The Canadian Horticulturist. 63 



done by spending the societies' money as provided by any or all of the first four 

 sub-divisions of sub-section i of section 37 of the Act. By referring to these 

 sub-divisions and to sections 58 and 59 it will be seen that under intelligent 

 management every member of such societies may also be a member of the Fruit 

 Growers' Association, which will entitle him to the Horticultural Journal for one 

 year, a bound copy of the report, and a share in its distiibution of plants. He 

 may also receive two or three dollars' worth of the choicest plants, bulbs, shrubs 

 or trees procurable, all for the usual fee of one dollar and the directors should 

 still have funds on hand sufficient to defray the cost of holding two or three 

 meetings each year for discussing local agricultural and horticultural matters. 



If these suggestions are carried into effect, the Fruit Growers' Association 

 of Ontario will very soon number 10,000 members, and who can estimate the 

 benefits which would be derived by the circulation of so many thousands of 

 copies of our publication amongst an interested agricultural population ? At 

 present the circulation of our journal is mostly confined to our towns and 

 villages. The agricultural population— those who are most in need of the 

 information sent out — are not yet reached. 



When the agricultural population of that portion of Ontario embraced 

 between the 44th and 45th degree of North latitude become fully aware of its 

 possibilities for the production of fruit, and have proven by practical experience 

 that in this belt there can be profitably the best winter apples on this continent, 

 then the Province of Ontario will become known as the best home for the 

 surplus Anglo-Saxon race on the face of this globe. 



THE APPLE AS MEDICINE. 



Mr. L. Foote replies to M. D., in Open I^etters of November, but as our 

 journal has no room for discussion of the merits of the medical profession, we 

 simply give our readers an extract on the above subject, enclosed in his letter, 

 which, we believe is true, at least to a large extent. 



Dr. G. R. Searls, of Brooklyn, N. Y., thus'discoursed on the apple as medi. 

 cine : — " The apple is such common fruit that very few persons are familiar 

 with its remarkably eflficacious medical properties. Everybody ought to know 

 the very best thing they can do is to eat an apple just before retiring for the 

 night. Persons uninitiated in the mysteries of the fruit are liable to throw up 

 their hands in horror at the visions of dyspepsia which such a suggestion may 

 summon up, but no harm can come to even a delicate system by the eating of 

 ripe and juicy apples just before going to bed. The apple is an excellent brain 

 food, because it has more phosphoric acid in easily digestible shape than any 

 other vegetable known. It excites the action of the liver, promotes sound and 

 healthy sleep, and thoroughly disinfects the mouth. This is not all. The apple 

 agglutinates the surplus acids of the stomach, helps the kidney secretions and 

 prevents calculus growth, while it obviates indigestion and is one of the best 

 preventives known of diseases of the throat. Everybody should be familiar with 

 such knowledge." 



