NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



commendation of the innovation was ex- 

 pressed at the close of the last session in a 

 motion by Rev. Mr. Robinson, of the Church 

 of England, seconded by Judge Cline, Pre- 

 sident of the Walkerton Horticultural 

 Society. 



To this Horticultural Section many dele- 

 gates were sent from affiliated Horticultural 

 Societies, and we predict that this depart- 

 ment will so increase in interest that no 

 Horticultural Society in the province can 

 afford to be unrepresented. 



SOME EXCEPTIONAL PROFPrS IN FRUIT 

 GROWING. 



MR. W. T. MACOUN, Horticulturist of 

 the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 

 reported that he had put up some of the fin- 

 est of his Wealthy and Mcintosh Red apples, 

 and forwarded them to Glasgow in bushel 

 boxes on the 3rd of October, and, even on 

 consignment, he had netted $1.00 a box, 

 which was much better than he had done in 

 any Ontario market. The writer reported 

 on 100 cases of Kings he had shipped at the 

 same time to Glasgow on consignment, and 

 which had netted $100,30 ; and also on 117 

 cases of Blenheims, forwarded from Beams- 

 ville, which had netted $134 ! 



Mr. D. J. McKinnon reported upon 83 

 apple trees on two acres of land, mostly 

 Spys and Baldwins, which this year netted 

 him $500, or $250 an acre. Such returns 

 from the apple crop must have hit sorely 

 upon those men, who, in recent years, be- 

 came disgusted with apple growing, and all 

 too hastily dug out the trees, root and 

 branch ; trees which had cost perhaps 

 twenty years of cultivation and great outlay 

 of money. 



Mr. E. B. Stevenson, Jordan, our Straw- 

 berry ^xpert, clapped the climax when he 

 reported upon an acre of ground planted in 

 1900 to Clyde and Williams strawberry 

 plants, which yielded in 1901 600 crates, or 

 14,400 quarts of berries, averaging net five 



cents each, or $700 ; and in 1902 500 crates, 

 or 12,000 quarts, which, at five cents each, 

 gave $600. He also gave another instance 

 of a man at Jordan who purchased three 

 acres of new land, planted the plot to Wil- 

 liams, Clyde and Michel strawberry plants, 

 and took off it 1,200 crates of berries in 

 1901, and cleared $1,100 in cash. 



Of course these exceptional profits must 

 not mislead our readers ; they are here 

 noted simply to show what can be done by 

 pluck, plod and perseverance, in almost any 

 line of horticulture. 



BRIGHT PROSPECTS. 



THE near markets are the ones to be 

 worked for these rich returns and not 

 the distant ones, which eat up all the profit in 

 expenses. There is scarcely a town in On- 

 tario, of 1000 inhabitants, which will not 

 give similar profits to the market gardener 

 who will grow a full assortment of fruit and 

 vegetables, and make a tri-weekly round 

 from house to house, with an attractive dis- 

 play upon his wagon. 



The great north and north west markets 

 also should be most encouraging to Ontario 

 fruit growers. The millions of acres to the 

 north of the C. P. R., said Mr. C. C. James, 

 Deputy Minister of Agriculture, in his ad- 

 dress, will soon be settled with a large popu- 

 lation, who will be hungry for our apples, 

 peaches, pears and grapes ; and no doubt 

 the export of our fruit to Great Britain will 

 by and by sink into insignificance compared 

 with the demand in the northern and western 

 markets for our fruits. With this great fu- 

 ture before us, how evident is the importance 

 of the great educational campaign which this 

 Association has undertaken, through its Sec- 

 retary, Mr. G. C. Creelman, who has organ- 

 ized local fruit growers' associations in every 

 section, and is sending experts to give in- 

 struction regarding the best varieties of 

 fruit, the best methods of cultivating them, 

 and the best way to market them. 



