12 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



January, 1909 



The Canadian Horticulturisl 



Published by The Horticultural 

 Publishins Company, Limited 



PETBRBORO AND TORONTO 



The Only Horticultural Magazine 

 in the Dominion 



Officiai, Groan of British Columbia, Ontario, Qdj 



BBC, New Bbonrwict and Princb Edward Isi^nd 



Fruit Growers' Associations 



H. Bronson Cowan, 

 Managing Editor and Business Manager 

 A. B. Cuttino, B.S.A., Horticultural Editor 

 W. G. Rook. Advertising Manager 



1. The Canadian Horticnlturist is published on 

 the Z5th day of the month preceding date of 

 issue. 



2. Subscription price in Canada and Great Brit- 

 ain 60 cents a year, two years $1.00. For United 

 States and local subscriptions in Peterboro, (not 

 called for at Post Offlce) 25 cents extra a year, 

 including postage. 



3. Remittances should be made by Post Offlce 

 or Money Express Order, or Registered Letter. 

 Postage Stamps accepted tor amounts less than 

 $1.00. 



4. Change of Address— When a change of ad- 

 dress is ordered, both the old and the new ad- 

 dresses must be given. 



5. Advertising Rates quoted on application. 

 Copy received up to the 18th. Address all ad- 

 vertising correspondence and copy to our Ad- 

 vertising Manager, 72 Queen street west, Tor- 

 onto. 



6. Articles and Illnstrationg for publication 

 win be thankfally received by the editor. 



CIRCULATION STATEMENT 

 Since the subscription price of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist was reduced from $1.00 to 60 cents 

 a year, the circulation has grown rapidly. The 

 following is a sworn statement of the net paid 

 circulation of The Canadian Horticulturist for 

 the year ending with Dec. 1907. The fignres giv- 

 en are exclusive of samples and spoiled copies, 

 and of papers sent to advertisers. Some months. 

 Including the sample copies, from 10,000 to 12,000 

 copies of The Canadian Horticulturist are mailed 

 to people known to be Interested in the grow- 

 ing of fruit, flowers or vegetables. 



Circulation Statement 



January, 1907 4,947 



February. iy07 5.520 



March. 1907 6,380 



April, 1907 6.4fiO 



May, 1907 6.620 



June. 1907 6.780 



July. 1907 6.920 



August. 1907 6.8^0 



September, 1907 7,080 



October. 1907 7.210 



November, 1907 7,257 



December, 1907 7.500 



January. 1908 7,650 



February, 1908 7,824 



March, 1908 8,056 



April. 1908 8,250 



May, 19(J8 8,.')73 



June, 1908 8.840 



July, 1908 9.015 



August, 1908 9 070 



September, 1908 9,121 



October. 1908 9,215 



November, 1908 9,323 



December, 1908 9,400 



Total for the year, 79,525 Total for the year, 104,a37 



Average each iuue in 1907, 6.627 



Average each issue in 1908, 8,695 



(Increased circulation in one year over 2.000) 



Sworn detailed statements will be mailed upon 

 application. 



Our Protective Policy 



We want the readers of The Canadian Horti- 

 cnlturist to feel that they can deal with our 

 advertisers with our assurance of the advertisers' 

 reliability. We try to admit to our cotumng 

 only the most reliable advertisers. Should any 

 subscriber, therefore, have good canse to be 

 dissatisfied with the treatment he receives from 

 any of our advertisers, we will look into the 

 matter and investigate the circumstances fully. 

 Should we find reason, even In the slightest 

 degree, we will discontinue immediately the pub- 

 lication of their advertisements in The Horti- 

 culturist. Should the circumstances warrant, 

 we will expose them through the columns of 

 the paper. Thus, we will not only protect our 

 readers, but our reputable advertisers as well. 

 All that is necessary to entitle you to the bene- 

 fits of this Protective Policy is that you include 

 in all your letters to advertisers the words, 

 "I saw your ad. in The Canadian Horticultur- 

 ist." Complaints should be made to us as soon 

 as possible after reason for dissatisfaction has 

 been found. 



Communications should be addressed: 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST, 

 Toronto Office: PETERBOEO. ONTARIO. 



72 Queen street wegt. 



NAME ACCORDING TO SEX 



New creations in fruit varieties should 

 Tae named in accordance with sex. Many 

 varieties of fruits produce blossoms that are 

 more or less distinct in sexual character- 

 istics. This is particularly true of straw- 

 berries. It has been the custom to name 

 new varieties of these before the sex of the 

 blossoms is determined. In many cases, 

 this has resulted in somewhat ludicrous 

 appellations and, to the un-informed, in 

 confusion. Varieties that are bi-sexual in 

 flower should be given masculine names 

 and those that are pistillate, feminine 

 names. 



In strawberry plants, there are two types 

 of blossoms, bi-sexual and pistillate. Bi- 

 sexual varieties bear flowers that contain 

 both stamens (male) and pistils (female). 

 These varieties are also called herma- 

 phrodite, perfect, staminate or male. The 

 term staminate or male is not quite correct 

 as the flowers contain both male and female 

 elements. Some of these varieties differ 

 widely in the number and strength of their 

 male organs, the stamens. All of them, 

 however, will bear fruit when planted alone. 

 Pistillate varieties bear flowers that contain 

 pistils only. They are referred to sometimes 

 as imperfect or female. Occasionally pis- 

 tillate varieties are found to hear a few 

 stamens, but not enough to make it safe 

 to plant the variety alone. The blossoms 

 of all pistillate varieties must be fertilized 

 with pollen from bi-sexual varieties. In 

 our remarks, we shall deal with the two 

 types broadly as bi-sexual and pistillate. 



When strawberry plants bloom it is an 

 easy matter to determine this difference in 

 sex. It should be just as easy to determine 

 the sex of known varieties by their names. 

 Of the hundreds of varieties that have been 

 originated or discovered and cultivated in 

 our gardens, many have been given names 

 that are directly opposed to sex and some 

 have names that are neutral. We have 

 bi-sexual or male varieties that have names 

 such as Lady Thompson, Lady Garrison, 

 Annie Lawrie, Empress, Malinda, Margaret 

 and Ella, and pistillate or female varieties 

 named Minute Man, Oom Paul, President 

 and Longfellow. One of the most glaring 

 examples of this point is found in the cases 

 of Mark Hanna, which is pistillate, and 

 Mrs. Mark Hanna, which is bi-sexual. Among 

 the "neuter" names might be mentioned 

 Clyde and Excelsior, bi-sexual, and Cres- 

 cent and Kansas, pistillate. Scores of 

 similar discrepancies in strawberries could 

 be mentioned. They are to be found, also, 

 in grapes and in all classes of fruits that 

 have sexual differences in their blossoms. 

 On the other hand, many instances of 

 proper naming in this respect can be cited, 

 such as, in bi-sexuals, August Luther, Sen- 

 ator Dunlop, Wm. Belt, Van Deman and 

 Williams, and, in pistillates, Margaret, 

 Mary, Carrie. Nellie Hubach and Kittie 

 Eice. 



While it would not be practicable to 

 alter the names of existing varieties, it 

 would seem reasonable to suggest that the 

 names of all new varieties be left in abey- 

 ance until the sex of their blossoms is 

 determined and then, if they are worthy 

 of propagation, apply names that in them- 

 selves will tell definitely the sex. This is 

 a decade of plant breeding effort and the 

 start only has been made. Varieties are 

 increasing rapidly. We would suggest that 

 new creations in varieties with bi-sexual 

 flowers be given male names and pistillate 

 ones, female names. As the tendency of 



strawberry growers appears to favor the 

 planting of bi-sexual varieties and as in 

 consequence, these will predominate, even 

 "neuter" names could be given to this 

 class — provided that pistillate sorts are 

 given names that are distinctly female. 

 It would, mean much to the plant breeders 

 and growers of the future. 



QUEEN VICTORIA PARK 



The incompetence of the present man- 

 agement of Queen Victoria Park at Niagara 

 Falls, Ont., has already been noted. Not 

 one of the men who now hold important 

 positions at the park were appointed with 

 due regard being given to their qualifica- 

 tions as gardeners and horticulturists. Not 

 one of them can be considered an authority 

 on horticulture. Furthermore, there are too 

 many "bosses" there. There is reason to 

 believe that some positions have been creat- 

 ed to furnish situations for party-heelers. 



There is little or no need for an assistant- 

 superintendent. The present holder of this 

 ofiice was a farmer and later a wine mer- 

 chant, who ran for the local legislature and 

 was defeated. The chief gardener scarcely 

 knows the first principles of plant life. A 

 number of other examples could be cited. 



There is need for an improvement in the 

 personnel of the park officials and ''bosses." 

 The rapid deterioration that has taken 

 place in the appearance and character of 

 the park in general and of many plants, 

 trees and shrubs in particular, proves the 

 necessity. Unless a change occurs, the park 

 will soon become commonplace. Now that 

 its attention has tieen called to the matter, 

 the horticulturists of the province will ex- 

 pect the Government of Ontario to see that 

 the management of the park is placed in 

 competent hands. 



A BIOLOGICAL DIVISION NEEDED 



There should be a re-adjustment of the 

 work in biological science at Ottawa. The 

 regrettable death of Dr. James Fletcher, 

 who labored faithfully for the agriculturists 

 and horticulturists of the Dominion, makes 

 a change possible. For years the work in 

 economic entomology and botany has been 

 conducted, for the most part, on a propagan- 

 da basis. The propagation and dissemination 

 of principals and knowledge regarding 

 insects and plants is a primary necessity. 

 It was ably performed by Dr. Fletcher and 

 his associates at the Central Experimental 

 Farm. Not only should this work be con- 

 tinued, but the time has come for an 

 advance. The needs of the country demand 

 more work in original investigation. 



The fruit and seed divisions of the Dom- 

 inion Department of Agriculture need the 

 assistance of a botanist and entomologist. 

 While these divisions and others always 

 have worked in harmony with the Central 

 Experimental Farm, they have no legal 

 right to call upon the farm for assistance. 

 There should be an expert toiologist in the 

 department. With a staff of assistants, he 

 could lend the necessary aid to other divis- 

 ions. The present known information about 

 insects, plant diseases and plants could be 

 spread as formerly. In addition, the biol- 

 ogical problems of the countiy could be 

 investigated by studying the life histories 

 and characteristics of obscure and new 

 forms of animal and plant life and by 

 discovering new methods of controlling' 

 those that have to do with the agricultural 

 interests of the Dominion. 



In the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, there are scores of experts who 

 devote all their attention to investigation 

 in these branches of science. They have 

 saved millions of dollars to the agricultur- 



