82 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



in the coming year, we hope our successors will 

 take so .Tie further steps to improve either the 

 school grounds or the public parks and streets. 

 Such a Society as this should take the lead in such 

 work, and by its example encourage those outside 

 the roll of our membership to beautify their own 

 residences as well as the btreets and parks of what 

 is said to be the prettiest town in Ontario. 



A large distribution of trees, plants, flowers 

 and bulDs was made to our members at a cost of 

 f I oo. 44, and on the whole satisfaction was expressed 

 with the premiums. As a result of our efforts many 

 new plants and flowers have been introduced into 

 the homes and lawns of our town. 



Your Directors wish to point out that although 

 the objects of a Horticultural Society are to en- 

 courage a love of nature in regard to one branch of 

 the vast number of subjects which come under the 

 head "Nature Study," and which includes that 

 which is most beautiful and good, and which has a 

 more elevating and enobling tendency than perhaps 

 any other phase of natural science, yet, among in 

 list of members we can find only one school teacher 

 and only one clergyman, and a retired one at that, 

 out of over a dozen teachers in town and a half 

 dozen Clergymen. Do we think too much of our 

 Society or do thty fail to appreciate a good thing 

 when they see it? 



Mr. Gto. Champion of Toronto, very kindly 

 acted as judge at our Flower Show and delivered 

 a very interesting and instructive address on the 

 faults and mistakes in potting plants. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



(Sgd) John Allen, 

 Paris, Jan. 14th, 1902. President. 



LONDON. 



A very satisfactory annual meeting was held 

 on Wednesday evening, Jan. r4th, the Rev. Dr. 

 Bethune, President cf the Society in the chair. 

 The Officers an Board of Directors were unan- 

 imously re-elected. The financial statement 

 showed a balance in hand of $60. 16. After an ad- 

 dress by the President, in which he reviewed the 

 work of the past year and suggested new matters 

 that might be taken up during the coming season, 

 the report of the Directors was read as follows : 



The Directors of the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety beg to present their third annual report. 



Duribg the year 1902 they have held nine meet- 

 ings for the transaction of the business of the So- 

 ciety, in addition to the annual meeting on the 8th 

 of January. 



Two lecturers, commissioned by the Provincial 

 Association, addressed the pupils of the public 

 schools on the i4tti March, and in the evening a 

 public meeting in the Collegfiate Institute. 'Ihe 

 attendance at the latter was very satisfactory, and 

 much interest in the subjects discussed was shown 

 by the audience. 



On the 25th of April a paper was read by request 

 before the London Teachers' Association by Mr. 

 Catnmage, and addresses were delivered by Messrs. 

 Fox and Bailkwill on Horticultural Subjects. On 

 June 15th the President addressed the Sunday 

 School at the Chalmers' Presbyterian Church on 

 tlie occasion of a distribution of flowers and plants 

 10 the pupils. 



Three very successful flower shows were held 

 during the summer months in the City Hall, which 

 was kindly placed at the disposal of the Society by 

 the Mayor and City Council. 



The first show was held on the 7th and 8th of 

 May. when a very fine exhibit was made c f tulips, 

 narcissus and other spring flowers. Mrs. Labatt 

 kindly contributed an orange tree in fruit and sev- 

 eral other specimen plants, and Mrs. Macfie a large 

 number of cut flowers. 



The second show was held on the 24th, 2sth and 

 26th of June, the time bsing extended to a third 

 day in consequence of the very wet weather which 

 prevailed and greatly reduced the attendance. 

 The exhibit, however, notwithstanding the cold, 

 wet season, was very fine, the display of roses be- 

 ing especially sti iking. About forty of our mem- 

 bers contributed flowers of many varieties, and to 

 them is due the success of the exhibition. 



The mid-summer show, the third of the season, 

 took place on the 6th and 7th of August, and was 

 considered to be the most Ijeautiful and the richest 

 exhibition which the Society has yet given. This 

 was largely due to the magnificent display of hy- 

 brid gladiolus of the " Pan-American " strain con- 

 tributed by Mr. H. H. Groff, of Simcoe, the master 

 hybridist and famous grower of these magnificent 

 flowers. He sent about a thousand spikts display- 

 ing every variety of color yet produced and great 

 perfection of shape and size. Many of our mem- 

 bers also exhibited Gladioli, which it would be diffi- 

 cult to surpass anywhere. Among these may be 

 mentioned the grand array sent by Mr. Taine, and 

 very fine collections by Mr. W. E. Saunders, Mr. 

 C. J. Fox, Messrs. Gammage and Sons, Mr, E. J. 

 Liddicoatt, W. Gilbert and others ; of other flowers 

 thet? in perfection a .splendid display was made by 

 a large number of our members, the excellence 

 and variety of which was most creditable to the 

 exhibitors, and a cause of delight and wonder to 

 the large number of visitors. 



A collective display of autumn flowers was made 

 by the members of the Society at the annual exhi- 

 bition of the Western Fair during the week begin- 

 ning Sept. 15th. This was not in competition for 

 any prize, but was intended to show the public, 

 Bnd especially visitors from a distance, what could 

 be done in the way of flower production" at that late 

 period of the year. The blooms were numen us 

 and very tastefully arranged, and attracted great 

 attention from the throng of visitors to the Horti- 

 cultural Hall. The society was awarded a di- 

 ploma by the directors of the Fair in recognition 

 of the excellence of the display. 



The directors again offered three prizes at the 

 Western Fair for the best collection of cut flowers 

 exhibited by members of the Society. This brought 

 out a better competition than last year, and prizes 

 were awarded to Mrs. Morgan and Mr. Wm. 

 Moore. 



During the year the members of the society re- 

 ceived as premiums, in addition to the plant from 

 the Fruit Growers Association, a bulb of Lilium 

 specicsum and seeds of Dolichos and Salpiglopsis 

 in the spring, and in the autumn half a dozen Hy- 

 acinth bulbs. Mr. Gammage, with great gener- 

 osity, also presented each member with four named 

 varieties ot Chrysanthemums in pots. 



An invitation w s sent to all our membe's to at- 



