WHAT THE SOCIETIES ARE DOING. 



SPLENDID WORK IN TILLSONBURG. 



After considerable trouble members of the 

 TilLsonburg- Horticultural Society have secured 

 from the town council the use of the greater 

 part of G-rand Avenue Park in the centre of the 

 town and are having- it laid out in 30 plots. The 

 land was first reclaimed and properly prepared 

 for the use of selected male pupils from the 

 public school. Each pupil will have 1 package 

 of Aster seed and a proper number of Gladioli; 

 also 4 packages of garden seeds. These plots 

 are to be cultivated by the children under the 

 supervision of a gardener under the control of 

 the -society. 



In order to inoculate the townspeople gener- 

 ally, the society will distribute 300 or 400 pack- 

 ages of flower and garden seeds, mostly vege- 

 tables, to families of the public school children. 

 These seeds will be grown at their own homes 

 and the work inspected from time to time by 

 committees of the society. An exhibition of re- 

 sults will be held in due season, awards made 

 and prizes given.- We had a delightful lecture 

 this spring by Mr. T. H. Race. — (W. W. Living- 

 stone, sec. Tillsonburg Hort'l Soc. 



A GOOD WAY TO SECURE MEMBERS. 



Members of the Perth Horticultural Society 

 meet the first Monuay in every month. Notice 

 is given in the local papers and the meetings 

 are well attended. Some member or members 

 of the society deliver a short address at these 

 meetings. In other cases papers are prepared 

 and read. In all cases the address or prepared 

 paper is the basis of discussion, and in this 

 way many valuable hints are 'brought forth. 



This year a soliciting committee was formed, 

 each member was allotted a portion of the town, 

 and in this way many new names were brought 

 in. While all of the former year's membership 

 was retained. The experiment proved such a 

 success it has become a fixture. A spring and 

 autumn distribution of bulbs and plants takes 

 place every year. This year a lecture was 

 . given by Dr. James Fletcher, L..L.D., of the Cen- 

 tral Experimental Farm, Ottawa. In the after- 

 noon he addressed the school children on " The 

 Mr. J. O. McCulloch, Hamilton. We expect to 

 a public address on " Spring work for the gar- 

 dener." Both lectures were given in the town 

 hall, and from the attendance at both it was 

 readily seen that the people of the town and 

 surrounding country were taking a lively inter- 

 est in horticulture. — (C. J. Foy. sec. Perth 

 Hort'l soc. 



HAMILTON BRIGHTENED UP. 



Our meetings have usually been held during 

 the winter season, with informal gatherings 

 hela at the members' grounds in summer. Dur- 

 ing the past year we have had addresses from 

 iTof. P. T. Shutt, Dr. Jas. Fletcher, and Prof. 

 W. T. Maooun, of the Central Experimental 

 Farm, Ottawa ; Prof. Hutt, O. A. C, Guelph, and 

 opening of spring," and in the evening he gave 

 have Dr. Saunders, from Ottawa, shortly. 



For several years we have distributed a large 

 number of plants and packages of seeds to the 

 children of the public and separate schools in 

 the spring, holding an exhibition in the fall, 

 when prizes, not cash, were awarded to the 

 pupils, and also for the best display from any 

 one school. A number of prizes have ^been 

 given for the best kept gardens, rockeries and 

 window boxes. "These awards have had con- 

 siderable influence in brightening up the ap- 

 pearance of the city. — (J. M. Dickson, sec. Ham- 

 ilton Hort'l Soc. 



INTERESTING SUBJECTS. 



The program for the year of the Owen Sound 

 Horticultural society provides for the considera- 

 tion each month of interesting subjects. It is 

 as follows : April, Lawns, how to make and 

 keep them ; May, Bees, Suggestions how to pre- 

 pare a flower bed ; June, Plums and their ene- 

 mies and how to get rid of them. Small fruits 

 and their enemies and how to get rid of them ; 

 July, Wliat to do with house plants now. Domes- 

 tic Science, How to prepare for Camping; Octo- 

 ber, How best to take care of fall bulbs and how 

 to keep others over winter ; November, Timely 

 points on winter house plants. Domestic Science; 

 December, How to use a few flowers to best ad- 

 vantage for Christmas decorations. The meet- 

 ing this spring, addressed by Mr. Hunt, of the 

 Ontario Agricultural College, was greatly en- 

 joyed. — (Lou A. Harrison, sec. Owen Sound 

 Hort'l Soc. 



PANSY AND ROSE SHOWS. 



An early commencement was made by the 

 Toronto Horticultural Society in laying out 

 plans for the year. Mr. C. C. James, Deputy 

 Minister of Agriculture, gave an address in 

 February on " Fruit, and the Fruit District of 

 Ontario," which was much appreciated. 



A Pansy show is to be held this month, and 

 the second annual show of hardy and other 

 roses and flowers in season will take place the 

 latter part of June. It should be extra good 

 this year. Entries from friends outside the 

 city will be welcomed. The society desires to 

 see a great development in rose growing. In 

 July or August a Sweet Pea show will be held. 

 During 1903 the society made marked advance- 

 ment both in membership and work. — (Edward 

 Tyrrell, pres. Toronto Hort'l Soc. 



MAY HOLD A FLOWER SHOW. 



In the spring of each year we distribute 

 among our members fruit trees, plants, shrubs, 

 bulbs, etc. For the last two years we have 

 given each fall a grant of $10 to the agricultural 

 society to be applied to the flower prize list. 

 The society has allowed us to revise and make 

 out the flower prize list to suit ourselves. 



Every fall we give each member a few winter 

 flowering bulbs. For the coming summer we 

 have not decided whether we shall hold a flower 

 show or join with the agricultural society, — (C. 

 W. Schierholtz. sec. Elmira Hort'l Soc. 



