OUR AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. 



207 



The Canadian Fruit at the Glasgow Exhibition, 

 from an English Fruitman's Point of View. 



Sir,— I have perused in your admirable issue of 

 January with very great interest, the report of Mr. 

 R. Hamilton, and I am sure you will join with me 

 and my English confreres in wishing that our Can- 

 adian cousins will get at the real truth about the 

 fruit exhibits, so that in their trade with this 

 country, they may not be led astray. 



I have the honor to be associated with the only 

 paper, I think, which takes up the fruit question 

 altogether from its commercial standpoint in this 

 country, and moreover we are not of that number 

 who would exclude the importations of fruit, etc., in 

 order that our home growers may keep the field. 

 We rather welcome all good fruit that comes, 

 especially that from Canada, and advise our home 

 growers to go in for newer methods of cultivation. 

 For years we have been advising them to restrict 

 the number of varieties, especially of apples, and 

 g^ow only 6 to 8 varieties suited to the market re- 

 quirements. On reading the report of your corres- 

 pondent I was inclined to hold forth upon the grit 

 and go of Canada, and I did so to my chief, and I 

 think I cannot do better than give you just what 

 we said. 



I personally was unable to go to Glasgow during 

 the time the Exhibition was on. Your correspond- 

 ent speaks of the praise of the public. He must 

 remember that the general public know little of 

 fruit culture as we see it and they probably did 



"Blaw in his lug a bit." My chief says: ''My 

 object in going there (to Glasgow) was to look at 

 this Canadian Fruit Exhibit. I was not greatly 

 impressed, in fact it struck me as rather a slow 

 show, although a fine exhibit in many respects. 

 There was some excellent bottled stuff from Can- 

 ada and in matters agricultural a fine display was 

 made, but speaking generally of the apple show, a 

 few sorts of apples were good but there were such 

 a thundering lot of sorts that one was bewildered. 

 If they could have reduced the very large number 

 of sorts to about 6 or 7 and have covered a table 5 

 or 6 feet square with them they would in my opin- 

 ion have made some impression. I thought you 

 would like to know this." Regarding your notes 

 as to packages, I quite agree with Hamilton that 

 the barrel is doomed, and we understand that a 

 package, which we strongly recommend Canadian 

 senders to adopt is gradually being adopted with 

 best fruit, i. e., a small case containing about 40 

 pounds of fruit. The Australian and Tasmanian 

 shippers especially have taken our advantage to 

 heart and have adopted our form of package gen- 

 erally." 



Such, Mr. Editor, is the outcome of the Glasgow 

 Exhibit as seen by practical fruit-growing eyes, 

 and by one who is strenuously advocating all things 

 that can tend to bring good cheap fruit to the mil- 

 lions in the old country, and by one who at the same 

 time as strenuously strives to get these things done 

 to the advantage of the grower and fruit sales- 

 men. W. F. Emptage. 



@y^ AFFDLlATEi iOODlTB 



Kincardine. — Mr. Welsh, the President, occu- 

 pied the chair in his usual manner. After his 

 introductory remarks the H. S. students, or a 

 number of them, gave two of their excellent selec- 

 tions, a drill and chorus, "Coon, Coon, Coon." 

 As our readers know, the meetings* and entertain- 

 ment were held under the auspices of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association conjointly with the 

 Kincardine Horticultural Society, and the best 

 speakers of course were procured. The first to 

 appear upon the platform was Mrs. Torrance of 

 Chateauguay, Quebec. She gave an excellent 

 address on " Every day plants of our homes and 

 gardens." She started out by giving some prac- 

 tical suggestions in beautifying our school grounds 

 and streets. She very sensibly recommended the 

 planting of nut trees along with our beautiful 

 maples. For the sake of effect and to imitate 

 nature she said we should not plant trees in rows 

 and one- just opposite another in our lawns and 

 parks, etc. She admired the barberry of which 

 there were fifty-two varieties. She then explained 

 the cultivation of such shrubs and plants as the 

 spirea, hydrangea, catalpas, etc. Her remarks on 

 the perennials were full of interest from first to 

 last. The home, she said, was the foundation of 

 the nation. We should beautify it. Men and 

 women should assist each other in making the 



home the happiest place on earth. "There is no 

 place like home, be it ever so humble " The 

 speaker dwelt upon the necessity of harmony in 

 colors, the same as in dress. A score or more 

 of plants were named in decorating the yards and 

 lawns. Biennials also were discussed, among them 

 being the pea and veronica. The chairman re- 

 quested anyone in the audience to ask the speaker 

 some question, and failing in this he gave his ex- 

 perience in growing walnut trees on his farm, 

 which was interesting. 



At this stage of the meeting sixteen young 

 women (H. S. students) dressed in white, made 

 their appearance on the platform and rendered in 

 grand style the old southern melody. Rock-alow. 

 The mandolin accompaniment was very fine, the 

 operator being behind the curtain. 



The chairman then introduced the next speaker, 

 Mr. E. B. Stevenson, M. A. of Jordan Station, Ont. 

 His subject, "Strawberry culture and the promis- 

 ing new varieties," was taken up after a smart 

 little talk about "Bulb growing." He had had 

 a talk with the young folk in the afternoon in the 

 same place and was warmed up. His remarks 

 were not only timely but appreciated by his large 

 audience. He reckoned the Kincardine Horticul- 

 tural Society was booming, when such large crowds 

 would come to hear talks about Horticulture. He 



