1 70 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



tario government to do something that will 

 be of great value to the fruit growers of the 

 Niagara district." 



" While we have many of our leading 

 fruit growers here," said Mr. A, H. Pettit, 

 of Grimsby, " I am safe in saying fhe whde 

 population would have acted on t'he deputa- 

 tion had they been able. The experimental 

 farms at Ottawa and Guelph are of great 

 value to the fruit growers in the northern 

 districts of Ontario, but not of nearly as 

 much value to the districts where the tender 

 fruits are raised. What we need is a horti- 

 cultural college where our young men can 

 receive instruction in the raising of fruit. 

 Many residents of dties would send their 

 sons to take a course in such a college. The 

 best proof of this is the fact that many of 

 them write to our growers asking if they 

 •will take their sons for a season that they 

 may gain experience on their farms. 



" Wben the farm ait Guelph was started 

 there was some complaint about the expense, 

 'but that time has passed, as the people recog- 

 nize the great value of the college. This 

 would be the case with the horticultural col- 

 lege we desire to have established. We do 

 not want it to conflict with the college at 

 Guelph, and I do not believe it would, as it 

 will have a field all its own. It is our wisli 

 that it should be established in such a man- 

 ner that it will be possible for students +o 

 graduate from the High schools, take a 

 course in the college of horticulture and 

 step out ready to take up practical 'work on 

 the farm. Recently we had to send to 

 Delaware for an expert to address a scries 

 of meetings in our district. The reason A^e 

 had to send to that state was that they have 

 such a college there and the gentleman who 

 attended our meetings was of great value to 

 our growers." 



"There is no need," said Mr. W. H. Bunt- 

 ing, of St. Catharines, "to point out the 

 value of the institutions we have, as that is 

 recognized. Tt has been one of the greatest 



regrets of my life that I was not able to take 

 advantage of a course at a college like the 

 college at Guelph, and I have been endeavor- 

 ing to partly make up for this loss by secur- 

 ing this advantage for the benefit of my 

 family. We have no fault to find with the 

 capable officers at the Experimental Farm 

 at Ottawa, or those at Guelph, all of whom 

 are doing excellent work. Their field is 

 large, however, and they are unable to give 

 the required attention for the special needs 

 of the Niagara district. This has made it 

 necessary for us to apply for assistance again 

 and again, to the colleges of the United 

 States, and at times these requests on our 

 part (have placed us in a somewhat humiliat- 

 ing position. 



" We desire to have an expert staflf to 

 carry on work that will be of great value to 

 the Niagara district. We have heard a 

 great deal of criticism regarding the pack- 

 ing of fruit. It is impossible to pack good 

 fruit if the grower's are not in a position to 

 produce the best. We have, therefore, 

 come to ask for assistance which will enable 

 our growers to raise the standard of their 

 products." 



" The pests which destroy the fruit in the 

 southern district of Ontario," said Mr. Hod- 

 getts, of the St. Catharines Board of Trade, 

 " are dififerent from those in the northern 

 sections and our fruit growers need assist- 

 ance in learning how to control them. As 

 the whole of Canada is affected by a short- 

 age in the wheat crop of the west, so a short- 

 age in the fruit crop in the Niaigara district 

 affects all branches of trade." 



" Fruit production," said Mr. E. Morden, 

 of Niagara Falls, " is increasing wonder- 

 fully. Twenty bushels are being grown to^ 

 day where one was raised 30 years ago. 

 There is an immense market to the south of 

 ns, which is yet to be developed. Such a 

 college as we desire will be of great value to 

 the growers all along the northern shore •:>£ 

 Lake Erie. The tendencv of hieh schools 



