THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIsf; 189 



Association. Up to the present time, such reports have been " like 

 angels' visits, few and far between;" and emanating as they do princi- 

 pally from that portion of the Province south or west of the city of 

 Toronto, and whicli may be emphatically designated the " Garden of 

 Canada," afford no criterion as to the advantages or disadvantajres 

 attendant u])on fruit culture in less favored situations, where greater 

 care, and more abundant labor, and more extended horticultural 

 knowledge are essential in otder to secure any measure of success. 

 Xot that the employment of such labor and care, accompanied by the 

 acquisition of such knowledge, are to be deprecated, even were it 

 possible that they could be dispensed with. Toil, ever since the fiill 

 of man, has been an essenlial element toward the attainment of success 

 in every sphere of life, and in the pursuit of every business. The 

 Cultivation of an orchard or of a garden is one of the pleasures of this 

 life least subject to alloy, but it is scarcely too much to affirm that 

 did every kind of fruit burst into delicious ripeness for the gratification 

 of the palate, did each flower expand its charms in full perfection for 

 the delectation of the eye, without such labor and care, our enjoyment; 

 whether of the taste or sight, would be materially diminished ; for man 

 is so constituted by nature that what he obtains without an elfort is 

 comparatively worthless in his eyes. An easy conquest of whatever 

 kind is una])preciated. And thus it is the animation of the contest 

 with climate, with soil, or with garden pests that gives the zest to 

 \ ictory. 



Still it is undoubtedly useful, and tends much to the saving of an 

 unnecessary expenditure of time and toil, to know what kinds of fruit 

 can be grown successfully and profitably in any particular neighbor- 

 hood, and what kinds can not be so grown. And such knowledge can 

 best be supplied by those who have experimentally tested the 

 peculiarities of climate and soil, and publish the results of their 

 experiments, and thus aid in carrying out one of the principal objects 

 our Association has in view — the diffusion of useful knowledge. For 

 instance, where it is found on analyzing local reports that any tree 

 has successfully matured its fruit under certain conditions of climate 

 and treatment, it must prove a desirable addition to the orchard or th^ 

 garden in similar situations. On the other hand, where a tree is 

 universally condenmed it is scarcely worth while to plant it, although 

 xjare should be taken not to reject one that may have been exposed t<5 



