52 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



should begin at the circumference. He 

 should take his pruners and thin out the smal- 

 ler outer branches, and so work toward the 

 centre ; thus he will thin out his tree by the re- 

 moval of superfluous wood, and of superfluous 

 fruit spurs, and he will find little need for his 

 saw in the interior. This, of course, means a 

 great deal of work and expense ; but in this 

 Twentieth Century we in Canada must give 

 more time to our fruit orchards, or step to one 



side ; we must cease to grow crops of seeds 

 and skins, and begin to grow crisp flesh and 

 aromatic juice, painted with carmine on the 

 exterior by the King of Day. Let us grow 

 such fruit, pack it in fancy packages, and 

 we shall fear no inspectors, nor glutted 

 markets, but find even distant buyers com- 

 ing to our very doors to buy these goods, 

 for which our fame shall soon become world 

 wide. 



HINTS FOR HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



'HE life of an organization consists in 

 activity. If the meetings cease, and 

 no work is undertaken for the general 

 good, the society dies a natural death, but 

 if meetings are frequent, lectures and exhibits 

 often provided,: and civic improvements 

 undertaken, the interest of the members will 

 deepen, the numbers increase and the whole 

 society put on fresh vigor. 



Monthly meetings during the winter sea- 

 son are most important. If held from house 

 to house and made to partake of the social 

 element they will become very popular. 

 There are always some members willing to 

 write a paper to open a discussion upon 

 some garden topic, and the president can 

 easily draw out from each one present, his 

 experience or knowledge of the subject in 

 hand. 



.Then as spring approaches plans may be 

 matured for civic improvements. This may 

 be worked in many ways ; grounds about 

 public buildings may be planted with trees, 

 shrubs and flowers, public streets lined with 

 trees and objectionable features removed, or 



perhaps, with municipal aid, plans for a park 

 or cemetery designed and executed. 



Two years ago a ladies' club in Carthage, 

 Mo., undertook improvements in home and 

 school grounds. They off"ered prizes for the 

 most beautiful school room window, the 

 decoration to be made by plants grown in 

 the school room, from cuttings, seeds or 

 bulbs, within a certain specified time. 



The teachers and scholars became so in- 

 terested that in 1900, fifteen prizes were 

 offered to the children for gardens outside 

 also, five for most artistic plants and train- 

 ing of vines on houses, five for best bed of 

 China Asters not more than fifty square feet, 

 and five for best vegetable garden, not more 

 than two rods square. As soon as these 

 prizes were announced, additional ones were 

 offered by the citizens until they were thirty 

 in all. Some 1500 varieties were made, and 

 three hundred children persevered to the end, 

 which was the first week in October, when 

 the prizes were awarded. The result was 

 most marked in making the city beautiful. 



