WHAT THE SOCIETIES ARE DOING. 



A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN THE TOWN. 



After the organization of the Cayuga Horti- 

 cultural Society for the first time in the history 

 of the county public gardens were made in the 

 town and Court House parks. The high and 

 public schools were aided in their zealous ef- 

 forts. This year, in co-operation with the town 

 council, the town park is being completed. The 

 result will be quite remarkable, in fact, a dis- 

 tinct transformation. 



Next year we will drop into normal conditions, 

 our public work having been performed. The 

 oramary member will receive as an incentive to 

 home work the bonus we are able to give in 

 plants. We have given nothing in prizes. Our 

 funds have been given entirely to the pulblic im- 

 provement of the town. — (F. G. Lishman, sec. 

 Cayuga Hort'l Soc. 



IMPROVED HIGH SCHOOL GROUNDS. 



The Port Hope society has for a number of 

 years distributed amongst its members plants, 

 flowers, bulbs, etc. It has also materially as- 

 sisted in adorning and beautifying the high 

 school grounds. Last spring the school re- 

 ceived 350 Gladiolus ibulbs, and in the fall some 

 250 Tulips were planted in a large bed directly 

 in front of the main entrance. 



Money has been granted by the society which 

 will be used to further improve the school 

 grounds this spring. Since the government re- 

 duced our grant we have not been able to do as 

 much civic improvement as we would wish- — (J- 

 G. Jackson, sec. Port Huron Hort'l Soc. 



CHILDREN GIVEN SEEDS. 



At the spring meeting of the St. Catharines 

 society, when Mr. T. H. Race addressed us, we 

 held a flower competition of house plants which 

 aroused greater interest in our society among 

 the citizens. In June and September there will 

 be further flower and fruit «shows. 



With the double object of beautifying the city 

 and creating an interest in horticultural work, 

 fine Aster seeds have been distributed gratis to 

 the different schools, the blooms to be shown at 

 the September meeting. The scholars of each 

 school compete for prizes offered in that school 

 only. Later prizes of Cannas will be offered 

 for the best four large collections of Asters, for 

 which all the schools will compete. Big beds 

 of Cannas will thus lie grown in the school 

 grounds. — (S. Richardson, sec. St. Catharines 

 Hort'l Soc. 



NEED ORGANIZATION. 



Hagersville Horticultural Society is having a 

 hard experience, needing proper organization and 

 more interest on the part of members. This 

 year we will continue our usual distribution 

 of premiums. — (S. M. Howard, sec. Hagersville 

 Hoht'l Soc. 



FRUIT GROWERS WILL CO-OPERATE. 



Whitby fruit growers have held a number of 

 meetings lately and formed a co-operative as- 

 sociation. A constitution and by-laws were 

 adopted April 16. The constitution announces 

 that the organization shall be called " The Fruit 

 Growers' Union of WTiitby," and that it shall 

 be composed of fruit growers living in the 

 vicinity who shall pay a membership fee of 25 

 cents per year. The expressed object of the 

 union is the improvement of the methods of 

 packing and marketing fruit. 



It is intended to accomplish this through co- 

 operation in the buying, packing and market- 

 ing of the fruit in the most economical manner 

 possible. By-law No. 3 provides that the mem- 

 bers who sign the by-law shall be lia>ble unless 

 they have notified the secretary previously in a 

 manner set forth in another clause to pay the 

 treasurer 5 cents a , barrel or 2 cents a box on 

 No. 1 or No. 2 apples which they dispose of 

 through the union. 



MANY QUESTIONS ASKED. 



The members of the Midland Horticultural 

 society greatly enjoyed the lecture of Mr. Wm. 

 Hunt, of the O. A. C, at a meeting held there 

 this spring. The manner in which he illus- 

 trated from natural specimens the different 

 methods of propagating plants was much ap- 

 preciated. 



The question 'box was a feature of the even- 

 ing. Slips of paper were distributed at the 

 lecturer's request before the meeting commenc- 

 ed, and a general invitation was given to those 

 present to ask lots of questions. Some 25 writ- 

 ten questions on almost all phases of horticul- 

 ture and floriculture were handed the lecturer 

 at the close of his address. All were answered 

 satisfactorily and promptly. 



In the afternoon Mr. Hunt visited the East 

 and West ward schools, where about 500 of the 

 more advanced scholars were addressed. At 

 his suggestion our society will distribute a 

 packet of flower seeds to the scholars to grow 

 at home. The results \\\\\ be exhibited at a 

 flower show to be held in the summer. — (Frank 

 Cook, Pres. Midland Hort'l Soc. 



Improving Their Homes. — Our members will 

 this year be given trees, plants, etc.. to the value 

 of 75c., in order to encourage them to beautify 

 their homes and thus greatly add to the general 

 appearance of the town. We were recently 

 favored with the presence of Mr. Race, and his 

 address was highly appreciated. — (J. Thos. Mur- 

 phy, sec. Simcoe Hort'l Soc. 



A fruit growers' association has been formed 

 at Goderich with Mr. D. F. Hamlink as secre- 

 tary. 



Allenford Fruit Growers. — At a meeting of 

 fruit growers held at Allenford recently, a fruit 

 growers' association was formed, with James 

 Rushton. of Elsinore. president; Thomas Askin, 

 Allenford, vice-president ; Mr. Scarrow, secre- 

 tary treasurer: directors, Wm. Evans, C. Dor- 

 man. D. MacKinnon, Peter Stuart. I. L. Broad- 

 foot and Charles Arnott, all of Allenford. 



