'62 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



NOTES ON A LECTURE TOUR— I. 



* T is not an uncommon thing to hear a complaint that the Horticul- 

 turist does not give enough space or attention to the cultivation 

 of the aesthetic or ornamental side of home life. In other words, 

 while it devotes its pages to the interests of those of its readers who 

 are engaged in practical fruit growing, it does scant justice to those 

 whose only interest is in the cultivation of the fruit and flower 

 garden and the ornamentation of the home.. While it must he 

 remembered that the very large majority of the readers of the Horticulturist 

 are interested in it because they are fruit growers, and value it only for its 

 practical information in that department, it cannot be forgotten that the 

 Ontario Fruit Growers' Association has made special efforts in recent years to 

 widen its influence among other classes, by the formation of affiliated societies 

 in the towns and cities throughout the Province, and increase the circulation of 

 its publication through these organizations. To this end our director, Mr. Beal, 

 of Lindsay, has within the past two years visited many towns, and has been 

 very successful in his efforts. And it is a matter which may be reasonably 

 questioned whether Mr. Deal's successful efforts in this direction have been 

 followed by a corresponding effort on the part of the Horticulturist to meet 

 there quirements and gratify the tastes of those urban readers and affiliated mem- 

 bers of our Association. At all events it is from those classes that the complaints 

 have come of which I speak above. 



Having just returned from a lecture tour to a number of those local 

 Horticultural Societies, I may be permitted to claim that I speak with authority 

 on this point. I may indeed say, that I promised, on behalf of those making 

 the complaints, that I would draw the attention of the board of directors to the 

 defect, and have it remedied as far as possible by giving larger space and more 

 attention in future to floriculture and home ornamentation. 



It is a mistake to suppose, as many have done, that the functions of the 

 Ontario Fruit Growers' Association are limited to fruit growing, and that it has 

 no other aim or purpose than to advance the interests of that industry. Though 

 it is true that the large majority of its members are only interested in fruit 

 grow ing, the Association has always given considerable of its attention to flori- 

 culture, to the beautifying*of the home and to the cultivation of the beautiful 

 in nature. That it has not given more attention to this department in the 

 Horticulturist is owing more to the lack of space than to a lack of interest or 

 proper appreciation of its functions and obligations. But now that it has 

 affiliated with it so many largely urban societies, aiding it, as they must, in the 

 cultivation of the finer or picturesque side of nature, it will, until it can afford 

 to enlarge its pages, have to ask the indulgence of the majority of its members 

 while it devotes a little more space and attention to the " minority interests." 



