December, 1907 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



305 



been almost doubled in size during the past two 

 years, the subscription price, even after the 

 proposed advance has taken effect, will be forty 

 per cent, less than it was when the paper was 

 published in its former smaller size. So many 

 of our subscribers have expressed surprise at 

 our ability to issue such a large, well-illustrated 

 paper as The Canadian Horticulturist for 

 fifty cents a year, we feel that this announce- 

 ment will not be entirely unexpected. 



During December we will continue to accept 

 renewal subscriptions at our present rates of 

 fifty cents a year, or three years for one dollar 

 and twenty cents, or three new subscriptions 

 for one dollar 



WIDER COMPETITION NEEDED 



The success of the recent Ontario Horticul- 

 tural Exhibition augurs well for its future. 

 While it was much the largest and best show of 

 its kind ever held in Canada, it has achieved only 

 the beginning of what is to come. Except for a 

 small fruit exhibit from British Columbia and a 

 few entries of flowers from outside points, the 

 exhibition was provincial in its character and 

 name. It asjjires to national importance and 

 deserves it. It is located at the most central 

 and most readily accessible point in Canada. 

 Other provinces, therefore, should take greater 

 interest in it and make exhibits. 



We would suggest that a number of prizes 

 be offered next year for inter-provincial com- 

 petition. A beginning could be made with ap- 

 ples. Later on the prizes could be extended to 

 other fruits. Such competitions would aid in 

 •determining the old but friendly dispute over 

 which province produces the best. They would 

 advertise each province in a profitable manner 

 and help to bring about a greater uniformity 

 of pack in the fruit of the dififerent provinces. 



The display of fruit in boxes at the Ontario 

 Horticultuial Exhibition last month showed a 

 great advance in methods of packing over last 

 and previous years; yet, there is still room for 

 improvement. To achieve anything worth 

 achieving one must have an ideal in mind. The 

 ideal system of packing apples in boxes is 

 practised in the Hood River district of Oregon. 

 We would suggest that the management of the 

 fruit department of our show secure a few boxes 

 of well-packed choice fruit from Oregon next 

 year and place them on exhibition as object 

 lessons. It would be interesting to observe 

 wherein they differ from well-packed Ontario 

 fruit. Some of the boxes at the recent exhibition 

 would be hard to beat. 



At the convention of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association, it was announced that the 

 Hon. Sydney Fisher had informed the secretary 

 that it would be impossible to call another fruit 

 conference in the spring of 190.S as the National 

 Live Stock Convention would engage the atten- 

 tion of the department at that time. This shows 

 how unsatisfactory the situation is. The 

 appointing of the date for these conferences 

 should be in the hands of the fruit growers, and 

 not at the command of the department. While 

 the Dominion department is to be commended 

 on having called the conference last year, and on 

 promising another in the future, the situation 

 will not be satisfactory until arrangements have 

 been made by which sucli conferences can be 

 held at regular and stated intervals. 



An exhibit of fruit from the Chilliwack. Valley 

 in British Columbia was made at the recent 

 Ontario Horticultural Exhibition. It was sent 

 by the enterprising firm of Cawley & Paisley 

 and comprised 12 boxes of apples and two of 

 pears. This exhibit attracted much attention. 

 The apples were of exceptionally large size for 

 the varieties shown and the color was high. 

 There was much difference of opinion among 

 growers as to the flavor of these apples compared 

 with those of Ontario. It was the general 

 opinion, however, that the size of B.C fruit is 



gained at the expense of flavor. Some com- 

 parisons in flavor were made but they were not 

 altogether fair, as the seasons of varieties in the 

 two provinces are not similar ; e.g., when Ontario 

 Kings are at their best, B.C. Kings are com- 

 mencing to deteriorate. The B.C. fruit was well 

 packed as far as systems of packing were concern- 

 ed, but the grading was not as uniform as might 

 be expected. 



Who They Are 



Among the delegates, speakers and friends 

 present at the convention of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association were, as numbered in the 

 group illustration on page 293: 1. Pres., Harold 

 Jones, Maitland; 2. Prof. H. A. Surface, Harris- 

 burg, Pa.; 3. A. E. Sherrington, Walkerton; 4. C. 

 L. Stephens, Orillia; 5. Wm. Rickard, Newcastle; 

 6. A. D. Harkness, Irena; 7. W. T. Macoun, 

 Horticulturist, C.E.F., Ottawa; C. W. Gurney, 

 Paris; Past Pres. W. H. Bunting, St. Catharines; 

 10. W. H. Dempsey, Trenton; 11. P. J. Carey, 

 Dominion Fruit Inspector, Toronto; 12. G. A. 

 Robertson, St. Catharines; 13. Robt. Thomp- 

 son, St. Catharines; 14. G. C. Creelman, Presi- 

 dent, O.A.C., Guelph; 15. J. L. Hilborn, Leam- 

 ington; 16. Murray Pettit, Winona; 17. H. C. 

 Fisher, Queenston; 18. C. E. Fisher, secretary, 

 Niagara Peninsula Fruit Growers' Association, 

 St. Catharines. 



A large number of delegates and others were 

 in attendance at the convention of the Ontario 

 Horticultural .Association. Some of them ap- 

 pear in the group illustration on page 299. Those 

 numbered are: 1. J. Lockie Wilson. Supt., 

 Horticultural Societies; 2. Past Pres. W. B. 

 Burgoyne, St. Catharines; 3. Pres., Maj. H. J. 

 Snelgrove, Cobourg; 4. R. B. Whyte, Ottawa; 

 5. Rev. A. H. Scott, Perth; 6. W Jeffers Dia- 

 mond, Belleville; 8. H. J. Frankland, Toronto; 

 9. Walter Brooks, Brantford; 10. G. W. Tebbs, 

 Hespeler; 11. J. S. Pearce, Park Superintendent, 

 London; 12. J. O. McCuUoch, Hamilton; 13. 

 R. Govenlock, Seaforth; 14. R. Jarvis, Bow- 

 man ville; 15. T. H. Lennox, Stratford; 16. W. 

 T. Macoun, C.E.F., Ottawa; 17. Wm. Hunt, 

 O.A.C., Guelph; 18. Alex. McNeill, Chief, Fruit 

 Division, Ottawa; 19. John Cavers, Oakville; 

 20. Mrs. R. MacDowell, Owen Sound; 21. J. M. 

 Dickson, Hamilton; 22. C. W. Schierholtz 

 Elmira; 23. W. C. Reid, Belleville. 



Frviit Shippers Complain 



At the recent sitting of the Dominion Rail- 

 way Commissioners in Toronto, Mr. E. D. 

 Smith, M.P., Winona, and Mr. R. J. Graham, 

 Belleville, supported by Messrs. Robt. Thomp- 

 son and W. H. Bunting, of St. Catharines, 

 brought clearly before the Board the following 

 complaints and requests for adjustment in 

 the matter of fruit transportation : 



1. An application for a stop-over privilege 

 for the purpose of assorting domestic ship- 

 ments of fruit as well as shipments for export. 



2. .An application for an order directing the 

 railway companies to provide for the icing of 

 their refrigerator cars at convenient centres, 

 so that they may be iced on due notice before 

 being shipped to points for loading as well as 

 for re-icing in transit. 



3. An application for an order directing the 

 railway companies to make better provision 

 for the heating of cars in cold weather or other- 

 wise provide against damage to fruit in transit 

 on cars in fall, winter, and early spring. 



4. An application for an order, directing the 

 railway companies to provide better ventilated 

 cars for shipments of fruit during seasons of 

 the year when such cars are required. 



5. An application for an order directing the 

 railway companies to provide suitable accom- 

 modation for receiving and protecting fruit 

 offered for shipment at stations throughout 

 the country, naming all the stations which )[0U 

 and others know at which reasonable provision 

 for such purpose has not been made. 



Representatives of the leading railway com- 

 panies were present, and admitted the justice 



of most of the claims made by the fruit growers, 

 and expressed their willingness to assist in rem- 

 edying matters. It is evident that the rail- 

 ways have made little or no effort to furnish 

 the quantity of cars and the kind of service 

 that is made necessary by the rapid progress 

 of the fruit industry during the past few years. 

 This opinion was expressed by members of the 

 Board, which intimated that the fruit growers 

 may expect a change in the situation before 

 next season. 



North-west Fr\iit Gro-wers 



Probably the most important meeting of its 

 kind ever held in British Columbia will be the 

 forthcoming international convention of the 

 Northwest Fruit Growers' Association, which 

 takes place in Vancouver on Dec. 4, 5, and 6. 

 Great preparations are being made by the 

 secretary, Mr. Maxwell Smith, and the directors, 

 to make it a success. Arrangements have been 

 made with experts on various phases of fruit 

 culture to address the convention, and, as a re- 

 sult, a valuable program has been prepared. 



Besides the appointing of committees, and the 

 receiving of reports, the following papers will be 

 read on Dec. 4: "Environment and Selection," 

 J. R. Anderson, Victoria, B.C.;. "The Apple," 

 A. I. Mason, Hood River, Ore.; "Small Fruits," 

 J. W. White, Hammond, B.C.; "Remarks Re- 

 garding this Convention," Maxwell Smith, Van- 

 couver, B.C.; Dec. 5: "Some Experiments," 

 Prof. L. F. Henderson, Moscow, Idaho; "Pear 

 Culture," Hector Ferguson, Haney, B.C.; "Irri- 

 gation," C. A. Hickenlooper, View, Utah; "The 

 Fruit Trade," F. R. Stewart, Vancouver, B.C.; 

 "Transportation," E. H. Shepard, Hood River, 

 Ore.; "Graft Hybridization," W. J. L. Hamil- 

 ton, South Salt Spring, B.C. ; "Peach Growirig," 

 Prof. W. S. Thornber, Pullman,- Wash.; "En- 

 tomology," J. W. Cockle, Kaslo, B.C.; "Wal- 

 nuts and Prunes," Col. H. E. Dosch, Hillsdale, 

 Ore.; Dec. 6: "Cherry Culture," R. H. Web- 

 ber, The Dalles, Ore.; "The Role of Parasites," 

 Prof. E. D. Ball, Logan, Utah; "Experimental 

 Farm Work," Thos. A. Sharp, Agassiz, B.C.; 

 "Orchard Culture," Prof. W. T. Clarke, Berkeley, 

 Cal.; and "Apple Tree Pruning," T. W. Stirling, 

 Kelowna, B.C. 



In addition to the program, there will be a 

 competitive fruit display, and medals will be 

 awarded for: (1) The best five boxes of apples, 

 five varieties; (2) The best display of fresh 

 fruit; (3) The best box of commercial apples. 



Items of Interest 



At the Ontario Horticultural Exhibition last 

 month, Mr. W. M. Robson, of Lindsay, showed a 

 Canadian seedless apple. Specimens were of good 

 size and color. The variety will be mentioned 

 at greater length with photographs in later issue. 



Four boxes of the best apples at the recent 

 Ontario Horticultural Exhibition were sent to 

 His Majesty the King through the Canadian 

 High Commissioner in London. His Excellency 

 the Governor-General also was presented with 

 two boxes. So pleased was Earl Grey with this 

 fruit that he telegraohed for three boxes more. 



Sixty boxes ot apples were sent from the On- 

 tario Horticultural Exhibition to London, 

 England, where they were exhibited at the 

 Royal Horticultural Show on Nov. 28 and 29. 

 From there the fruit was distributed among the 

 chief immigration agents throughout Great 

 Britain to advertise the province of Ontario. 



At the recent convention of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association, it was resolved, after 

 discixssion, to invite the American Pomological 

 Society to hold its next meeting in St. Catharines. 



St. Vincent Vines. — By grafting and selection 

 of early plants a French horticulturist succeeded 

 in getting ripe grapes as early as August 20, and 

 for this reason named the variety "Vines of St. 

 Vincent." It grows rapidly, and is hard^. 

 Read the advertisement of V. TilUer on page vii. 



