176 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



July, 1907 



Cooperative Fruit Gro"wers Meet 



AT the annual convention of the Ontario 

 Cooperative Fruit Growers' Association, 

 held in the offices of The Canadian 

 HoRTicui^TURiST, Toronto, on June 11 

 and 12, the name of the organization 

 was changed to The Cooperative Fruit 

 Growers of Ontario. The meeting was at- 

 tended by representatives from about 20 

 affiliated associations, and resulted in the trans- 

 action of much business of value to the co- 

 operative movement. Those present included; 

 A. E. Sherrington and W. A. Rowand, of Walk- 

 erton; D. Johnson, Forest; W. H. Dempsey, 

 Trenton; Robt. Thompson, St. Catharines; W. 

 H. McNeil and H. Wilson, Oakville; Elmer Lick, 

 Oshawa; N. A. Graham, Ivan; W. H. Gibson, 

 Newcastle; A. R. Siple, Burgessville ; Wm. 

 Leary, Parkhill; F. J. Barber, Georgetown; 

 J. G. Mitchell, Clarksburg; Adam Brown, 

 Owen Sound; B. J. Hamm, Orono; Chas. F. 

 Miller, Nelson; C. W. Gurney, Paris; J. A. 

 Webster, Sparta; H. B. Cowan, of The Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist; P. W. Hodgetts, Secre- 

 tary of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association; 

 and A. B. Cutting, Toronto. The old board of 

 officers was re-elected, as follows: Pres., A. E. 

 Sherrington, Walkerton; 1st vice-pres., D 

 Johnson, Forest ; 2nd vice-pres., W. H. Dempsey, 

 Trenton; 3rd vice-pres., Robt. Thompson, St. 

 Catharines; sec.-treas., A. B. Cutting, Toronto. 

 Mr. Elmer Lick, of Oshawa, was appointed 

 auditor. 



Among the important questions discussed was 

 the advisability of placing one or more men in 

 the west to represent all the associations. The 

 strong need for such was pointed out, but it 

 was thought that the organization was not yet 

 sufficiently well established to warrant such 

 action. It was decided to undertake a system 

 of extensive advertising to bring the associations 

 into closer touch with western buyers; also to 

 secure one or two established persons or firms 

 in the west to handle the fruit of those local 

 associations that desire to place a portion of 

 their output in such hands. For the purpose of 

 assisting newly formed and small associations 

 in the disposal of their fruit, one or more persons 

 directly connected with the cooperative move- 

 ment will be appointed in Ontario as salesmen 

 for those associations that require such services 



A resolution was passed asking the Dominion 

 Government to assist in restoring the German 

 fruit market to Canadian products. Another 

 asked for a third Dominion Fruit Conference 

 in 1908. One was passed regarding various 

 features of the transportation of fruit, includ- 

 ing demurrage of cars, stop-over privileges, 

 facilities for shipping and so on, the same to be 

 laid before the Railway Commission. Another 

 resolution dealt with the practice of making 

 vinegar with acids as being detrimental to the 

 business of making apple cider. 



The affiliated associations decided to raise 

 funds to carry on the work of the central organ- 

 ization more extensively than was done last 

 year. A uniform brand, to be used by all affili- 

 ated associations that pack their fruit in accord- 

 ance with the standard that is recognized by the 

 central organization, will be adopted. The 

 local brands will not be done away with but will 

 be strengthened by the use of a small uniform 

 brand to indicate affiliation with the provincial 

 association. 



A resolution was passed requesting the Domin- 

 ion Minister of Agriculture to take such steps as 

 may be necessary to insure the fruit packed by 

 the affiliated associations receiving close and 

 frequent inspection at the hands of the inspectors 

 of the department and that the inspectors be 

 authorized to give such assistance and advice 

 as lie within their power to assist in securing 

 uniform packing of fruit and further, when any 

 local association has been convicted for a second 

 time of fraudulent practices, that it be expelled 

 from the association. 



A deputation made ut) of the executive com- 

 mittee of the Cooperative Fruit Growers of 



Ontario waited on Hon. Nelson Mcintcith' 

 Minister of Agriculture, and re(|uested the a\>- 

 pointment of instructors in fruit packing, orchard 

 management and organization of coojjerative 

 associations. Such an instructor will do much 

 to improve the methods of producing fruit and 

 preparing same for market. The Minister gave 

 assurance of assistance at an early date. 



All affiliated associations will receive each 

 week, as they did last year, advices on crop 

 conditions and prices throughout Canada and 

 the United States and, as far as possible, in 

 other countries. This feature of the work alone 

 is well worth the price of membership in the 

 central association. All local associations not 

 yet affiliated are asked to join as soon as possible. 

 The cooperative movement in itself is an im- 

 portant one. The cooperation of cooperative 

 societies is a step still further in advance. 

 Local associations all over the province shf)uld 

 take advantage of it. F'or particulars write 

 to A. B. Cutting, sec.-treas.. The Cooperative 

 Fruit Growers of Ontario, 507 Manning Chambers, 

 Toronto. 



TKe Late Robt. Hamilton 



In the death of the late Rev. Robt. Hamilton, 

 of Grenville, Que., horticulture in Canada loses 

 one of its most enthusiastic adherents. Over 

 30 years ago, Mr. Hamilton came to Grenville, 

 as the pastor of St. Fillan's Presbyterian Church. 

 All his life he was a student and practical worker 

 in botany, seed growing and general horticul- 

 ture. While at Grenville, he continued this 

 work on a small farm which he purchased, and 

 there established what is now one of the finest 

 orchards in the province of Quebec. He gave 

 particular attention to the selection and cul- 

 ture of apples. 



When the jjresent Dominion Government 

 extended the system of exhibitions through- 

 out the world, Hon. Mr. Fisher chose Mr. Ham- 

 ilton as superintendent of Canadian fruit ex- 

 hibits at the several exhibitions held at Paris, 

 Glasgow, Japan, St. Louis, and at Liege in 

 Belgium. It was at the latter place that the 

 disease which finally terminated his life first 

 manifested itself in the form of neuritis. Grad- 

 ually the disease progressed until finally acute 

 paralysis ended his life in Montreal. The 

 funeral was largely attended by many friends 

 of the deceased, among w^hom were Hon. W. 

 A. Weir, Minister of Public Works; John D. 

 Hains of Montreal, and many others from a 

 distance. The late Mr. Hamilton was 69 

 years of age, and leaves a widow and one daugh- 

 ter to mourn his loss. 



Items of Interest 



This season the Woodstock Horticultural 

 Society has been active in doing much work 

 of value to that city. The distribution of 

 premiums among the members has been ex- 

 ceptionally heavy, and included 119 fruit trees, 

 210 rose bushes, 48 lily bulbs, 60 tuberous 

 begonia bulbs, 24 cannas, 25 peonies and a 

 number of other plants. About 250 packages 

 of aster seeds were distributed among the school 

 children. 



In June, Wm. Hunt, of the O.A.C., Guelph, 

 visited Stratford, London, Tillsonburg and 

 Port Dover, and addressed about 3,000 school 

 children, as well as the horticultural societies 

 of those places. 



The first irrigation convention covering the 

 provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British 

 Columbia will open in Calgary on July 17. 

 Among the questions that will be discussed 

 are: "Forestry as applied to irrigation," "Ex- 

 tension of surveys, in connection with irriga- 

 tion, having particular reference to gauging of 

 streams and location of reservoir sites," 



'Agricultural and horticultural exjx^rinients 

 and the use and duty of water on irrigated 

 farms," "The industrial development f<rllow- 

 ing the work of irrigation," "Laws relating to 

 the use of water and the administration thereof." 

 All who are interested in the utilization of the 

 great national resources of Western Canada 

 are invited to attend. 



The members of the Toronto Horticultural 

 Society purpose holding their annual excur- 

 sion to Queen \'ictoria Park, Niagara Falls, on 

 July 4. Reduced rates have been arranged 

 for and a pleasant outing is anticipated. 



The Canadian commercial agent at Manchester, 

 Eng., P. B. McNamara, reports that severe 

 frosts did enormous damage to the Damson 

 trees at Cheshire. Thousands of trees will not 

 liear any fruit, and Cheshire Damsons will 

 therefore be scarce again. 



Reports from various commercial centres 

 in England state that British Columbia fruit 

 was well received, and paid for in those mar- 

 kets during the past winter. This is evidence 

 that the effort being made by British Columbia 

 growers to grow and pack fruit of the highest 

 quality is being rewarded. 



The British Columbia Fruit and Produce 

 Exchange, that was organized recently, is a 

 step in advance in the fruit industry «! that 

 province. It should l)e of much value in the 

 handling of British Columbia's great fruit 

 products. 



The Biological Department of the Macdon- 

 ald College, St. Anne de Bellevue, Que., pur- 

 poses carrying on extensive experiments in 

 the study of potato diseases. 



The Deputy Attorney-General for Ontario, 

 Mr. R. Cart Wright, has notified H. B. Cowan, 

 the secretary of the Ontario Vegetable Grow-, 

 ers' Association, that the Attorney-General's 

 department has received word that the charges 

 that the Canadian Canners, Limited, are a 

 c(mibine in restriction of trade, will be investi- 

 gated before long in connection with the in- 

 ve.stigation that is now before the courts of 

 the Grocers' Guild at Hamilton. Specific 

 charges were made against the Canadian Can- 

 ners, Limited, recently by The Toronto XeTi's, 

 to the efi'ect that it was a combine in restraint 

 of trade, and that it controlled the prices at 

 which the wholesalers purchased their goods 

 as well as the prices paid the growers for their 

 products. These charges were referred to the 

 branch associations of the Ontario \'egetable 

 Growers' Association, which reported in favor 

 of the Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association, 

 asking the Attorney-General's department for 

 an investigation. This was done with the 

 foregoing result. 



W^eeds in Lawns 



Ed. The Canadian Horticulturist: In re- 

 ferring to weeds in lawns you state in your June 

 i.ssue that the only way to get rid of dandelions 

 is by spudding. This was tried by dozens of 

 people here, but had no effect ; the roots liroke 

 off and the appearance of lawns was destroyed. 

 If there are any practical demonstrations here , 

 of your theorv would like to run across them. — ' 

 R. S. Steele, Hamilton. 



[Note. — It is almost impossible to rid a 

 lawn of old, large-rooted dandelions without 

 injuring the appearance of the turf. For this 

 reason, these weeds should be removed the first 

 fall or following spring after their appearance 

 by spudding, as was suggested in the article , 

 referred to. When this has been neglected 

 and the lawn becomes overrun with dandelions, 

 the onlv practicable thing to do is to renew 

 the entire turf or that portion affected by 

 plowing or digging, fertilizing with commercial 

 fertilizers or very clean manure, and re-seeding 

 with clean grass seed. — Editor.] 



