43^ The Canadian Horticulturist. 



The Tariff on Fruit. — We understand that the Dominion Government 

 has appointed a Commission to visit the principal towns in Ontario, to learn 

 the wishes of the people on the adjustment of the tariff. 



Now we wish in this Journal to exclude everything that is partizan ; our 

 aim is wholly to consider the advancement of the fruit industry, and not the 

 advantage of any party ; but on one thing fruit growers are agreed, whether 

 Grit or Tory, and that is, that our products this year have brought little enough, 

 and that any step that would tend to flood our markets with cheap American 

 grapes and peaches, would be to our hurt. 



No doubt some slight adjustments may be made. Our Spy apples sell 

 better in Chicago as a rule, than anywhere, and our Fameuse, in the Southern 

 States ; but the duty of 25 cents a bushel is almost prohibitive. Possibly some 

 way may be seen of inducing our Yankee cousins to remove this burden, in 

 'view of some concession that will benefit them some way. 



We shall be glad to hear from some of our readers on this subject. 



• Bars to Canadian Nursery Stock. — We have received from Sidney, N. 

 ■S. W., a copy of an Act ordering the most careful inspection of all fruit and 

 'nursery, which is imported to that country. The object is to prevent the im- 

 portation of codlin moth, curculio, San Jose scab, apple scab, etc., into the 

 country. This is right enough, only we doubt if that country is much freer 

 than Canada from these evils, for codlin moth and apple scab have long been 

 common in the apple-growing sections of Australia. But this is not to be com- 

 pared with the action of the Cape Colony Legislature, according to a clipping 

 from the Victoria (B. C.) Colonist, which reads as follows : — "The importation 

 Or introduction of any stone-fruit tree, or any fruit, scion, cutting, graft, root or 

 seed, the growth or product thereof, from the United States of America, or the 

 Dominion of Canada, is absolutely prohibited ; and anyone importing or intro- 

 ducing such fruit tree or other article, the growth or product thereof, as afore- 

 said, shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalty provided in the body of 

 this proclamation, and in addition thereto the fruit, tree, or other article im- 

 (Ported shall forthwith be destroyed." 



Mr. John Craig commenting on the above, writes : — The penalty referred 

 to, and provided elsewhere in this sweeping proclamation, is a fine not exceed- 

 ing ;^ioo, or in default imprisonment not longer than six months. This action 

 seems very arbitrary, but I do not think will affect us very much as our trade 

 with Cape Colony is not likely to be very extensive. 



The Annual Meeting of the Board of Control of the Ontario Fruit 



Experiment Stations was held at the O. A. C, Guelph, on the i6th, and 17th 



of 'November. There were present. Dr. Mills, Professor Hutt, and Messrs. 



W. E. Wellington, A. H. Pettit, A. M. Smith, and the Secretary. Mr. W. M. 



