i January, 1909 



THE CANADIAN HOETICULTURIST 



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ists of that country. The time is opportune 

 for undertaking similar work in the Domin- 

 ion Department of Agriculture. At the start 

 it would be necessary to establish only one 

 division, to include botany, plant pathology 

 and entomology. It could be called the 

 "Biological Division." Its establishment 

 would necessitate a re-distribution of the 

 work. In addition to his other duties. Dr. 

 Fletcher spent much time on weeds and 

 weed seeds. We would suggest that this 

 phase of the work be transferred to the seed 

 division for a while. For some years, Mr. 

 W. T. Macoun, the horticulturist at the 

 Central Experimental Farm, looked after 

 the work in plant pathology. As the strictly 

 horticultural interests of the country are 

 sufficient for one man's endeavor, the in- 

 vestigation work in fungi, at least, should 

 be incorporated in the work of the suggested 

 biological division. There are other sub- 

 divisions that could be made in the interests 

 of agricultural and horticultural progress. 

 It would seem that the extension and in- 

 crease of the work in biology at Ottawa 

 would warrant the establishment of a 

 general division of biology in connection 

 with the Department of Agriculture and 

 that this line of work should be transferred 

 from the Central Experimental Farm to the 

 proposed division. 



GRANT SHOULD BE INCREASED 



The president of the American Civic Im- 

 provement Association, Mr. J. Horace Mc- 

 Farlane, who is one of the best known horti- 

 cultural authorities on the continent, and 

 who is in close touch with the work that 

 is being done in the various states of the 

 American Union, is authority for the state- 

 ment that Ontario has the best law relating 

 to horticulture that exists on the continent. 

 Under this law, the membership of the 

 horticultural societies of Ontario, during 

 1908, increased by about fifty per cent. 

 There are now live horticultural societies 

 in important centres all over the province. 

 These societies are doing a vast work for 

 the improvement of home and public 

 grounds and buildings, and are interesting 

 thousands of people in the growing of fruit, 

 flowers and vegetables. 



These societies have reached the stage 

 where, unless their grant is to be materially 

 increased, their work and growth will be 

 seriously retarded. The great increase that 

 has taken place in their membership, is 

 the best indication of the value of the work 

 that they are doing. The societies have 

 decided to ask Hon. Mr. Duff, the Minister 

 of Agriculture for Ontario, for an increase 

 in their grant of from $8,000 to $10,000 a 

 year. Hon. Mr. Duff has had an oppor- 

 tunity of acquainting himself with the 

 work being done by the societies and. for 

 that reason, the officers of tne horticultural 

 societies throughout the province, are con- 

 fidently expecting that their request will 

 be granted. 



Horticulturists should take advantage of 

 the short courses in horticulture that are 

 offered each year by the agricultural col- 

 leges at Guolph, Ont., Ste. Anne de Bello- 

 vue. Que., and Truro, N. 8. These courses 

 are held for two weeks in January, and are 

 exceedingly practical. There is no expense 

 other than railway fares and board. It will 

 be worth your while to attend the one that 

 is nearest your locality. 



Quebec Potnological Meeting 



We congratulate The Farmer s Advocate 

 on the excellence of its Christmas number 

 for 1908. It is an achievement worthy of 

 the publishers. Handsomely illustrated, 

 pleasing in variety of topics and typograph- 

 ically complete, it is a credit to Canadian 

 agricultural journalism. 



Preaident R. Brodie. 

 1908 



AN enthusiastic convention of the 

 Pomological and Fruit Growing 

 Society of the Province of Quebec 

 was held on Dec. 2 and 3 at Mac- 

 donald College. Delegates and friends were 

 present from all parts of the province and 

 some from Ontario. Some valuable papers 

 were read and discussed. The president, 

 Mr. R. Brodie, of West- 

 mount occupied the 

 chair. His opening ad- 

 dress will be published 

 separately. The elec- 

 tion of officers for 1909 

 resulted as follows : 

 President, Prof.G. Rey- 

 naud. La Trappe; vice- 

 president. Prof. W. S. 

 Blair, Macdonald Col- 

 lege; secretary-treasur- 

 er, Peter Reid, Chat- 

 eauguay Basin; district 

 directors, 1, G. B. Ed- 

 wards, Covey Hill; 2, 

 E. Buzzel, Abbotsford; 

 3, G. P. Hitchcock, Massawippi; 4, A. D. 

 Verreault, Village des Aulnaies; 5, Auguste 

 Dupuis, Village des Aulnaies; 6, C. P. New- 

 man, Lachine Locks; 7, Dr. W. Grignon, 

 Ste. Adele; 8, H. W. Thompson, Hudson; 

 9, N. E. Jack, Chateauguay Basin. 



An expression of condolence in regard to 

 the passing-away of Dr. Jas. Fletcher was 

 unanimously passed. A resolution was 

 passed thanking Dr. Jas. W. Robertson, of 

 Macdonald College, and his staff for their 

 hearty co-operation in making the meeting 

 a success. It was moved also and passed 

 that, "Whereas this society appreciates the 

 good work that was done at the Dominion 

 Fruit Conference held in March. 1906, and 

 realizes the rapid development that is tak- 

 ing place in the fruit industry of all Can- 

 ada, and feels that there are yet many 

 problems that require national considera- 

 tion and discussion to bring about their 

 solutions, be it resolved that this society 

 ask the Dominion Department of Agricul- 

 ture to hold another conference during the 

 coming winter and that a copy of this reso- 

 lution be awarded to the Hon. Sydney 

 Fisher, Minister of Agriculture." 



THE FRUIT EXHIBIT 



The fruit display was the best that has 

 ever been held by the society. With a few 

 exceptions, the quality of the apples was 

 excellent and showed that the province 

 of Quebec can produce- some varieties that 

 are equal to and probably surpass similar 

 ones grown in any other part of the 

 Dominion. 



The competition in the class that called 

 for best collections of fruits, brought out 

 a fine lot of apples. The 

 first prize was won by 

 A. A. Johnston, Cow- 

 ansville; second, R. W. 

 Shepherd, Montreal ; 

 third, A. Lalonde, Isle 

 Perrot. About 25 seed- 

 ling varieties of apples 

 were shown in compe- 

 tition. Many of these 

 were fairly good, two 

 in particular being 

 very promising. 



For the best winter 

 seedling, Peter Reid 

 secured first prize; A. 



S.cretary Peter Reid ^ Johnston, S.COnd, 



and C. p. Newman, third. For the best 

 12 commercial varieties and for six best ex- 

 port varieties, A. A. Johnston won first, Mr. 

 R. W. Shepherd, winning second in the 



stated his theory 



latter class. Mr. R. Brodie, Westmount, 

 won first for the best barrel of apples. For 

 the best box, first went to Chas. Fisk, 

 Abbotsford, second to R. Brodie and third 

 to A. Lalonde. The successful exhibitors 

 in the plate sections were, A. A. Johnston, 

 R. Jack & Son, P. Reid, Chas. Fisk, R. W. 

 Shepherd, A. Lalonde, C. P. Newman, W. L. 

 Davidson and T. A. Bishop. Mr. W. T. 

 Macoun and J. M. Fisk acted as judges. 

 Mr. Macoun also exhibited a large num- 

 ber of fruits originated in Canada and 

 grown in the orchards of the Central Ex- 

 perimental Farm. 



CULTIVATION OF ORCHARD.S 



"The cultivation of orchards in Quebec 

 and Eastern Ontario," was the subject of 

 a practical address by Mr. Harold Jones of 

 Maitland, Ont. The speaker stated that in 

 most sections of the country cultivated 

 orchards are the most profitable. That is 

 the verdict of fruit buyers. Orchards in 

 sod do not bear as much fruit as those 

 under cultivation but they suffer less from 

 injury from cold and freezing. Mr. Jones 

 referred to the methods adopted in his own 

 orchards. He cultivates in spring and 

 early summer and sows a cover crop of red 

 clover or oats about the first of June. 

 During the summer months, these crops 

 do not take as much moisture from the 

 soil as the sun and wind would were the 

 ground left bare. When oats are sown, 

 they are kept cut constantly so as to keep 

 the growth green all the season. In respect 

 to the causes of root-killing, Mr. Jones 

 to be that the cam- 

 bium layer of the wood 

 or the growing tissue 

 is squeezed by the ac- 

 tion of frost in the 

 ground. He believed 

 that injury is not 

 caused directly by 

 freezing. If this squeez- 

 ing is caused three 

 times by alternate 

 thawing and freezing, 

 the roots become killed. 

 "There are not 

 enough young orchards 

 set out," remarked Mr. 

 Jones. "More of them 

 should be found on our farms. The 

 difficulty is that most men think that it 

 takes too long to wait for a crop. Prepare 

 the ground the fall before as for potatoes 

 and have it well manured. The following 

 spring, set out the trees and plant potatoes 

 between them. Dig the potatoes in October. 

 This will prevent danger of staiting late 

 growth, which happens sometimes when the 

 inter-crop is disturbed late in season. In 

 place of growing a cover crop, apply man- 

 ure at the rate of one load to eight or ten 

 trees." The following year Mr. Jones plows 

 his orchard in spring, levels and plants 

 a low-growing variety of corn. He culti- 

 vates to the first of July and then sows 

 between the corn rows 10 or 12 pounds of 

 red clover seed an acre. The third year, 

 the clover is cut early and the after-growtli 

 is allowed to stand. The fourth year, the 

 sod is plowed down and the soil cultivated. 

 The rotation is then repeated. 



An interesting discussion followed Mr. 

 Jones' paper, during which, Mr. W. T. 

 Macoun, horticulturist of the Central Ex- 

 perimental Farm, Ottawa, said that the 

 most important thing in respect to winter- 

 killing is to have the wood of the trees 

 perfectly ripened in autumn. When this 

 is done, they usually come through all right. 

 "On account of the dry summer of 1908," 

 said Mr. Macoun, "there is not enough 



Vice-Pre.. W. S. BUir 



