April, 1914 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



10.1 



the fruit of the diffierent provinces into 

 competition in the western and British mar% 

 kets of late years in a manner that is forc- 

 ing- our fruit growers to investigate con- 

 ditions more thoroughly than ever before. 



Our leading fruit growers to-day look 

 forward not only to the prospect for the 

 current year's crop, but to the probable 

 production of fruit for the world's markets 

 for years to come. In their survey of con- 

 ditions apple growers are now taking into 

 consideration the competition that may be 

 expected from the growers of other varie- 

 ties of fruit, such as oranges and bananas. 

 On one point a unanimous decision has 

 been reached: The markets of the future 

 are going to demand a better quality oi 

 fruit, packed strictly according to grade. 

 The sooner the rank and file of our fniit 

 arowers recognize the impending change in 

 methods, the better will it be for them and 

 for the fruit industry. 



One of the chief elements of success in 

 the work of a horticultural society is eii- 

 thusiasm. Without exception those horti- 

 cultural societies in Ontario which are do- 

 ing the best work are those which are man- 

 ned by enthusiastic officers. In most cases 

 the enthusiasm is provided in the main by 

 some one individual who has succeeded in 

 grouping around himself other horticul- 

 turists who have caught his enthusiasm, 

 and who therefore render willing and ready 

 support. Most of the horticultural societies 

 in Ontario are doing effective and efficient 

 work. Some are not doing as well as they 

 might. Where members or officers of socie- 

 ties feel that they are not doing all that 

 is easily possible they might well, as a first 

 step towards improvement, ask themselves 

 if this little element of enthusiasm is pre- 

 sent to the requisite extent. 



W« In-rite the offloerg of Horti- 



oultural Societiee to send in ehort, 



pithy report* of work tha.t would in- 



tereet mombera of other Horticultural 



Sooletiee. 



Society Work* 



H. W. BrowD, Berlin, Oct. 



I am strongly in favor of horticultural 

 societies holding at least one exhibition 

 each year, and more than one where condi- 

 tions are right. Societies which omit ex- 

 hibitions spare themselves a great deal of 

 work (possibly not unknown to themselves) 

 but they lose one of their most potent forces 

 for stimulating interest among their own 

 members for actually increasing their 

 membership, and for creating enthusiasm 

 ^mong the public generally. Healthy com- 

 petition is an influence for good which 

 must not be thoughtlessly cast to the winds. 

 I would like to see exhibitions, modest or 

 otherwise, made compulsory. The prize 

 lists, of course, must be drafted to suit con- 

 ditions, but to many new societies, and in- 

 deed to some older on;'s, a circular from the 

 superintendent outlining a model or type 

 of prize list for a small society, with hitits 

 - to how and along what lines its value 

 I a society might be increased, would bo 

 very welcome, for where a new society is 

 organized, having as one of its members a 

 man really competent to arrange these and 

 other details for his society, ten other so- 

 ' ieties are not so fortunately situated. 



'Bxtraot from a jMiper read at the last annual 

 convention of the Ontario Horticultural Afwo- 

 ciation • 



In our city, which is pretty generally re- 

 garded as a city of homes and gardens and 

 home-like surroundings, the short three- 

 year period of organized work in horticul- 

 ture has taught mam of us to see to de- 

 tails of grounds and jjitdening before over- 

 looked, has brought to the front vegetable 

 and flower growers hitherto unknown ex- 

 cept to their immediate neighbors, and has 

 produced incipient horticulcuralists where 

 before none existed. It is gratifying to 

 know that abundant assistance lies within 

 the reach of every society which shows 

 merit or progress. My plea is not for 

 more and for greater assistance, but for a 

 wider, more direct and more certain dis- 

 tribution of the assistance which is already 

 available, but to som-; extent not appre- 

 hended. 



Suggestions for Societies 



In the talk he gave at the last annual 

 convention of the Ontario Horticultural As- 

 sociation, a portion of which was published 

 in the March issue of The Canadian Horti- 

 culturist. Dr. Frank E. Bennett, the en- 

 thusiastic president of the St. Thomas Hor- 

 ticultural Society, gave the following ad- 

 ditional suggestions to the officers of so- 

 cieties : 



During the winter of 1912-13 we planned 

 a larger and broader "awn and garden com- 

 petition, giving the working man a class 

 ■ of his own and the man who had a gar- 

 dener a class of his own. Some good prizes 

 were also offered to the janitors of the pub- 

 lic schools and Collegiate Institute for the 

 best kept lawns and flora] effects, with 

 wonderful results. 



The cooperation of the Board of Trade 

 was secured and a splendid cup offered for 

 the best kept factory ground, while another 

 very popular contest was the school child- 

 ren's contest. Prizes in cash and goods 

 totalling three hundred dollars were award- 

 ed, in addition to several valuable medals 

 and cups. The usual monthly flower shows 

 were held during 1913 and at the last show 

 five hundred entries were received, taxing 

 to their utmost two large store windows, 

 and making it almost compulsory to secure 

 larger quarters for the shows of 1914. 



The merchants, banks, and factories lo- 

 cated on corner lots were especially can- 

 vassed and their interest in the beautifica- 

 tion of the city secured, with the result that 

 nearly every corner in the city now has its 

 small boulevard, lawn, and flower bed. 

 Fifty-two public flower beds, most of them 

 twenty feet by four feet, were planted, as 

 many as possible being placed along the 

 route of the street car belt line, where the 

 most people would be able to enjoy the 

 beauty of the flowers. Eight more beds 

 have been added this fall, and have been 

 planted with tulips. Flower beds have been 

 placed at the City Hall, the Public Library 

 and the Post Office, and in each place the 

 lawns have been improved, while the rival- 

 ry for the Board of Trade cup has created 

 the keenest possible competition among the 

 factories of the city. 



I had almost forgotten one big factor 

 in our success. I refer to the splendid ser- 

 vice and support given to the work of the 

 society by the local press. When you have 

 printing to do, don't go round the corner to 

 a cheap shop, give it to your newspaper ; 

 even if the price is a little higher, you will 

 reap your reward. 



As I have said before, new members are 

 joining by dozens and every old member 

 is renewing his subscription and member- 



ship, and with a combined effort we shall 

 reach the 1,200 mark. We'll do it. 



I would like to give you a few pointers 

 on your canvassing. Send out enthusiasts, 

 send out workers and not drones. Have 

 several good arguments to offer as to why 

 a citizen should be a member. Then, if all 

 other arguments fail, try this one; I have 

 tried it and I know. Whenever I meet one, 

 I say to him, "Is it worth a dollar to you 

 to have St. Thomas made the finest city 

 in Ontario?" and hardly ever have I any 

 answer but "Yes." At this point pull out 

 a membership card( fill it in, and hand it to 

 him, with a receipt, and wait for the dollar. 

 You will not have to wait long ; that inher- 

 ent civic pride germ works quick, andi you 

 have another member. 



To concliude and summarize, put out 

 plenty of public flower beds, hold frequent 

 flower shows, arrange lawn, garden, and 

 floral beautification contests; form street 

 improvement societies ; give liberal prem- 

 iums ; elect none but workers on the exe- 

 cutiyet — and here just a word of warning, 

 avoid as much as possible placing semi- 

 professional horticulturists in official or 

 executive positions as it has an unfortunate 

 tendency to dampen the interest and ardor 

 of the (entirely amateur. By following these 

 rules you may soon have a society like unto 

 ours. . 



Shade Trees Suffer 



Dr. Fernow says that in "walking along 

 the streets of any city one will find at least 

 from twenty-five to fifty per cent, of the 

 trees in a damaged condition." In the 

 small tOAQs of eastern Canada, it is safe 

 to say that at least seventy-five per cent, 

 of the shade trees need attention, for, un- 

 like the cities, these towns employ no "tree 

 doctors" to guard the health of the trees, 

 and even trimming is done but irregularly, 

 and often carelessly. Yet if the shade trees 

 in many of these towns were destroyed one 

 of their chief attractions would be gone. 



There are several reasons why the trees 

 in these old towns require special attention. 

 The chief is probably due to defective 

 crown development, the result of overcrowd- 

 ing. Misshapen and weakened crowns re- 

 sult in excessive windbreak, and ragged 

 break, if left untrimmed, provide the best 

 possible entrance for fungi and insect 

 pests, so that a great number of these fine 

 old shade trees, which because of their very 

 age are unable, unassisted, to shake off 

 these foes, are slowly dying through 

 neglect. 



Mature trees of whatever species should 

 be at least thirty feet apart and the; muni- 

 cipal act empower municipal councils to 

 remove trees within this limit without the 

 owner's consent. If this provision were 

 judicioirsly acted upon in the old towns of 

 eastern Canada, the remaining shade trees 

 would be given a new lease of life. The 

 Forestry Branch of the Department of the 

 Interior, Ottawa, has on its staff a skilled 

 silvicurist, whose services are available to 

 woodlot owners. Municipal shade trees are 

 not, strictly speaking, woodlots, but muni- 

 cipalities so desiring could doubtless secure 

 the advice of this ext>ert regarding the 

 trees requiring removal. 



Even if no more trees are planted in Brit- 

 ish Columbia than are there now, the apple 

 production of the province will be ten times 

 as great as it is at present when immature 

 trees now out come into bearing. — C. J. 

 Thorntoai, M.P. 



