October, 1909 



THE CANADIAN HORTI C tJ LTURIST 



2 2f5 



Niagara District Horticultural Exhibition 



THE best tender fruit, show that ever 

 has been held in Canada \va^' the 

 Niagara District Horticultural Ex- 

 hibition, held in St. Catharines. 

 ISept. 15-17. The quality all around was 

 Buperior and the extent of the display was 

 greater even than had been expected. The 

 Idelegates to the convention of the Ameri- 

 pcan Pomological Society were much im- 

 ipressed with the exhibition. Some of them 

 ■told a representative of The Canadian Hor- 

 ricuLTURiST that the exhibition in general 

 fcould not be excelled anywhere. Col. C. B. 

 rBrackett, United States Poinoiogist, Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, Washington, D.C., said 

 that the whole show was an excellent one. 

 He stated that the peach display was better 

 than anything that he has seen this year 

 in the United States and equal to any that 

 he ever saw. Mr. Leonard Barron, man- 

 aging editor of Ttie Garden Magazine, New 

 York City, commented upon the uniformity 

 in quality and said: "It is magnificent." 



The commercial package exhibits were 

 fine, except perhaps in the case of apples. 

 The poach pack was almost faultless. Pears 

 were fine, especially Bartletts. The plums 

 were better than ever. Grapes were fully 

 up to the standard. The plate exhibits in 

 fruit were equally creditable. 



Space will not allow mention of all of 

 the prize winners. The Rittenhouse com- 

 [ petition for the best display of fresh fruits 

 I grown in the province was won by S. D. 

 Furminger; 2nd, W. H. Bunting; 3rd, The 

 Burlington Horticultural Society. For best 

 display of peaches, W. Armstrong, secured 

 1st prize and C. O. Gregory, 2nd. The a- 

 wards for best display of grapes were; 1st 

 F. G. Stewart; 2nd, A. D. Brodrick ; 3rd, 

 A. Haynes. In the wrapping and packing 

 competitions, the prizes were fairly well 



distributed between the Misses Boles, Van- 

 derlip and Thompson. 



Much interest was taken in the compe- 

 tition for Wilder Medals, given by the 

 American Pomological Society. Space does 

 not permit us to mention all of the awards. 

 Silver medals were awarded to the follow- 

 ing Canadian exhibits : Central Experimen- 

 tal Farm, Ottawa, for a collection of hardy 

 apples, including 20 named and tested vari- 

 eties, 40 seedlings of Wealthy, originated 

 on the farm, 14 seedlings of McMahon 

 crossed with Scott's Winter; Experimental 

 Farm, Indian Head, Sask., for a number 

 of hybrids of Pyrus baccata and P, pruni- 

 jolia with several varieties of hardy apples 

 The seedlings of Wealthy and the crosses of 

 McMahon and Scott's winter, together with 

 the crab hybrids, constituted one of the most 

 interesting and significant exhibits before 

 the society in recent years, illustrating as 

 tliey did the systematic work under way 

 to extend the northern frontier of fruit 

 culture. Silver medals were awarded also to 

 A. P. Stevenson, Nelson, Man., for a col- 

 lection of 14 hardy varieties of apples, which 

 illustrated the possibility of apple growing 

 in the far north; and to Robt. Thompson 

 St. Catharines, for an attractive exhibit of 

 bottled fruits. 



Broiize Wdder medals were awarded to 

 Albert Pay, St. Catharines, for an artistic 

 exhibit of fruits, illustrating the product 

 of a singe farm and comprising peaches, 

 plums, pears, grapes, water melons and 

 muskmelons ;to the Burlington District for 

 a collection of fruit shown by the Burling- 

 ton Horticultural Association; to the St. 

 Catharines Cold Storage and Forwarding 

 Co., for a very attractive and extensive 

 display of package fruit, which constituted 

 probably the greatest feature of the entire 



exhibition; to R. B. Whyte, Ottawa, for a 

 collection of 17 varieties of English goose- 

 berries, that illustrated the possibilities of 

 growing these varieties without spraying; 

 to Wm. Armstrong, Queenston, for a very 

 attractive and original display of peaches. 

 Among those who secured honorable men- 

 tion was A. Burrows, Ste. Anne de Bellvue, 

 Que., for exceptionally fine specimens 

 of Alexander, Oldenburg and Wealthy. 



In the vegetable department there were 

 some fine specimens in the various class- 

 es. The tomatoes were exceptionally fine. 

 The largest and best exhibits in vegetables 

 were made by L. Gray, S. D. Furminger. 

 Wm. Coppin and W. C. McCalla. The stuff 

 was well grown and a credit to the district. 



While the floral features of the exhibition 

 were most creditable, it cannot be said that 

 they constituted as striking a display as 

 did the fruit. While there were many ex- 

 ceptionally fine exhibits of cut flowers and 

 plants, there were also many poor ones. 

 The professional competitions, including 

 general displays, design work, cut bloom 

 and specimen plants were very good, the 

 prizes being divided among R. L. Dunn. 

 N. Whiting and L. C. Bradt. Mr. C. Rior- 

 don, through his gardener, John Elliott, 

 won first prize for best display of plants 

 from a private greenhouse. Queen Victo- 

 ria Park at Niagara Falls put up an ex- 

 tensive and attractive display of decorative 

 plants, which was well staged and attract- 

 ed much attentiin. The amateur classes in 

 cut bloom brought out a good lot of exhi- 

 bits. Special interest was taken in the 

 school children's competition. The decor- 

 ated reception tables were not up to the 

 mark, although there were a large number 

 of entries. One of two of them were quite 

 novel and prettily arranged. 



Send reports of exhi})itions for publication. 



SIMMERS' BULBS 



FOR IMMEDIATE PLANTING 



WE WANT every reader of The Canadian Horticulturist 

 to have a copy of our Autumn Catalogue in which 

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BULBS— Thousands of people overlook the planting of 

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HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS -No better time 

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J. A. SIMMERS, Seeds, Bulbs, Plants, TORONTO, Ont. 



