November, 1907 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



281 



growers individually found it difficult to main- 

 tain a grade uniformly in accordance with the 

 demands of the act. By organizing and pack- 

 ing collectively, uniformity is comparatively 

 an easy matter. Fiu-thermore, the leading 

 cooperative associations demand that the 

 orchards of its members be sprayed a number 

 of times each season — fruit from unsprayed 

 orchards being refused. This regulation has 

 done much to decrease the percentage of de- 

 fective specimens. Fruit growers in parts of 

 Canada where associations have not yet been 

 formed, should recognize the value of coopera- 

 tion and organize at once Cooperation means 

 increased profits. 



The fruit growing industry of British Columbia 

 is worth more to the province, or will be in the 

 future, than all other industries combined. In 

 view of this fact, it is surprising that the British 

 Columbia Department of Agriculture has few 

 greater facilities for original investigation and 

 for the dissemination of knowledge on fruit grow- 

 ing and kindred subjects than it had when the 

 industry was only in its infancy. The depart- 

 ment has done excellent work in some lines, but 

 not enough. A fuller inspection of the orchards 

 of the province should be made and a more 

 thorough inspection of fruit as it goes upon the 

 market. The department as well as the fruit 

 growers would benefit by a better equipment in 

 the way of a library and of collections of bio- 

 logical specimens. By such means, the ques- 

 tions and difficulties of the fruit growers could 

 be answered and treated promptly and with 

 satisfaction. 



This season, some fruit growers in Ontario 

 asked the Fruit Division at Ottawa for a reduc- 

 tion in the standards of apples. The request 

 was brought about by the drought of the past 

 season, which threatened to result in smaller- 

 sized apples than usually is looked for. The 

 Fruit Division decided that the request could 

 not be granted. As British Columbia and Nova 

 Scotia fruit is quite up to the average, it was felt 

 that if an exception were once made, it would 

 lead to an annual demand from one province to 

 another. The Government inspectors were 

 instructed to see that the law is carried out. 

 If the good reputation for packing that Canada 

 rapidly is acquiring is to be maintained, the 

 requirements of the Fruits Marks Act must be 

 observed to the letter. The action of the Fruit 

 Division in this matter, is to be commended. 



In another column of this issue an article 

 entitled "Have a Grievance," points out the 

 lack of proper facilities for transportation on 

 the Grand Trunk Railway from Niagara to 

 Toronto. For some years, it has been disgrace- 

 ful and particularly this season It is suggested 

 that a conference of fruit growers between 

 Clarkson and Niagara Falls be held in the near 

 future to discuss the matter. No time would 

 be more opportune for the purpose than during 

 the days of the Ontario Horticultural Exhibi- 

 tion, which will be held in Toronto on November 

 12-11). Advantage may be taken of the low 

 rates offered by the railways. Himdreds of fruit 

 growers will be in Toronto attending the ex- 

 hibition and the convention of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association. It would seem, there- 

 fore, (hat a mass meeting of all persons inter- 

 ested in the transportation question could easily 

 be arranged. 



At a recent meeting of the Toronto Horti- 

 cultural Society, an excellent address was de- 

 livered by Mr. R. B. Whyte, of Ottawa, during 

 which he suggested ways and means by which 

 horticultural societies may increase the number 

 and interest of their members. One of the 

 features referred to was the value of a question 

 box at meetings. This affords the members an 

 opportunity for gaining information in respect 

 to any difficulties that may confront them. 

 Another factor in building up a society, and a 



most important one is the holding of flower 

 shows and exhibitions in connection with the 

 meetings. This can be done, however, only 

 when the meetings of the society are held during 

 the summer months, as is the practice at Ottawa. 

 Societies that are not progressing as rapidly as the 

 members v.ould wish should consider these two 

 points if already they are not features in their 

 work. 



That the spirit of patriotism should be fostered 

 in the schools of Canada is recognized by all 

 true Canadians. It is interesting to note, 

 therefore, the plan formulated by the Ontario 

 Department of Education, to supply rural 

 schools with ensigns — Union Jacks, with the 

 coat-of-arms of the Dominion of Canada. An 

 appropriation of 85,000 was voted by the 

 legislature as a beginning. Each rural school 

 will receive a flag, which must be displayed in 

 the class-room at the discretion of the trustees. 

 The ensigns are to be flown on high days and 

 holidays from the flagstaffs. No provision has 

 been made for presenting them to the urban 

 scliools. That step may be taken later. The 

 step taken will do much to infuse in children a 

 keener love for their native land, and for the 

 greatest empire on the face of the earth. 



Recently The Canadian Horticulturist 

 received a letter from a gentleman in the 

 United .States asking for information regarding 

 fruit farms that are for sale in Southern On- 

 tario. This is not an unusual occurrence. 

 Frequently we receive similar letters from 

 England and elsewhere. This would indicate 

 the advisability of owners of fruit land in the 

 Niagara district and other fruit localities ad- 

 vertising in our columns. No better medium 

 can be found for disposing of fruit farms than 

 The Can-adian Horticulturist. The cir- 

 culation of this publication is not confined to 

 Canada. It includes readers in most countries 

 of the world. 



In our last issue we referred to the action 

 taken by the Board of Control for Toronto in 

 the appointment of a local fruit inspector for 

 that city. Ottawa probably will do likewise 

 in the near future At a meeting of the grocers 

 of that city early in October it was decided to 

 ask the city council to appoint at once a fruit 

 inspector. It was pointed out that in Winnipeg 

 and some other Canadian cities there is an 

 inspector and provision whereby, if the rail- 

 way companies delay in delivering carloads of 

 fruit to big dealers, they have to foot the bill 

 when the fruit is bad. Other cities should 

 follow this example^ 



In the October issue, two errors occurred. 

 On page ix, first column, eleventh line, the 

 word "Bonne" should have been "Porame," 

 and on page x, third column, seventh line, 

 the word "vegetable" was printed for "apple." 



Have a Grievance 



Editor, The Canadian Horticulturist: A 

 suggestion was made at the last business meet- 

 ing of the Clarkson Fruit Growers' Association, 

 that the fruit growers and shippers residing 

 between Clarkson and Niagara hold a conven- 

 tion in the near future to discuss matters re- 

 specting the conveying of our fruit and vege- 

 tables to Toronto market via tlic Canadian Ex- 

 press Co. Our grievances are decidedly obvious, 

 and have been for years, to any person or per- 

 sons who have their eyes open. The company 

 is well aware of it. We have lodged com- 

 plaints repeatedly, but instead of them treating 

 us with consideration, they tuck on more 

 charges, which are out of all reason. It costs 

 us more to ship a hundredweight of fruit from 

 Clarkson (I might say by freight, for that is 

 practically what it is), than it costs us to travel 

 in a first-class coach. I was requested to ask 

 you whether you would publish this suggestion 



in The Canadian Horticulturist. One of 

 your prominent advertisers was present, and 

 told us we could not do a better thing, as he 

 had found it most profitable to advertise in 

 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



One matter that was talked of was to ask 

 for a uniform charge of three cents for the 

 11-quart basket. We hope that all the growers 

 and shippers will show a united front and take 

 action. "In unity there is strength." Clark- 

 son growers have been scrapping alone long 

 enough The company laughs us down every 

 time. The commission men are with us to 

 assist all they can. I might say also that some 

 of our men are considering the feasibility of 

 forming a syndicate re the purchasing of a 

 motor car for the carrying of freight This 

 convention should be brought together as 

 soon as possible. Any correspondence con- 

 cerning this matter should be addressed to R. 

 Shook, Secretary Clarkson Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation, Clarkson, Ont. — W. G. Home. ,j| 



Lindsay Aster Sho-w 



What has proven a very successful and 

 gratifying innovation was undertaken last 

 spring by the Lindsay Horticultural Society. 

 With the cooperation of the public school 

 teachers of the town, packages of aster seed 

 were distributed to all school children who 

 would undertake to plant the seed and care 

 for the plants. 



To test the success of the scheme, and also 

 to give to the children increased interest in 

 the growing of flowers an Aster Show was held 

 in the Town Hall on Sept. 26. First, sec- 

 ond and third prizes were given for competi- 

 tion by the children of each of the 10 schools 

 of the town. Also three special prizes were 

 given for general competition. The com- 

 petition was limited to asters grown from 

 seed distributed by the Horticultural So- 

 ciety. Ninety-two entries were made and 

 the display arranged in bouquets and placed 

 on tables was most pleasing and beautiful. 

 The show was arranged for the children's 

 benefit, and they took full advantage of it. 

 During the afternoon and evening large 

 crowds of excited and happy children filled 

 the hall, and almost every child in Lindsay 

 catne to see the show of asters, grown by 

 their school mates. In the evening large 

 numbers of older boys and girls, and parents 

 were present. Seldom has any show created 

 more interest or drawn so large a crowd. 



The success of the show was gratifying to 

 the members of the Horticultural Society, 

 and to Secretary Frampton and President 

 Chambers. Already requests for more seeds 

 are coming in, and the society feels that not 

 only will more asters be grown next year, 

 but also that the interest created will be far- 

 reaching, and that the children ' who this 

 year learned how to grow asters will next 

 year grow many other flowers. — F.H.Reed. 



Two snapshots of asters were sent to Thb 

 Canadian Horticulturist. Will the reader 

 who favored us kindly send his name and 

 address? 



I read The Canadian Horticulturist from 

 beginning to end and some of it two or three 

 times. It is the best publication of its kind 

 that I ever saw and I have subscribed for all 

 the leading Horticultural papers on the contin- 

 ent.— J. C. Black, Truro, N.S. 



Kettle Vallfcy, B.C., through Mr. Martin 

 Burrell, took 29 out of 37 prizes at the Nelson 

 fair, and also won the district prize. This shows 

 that the Kettle Valley Irrigated Fruit Lands 

 Company, Limited, of Midway, B.C., of which 

 Mr. W. O. Wright is manager, is making no 

 mistake in launching its fruit lands enterprise 

 that was advertised in recent issues of tliis paper. 



