;i6 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral EVHtion. 



Business Problems Discussed by Ontario Fruit 



Growers 



PROBUHMS relating to the marketing of 

 Uie fruit crop were much to the tore 

 throughout the sessions of the annual 

 convention of the Ontario Fruit Growers' 

 Association, held in Toronto, January li)th 

 to 21st. W'liere in other years much attea- 

 tion has been given to matters relating to 

 the growing of the crops this year such sub- 

 jects were scarcely considered. 



Tilie sesions were business-like througb- 

 out. Practically every speaker was present 

 in person and on time. The attendance was 

 large, and the interest keen. President El- 

 mer Ijick kept things going expeditiousJy. 



What Was Done. 



The convention placed itself on record as 

 being in favor of dividing the No. 2 grade of 

 apples in the Fruit Marks Act into two 

 classes, in order that the requirements of 

 this grade may be more clearly deHned. It 

 favored the carrying out of a compreihensive 

 plan of advertising domestic fruits, the en- 

 actmeat of legislation to regulate the ship- 

 ping of immature fruit, and appointed a 

 committee to consult with the basket manu- 

 facturers to see if a standard for basket 

 packages cannot ibe devised. A -warning 

 was issued to fruit growers to beware of 

 undated testimonials published by manu- 

 facturers in their catalogues of spraying ma- 

 terials, etc. it being shown that some of 

 these testimonials were ten to twenty years 

 old. It appointed a committee to lay infor- 

 mation concerning the status of the fruit 

 industry in Ontario 'before the Domindon 

 Economic Commis-sion. 



Officers Elected. 



The following officers were elected: Pres., 

 Dr. A. J. Grant, Thedford; Vice.jPres., F. 

 A. J. Sheppapd, St. Catharines; Sec.-Treas., 

 P. W. Hodgetts, Toronto; Executive Com- 

 mittee, the officers, Elmer Liok, Oshawa, 

 and R. H. Dewar, Winona. Directors, C. W. 

 Gumey, Paris; Albert Stevenson, I>ong- 

 wood; R. B. Whyte, Ottawa; C. Casselman, 

 Iroquois; F. S. Wallbridge, Belleville; J. 6. 

 Waite, Wicklow; W. F. W. Fisher, iBuriing- 

 Um, and Paul Angle, Simcoe. Delegates to 

 the Ontario Horticultural Ex:hlbition: 

 -Messrs. (Lick, Dewar, Foster and Hodgetts. 



Financial Statement. 



The financial statement showed total re- 

 ceipts of $2,74'5, including a government 

 grant of $1,700, members fees, $309 and a 

 balance from 1914 of $708. The chief expen- 

 ditures were transportation investigations 

 $1,392, periodicals $72S, committees $144. 

 The balance on band at the end of the year 

 was $307. 



Mr. W. T. flMacoun, Dominion Horticul- 

 turist, iad on exhibition an interesting col- 

 lection of seedling apples originated at the 

 Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. These 

 included several promising varieties which 

 were commended by all who examined and 

 tested them. 



President's Address. 



Presideat Elmer Lick referred to pro- 

 blems growing out of the war, including the 

 increased •cost of transiportation and In 

 some cases lessened demand for fruit. One 

 result of the war will 'be a necessity for in- 

 creased revenue for war purposes with a cer- 

 tainty of higher taxes. Owing to the war 

 there Is bound to be a shortage of labor thla 

 year. Fruit growers were urged to econom- 

 ize on laibor and expenses and to pack and 

 grade to S'tandard. 



The transportatloi agent of the Associa^ 

 tion, G. E. Mcintosh, of Forest, urged that 



Uie powers of the Railway Commission 

 should be extended. The Commission has no 

 power to award damages for delay ,lu transit, 

 cannot issue an order in reference to rough 

 handling, has no jurisdiction over the settle- 

 ment of claims, cannot Issue an order in re- 

 ference to delays, jolting or rough handling, 

 lias no jurLsdlotion over navigation com- 

 panies otlier than those controlled by rail- 

 way compan'ies, and cannot issue an order 

 for the extension of a privilege. Were its 

 powers extended it could aid the fruit grow- 

 ers in many ways such as to secure cars ia 

 reasonable time, promptly market perishable 

 fruit, secure a minimum speed Mmit, ensure 

 proper handling of shipments and secure 

 proper rules for the unloading and releasing 

 of cars. Portions of Mr. Mcintosh's report 

 will be puljlished later. 



Attention was called by Mr. rMcIntosh to 

 the fact that the railways having failed to 

 secure an increase they asked for in the 

 charges for handling fruit, recently an- 

 nounced that they proposed to change the 

 tariff on the first of Decem^ber for heated 

 cars by increasing the rates as follows: From 

 Ontario to Winnipeg, $14; and to other points 

 .in Manitoba, $16. To Saskatchewan, $19; 

 and to Alberta, $22.60. In addition there will 

 be a charge of 50c per beater per day. The 

 convention passed a resolution recommend- 

 ing the Association to file a protest with the 

 Railway Commission against the proposed 

 change in the tariff. 



Historical Committee. 



In presenting the report of the Historical 

 Committee, Mr. A. W. Peart of Burlingtoa, 

 pointed out that these reports may not be 

 of great immediate interest 'because of the 

 familiarity of the public with the sujbjects 

 discussed. Nevertheless these reports, cov- 

 ering as ithey do the events of greatest im- 

 portance connected with the fruit industry, 

 may be of great interest 25 or 50 years hence 

 when future historians may strive to trace 

 out the important incidents connected with 

 the fruit industry of to-day. The report -pre- 

 sented by .Mr. Peart was concise yet com- 

 prehensive. It dealt with such important 

 matters as the formation of the Ontario Co- 

 operative Apple Growers' Association, the 

 esta'blis.hment of the Vineland Experimental 

 Station, Reciprocity, the early investigations 

 of .the late Dr. Wm. -Saunders, and the re- 

 sults that have flowed therefrom; a history 

 of the valuable work accomplished by the 

 late Robert Thompson, of St. Catharines, 

 and concluded with a reference to the inter- 

 est taken .by fruit growers In the great 

 European war in which Canada is playlog' 

 such an important part. 



A Government Fruit Dealer. 

 Great interest wa;i taken in an address 'by 

 Mr. H. A. 'Emmerson. of the Markets Division 

 of the New York Department of Agriculture. 

 A few years ago the New York State De- 

 partment of Agrioulture found that the deal- 

 ers In live poultry la New York city had a 

 combine which reguiated the quantity and 

 prices of the poultry sold. Prosecutions were 

 laid against members of this combine, as a 

 result of which thirteen were sent to prison 

 and two died. It was found that somewhat 

 similar conditions governed the sale of fruit. 

 The Department engaged a warehouse and 

 opened up auction rooms to which fruit 

 growers were invited to consign their high 

 gnade fruit. The result was that prices to 

 the producer were .'ncreased about 35 per 

 cent, and reduced to the consumer about 20 

 per cent. Efforts were ■made 'by the dealers 



to 'buy up the crop In the Slate, .but the Di 

 partment conducted auction saloe In the or- 

 chards and thus fru.itrated the plans of the 

 dealers. Mr. Emmerson left the impression 

 that the work of the Department had proved 

 a great success, and invited Ontario grower* 

 to ship their hig'h grade fruit to that mar- 

 ket. 



Package Problem. 

 An. afternoon .session was devoted to the 

 consideration of the best packages to use In 

 the haadiing of fruit. Mr. J. B. Fairbaim, 

 of Beamsville, spoke on berry crates and con- 

 tainers; .Mr. J. W. Clark, of Cainsville, on 

 the economy crate for apples; F. M. Clemeat, 

 of Vineland, on ba.-kels, and C. W. Baxter, of 

 Brighton, on boxes and barrels. The papers 

 by Messrs. Clement aad Baxter will be pub- 

 lished in full in The Horticulturist. The dis- 

 cuss'ion of basket packages showed that 

 there Is a need for the adoption of standard 

 sizes, and a standard of construction. The 

 following committee was appointed to deal 

 with the matter: W. T. Glover, Burlington: 

 B. Piott, .Stoney Creek; W. H. Bunting, Si. 

 Catharines; R. H. Dewar, Winona; W. F. W. 

 Fisher, Burlington; J. R. Hastings, Winona; 

 F. M. Clement, Vineland; P. J. Carey, To- 

 ronto; Mr. Gardener, St. Catharines; Hew 

 son & Farrell; Merritt Bros.; Thf Northen 

 Veneer Co., Grimsby; Keenen Woodenwai- 

 Co., Owen Sound; The Orillia, Leamingtoi. 

 Forest, Oakville, and Arkona Basket Con, 

 panies, and the Gull River Lumber Co. 



The Economy Crate. 



The discussion of the "Economy Crate" led 

 by J. W. Clark, of Cainsville, proved a lively 

 one. This crate has been used extensively 

 in British Columibia. It is understood that 

 nearly 50 per cent, of the British Columbia 

 apple crop this year was marketed in this 

 style of crate. It v.as never used in On- 

 tario before last fall. 



Last fall owing to the wet weather, during 

 the growing season, a large perceatage of 

 the apple crop had either to be sold as No. 3 

 grade or in some other way. This led the 

 Ontario Co-operative Apple Growers" Associa- 

 tion to use this crate for the lower grade 

 fruit. Mr. Clark urged in its favor that it 

 was cheap, its use saved space in shipping, 

 and it admitted air to the apples and thus 

 prevented the development of scab. Its in- 

 side measurement was 12 1-4 x 10 x 18 inches. 

 This gave it a capacity of 2,213 cubic inches, 

 or 13 inches more than the standard box. It 

 was a more convenient shape than the 

 standard box, which is 20 inches long. It 

 is also cheaper than the standard box, 

 which costs about 12c flat, while the crate 

 costs lie to 12c made up. Because the com- 

 sumer could see what he was buying he was 

 more ready to purchase than where No. 3 

 apples are sold in closed packages. Mr. 

 Clark considered that this type of package 

 had come to stay, as it helped to market a 

 grade of fruit that it has been difficult to 

 market heretofore. His Association had 

 marketed different grades of apples in these 

 crates, and had marked their crates 1, 2 

 and 3X respectively. 



In the discussion which followed, objec- 

 tions to the use of this style of package -were 

 freely expressed, on the ground that it might 

 encourage an increased production of low 

 grade fruit, and that there was nothing to 

 prevent the use of crates of all kinds and 

 sizes. This would ultimately lead to great 

 confusion and its use would interfere with 

 the sale of high grade apples in standard 

 boxes. Mr. W. H. Dempsey, of Trenton, 

 pointed out a'bout 90 per cent, of apples 

 tend to harden and deteriorate when expos- 

 ed to the air, as they are when they are in 



(Continued on page 40.) 



