444 



EDITORIAL. 



jqe (anddian plorticOiItdrist 



The Leading Horticultural Magazine in the 

 Dominion. 



1. The Canadian Horticulturist is published the first of 

 each month. 



2. Subscriptfon Price Si.oo per year, strictly in advance, 

 entitling the subscriber to membership in the Fruit Growers' 

 Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its 

 report and a share of its annual distribution of plants and tree-i. 

 For all countries except Canada, United States and Great Britain 

 add 50C for postage. 



3. Remittances should be made by Post Office or Money 

 Express Order, or Registered Letter. Postage Stamps accepted for 

 amounts less than $1.00. Receipts will be acknowledged on the 

 address label, which shows the date to which subscription is paid. 



4. Discontinuances — Responsible subscribers will continue 

 to receive The Horticulturist until the publishers are notified by 

 letter to discontinue, when all arrearages must be paid. Societies 

 should send in their revised lists in January: otherwise it will be 

 taken for granted all will continue members. 



5. Cliange o£ Address — When a change of address is or- 

 dered, both the old and the new addresses must be given. 



6. Advertising Rates quoted on application. Circulatien 

 5,500. Copy receiped up to the 24th. Responsible representatives 

 wanted in towns and cities. 



7. Articles and Illustrations for publication will be 

 thankfully received by the editor. 



8« All Communications should be addressed : 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST, 



TORONTO, CANADA 



AN ENCOURAGING VICTORY. 



The action of the railway companies in volun- 

 tarily making material reductions in their 

 charges for handling fruit is a victory for the 

 fruit growers. The fact that the compaijiies 

 have not waited for the decision of the railway 

 commission but have lowered the rates of their 

 own volition shows a willingness to make con- 

 cessions on their part and demonstrates the 

 strength of the case presented by the fruit 

 growers. 



The principal witnesses for the fruit interests, 

 Messrs. W. H. Bunting, E. D. Smith, M. P., W. 

 H. Dawson and ex-Mayor Graham, are to be 

 cipal witnesses for the fruit interests, are to be 

 congratulated on the success of their efforts. 

 The reductions that have been made in rates 

 will infuse new life into the growers and pave 

 the way towards securing the further improve- 

 ments still required. The benefits of organ- 

 ized effort on the part of the growers and of 

 having a railway commission are now apparent. 



ENFORCING THE SAN JOSE SCALE ACT. 



'Several cases of great interest to fruit grow- 

 ers were tried during September before Police 

 Magistrate Comfort, of St. Catharines. The 

 cases were brought by San Jose scale Inspector 

 Beatty, who charged several parties with ne- 

 glecting to destroy or properly treat fruit trees 

 on their premises infected with the scale. 



After hearing considerable evidence the 

 magistrate decided not to punish the defend- 

 ants in view of the fact that these were among 

 the first cases which had come before him, and 

 he was pretty well convinced that the delin- 

 quents had acted as they did through ignorance. 

 The announcement was made, however, and it 

 was a welcome and important one, that as the 

 scale is widespread and there seems no way of 

 stopping its progress a more severe view will 

 be taken of such cases in future and fines will 

 be imposed where there are convictions. The 

 minimum fine is twenty dollars. 



Infested orchards that are not cut down or 

 properly sprayed are an injury to the whole 

 neighborhood. The imposition of a, few fines 

 may convince some growers of the benefits of 

 spraying who have not yet learned this lesson 

 through injury to their trees. 



A CHANCE FOR THE SOCIETIES. 



The various horticultural societies of the pro- 

 vince should not fail to appoint as many^ele- 

 gates as possible to attend the horticultural 

 meetings which will be held at the time of the 

 Provincial Fruit, Flower and Honey Show in 

 November. Two matters of great importance 

 to all horticultural societies will have to be con- 

 sidered. One is the advisability of forming a 

 provincial horticultural association, and the 

 other the need for a change in the act granting 

 aid to horticultural societies. 



There is no doubt that there is room for a 

 good, live horticultural association. The fruit 

 growers, bee keepers, dairymen and poultry fan- 

 ciers all have provincial associations ; why 

 should not members of horticultural societies 

 be equally well organized ? Were such an 

 association to do nothing more than succeed in 

 evolving some method by which copies of the 

 best papers presented at society meetings can 

 be circulated to the advantage of other societies 

 it will have shown good cause for its existence. 

 Greater enthusiasm in horticultural matters is 

 needed. This enthusiasm can be materially 

 promoted by means of a central organization. 



In the Agricultural and Arts Act horticultural 

 societies are classed with agricultural societies. 

 Every horticultural society that is established 

 means a reduction in the government grant to 

 the agricultural society or societies of the dis- 

 trict. This often works to the disadvantage 

 of both. It seems as if the time has come when 

 horticultural societies are of sufficient import- 

 ance to warrant their separation in the act from 

 agricultural societies and their being placed on 

 a footing of their own. It will be well for the 

 delegates who attend the convention in Novem- 

 ber to consider this matter carefully. The ap- 

 pointment of a committee to lay the matter be- 

 fore the Minister of Agriculture may be in or- 

 der. Members of societies should think this 

 whole question over very carefully and be pre- 

 pared to act, through their delegates, at the 

 meeting in November. See that your society, 

 if it has not already done so, aI)polnts delegates. 



