How to Make Work of Horticultural Societies Effective^ 



Prof. H. L. Hutt, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph 



THE sixty or more horticultural socie- 

 ties of the province of Ontario are 

 doing a splendid work for the gen- 

 eral uplift of the communities where they 

 are organized. The aim and object of 

 these societies as stated in the Act under 

 which they are organized is to encourage 

 improvements in horticulture as follows : 



(a) By holding meetings for discussion 

 and for hearing lectures on subjects con- 

 nected with the theory and practice of 

 improved horticulture. 



{b) By promoting the circulation of 

 horticultural periodicals ; 



(c) By importing and otherwise pro- 

 curing seeds and plants of new and valu- 

 able kinds; 



{d) By offering prizes for essays on 

 questions of scientific inquiry relating to 

 horticulture ; 



(e) By awarding premiums for the in- 

 vention or improvement of horticultural 

 implements and machinery for the pro- 

 duction of all kinds of vegetables, plants, 

 flowers and fruits, and generally for ex- 

 cellence in any horticultural production 

 and operation. 



Many of the societies are accomplish- 

 ing probably all or more than the Act 

 originally aimed at. There are others, 

 however, which we believe are not yet 

 living up to their full opportunity. It is 

 for the purpose of helping these to do 

 better that we have consented to lead the 

 discussion upon this subject. 



The twofold purpose of the work of 

 the horticultural societies is to benefit the 

 members themselves and the whole com- 

 munity about them. The success of the 

 work is usually in direct proportion to 

 the unselfishness of the members in seek- 

 ing their own good and their desire to 

 benefit the community at large. We wish 

 to call attention first to some of the 

 means by which the work of the society 

 may be made a benefit to the members. 



First, by holding at least four or five 

 meetings during the year at which timely 

 topics are introduced and fully discussed, 

 the members being encouraged to intro- 

 duce subjects themselves and take an ac- 

 tive part in all discussion. 



Second, by furnishing good literature 

 in a choice of two or more of the leading 

 horticultural magazines, or good horti- 

 cultural books, either as a premium or at 

 a greatly reduced rate. 



Third, a choice of a small selection of 

 good reliable seeds, bulbs, plants 

 or trees. The premium list should be 

 prepared with a view to enabling each 

 member to choose something of particu- 

 lar value to himself, either for house or 

 outdoor culture. Great care should be 

 taken in the selection of varieties that 

 they are suitable for the locality. 



•A paper read at the recent convention of the 

 Ontario Horticultural Association. 



There is a danger, however, of socie- 

 ties putting too much stress upon their 

 premium list, thus over-emphasizing the 

 importance of the value of the work to 

 members and not emphasizing enough 

 the good the society may do as an edu- 

 cational institution to encourage the work 

 through the whole community. With res- 

 pect to the benefit of the societies to the 

 communities in which they are organized 

 I would like to call attention to some of 

 the means by which the work may be 

 made more effective : 



First, by interesting school children in 

 the work through the distribution of 

 seeds, bulbs and plants for growing 



The Dedication of the Sun-dial 



An interesting ceremony for children in school 

 gardens as described by Miss Louise Klein Miller 

 of Cleveland, Ohio, in an illustrated talk at con- 

 vention of Ontario Horticultural Association. 

 The proceedings of the convention are reported 

 on another page of this issue. 



either in their home gardens or school 

 gardens wherever these may be estab- 

 lished. In connection with such a dis- 

 tribution, there should be held a flower 

 show at which the children bring their 

 flowers and plants for competition, thus 

 arousing enthusiasm and keeping up the 

 interest in the work. 



Second, interesting citizens in beauti- 

 fying their home surroundings by m- 

 stituting lawn and garden competitions. 

 Such competitions have proved valua- 

 ble in encouraging civic improvement at 

 Guelph and in many other sections of the 

 country, and might be adopted to advan- 

 tage in many others. 



Third, interesting all citizens by meet- 

 ings and the use of the press in the gen- 

 eral improvement of the streets and 

 walks, grading and keeping of boule- 

 vards, planting and care of shade trees, 

 removal of unsightly fences, buildings 

 and bill boards, checking telegraph and 



telephone companies in their unlawful 

 mutilation of shade trees, and pressing 

 for the removal of overhead wires wher- 

 ever they enter the town limits or inter- 

 fere with street trees. 



These are some of the objects which 

 every horticultural society should aim at 

 for the good of the whole community. 

 To accomplish the best results there 

 should be united effort. The officers of 

 the society should try to get the hearty 

 co-operation of every influential citizen 

 and organization in the community. 

 There is strength in numbers, and horti- 

 cultural societies may add greatly to 

 their strength by getting the co-operation 

 of teachers, school boards, boards of edu- 

 cation, boards of trade, town or city 

 councils and, especially, committees, 

 boards or commissions having in hand 

 the care of parks, streets and boulevards. 



I know of several small struggling so- 

 cieties with but limited funds at their 

 disposal, which are undertaking the task 

 of making and maintaining town parks 

 for the good of the citizens generally. 

 Such efforts are certainly commendable, 

 but we believe in some cases more effec- 

 tive work could be done by the societies 

 seeking for the^ appointment of park 

 boards or commissions, under the On- 

 tario Parks Act, which provides for the 

 appointment of a park board or commis- 

 sion by the council in any town or city 

 where the citizens duly petition for the 

 same. This Act places at the disposal 

 of such boards funds to the extent of 

 one-half mill on the assessment. Such 

 boards, therefore, are in a much better 

 position to undertake the work of mak- 

 ing and maintaining parks and boule- 

 vards than a horticultural society with 

 but meagre funds. 



As to what such boards can do in the 

 improvement of towns and cities through 

 the improvement of boulevards and 

 planting of trees, is not as fully apprec- 

 iated here in Ontario as it should be. In 

 this respect, we in old Ontario, have 

 much to learn from the newer towns and 

 cities of the western provinces. In the 

 cities of Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, 

 Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and oth- 

 ers, park boards level and grade the 

 boulevards from the curb to the property 

 line, seed, mow and, where necessary 

 water the grass on such boulevards. 

 They are also planting trees and shrubs 

 upon them in a way that these western 

 cities will soon be as far ahead of our 

 eastern cities from a standpoint of beau- 

 ty and neatness as we can well imagine. 



There are one or two other particulars 

 that I wish to refer to in which the work 

 of the societies may be made more effec- 

 live. One is by the more extensive use of 

 printers' ink in properly advertising 

 meetings and reporting the proceedings 



