OPEX LETTERS. 



353 



(Draft) 



Dear Sirs, — T am directed by the 

 Honourable the Minister of Agricul- 

 ture to state that representations have 

 been made to the Department of 

 Agriculture by many of the chief 

 shippers and receivers of Canadian 

 apples and cheese that it is desirable 

 that the holds and other parts of the 

 steamships in which apples and 

 cheese are carried to Great Britain 

 should be ventilated by forced circu- 

 lation of air during the voyage. 



It is well known that cheese and 

 apples generate heat during the pro- 

 cess of curing and ripening. Unless 

 provision is made for the removal of 

 the heat thus generated, the places 

 where the apples and cheese are 

 carried become heated, to the damage 

 of the flavor and other qualities of 

 these products. 



The shippers of these products 

 have represented to this Department 

 that it would be greatly to the benefit 

 of all these connected with the trade 

 in these products — producers, mer- 

 chants and the steamship owners — 

 to have ventilated accommodation for 

 them on all the steamships. Similar 

 representations have been made to 

 the Department from importers of 

 these products in Great Britain. 



I am directed to say to you that, to 

 encourage the equipment of steam- 

 ships which are in the trade to carry 

 cheese and apples with the ventilating 

 shafts and fans which are necessary 

 for the purpose indicated, the Minister 

 has authorized the payment of Sioo 

 toward the initial expense of fitting 

 up each approved steamship, to be paid after such 

 ventilating equipment has been kept in use for 

 at least three voyages. 



A blue print illustratinpf the provision that can 

 be made for such ventilation, is sent to you under 

 another cover. A number of the steamships sail- 

 ing between Canadian ports and Great Britain 

 have already been fitted up in accordance with 

 these plans, and the results have been satisfactory. 



Two or more agents of this Department will be 

 at Montreal to observe how cheese and apples are 

 loaded in the various steamships in order that the 

 Department may be able to make recommenda- 

 tions to the producers and shippers of these pro- 

 ducts, looking towards improvement of their 

 quality and the condition of the packages. It is 

 intended to have agents of this Department also 

 in at least four of the cities of Great Britain to ob- 

 serve the condition in which cheese, butter and 

 apples particularly are discharged from the various 

 steamships. 



The names of the steamships, together with a 

 statement of the facts as to whether they are prop- 

 erly ventilated, will be published from time to time 

 by the Department, in accordance with the reports 

 received from these inspectors, in Canada and 

 Great Britain. 



Fig. iSgo. Climbing Hydrangea. 



As the safe carriage of these products will be to 

 the benefit of all concerned, the Department ven- 

 tures to expect that as on former occasions it will 

 have the hearty co-operation of the steamship 

 owners and agents. 



Yours truly, 

 Jas. N. Robertson, Commissioner. 



Is the Love for Flowers Diminishing in the 

 City of Hamilton? 



On the 2ist June the Directors of the Horticul- 

 tural Society held their annual flower show, which 

 was certainly a very fine show of cut flowers, and 

 was very creditable to the untiring efforts put 

 forth by the President and Directors. The dis- 

 play of roses and herbaceous cut blooms was 

 particularly good, and some of the specimens not 

 often seen in this country, such as the Rhododen- 

 drons, Ghent and Mollis varieties of hardy azalias 

 grown out of doors. There was a large display of 

 roses by a number of exhibitors ; the peonies were 

 also very fine. We noticed also very fine\)looms 

 ot the following : Digatalis or Fox Glove, Cam- 

 panulas (Canterbury bells). Iris, Poppies, Pyre- 

 thums, Lychnus, Hemerocalus, Herbaceous 

 Spireas, etc. Mr. Wild exhibited the best samples 



