November, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



275 



is pressing we cannot afford to neglect care- 

 ful spraying. Honest grading this fall, even 

 when it hurts to do it, will assist in prevent- 

 ing any reaction in the future because of 

 the unusual percentage of low grade fruit 

 that will be placed on the market. The re- 

 sponsibility of doing this rests upon us. 



SOCIETY NOTES 



Bird Protection 



Fruit growers are directly interested in 

 the treaty recently concluded between Can- 

 ada and the United States providing for the 

 cooperation of the two countries in protect- 

 ing migratory insect-eating birds. By this 

 treaty an absolutely close season throughout 

 the year is imposed on 'all perching birds 

 which feed entirely or chiefly on insects. 

 Except for .scientific or propagating purposes 

 our Canadian songsters, their eggs or their 

 nests may not be taken at any time. 



As civilization has progressed, bringing 

 more and more land under cultivation, 

 species of insects which formerly eked out 

 a precarious existence on wild plants have 

 migrated to the cultivated fields, finding the 

 plants there more suited to their develop- 

 ment. Under these new and more favorable 

 conditions many species which were a few 

 years ago comparatively negligible in num- 

 ber have now increased tremendously. Per- 

 liaps the more important factor, however, in 

 the enormous increase in insect life has been 

 the wholesale slaughter of our insect-eating 

 birds. Birds are the natural enemies of in- 

 sects. 



Some one has likened nature to a spider's 

 web. If one strand be touched, however 

 lightly, the vibration is felt to the farthest 

 corner. Wherever a man has tried to regu- 

 late nature he has generally only made a 

 failure of things. Agricultural history dur- 

 ing the last century is replete with instances 

 where farmers have become exasperated 

 with birds for taking some of their crop. 

 Again and again they have had laws passed 

 providing for the slaughter of certain species 

 of birds. In every case the tremendous in- 

 crease in the number of insects which has 

 resulted has brought about serious condi- 

 tions. It has only been after birds were 

 hrougM back or a new species introduced 

 into the section that the proper balance has 

 been again restored. 



There is no class of men who are more 

 interested in the control of insects than the 

 fruit grower. During the last few years in- 

 sects which prey on the orchard have in- 

 creased tremendously. Every grower is in- 

 terested in the control. It is therefore up 

 to the growers to see that the law protect- 

 ing birds, the natural enemies of insects, is 

 properly enforced in their district. Insects 

 decrease in almost the exact proportion that 

 birds increase. 



Horticultural Options 



Each year the officers of horticultural so- 

 cieties have to struggle with the problem of 

 what premiums they shall offer to their 

 members. Some societies, where there are 

 men who are well posted in the ordering of 

 horticultural stock and who have time to 

 give to the matter, are more successful than 

 others not so well favored. Arrangements 

 might well be made either through the On- 

 tario Horticultural Association or through 

 the Superintendent of Horticultural Socie- 

 ties for Ontario to obtain an extra supply of 

 the premium lists of each society for dis- 

 trlibution among other societies. This would 

 give every society an opportunity to see 

 what other societies were doing. Why not 

 discuss this at the approaching convention 

 of the Ontario Horticultural Association. 



Ontario Hoiticullural Convention 



The anuual convention of the Ontario Hor- 

 ticultural Association will be held in the 

 Railway Committee Rooms, Parliament 

 Buildings, Toronto, Wednesday and Thurs- 

 day, November 22nd and 23rd. The follow- 

 ing programme has been prepared: 



"Birds in Relation to Horticulture," W. 

 E. Saunders, London; "The Diseases of 

 Roses," Dr. L. M. Massey, Cornell Univer- 

 sity; "Color Scheme for Formal Flower 

 Beds," Mr. Marshall, Queen's Park, Toronto; 

 "Vines and Creepers," Mr. W. T. Macouu, 

 Ottawa; "Hardy Aster and Other Decora- 

 tive Varieties of Perennials," Miss M. E. 

 Blacklock, Meadowvale; "Press Work in Re- 

 lation to Horticulture," Mrs. Potts, Hamil- 

 ton; "Boy Scout Movement in Connection 

 with Horticulture," J. Garfield Gibson, To- 

 ronto. 



The attendance at the convention will 

 likely be large. Delegates will he able to 

 obtain reduced rates over the railways from 

 all points In Ontario on the certificate plan. 

 The proceedings are open to the public. 



Manitoba 



Jas. A. Neilson, M.A.C., Winnipeg, Man. 



During the past couple of months the 

 writer had the privilege of acting as judge 

 of the horticultural exhibits at several 

 school and agricultural exhibitions held in 

 various parts of Manitoba, and was agree- 

 ably surprised by the quality, quantity and 

 variety of vegetables which can be success- 

 fully grown in this province. As a vegetable 

 producing country Manitoba need not suffer 

 by comparison with any other province in 

 Canada. In attempting to judge vegetables 

 I encountered a difficulty which many others 

 have also met, i.e., a difference in judging 

 standards. Through not having a well-recog- 

 nized standard of perfection for the different 

 kinds of vegetables, and for the several 

 classes dn each kind, there has heen some 

 difficulty in giving satisfaction to the gen- 

 eral public, and to the exhibitors. As a 

 means of overcoming this difficulty, a cir- 

 cular letter has been sent to several of the 

 leading vegetable gardeners throughout 

 Manitoba, asking their cooperation in the 

 creation of a sUndard of perfection for vege- 

 tables. When this data has been accumu- 

 lated it will be synopsized and distributed to 

 the various fair boards throughout the prov- 

 ince, with the object of creating a higher 

 standard of vegetable exhibits. 



The Horticultural societies In several dis- 

 tricts of Manitoba are doing a highly com- 

 mendable work in holding a "Home Grounds 

 Contest." Several fairly large prizes are 

 given for the best kept home grounds. The 

 contestants are generally numerous and the 

 competition keen. This work indicates a 

 growing realization of the value of having 

 heautiful surroundings, and signifies that 

 many people are beginning to realize that 

 "Man shall not live by bread alone." Every 

 citizen of Canada should do all in his or her 

 power to make the country more beautiful, 

 as well as more fruitful. 



members were owners of the small city 

 backyard gardens, they,, the more readily, 

 followed this advice, and acknowledged 

 freely their great indebtedness to Dr. Clarlc 

 for thus affording the privilege of seeing and 

 selecting from his splendid collection. In 

 one patch it was the form of the cup of the 

 flower which attracted attention first, and 

 drew forth words of admiration; in another 

 it was the wonderful sheen exhibited on the 

 petals; again it was the opalescent tints or 

 other markings or colorings, but whatever 

 the leading feature — for each patch had its 

 leading feature— each deserved special at- 

 tention and its share of praise. 



Here were Darwins, Cottage, Parrot and 

 Rembrandts, together with a small section 

 devoted to such tulips as Persica (the Per- 

 sian variety), a species bearing several 

 flowers on a stem, in color yellow to golden- 

 brown; Pulchella, with its suggestively 

 crocus-like flowers, and Saxatilis, rose col- 

 ored with a yellow base. To study this sec- 

 tion carefully was to be clearly impressed 

 with what the other sections of wonderful 

 bloom meant. If anything could teach a 

 deeper respect for the art of gardening it 

 was this. The Parrot or Dragon tulips were 

 greatly admired by some, and were to be 

 seen in the perfection of their brilliantly- 

 colored flowers, which are of very large size, 

 with petals deeply slashed or toothed. 



Fragrant tulips, too, were in evidence. 

 The parent of these — the tulip Saviolens — 

 was discovered growing wild in Europe about 

 300 years ago. It is claimed that the class 

 known as Due van Thol are descended from 

 this type, though hybridization has made it 

 difficult to distinguish too definitely. It 

 must be admitted, however, that some 

 tulips are deliclously fragrant. 



St. Catharines 



It has been the aim of our society for a 

 number of yeairs past to encourage the cul- 

 ture of roses among our citizens. The re- 

 sult has been that St. Catharines is develop- 

 ing a splendid reputation as a rose-growing 

 city. Our rose exhibitions, held every June 

 since 1904, are unsurpassed in Canada. 



We have in past years paid more atten- 

 tion to climbing roses and hybrid perpetual 

 roses, believing them to be more suited cli- 

 matically for growing in St. Catharines. 

 Experience has shown that the hybrid tea 

 rose can be grown here satisfactorily. Its 

 longer period of bloom and it's greater 

 beauty have encouraged the society to ar- 

 range options of H. T. roses for distribution 

 this fall. 



By this arrangement we hope that many 

 rose-lovers of the city may be able to en- 

 large their collections of roses by a choice 

 from the twenty options of H. T. roses which 

 we are offering. 



Hamilton 



Members of the Hamilton Horticultural 

 Society made a most successful pilgrimage 

 this year to Grimsby, visiting Dr Clark s 

 "Tulpenvelden." where some 60.000 of the 

 very best tulips (over 200 named varieties) 

 were to be studied and enjoyed. Virgil said, 

 "Praise the farm of great extent; cultivate 

 the small one." As many of the visiting 



Port Hope 



The Port Hoipe Society has been making it 

 a point, during its distribution of premiums, 

 to give not only bulbs, but a few shrubs 

 every year to insure permanency. In the 

 past we have assisted in beautifying the 

 grounds of hospitals, as well as caring for 

 several plots of flowers around the town. 

 Our next spring's work is the laying out and 

 Improvement of the grounds of the new hos- 

 pital, and we expect at some future date to 

 make the school grounds more attractive. 



