HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND THE ACT. 



543 



k WORD TO HORTICILTIRAL SOCIETIES 



Many improvements have been made in The Canadian Horticulturist during the past eight 

 months. An earnest effort has been made to make the magazine of greater interest and value 

 to members of horticultural societies. The space devoted to floral matters has been in- 

 creased and a special department has been created for reports of the work being done by horti- 

 cultural societies. During 1905 still further improvements will be made. About half the 

 horticultural societies in Ontario subscribe for The Horticulturist. These societies report 

 that they find The Horticulturist is of great value to them in their work. 



There are a number of societies which do not subscribe for The Horticulturist but which 

 take United States publications instead. The Horticulturist is the only horticultural paper 

 published in Canada. Although the competition of the United States papers is keen an effort 

 is being made to publish a horticultural paper that will be a credit to Canada. An earnest at- 

 tempt is also being made to advance the interests of our horticultural societies. Will not the 

 horticultural societies of Ontario, when planning their work for 1905, kindly bear The Horti- 

 culturist in mind and arrange to subscribe for the magazine for all their members. If there 

 are any improvements you would like to see made write and let us know what they are. Do 

 you not think The Horticulturist is a sufficiently good publication to be deserving of your sup- 

 port quite aside from the fact that it is purely Canadian. 



A LOW SUBSCRIPTION RATE WILL BE GIVEN SOCIETIES. 



point a committee of representative men to out- 

 line the duties and objects and to state in what 

 way it would be superior to our present organi- 

 ation." 



Mr. McClew : "I have pleasure in second- 

 ing Mr. SnelgTove's motion that we form a hor- 

 ticultural association. While we have no ill- 

 feeling towards agricultural societies or towards 

 the Fruit Growers' Association, yet our objects 

 are entirely different from either of them. We 

 have no commercial interests. Our object is 

 purely the advancement of the knowleage of 

 plants for beautifying the homes. By forming 

 a provincial association we should be in a much 

 better position to help both the agriculturists 

 and the fruit growers. There always seems 

 to be a feeling of jealousy between them, that 

 the one society is taking from the other, which 

 should not be. I do not think that a provincial 

 association would cost the province a great deal. 

 I am pleased to see that The Canadian Horti- 

 culturist is improving as regards horticultural 

 matters, and no doubt still more space will be 

 devoted to them in the future." 



W. L,. Stevens, Orillia: " As to the formation 

 of a provincial as.sociation, there is a good deal 

 to be said on both sides. There is a great deal 

 of opposition among horticulturists in different 

 parts of the country to the FYuit Growers' As- 

 sociation." 



J. G. Jackson, Port Hope: "I called a meet- 

 ing of our directors recently and obtained their 

 views on this matter. In the first place there 

 seems to be some dissatisfaction existing in our 

 membership in regard to the affiliation of the 

 Horticultural Societies with the Fruit Growers' 

 Association. They have thought for some time 

 past that the fruit growers were getting the 

 best end of the horn in The Horticulturist. I 



assume it was established for their special bene- 

 fit. However, I frankly admit that it has im- 

 proved very much recently in this respect." 

 A COMMITTEE APPOINTED. 



After considerable discussion Major Snelgrove 

 withdrew his motion and moved, instead, that a 

 committee composed of Messrs. H. R. Frankland, 

 R. B. Whyte, H. B. Cowan, J. G. Jackson, Alex. 

 McNeill, D. McClew and the mover be appointed 

 to consider the advisability of forming a pro- 

 vincial horticultural association and also the 

 proposal to amend the Agricultural and Arts 

 Act as it relates to horticultural societies, the 

 committee to report as soon as possible. 



An amendment was moved by Mr. McNeill 

 that the Agricultural and Arts Act be so amend- 

 ed as to make horticultural societies inaepend- 

 ent of agricultural societies, that grants to so- 

 cieties be distributed in proportion to the work 

 done and that a distinct horticultural committee 

 be appointed to direct the executive of the Fruit 

 Growers' Association in connection with horti- 

 cultural matters. The amendment was put to 

 the meeting and was lost after which the main 

 motion was carried. 



AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION. 



At the afternoon session of the convention 

 Major Snelgrove, as chairman of the special 

 committee, presented the following report which 

 was carried unanimously : 



" That your committee is of- the opinion that 

 the Agricultural and Arts act should be amended 

 because it permits of an unjust distribution of 

 the government grant and that it in many dis- 

 tricts works to the disadvantage of horticultu- 

 ral societies. We would, therefor, recommend 

 that this committee be deputed to wait on the 

 Hon. John Dryden, Minister of Agriculture, to 

 urge that the Agricultural and Arts Act be com- 



