42 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



The Canadian Horlicullurisl 



Published by The Horticultural 

 PublishinE Company^, Limited 



The Only Horticultural Magazine 

 in the Dominion 



OAcial Orean of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec 

 and Prince Edward Island Fruit Growers' 

 Associations and of the Ontario Veg- 

 etable Growers' Association 



H. Bkonson Cowan, Managing Editor 



A. B. CtTTTlNO, B.S.A., Horticultural Editor 



W. G. Rook, Advertising Manager 



Garrett Wall, Circulation Manager 



GREAT BRITAIN 

 Prank Fletcher. 13S Henrietta Street, Old Trafford 

 Manchester, Eng., Advertising and Circulation Manager 



1. The Canadian Horticulturist is published on the 

 25tli day of the month preceding date of issue. 



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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST, 



506-7-8 Manning Chambers 



TORONTO, CANADA 



THE TARIFF QUESTION 



Tlie hot discussion of the tariff question as it 

 relates to fruit, that has been precipitated by 

 the action of the directors of the Ontario Fniit 

 Growers' Association, in agreeing to confer with 

 a committee from the Michigan Hortictiltural 

 Society on this subject, may result in good. 

 It serves to illustrate how careful the directors 

 of the association must be in dealing with matters 

 of this kind. This, unfortunately, now, is 

 largely a poUtical question concerning which 

 there is a clear-cut difference of opinion among 

 growers all over the country. Any action that 

 the association may take, therefore, on the sub- 

 ject is certain to bring it into open conflict with 

 a large number of growers and to accomplish but 

 little if any good. The outcome, probably, 

 would be that both political parties would en- 

 deavor to gain control of the association, and 

 that would be disastrous. 



This whole tariff question, when boiled down, 

 resolves itself into this: Were the United States 

 markets to be thrown open to our Canadian 

 growers, it would enable us, at certain seasons, 

 to dispose of much of our fruit to better advan- 

 tage than is now possible. On the other hand, 

 were our markets thrown open to the United 

 States growers, it would mean that Canadian 

 growers, particularly those who produce peaches 

 and small fruits, would be at the mercy each 

 year of the growers in any section of the United 

 States where fhere might happen to be a glut. 



This would make the position of the Canadian 

 growers very precarious. 



While there are advantages in favor of a tariff 

 on fruits, we feel that it is absolute folly for a 

 small number of growers to attempt to have 

 a tariff imposed that would shut southern fruit 

 out of our markets, and particularly our western 

 markets, at seasons of the year when such fruit 

 cannot be produced in sufficient quantities in 

 Canada. The best suggestion we have seen so 

 far is that made by Mr. W. Maclean, M.P., 

 who advocates the establishment of a tariff on 

 fruits and vegetables during only those seasons 

 of the year when they will be of benefit to our 

 growers. This suggestion has much to recom- 

 mend it. It is reasonable, and a little time spent 

 looking into it more thoroughly than has yet 

 been done would be of advantage. 



As regards the directors of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association, the discussion that has 

 taken place has made it clear that they will need 

 to deal with this subject with the greatest care. 

 They are handling an explosive substance 

 which, if it goes off, may have disastrous 

 results. 



THEJCOLD STORAGE ACT 



The cold storage act introduced into the Do- 

 minion Parliament by Hon. Sydney Fisher is 

 not drafted in a manner that will tend to encour- 

 age the erection of cooperative fruit packing 

 houses by fruit growers and, therefore, is dis- 

 appointing. It may encourage the construction 

 of such plants by private individuals and thus 

 assist growers indirectly. The benefits likely 

 to be derived, even in this way, however, we 

 fear are not great. 



The act provides that only ten per cent, 

 of the cost of the warehouses will be advanced 

 by the government upon their completion. 

 The remaining twenty per cent., to be paid by 

 the government, will be distributed in four 

 annual instalments of five per cent. each. This 

 means that the persons interested in the erection 

 of these warehouses will not receive their final 

 share of the government's assistance until four 

 years after the buildings have been completed. 



The object the government has in view, in 

 distributing its assistance in the manner pro- 

 posed, is commendable, but we fear it will defeat 

 the objects aimed at, at least as far as fruit 

 growers are concerned. What the fruit industry 

 needs is assistance that will offer a strong induce- 

 ment to growers — who are proverbially slow to 

 move in matters of this kind — to undertake the 

 erection of simple warehouses, provided with 

 ice cold storage for use during only a limited 

 period each year, that will enable them to 

 handle their fruit on the cooperative basis. 

 Unless the assistance thus given upon the com- 

 pletion of the warehouse is equal to at least 

 twenty per cent, of the cost of construction not 

 many growers are likely to take advantage of 

 it. The remaining ten per cent, could be dis- 

 tributed in two instalments of five per cent, each 

 during a period extending over two years. This 

 is a most important matter. Fruit growers 

 will do well to draw it to the attention of their 

 members in the House of Commons. 



nursery, it would be well for the government 

 to appoint a man at each of them to superin- 

 tend the work during the shipping seasons. 

 This would incur some expense, but nothing to 

 compare with the advantage gained in lessening 

 the spread of San Jose scale and other injurious 

 orchard pests. 



A feature of our fumigation laws that is sub- 

 ject to adverse criticism is compulsory fumi- 

 gation of stock at the border from states that 

 enforce laws at home. It would seem that 

 something could be done to remedy this matter. 

 It is claimed that, while one fumigation may 

 not injure nursery stock, a second one (as is now 

 required at the border) is oftentimes disastrous. 

 Until this is done, however, the condition of 

 affairs at the border could be mitigated by 

 passing a regulation compelling firms on the 

 other side, who desire to do business in Canada 

 to pack in a separate package those classes of 

 stock that the law require shall be fumigated 

 As it is now, nursery stock of all kinds is 

 placed in the same package, thus necessitating 

 considerable labor and time in removing the 

 content s and sorting them . A simpler remedy still 

 but one not so efficient, would be to compel 

 foreign nurseries to write distinctly on the out- 

 side of the package the classes of stock that arf 

 contained therein. This would facilitate worl 

 that is important when one considers that al 

 Niagara Falls, last spring, there entered Canads 

 504 consignments, comprising 7 full carloads 

 besides 632 boxes and bales — to say nothing o 

 the quantities that entered the country at othe; 

 points. 



It has been suggested that dipping nurser 

 trees in a Ume-sulphur wash be substituted fo 

 fumigation with hydro-cyanic acid gas. Thi 

 has much to commend it. Experiments shoul< 

 be conducted at the Ontario Agricultural Colleg 

 or elsewhere to determine its worth. 



FUMIGATION METHODS 



There is need for a more vigorous enforce- 

 ment in Ontario of the law respecting the fumi- 

 gation of nursery stock. The semi-annual in- 

 spection by officers of Department of Agriculture 

 is beneficial as far as it goes. It is not enough. 

 Besides the visits of the general inspector, some- 

 thing should be done to ensure fumigation being 

 done when the inspector is not on hand. Many 

 of our leading nurseries can be depended upon 

 to carry out the provisions of the law without 

 government supervision, but there are others 

 who consider the matter one of much trouble 

 and useless— and there are a few nurserymen 

 who boast of their ability to fool the inspectors. 

 To prevent the^work being slighted in any 



. THE HORT'L SOCIETIES' ACT 



On the first of this month the new act govtrr 

 ing the horticultural societies of Ontario can 

 into effect. Hereafter, the horticultural soc 

 eties of the province will work on an entirel 

 new basis. The provisions of this act have bee 

 referred to before in these columns but furtht 

 reference at this time may be in order. 



Exception, so far as we know, has been take 

 to only two of the main clauses. In the pa 

 some half-dozen societies have devoted mo 

 of their funds to the holding of exhibitioi 

 of fruit and flowers at the time of their loc 

 agricultural exhibitions and in conjunctic 

 therewith. Under the new act this will not 1 

 permissible, and a few of the societies are cor 

 plaining on that account. We still hold th: 

 this provision of the new act is sound. Agi 

 cultural and horticultural societies were cs' 

 lished for two radically different puryi 

 When, therefore,a horticulturalsocietytum? 

 most if not all of its funds to the holding ( 

 exhibition in conjunction with an agricub 

 society, it becomes, to all intents and purp 

 a branch of the agricultural society. A go\ 

 ment grant to horticultural societies w 

 never have been made had it been thought 

 their funds would revert back to agricuii 

 societies that, also, were receiving governr 

 aid. The new act, therefore, does well to : 

 down the principle that horticultural societii 

 hereafter, must work along the Unes for v' 

 they were intended. 



The second clause to which exception : , 

 been taken is the one that stipulates that 

 societv shall not expend more than one-thi 

 of its funds in any one line of work. The w 

 dom of this clause will depend largely upon t 

 manner in which it is enforced bv the Dei 

 ment of Agriculture. It may be taker. 

 granted, at the outset, that the Departi 

 will not be arbitrary in this matter. Win • 

 society is accomplishing good work, even i 

 its expenditures in one line to exceed the '■• 

 limit, the department can be depended on 



