OUR AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. 



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Grimsby. — At our annual meeting, after the 

 election of officers, it was decided to hold monthly 

 meetings, beginning the first Saturday evening in 

 February, from 7.30 to 9.30. The committee will 

 either secure a lecture, a paper from some member 

 as the principal feature of the evening, to be 

 followed by questions and discussion, or will pro- 

 vide a topic, as for example the Dahlia or the Palm, 

 and ask each member to bring a reading on the 

 topic, not to exceed three minutes, except perhaps 

 in the case of the opening reading. The evening 

 will, of course, be brightened by musical contri- 

 butions. In this way much valuable information 

 will be gained by every member in the course of 

 a few years, and the effect must become notice- 

 able in the flower gardens of the community. 



Port Hope. — The annual meeting of the Horti- 

 cultural Society was held in the council chamber 

 on Wednesday^ Jan. 10th, to receive the Secretary 

 and Treasurer's report and elect directors for the 

 year 1900. The Treasurer's report for 1899 was 

 read showing an expenditure of $2.15, from which 

 each member received a monthly magazine, bulbs, 

 plants, etc. , leaving a balance of sixty dollars for 

 the current year. 



H. H. Bumham was elected president and 

 A. W. Pringle, secretary- treasurer. 



Woodstock. — The exhibit held recently by our 

 Horticultural Society may be considered a fairly 

 successful one, both in a financial way and in the 

 larger attendance of the public generally. Al- 

 though this be so our members must not rest con- 

 tent, considering that the acme of perfection has 

 been arrived at, nor must they be misled by the 

 kind words of approval with which their efforts 

 were received. In making some comments on the 

 Show the writer hopes that her remarks will not 

 be taken as unkind criticism, but in the belief that 

 the consideration of any points which may be 

 raised will lead to discussion which shall ulti- 

 mately result in benefit to our members. The 

 arrangements were, on the whole, satisfactory, 

 and showed the plants to good advantage, but, 

 regarding the plants themselves, few of them, 

 from a florist's standpoint at least, could be con- 

 sidered specimen or exhibition plants. Among 

 those which might be mentioned as coming near- 

 est to this standard may be named a Latania 

 Borbonica Palm, a Phoenix Reclinata Palm, a 

 flowering Begonia, a Musa Ensete and a Strep- 

 sophelon Jamesoni, and of these possibly the first 

 named palm was the best, being of a fair size and 

 having perfect leaves. The majority of the plants 

 exhibited were of such a character as looked well 

 when massed, l|ut individually would not look so 

 well. The question then arises, can these plants 

 be properly gjrown without the aid of glass ? The 

 answer would be that to a certain extent they can, 

 but to be really successful with a large number 

 the aid of glass is requisite. However, may it 

 not also be asked do not amateurs endeavor to 



grow too many plants and thus, by overcrowding, 

 render it quite impossible to succeed as might be 

 done by having fewer and consequently better 

 grown plants? In certain classes of plants — the 

 Geranium for instance — there seems to be a ten- 

 dency to grow a very limited number of varieties, 

 principally of the Bruantand Souvenir de Mirande 

 type, the former of which, from their thicker 

 leaves and semi-double flowers, stand the sun and 

 rain better than the single and more double var- 

 ieties. It seems a pity that this should be so for 

 among some of the newer doubles and round- 

 flowered English varieties, many of which carry 

 flowers of over two inches in diameter and in 

 large trusses, are to be found some which would 

 be a perfect revelation of beauty to those who 

 have not already seen them, and which make 

 charming pot plants. Another matter to which 

 our attention might with advantage be directed is 

 that at our Shows, by the members at any rate, 

 plants should have labels showing the name of 

 the species to which they belong, and if the species 

 be sub-divided into varieties, the name of the var- 

 iety should be shown. Take for instance such a 

 well-know plant as the Fuchsia, a visitor might be 

 struck with the beauty of some particularly pretty 

 variety and have a desire to possess a similar one. 

 In this case if the name, Mrs. Marshall, Mrs. E. G. 

 Hill. Phenomenal or whatever name by which the 

 piant be known in commerce, be attached to it, 

 the desire would be easily gratified. 



Passing on to the cut flowers may we not ask 

 why, in so large a Society as ours, together with 

 contributions from others not members, as well, 

 was the display so small and confined to so fe\\- 

 classes ? In order to bring out the facts as clearly 

 as possible, let me as briefly as possible enum- 

 erate, as far as recollection will serve, the flowers 

 shown : Gladioli, 2 exhibits ; Asters, 2 or 3 ; Can- 

 nas, I ; Phlox Drummondi, i ; Sweet Peas, i ; 

 Stocks, 1 ; a small collection of roses and two or 

 three bouquets. Some of these, however, were 

 very nice and nicely shown, notably the Phloxes 

 which were shown in separate colors, this being a 

 very desirable feature where it is at all practicable, 

 because some shades of color in themselves beau- 

 tiful do not harmonize well when shown together. 

 The same to a certain extent might be said of the 

 fruit, that is, that while good there was too little 

 of it to make a proper showing. Might it not be 

 suggested that our members, as far as possible, 

 take up some special class or variety of plant, as 

 has been done to each, and by devoting their 

 attention more in the one channel secure greater 

 perfection. 



It is on these lines that the noted specialists in 

 Europe (and may I mention our own Mr. Groff in 

 Gladioli), have made world-wide reputations for 

 themselves, and while we cannot hope even to 

 emulate them yet there is more satisfaction in 

 attempting little and doing that little well than by 

 attempting too much, and by so doing fail even in 

 pleasing ourselves. These remarks should not be 

 brought to a close without referring to the regret 



