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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the first county, or local org-anization of the 

 kind in the Province. In 1875 it published 

 after much correspondence and discussion 

 with over a hundred persons, exclusive of 

 Abbotsford, the first fruit list of the Province 

 of Quebec, containing much valuable infor- 

 mation as to the best and hardiest varieties 

 of the apple, pear, plum, cherry, grape and 

 other small fruits adapted to our climate. 

 It held its first exhibition on September 20th, 

 1876, and after holding three exhibitions, 

 and publishing a fruit list at considerable ex- 

 pense, it received its first Government grant 

 of fifty dollars in 1879. 



In 1884 importations were made by the 

 Society of Russian apple trees, from the 

 North Western States, and also Russian and 

 North German pear, plum and cherry, from 

 the Academy at Petrowskoe Rosumowskoe, 

 near Moscow ; from this last importation 

 all available scions were cut and set upon 

 root grafts, and during the period between 

 the years of 1884 and 1890, no less than 

 1285 trees were distributed to the members, 

 and as these were necessarily planted on a 

 variety of soils, entailing different exposures, 

 each member practically became an assist- 

 ant in testing these new fruits, which in most 

 cases have proved more hardy and produc- 

 tive than many of the old varieties, though 

 often lacking in quality and keeping propen- 

 sities. 



In 1893, application was made by several 

 of the leading fruit growers of the Province 

 of Quebec to the Provincial Legislature to 

 incorporate a Provincial society under the 

 name of " The Pomological and Fruit Grow- 

 ing Society of the Province of Quebec," 

 which was granted by the Government in 

 January, 1894, when a meeting was con- 

 vened and held at Abbotsford on the 8th and 

 9th of February, attended by delegates from 

 different parts of the Province, as well as 

 from the Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Mr. 

 J. M. Fisk was moved to the chair, and after 

 some discussion it was deemed but just to 



Abbotsford that the first president should be 

 an Abbotsford man, consequently the man- 

 tle fell upon the chairman. A committee 

 was named to divide the Province into nine 

 electoral districts, after which a Director was 

 elected to represent each district, a consti- 

 tution adopted, and many interesting papers 

 read, which brought out animated discus- 

 sions. The Society is still carrying on the 

 good work, holding a summer and winter 

 meeting in different parts of the Province ; 

 and as the transactions of these meetings 

 are reported, and published by the Govern- 

 ment in both the English and French lan- 

 guages, they form a source of great value 

 from an educational point of view, and should 

 be in the hands of every fruit grower and 

 farmer of the Province. 



Cider making has been in vogue here for 

 upwards of seventy-five years, bringing into 

 use almost every known device for crushing 

 and pressing the apple, from the old sweep 

 cog-roller and lever cheese press to the most 

 modern horse-power fluted roller and screw 

 press ; and for family use, the improved 

 Buckeye hand press mills. 



In 1897, Mr. Robert Gillespie erected a 

 cider and vinegar plant, introducing the 

 *' Gould Generator," quick process system 

 for making vinegar, and with "The 20th 

 Century Multiple Filter " a superior quality 

 of vinegar is manufactured and placed upon 

 the market. 



In 1898, petition by the Society was made 

 to the Government for a special grant, and 

 the privilege of using its funds for that 

 year, (instead of holding an exhibition) to 

 co-operate towards the erection of a Parish 

 hall in which the Society could hold its 

 meetings and exhibitions, which was granted, 

 placing the Society in a position heretofore 

 not enjoyed. 



Spraying was introduced in 1888, and is 

 still followed by most of our growers with 

 beneficial results in combating both the fun- 

 gous and insect pests ; and by this means, 



