought $114 worth of nursery stock from 

 C. W. F. Carpenter, of Winona, and Mr. C. W. 

 Webster, of Stoney Creek, who procured 760 

 trees and vines worth $47 from B. D, Smith, of 

 Winona. 



Having failed to win the $10 prize Messrs. 

 Mackey and Webster are being sent special pre- 

 miums offered by The Horticulturist to every 

 reader who purchases goods from advertisers 

 in the magazine and who inform the advertisers 

 that they saw their advertisement in The Horti- 

 culturist. The money offer is open to horticul- 

 tural societies who purchase from our adver- 

 tisers. Readers should bear in mind that 

 when they buy from our advertisers they are 

 entitled to a special premium free and that they 

 are helping to further improve The Horticul- 

 turist. 



The demand of tomato growers for an ad- 

 vance in the price paid for tomatoes by the 

 canners is a reasonable one. The cost of labor, 

 fertilizers and everything used by the growers 

 in the production of their crop has increased to 

 the point where an advance in their returns is 

 a necessity. While the canners might be 

 forced to ask the consumers more for their 

 goods the difference in price by the can would 

 be so slight it would not materially affect the 

 demand. If the growers will take a firm stand 

 and stick together they may depend on secur- 

 ing a favorable reply to their request. The 

 growers must combine to fight a combine. 

 Their greatest enemy will_ be weak-kneed grow- 

 ers in their own ranks who fear to hold out. 

 The determination shown by the grow:ers is an 

 augury of success. 



At the annual convention of the Ontario As- 

 sociation of Fairs and Exhibitions, held in To- 

 ronto February 14-16, the delegates voted in 

 favor of having the Agriculture and Arts Aot 

 so amended that horticultural and agricultural 

 societies will not be brought into conflict in re- 

 gard to their government grants. As repre- 

 sentatives of the horticultural societies of the 

 province took the same stand at their conven- 

 tion last November the time has come when a 

 change shoulu be made. Some arrangement is 

 needed by which horticultural societies will re- 



ceive their grants in proportion to the work 

 they are doing. It will be a most difficult mat- 

 ter to devise a satisfactory scheme and mem- 

 bers of societies should give it careful atten- 

 tion. 



Are you watching us grow ? Never before 

 has The Canadian Horticulturist carried as 

 many or as valuable advertisements as those 

 in this issue. Look them over ; they are in- 

 teresting reading. If this progress continues 

 we will soon add several more pages of reading 

 matter which will greatly strengthen all our 

 departments. We intend to make The Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist the best horticultural maga- 

 zine published on the continent, and it is a ques- 

 tion if it is not that already. Most of the other 

 magazines specialize on some one line. 



At last we have heard from the vegetable 

 growers. Several attempts have been made to 

 form a provincial assiciation but these have 

 never gone much beyond the immediate locali- 

 ties of the promoters. Prospects are bright 

 for the early formation of a strong provincial 

 association. Such an organization will not 

 only benefit the growers but the horticultural 

 interests of Ontario. Let us unite in wishing 

 the movement God-speed. 



During 1905 The Canadian Horticulturist will 

 not give premiums of plants or shrubs to sub- 

 scribers. While these premiums have been 

 appreciated by many subscribers in the past 

 they have often proved a disappointment to the 

 recipients. This year the money, hitherto used 

 to send out these prizes, will be expended to im- 

 prove the magazine and all our subscribers will 

 reap the benefit. A reduced subscription price 

 is offered for clubs of new subscribers and to 

 societies. 



Copies of the index of The Horticulturist for 

 1904 are ready for distribution and will be sent 

 to any address upon receipt of a one cent stamp. 



Want the Tariff Changed 



The Hamilton District Gardeners' and Fruit 

 Growers' Association has started an active 

 agitation to secure changes in the tariff on some 

 fruits and vegetables. Petitions are being cir- 

 culated and widely signed asking that the tariff 

 on strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, 

 cabbage, cucumbers, watermelons, muskmelons, 

 beans and celery be removed, so that Canadian 

 producers may have the benefit of the Canadian 

 markets and not be forced to suffer as hereto- 

 fore on account of foreign products coming 

 into competition with theirs. 



These petitions are being circulated in the 

 vicinity of St. Catharines, Dunnville, London, 

 Dundas, Bartonville, Winona, Stoney Creek and 

 many others. Thousands of signatures have 

 already been secured. Growers in other sec- 

 tions who would like to circulate petitions' may 

 secure a form by writing to James A. Stevens, 

 Box 175, Hamilton, Ont. 



