ORCHARD INSTITUTE MEETINGS. 



BY G. C. CREELMAN, SECRETARY. 



:T the last annual meeting of the 

 Ontario Fruit Growers' Association, 

 \\i we were requested to arrange for a 

 a-^5^- series of orchard institute meetings 

 throughout the Province. At the beginning 

 of the year we commenced corresponding 

 with fruit growers in almost every section of 

 the province in order to find out the best 

 points at which to hold meetings. It was 

 deemed best not to commence the series 

 until the close of the Farmers' Institute 

 meetings in March. We realized also that 

 this would be a better time for practical 

 demonstrations than when there was more 

 snow on the ground. 



Advertising. 



Again we found the press of this country 

 quite willing to co-operate with us in for- 

 warding this movement. We sent notices 

 to each newspaper in the several districts 

 where meetings were held, asking them to 

 publish the dates and places of meeting, and 

 and also a short synopsis of the work we 

 hoped to accomplish. This was done so 

 well that in almost every instance splendid 

 meetings were held, and we are now getting 

 letters every day congratulating the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association on the success of 

 this new venture. 



Districts Visited. 



In all 49 meetings were held, reaching 

 from Iroquois in the East to Leamington in 

 the West, the province being divided for this 

 purpose into seven districts. 



ist. The Ottawa and St. Lawrence Valley 

 District. 



2nd. The Lake Ontario District. 

 3rd. The Burlington District. 



4th. The Niagara Peninsula. 



5th. The Georgian Bay District. 



6th. The Lake Huron Distriet. 



7th. The Lake Erie District. 



Plan of Campaign. 



The object of the meeting was twofold, 

 first, to give a practiqpil demonstration of 

 the best methods of pruning and grafting, 

 and the general care of an orchard, together 

 with a discussion on matters generally per- 

 taining to fruit. Secondly, the formation of 

 local Fruit Growers' Associations in each 

 place for the purpose of giving the fruit 

 growers an object in meeting together once 

 a month to discuss their business. This 

 was the work of the evening meeting, and 

 many associations have been formed and 

 plans laid for regular meetings to be held, 

 where the following subjects, among others, 

 will be discussed : 



Methods of cultivation. 



Picking, packing, grading and handling 

 of fruits. 



Co-operative shipping, and co-operative 

 buying of packages. 



Practical results in co-operative buying. 



Already the Georgian Bay people have 

 taken this matter up, and have sent out a 

 circular to each of their five branch associa- 

 tions, containing the following information : 



"Believing it to be the general wish of 

 the members of the Georgian Bay Fruit 

 Growers' Association to do something in the 

 co-operative buying of packages and chem- 

 icals with the object of placing orders during 

 the slack season, thereby obtaining a reduc- 

 tion in prices, we would be glad to have at 

 your earliest convenience a return of the en- 

 closed blank form properly filled out." 



