March, 1913 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



73 



to find that in this country there was any 

 person having- had' experience with fer- 

 tilizers and who had given them a fair 

 chance — and I would emphasize this point 

 —who was not assured of their value. By 

 fertilizers I do not meaii materials un- 

 loaded on a credulous farmer — if there are 

 amy such farmers — from which wonderful 

 results were promised, but which were 

 about as valuable as so much sand. 



I can lay no claim to rank as an author- 

 . ity on these limes. Mr. Emslie, as repre- 

 sentative of a concern of such magnitude, 

 is in a position to command respect, while 

 Dr. Dandeno can omly hold a Doctor's de- 

 grree from Harvard as the result of some 

 creditable research work. From his state- 

 ments, one is led to infer that this work 

 concerned plant physiolo.gy or pathologj", 

 in which case his opinions should carry 

 some weight. 



But when a man, no matter of what au- 

 thority, undertakes by a sweeping asser- 

 tion to undermine an industry of such 

 scope and value, not only to the manu- 

 facturer and farmer, but to the world in 

 general — he takes a serious step indeed, 

 and the burden of proof lies with Dr. 

 Dandeno entirely. For years private in- 

 dividuals, manufacturers, and governments 

 have been making extensive tests on soils 

 and fertilizers. 



The fertilizer and allied trades are not 

 ponsible for the term "Plant food." 

 .-xiontists of greater repute that Dr. I>an- 

 deno can ever hope to attain, employed the 

 term. Their experiments Led to the de- 

 duction that plants contained carbon, hy- 

 drogen, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, 

 potash, in great amount, with small quan- 

 tities of other elements. The inference 

 was that they obtained them from one of 

 two sources — from the air or the soil. How 



they obtained it mattered little. As a 

 matter of Ifact, nobody knows, any more 

 than they know how or why a candle 

 burns, or how the oxygen of the air acts 

 on the human blood. Of course scientific 

 answers may be given, but when one comes 

 to the basic question, "How do you know?" 

 it must be admitted that theories only can 

 be advanced. 



So it is in this controversy. Dr. Dan- 

 deno preaches the theory of bacterial ac- 

 tion, though even at that he admits that 

 all these bacteria can do is to act as agents 

 for the transfer of chemical elements or 

 compounds from soil or air to the plant. 

 It would be interesting to hear on what 

 facts or experiments — aside from negative 

 fertilizer results — he bases his claims. In 

 neither of the two communications pub- 

 lished has he done more than utter sweep- 

 ing generalities which, without corrobora- 

 tive evidence, are of little or no value. 



FERTILIZER CHAMPIONS 



The opposite side of the case has been 

 taken, times without number, by govern- 

 ment officials, interested parties, and 

 these can be backed by thousands of far- 

 mers who have had results that warrant 

 their championing fertilizers. For the one 

 isolated case of negative results cited by 

 Dr. Dandeno, thousands of experiments 

 have shown improved yields from the use 

 of fertilizer. Why this is, I don't under- 

 take to say. But the question comes if 

 the action is bacterial, why should barn- 

 yard manure not give better results alone 

 than, say. Nitrate of Soda? By the way, 

 I have yet to hear any advocate of fer- 

 tilizer condemn the use of barnyard 

 manure. 



The farmers are just waking up to the 

 fact that farming is one of the most 

 scientific businesses in the world, and are 



Douglas Gardens 



Oakville, Ontario 



We invite special attention, for 

 Spring Planting, to the following : 



PERENNIALS— Aquilegia (Col- 

 umbine), Hardy Asters (Michael- 

 mas Daisies), Astilbe (Spiraea), 

 Shasta Daisies. Coreopsis, Del- 

 phiniums (Larkspurs), Hemero- 

 callis (Day Lily), Hibiscus, Kni- 

 phofia (Torch Lily), Phlox, Phy- 

 sostegia (False Dragon's Head), 

 and Spiraea (Meadow Sweet). 



BULBS and TUBERS— Cannas, 

 Dahlias, and Gladioli. 



BEDOINC PLANTS — Antirr- 

 hinum (Snapdragon), China As- 

 ters, Geraniums, Salvias, and 

 Stocks, 



These are all described -in our 

 Spring Planting List, a copy of 

 which will be mailed free on ap- 

 plication. 



JOHN CAVERS 



Fruit Trees, Shade Trees 

 and Ornamentals 



We have a full stock of the leading sorts of fruit trees 

 and bush fruits. Our stock of APPLES, PEARS, CHER- 

 RIES and PLUMS is exceptionally fine. Should you not 

 decide now to plant that orchard this spring? Each year 

 saved is one season gained. We give each order special 

 care, and know that for nice rooting and grading OUR 

 GOODS ARE UNEXCELLED. 



We breed our trees as much as possible from selected 

 mother trees, and are now preparing to engage an expert 

 Horticulturist, who will devote his entire time and skill to 

 selecting breeding trees. Will it not pay you to deal with 

 an up-to-date firm ? We know it will be to our mutual ad- 

 vantage. 



OUR RODERICK CAMERON has returned from 

 Great Britain and the Continent, bringing with him a 

 splendid collection of the very latest creations in hardy 

 herbaceous perennials, Roses, Shrubs, Evergreens, etc., 

 from the best English, Scotch and Continental Nur- 

 sraies, including the MACKENDRICK COLLECTION 

 OF ROSES, embracing the finest of hardy sorts. The 

 majority of these cannot be obtained elsewhere in 

 Canada. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES and others would 

 do well to get our collections, as they have been chosen 

 with great care by a maai who has had a lifelong ex- 

 perience amongst the flowers. 



THE AUBURN NURSERIES, Ltd. 



SIMCOE 



Head Office : QUEENSTON 



OAKVILLE 



