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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral EditioB 



The Canadian Horticulturist 



PabOahctl by Tha Horticultural 

 PttblUhloi Company, Llmlt«4. 



OScUl Ottun of CMOMdUa Hortleultwral Cotmdl 



The Canadian HortlcuItuHat ia pubtisbcd the first of 

 e*ch month in two editions, at follows: 



FLORAL EDITION 



Deroted to the interests of amateur horticulture— 

 landscape eardening, floriculture, fruit and vegetable 

 (ardening — and to the work and progress of Horticultural 

 Societies. 



Subaeriptloo* Rataa. — 60 cents a year; $1.00 for two 

 years. 



FRUIT EDITION. 



Devoted entirely to the interests of commercial fruit 

 and vegetable growers — official organ of Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association and of Niagara Peninsula Fruit 

 Growers' Association. 



SubaerlptloQ Ratca. — $1.00 a year; $2.00 for three years 

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Communications should be addressed 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST^ 

 Peterborot Ontario. 



Ontario Gladiolus Society 



THE executive of the Ontario Gladiolus 

 Society is losing no time in getting plans 

 under way for the second annual Show 

 which will be held in Guelph, Ontario, in 1923. 

 On September 20, a meeting was held in Guelph 

 of those interested in the Society to prepare 

 initial plans. A strong local committee will 

 assist secretary John F. Marr, consisting of 

 Robt. Patterson, H. Occomore, Miss Stockford, 

 J. M. Campbell, T. J. Hannigan, Albert Rein- 

 hardt. Prof. McLennan, A. H, Tomlinson, Dr. 

 N. C. Wallace, Ed. Billings, H. Gumbley, A. A. 

 Duignan, B. Hack, Miss Ro.se Yeates, Geo. 

 Leadlay, A. R. Hockin, Wm. Harris, Rockwood; 

 G. W. Roberts, Ontario Reformatory; Prof. R. 

 R. Graham and J. E. Carter. 



Prof. A. H. MacLennan, head of the Horti- 

 cultural Department of the O.A.C., has offered 

 to provide all the space necessary for the trial 

 plots. Over 1000 circular letters are being sent 

 to gladiolus growers all over the world offering 

 space in the trial grounds so that the bloom can 

 be placed on exhibit at the time of the show. 



At the Canadian National 



AMATEUR horticulture was not so well re- 

 presented this year at the Canadian Na- 

 tional Exhibition as last yeax and some 

 previous years. There was no big display from 

 the horticultural societies of the province, such 

 as was made last year and individual amateur 

 exhibitors were not so numerous as on some 

 former occasions. The St. Thomas Horticultural 

 Society was the only society represented, but it 

 did itself and the work of horticultural societies 

 in general credit in the highest degree. Besides 

 entering gladioli in the competitive classes in the 

 horticultural building and winning many prizes, 

 the St. Thomas Society had a very large display 

 of gladioli in great variety in the government 

 building. This special display, which was staged 

 by Dr. Bennett, again showed the high standard 

 in gladiolus production that St. Thomas not only 

 has striven for, but has achieved. The St. 

 Thomas Society, and Dr. Bennett in particular, 

 well deserved the great admiration and the high 

 praise expressed by the thousands of visitors 

 who saw and enjoyed the St. Thomas exhibits in 

 both buildings. 



Beautiful Cut Flowers 

 The cut flowers staged for competition in the 

 horticultural building were simply wonderful in 

 growth, size, color agd variety. The dahlias 

 during both weeks, these and the other cut 

 flowers being changed for a new competition 

 each week, were the finest ever seen in tlje build- 



ing. The marvellous improvement in dahlia 

 types and varieties was exhibited to perfection. 

 The gladioli likewise were exceptionally fine. 

 The asters also were excellent. A number of 

 amateur growers, that is, persons who produce 

 flowers for the love of them rather than as a 

 business, competed with commercial growers in 

 many of the sections and won their share of 

 awards. Space here is too limited to mention 

 each entry in detail. There was some dissatis- 

 faction expressed over the method of judging. 

 The placing resulted, however, as follows: 



Asters, 20 plants, first week; 1, G. Toyne, 

 Toronto; 2. R. Cameron, St. Catharines; 3. A. 

 Brearley, Toronto. Second week: 1. Toyne; 

 2. J. B. Spurr, Aurora; 3. P. C. Foxton, Toronto. 

 Asters, 24 blooms, white, first week: 1. A. J, V. 

 Atkins, Mount Dennis; 2. Foxton; 3. Cameron. 

 Second week: I. Foxton; 2. Brearley; 3. Toyne. 

 Asters, 24 blooms, pink or red, first week: 1. T. 

 H. P. Hammett, Toronto; 2. Foxton; 3. Brear- 

 ley. Second week: 1. Foxton; 2. Spurr; 3. 

 Toyne. Asters, 24 blooms, mauve, blue or 

 purple, first week: 1. Toyne; 2. Spurr; 3. Cam- 

 eron. Second week: 1. Toyne; 2. Spurr; 3. 

 Foxton. Asters, best display, first week: 1. 

 Cameron; 2. Brearley; 3. Toyne; (original 

 placing of the judges, but later changed to two 

 firsts with third moved up to second). Second 

 week: 1. Brearley; 2. Toyne. Dahlias, best 

 display, first week: 1. F. A. Kent, Port Perry; 

 2. J. W. Trimble, Lambton; 3. Dr. Richardson, 

 Mimico. Secand week the same. 



Gladioli, 5 varieties, first week: 1. St. Thomas 

 Horticultural Society, St. Thomas, Ont.; 2. 

 Toyne; 3. N. Bryer, Mimico. Second week: 1. 

 St. Thomas; 2. Haramstt; 3. Bryer. Gladioli, 

 12 varieties, first week: 1. St. .Thomas, ; 2. 

 Brearley; 3. Cameron. Second week: 1. St. 

 Thomas; 2. Hammett; 3. Brearley. Gladioli, 

 best display, first week: 1. Georgetown Floral 

 Co., Georgetown, Ont.; 2. Brearley; 3. St. 

 Thomas. Second week: 1. St. Thomas; 2. 

 Georgetown; 3. Brearley. Annuals, best dis- 

 plays: 1. A. Coleman, Toronto. There was only 

 one entry in annuals and none in parennials. 

 Ont would think that the amateur horticulturists 

 of the province would endeavor to make a better 

 showing than that. 



An excejlent exhibit of "Shell Pink" gladioli 

 not for competition, was placed in the horti- 

 culturist building by A. Gilchrist, West Toronto, 

 the originator. This very beautiful and exceed- 

 ingly useful variety again attracted much at- 

 tention. Mr. Gilchrist showed also a golden 

 variety of the saipe type which was much ap- 

 preciated by discriminating observers. Another 

 special display was a decorative basket of gladioli, 

 set off by green, shown by Mrs, Davidson, 

 Aurora, Ont. The bloom was very fine and the 

 composition exceedingly artistic. Many gar- 

 deners who saw this basket thought that a class 

 in the prize list for displays of this kind would 

 make an interesting addition to the floral features 

 of future exhibitions. 



Ornamental Plants and Groups 



In the sections for big displays of ornamental 

 plants, the groups formerly shown by the late 

 Sir John Eaton and by Sir Henry M. Pellatt 

 were greatly missed by the visitors, as J. R. 

 Hellewell, Superintendent of the building, heard 

 numerous inquiries for same, but there were 

 other groups there to take their place with 

 credit to themselves and satisfaction to the 

 thousands of spectators. 



First prize this year for decorative display of 

 tropical and exotic plants went to T. Manton, 

 Eglinton, on a group that was the finest that 

 Manton ever put up, and that is saying much. 

 The grouping was naturally artistic from end to 

 end and the material used was exceptionally fine. 

 Second went to H. Dillemuth, Toronto, on a 

 very nice group in which the colors were especi- 

 ally well arranged and the material well selected. 

 Fisrt for display of similar requirements but open 

 only to civic and government institutions went 

 to Exhibition Park, on a group that won by virtue 

 of the art expressed in construction. This group 

 included a stream and bridge effect, with.-«"oiK 



island and stone steps, that interested the spec- 

 tators as much as did the beautiful plants that 

 abounded throughout. Second went to Reser- 

 voir Park, on a group that was very fine and a 

 great improvement over the one shown by the 

 same park last year. Other awards in groups 

 and plants were: 



Group of ferns— 1. Manton; 2. Dillemuth. 

 Palms, 3 specimens — 1. Manton; 2. Dillemuth. 

 Specimen palm — I. Manton. 2. Dillemuth. 

 Group of caladiums — 1. Dillemuth; this group 

 was one of the prettiest in the building. Speci- 

 men fern — 1. Manton; A. Brearley, Toronto; 

 3. J. W. Cripps, Toronto. Ferns, 6 specimens — 

 1. Manton; 2. Brearley; 3. Dillemuth. Hanging 

 baskets — 1. Brearley. Orchids, best display — 

 I. Dale Estate, Brampton; this exhibit was 

 beautifully arranged and of great merit from the 

 artistic standpoint. — A. B. C. 



Peony Divisions 



IN peony articles, and in some peony catalogues, 

 it is much the fashion to belittle divisions, 

 and to brag that this catalogue would not 

 offer such inferior stock, but S3lls only one and 

 two-year-old plants, leaving the inference that 

 any grower who offers divisions is but little 

 better than a fraud. There is no way, of course, 

 to standardize peony plants, as no two are alike, 

 and every grower has his own way of propagating 

 his plants and of selecting his sale stock. The 

 only way, then, to know what a grower is offer- 

 ing, is to buy some of his goods. What he says 

 may mean much or little, or possibly even less. 



Any strong, established peony plant is built 

 up of sections, each naturally indicated, and each 

 practically an independent plant, each with its 

 own crown and its own roots, and its own system 

 of fibres and channels connecting crown to root 

 system. Each such section, if perfectly discon- 

 nected from the others, is just as strong a plant, 

 and as good to plant, as if it had remained a 

 part of the whole. It is also a plant of the same 

 age as the plaht of which it was a part. There 

 are often, to be sure, young off-shoots from the 

 heavier parts of the plant, which can be removed 

 to grow to greater size and strength, or left at- 

 tached until they acquire size and strength, but 

 these are not divisions. A good term for them, 

 and no insult intended, as they have their value, 

 is ''Scraps." There will also other scraps occur 

 in cutting up a plant. 



In most cases it is impossible to separate the 

 divisions perfectly. There will be some root 

 tissue broken off and lost. Of this some is not of 

 importance, and some is. Some root tissue will 

 be wholly disconnected from its own crown and 

 left attached to a crown to which its fibres do 

 not connect, and to which, therefore, it is all but 

 useless, not wholly so, probably. In some cases 

 none of the root really belongs to the crown to 

 which it is attached. In the main, however, 

 carefully made divisions are good plants, most 

 of them will bloom the first and every year, and 

 all be strong clumps in three years. This is the 

 unit plant obtaining in the great mass of the 

 peony business. 



If a grower prefers to grow these divisions him- 

 self a year or two, and offer heavier and proven 

 plants, where can be no complaint. It is my im- 

 pression, though, that most of the strong talk is 

 not made by these men. 



Some growers split up their divisions into parts. 

 These parts are not divisions. When grown a 

 year they are one-year plants, and will not 

 divide, as they do not have divisions. They can 

 be split up again, but the parts from which they 

 grew, and the parts into which they split up, 

 are only scraps, and these scraps have to be 

 grown two years or more before they make a 

 plant equal to the plant which can honestly be 

 called a divioisn. A division from a strong estab- 

 lished plant has at least three-year strength and 

 ability, — is a mature plant. A grower who offers 

 plants of one and two years from scraps, and tries 

 to give the impression they are better plants 

 than standard divisions, is not dealing fairly. 



— The Flower Grower. 



