The Canadian Horticulturist. 



199 



NOTES ON A LECTURE TOUR.-II. 



HE more one sees of this Province of Ontario the more he is 

 impressed with the splendid heritage he possesses in its natural 

 beauties, its almost limitless resources, its wealth of fruit and 

 foliage and flower, its possibilities of development, and his own 

 responsibilities in relation thereto. All this wealth has not been 

 bestowed upon man without a corresponding responsibility in the 

 use that he makes of it. Man bears a responsible relation to 

 every gift that has been given to him for his use. All gifts were 

 given to him for his pleasure and his profit, and the nearer h« 

 approximates to the designs of nature in the bestowal of those 

 gifts the more real pleasure and profit does he enjoy. If he fails in his obliga- 

 tion and neglects his opportunities in this regard, he fails in the development of 

 his better nature. Too many men seem contented to live only the hard practical 

 side of life, neglecting altogether the finer or picturesque side. One is man's 

 own side the other is Nature's side. The one man brought upon himself the 

 other was given to him by his Creator, and he too often refuses to accept it even 

 as a gift. 



In no country in the world are the opportunities for development and 

 improvement in the material conditions of life greater than they are in this 

 Province of Ontario. And until comparatively recent years, in no country 

 perhaps, have those opportunities been so sadly neglected. American visitors 

 have told us that to them this is very noticeable, especially in our rural districts. 

 They wonder at it too when we possess a land of such richness and a country 

 of such possibiHties in material and artistic develojnnent. Too often they notice 

 our splendid farm houses without a bit of ornamentation about them in shade 

 tree, shrubbery or flower bed. They naturally ask why was such a land of 

 fruitfulness, or such a wealth of forest tree, evergreen, shrubbery and flowers 

 given to us if not to be used for our profit and enjoyment. 



Now, what we want to impress upon the readers of the Horticulturist is 

 that removal of this defect is one of the aims and objects of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association. It aims at the development of floriculture, arborculture, 

 landscape ornamentation and the general beautifying of the home in town, 

 city and rural district as well as the development of fruit-growing. 



To this end it has made special efforts during the last few years to organize 

 affiliated associations in our towns and cities whose membership are more par- 

 ticularly interested in flori and arborculture, and whose example and influence 

 will, it is hoped, widen out in time to the suburbs and surrounding rural 

 districts. No city dweller is so selfish or so unpatriotic as not to desire the 

 general improvement of the country immediately surrounding him as well as the 

 improvement of the city in which he resides. His aid and influence is sought 

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