OPEN LETTERS. 



487 



eaten. Is this not a remarkable growth for a seed- 

 ling to have such fine fruit considering I paid no 

 attention to fertilizing ? I ca'led them the rainbow 

 peaches because their colors were so magnificent 

 and beautifully blended, fiom a straw color to a 

 purple. You will see that I have sent you three 

 photographs that I made. The first one is out of 

 focus, after making it I cut the peach in half be- 

 fore developing the plate, so I made another nega- 

 tive placing the peach together again, and thus the 

 mark you see in the photograph. As you will see 

 by the photo of divided peach, it is quite freestone. 

 Can you give me the name of the peach ? I have 

 never seen one like it before. The height of the 

 tree is eleven feet. If meritorious kindly give 

 space in your valuable journal and oblige, 



London South. David Sare. 



Benefit of Irrigation. 



Sir, — I am reaping the benefit of last year's irri- 

 gation. I have sold a car load of apples, while in 

 many of the orchards here there is only one or two 

 barrels. Even in one corner of mine, which is too 

 high to be watered, there are very few apples, 

 while just below the same varieties are loaded. 



Vandeleur. J. J. Graham. 



Value of Our Reports. 



Sir, — Would you kindly inform me as to the best 

 way in which I can procure the bound reports of 

 the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association. I am a 

 Canadian, and among my other books I had a copy 

 of a report of your Association, and living here in 

 the centre of the Ohio Friiit Belt, has proved of 

 gjeat interest and use to myself and neighbors, 

 and have been requested to write you to see if I 

 could secure other copies, and if possible a set of 

 them. I myself am a florist, and when in Canada 

 worked with Messrs. Manton Bros., Eglington, 

 W. W. Gammage, of London, and A. H. Ewing, 

 of Berlin. There are quite a number of fruit 

 growers and men interested in horticulture gather 

 in our potting shed and discuss horticulture, and 

 your reports will do a great deal of good. Any 

 trouble or expense you may go to I shall gladly 

 pay. Trusting you will be able to lend me your 

 assistance in the effort to enlighten and help along 

 the fruit grower and horticulturist, and thanking 

 you in advance, i am. Sir, 



Yours very truly, 



Harry McNaughtox. 



Farmers' institutes. 



Sir, — The valuable character of the work done 

 by the Farmers' Institutes in raising the standard 

 of agriculture, and encouraging improved methods 

 of farming is generally recognized. The report of 

 Superintendent Creelman for last year has just 

 been issued by the Provincial Department of Agri- 

 culture, and contains a great deal of valuable 

 matter, embodying the latest conclusions of spec- 

 ialists in every department of farm work. It com- 

 prises, in addition to a record of the progress of 

 the movement, a number of addresses and papers 



read at Institute mceting.s, with txplanatorj' dia- 

 grams and illustrations. 



Among the changes made in the system, with 

 excellent resu'.ts so far, is the transference of the 

 lecture work before the Horticultural Societies 

 heretofore carried on by the Ontario Fruit Growers' 

 Asssciatiun, to the Department of Farmers' 

 Institutes. A numi er of the local bodies will in 

 future hold their annual meetings at the nearest 

 Fruit Experiment Station, wheie they will ]-ave 

 the benefit of practical instruction in grafting, 

 spraying, etc. 



The subject of poultry has received much atten- 

 tion Special poultry meetings have been held 

 at which leading poultry specialists gave demon- 

 strations as to the best methods of killing and 

 dressmg poultry in accordance with the reqidre- 

 ments of the market. Anung the speakers ai 

 these gatherings were W. R. Graham, Prof. A. G. 

 Gilbert, J. E, Meyer and G R. Cottrell, well- 

 known as poultry experts 



A notable feature of the year is the strikin'.i- in- 

 crease in the number of Worren's Institutes, of 

 which there are now 32 in operation, some ot them 

 having a membership of over one hundred. 



As in previous years excursions have been run 

 to the Agricultural College, giving many thc;us:ind 

 farmers an opportunity to become familir.'r with 

 the most modern process of scientific agriculture. 



Ac;ion was also taken to promote the attend nee 

 at the Provincial Winter Fair, with the resu't that 

 1518 members, representing 24 Institutes, we re in 

 attendance. A special program was provided for 

 Institute workers, and addrei-ses delivered by a 

 large number of prominent agriculturists ard in- 

 structors. 



Seed Fairs have been established in ccnnection 

 with four Institutes, viz., East York, South Wel- 

 lington, West Wellington, and South Gray. These 

 are held annually in March, and the farmers bring 

 their best samples of grain for sale or exchange. 



A leading topic at Institute meetings was that o 

 cold storage, regarding which a good deal of val- 

 uable information has been furnished. During the 

 meeting of the Experimental Union the delegates 

 visited the cold storage plant at the Agricultural 

 College and received an insight into the process of 

 refrigeration. 



An important step in the interest of the work 

 was taken by the appointment of Superintendent 

 Creelman to the position of assistant secretary and 

 editor of the Association of Canadian Fairs and 

 Exhibitions, which will give additional opportunity 

 for advancing the movement. 



Very substantial progress was made during the 

 year covered by the report. Later information 

 gives the total membership of the Farmers' Insti- 

 tutes in June last as 20,389, as compared with 18, 

 058 for the previous year. The b'anner local Insti- 

 tute is that of Halton with a membership of 743. 



China can be mended with water glass and 

 powdered asbestos. Mix the asbestos with the. 

 water glass until like a thick cream. Cover the 

 broken edges with this and press together, fasten- 

 ing firmly. The article should stand several days 

 to allow the cement to harden. — N.ove"iber Ladies' 

 Home Journal. 



