Ontario Fr\ait Growers in Convention 



A COMPLAINT of fruit growers respecting 

 the purchasing of niursery trees that have 

 not proved true to name brought about 

 the adoption of an important resolution 

 at the recent convention of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Assn., held in Toronto on Nov. 7 and 8. 

 Mr. George A. Robertson, of St. Catharines, 

 brought the matter up and a considerable dis- 

 cussion resulted. A committee appointed to 

 report on the matter did so as follows: 



1. That it is a fact that considerable of the 

 nursery stock planted in years past has been 

 of inferior quality and untrue in name, and as 

 a result the growers who planted such stock 

 have suffered in many cases severe financial 

 loss as well as great inconvenience. 



2. That a considerable quantity of the stock 

 which has proved untrue to name has been 

 purchased from irresponsible agents and un- 

 reliable firms, but that the self-styled reliable 

 nurserymen are not all exempt from this prac- 

 tice. 



3. That much of the blame and dissatisfac- 

 tion caused has been shouldered on the nurs- 

 erymen situated in the United States, but 

 that geographical situation is not wholly ac- 

 countable for this, as there are reliable as well 

 as unreliable nurserymen in the U.S. as well 

 as in Canada. 



4. That trees be produced true to name and 

 sold to those growers who desire such trees 

 under a written guarantee, and that this guar- 

 antee mean that the nurserymen be held re- 

 sponsible if the trees are not up to the guar- 

 anteed standard. 



5. That the nurserymen may supply to those 

 who desire them trees which, on account of their 

 cheapness or first cost, will satisfy the demands 

 of intending purchasers, but that for the quality 

 of which, as now, the nurserymen will not be 

 held responsible. 



6. That in case of a dispute between any 

 grower and nurseryman, if action be taken, 

 the matter be settled in the court nearest the 

 home of the fruit grower so wronged. 



7. That the matter of propagation of nurs- 

 ery stock from the proper root stock, budded 

 or grafted with buds or scions from healthy 

 trees of good bearing quality, of the true type 

 of the true variety, be left at present in abey- 

 ance, and that this association procure a com- 

 petent speaker from the U.S. or elsewhere, to 

 give an illustrated lecture on this subject at 

 our next annual convention, and use every 

 effort in the endeavor to inform the fruit grow- 

 ers of the advisability of such a method of 

 propagation which will in time create a de- 

 mand which the up-to-date niu-seryman will 

 supply. 



IMPORTANT RESOLUTIONS 



At the convention a number of other resolu- 

 tions, more or less important, were adopted. 

 Among them the following: 



We desire to place on record an expression 

 of our warm approval of the action of the Do- 

 minion Government, in having, in response to 

 the request of this and other organizations, 

 procured the passing of legislation placing the 

 control of express rates in the hands of the 



We trust that the action of Parliament in 

 giving a legal definition to No. 2 grade of ap- 

 ples will have the effect of giving to the pro- 

 duce of Canadian orchards a still better stand- 

 ing in the markets of the world. 



We desire to express our thanks to the Hon. 

 Sydney Fisher in calling a Dominion confer- 

 ence of fruit growers last March, a conference 

 which resulted in harmonizing many little an- 

 tagonisms between the provinces, m bringing 

 fruit growers from all parts of the Dominion 

 together for united action, and in giving a 

 still further impetus to what, has become a 

 great national industry.* 



We believe that the thanks of every com- 

 mercial fruit grower in Ont. are due to Alex- 

 ander McNeill, Chief, Ottawa Fruit Division, 

 for the remarkably full and correct reports 

 issued by him during the present growing 

 season in regard to fruit conditions and pros- 

 pects — reports that place growers, in a meas- 

 ure, on a footing of equality with buyers in 

 regard to factors governing market conditions. 



We would, however, stronglv recommend 

 that fuller information than now be given in 

 regard to crop conditions and market pros- 

 pects in other countries, and that to this end 

 the Dept. of Agr. at Ottawa be asked to secure 

 the cooperation of the Dept. of Trade and 

 Commerce in securing the reports from Cana- 

 dian commercial agents in Great Britain, Aus- 

 tralia and South Africa in regard to probable 

 production before crop maturity, also that 

 the cooperation of the hort. assns. in the U.S. 

 be secured, and an exchange of timely infor- 

 mation with these be arranged for. We do 

 this because even the fullest reports as to Cana- 

 dian conditions are of comparatively small 

 value unless we have information from other 

 countries approaching that of our own in re- 

 gard to fulness. 



We would strongly urge that the Dept. of 

 Agri. for Ont., in addition to what is now be- 

 ing done, and in addition to what also has been 

 asked in the resolution adopted on the motion 

 of Mr. Peart, arrange for obtaining special re- 

 ports after fruit has set, from the most reli- 

 able growers from the sections in which fruit 

 is largely grown. 



We strongly approve of the main point in 

 the Robertson resolution, namely, that legis- 

 lation be asked for which will provide that 

 nurserymen shall guarantee their stock as 

 true to name, and that where the . promise is 

 not fulfilled, an adequate penalty be imposed. 



We regret that aside from the action taken 

 at Ottawa, resulting in placing of express 

 rates under the control of the Railway Com- 

 mission, comparatively little has been done in 

 regard to transportation during the present 

 year. We most strongly urge that action be 

 taken by the Transportation Committee dur- 

 ing the coming year, looking to a material re- 

 duction in freight rates on apples, and a sweep- 

 ing cutting down in express rates. 



We are delighted to note the extension of 

 the cooperative movement among fruit grow- 

 ers in the province, and regret that compara- 

 tively little has been done to aid in the ex- 

 tension of this movement by this association, 

 and strongly urge that an officer be appointed 

 whose duty it shall be to give his whole time 

 to the encouragement of organizations now 

 formed, and to the creating of new ones. 



We desire to place on record our warm ap- 

 preciation of the invaluable services rendered 

 by the directors of this association, many of 

 whom have served long terms in office, fre- 

 quently at serious inconvenience to themselves. 

 We recogfnize also the splendid spirit shown 

 by these same directors, now that a new stage 

 of development is called for, in so frankly join- 

 ing in the movement to make the organiza- 

 tion more representative than it is at the 

 present time.. 



That this association would urge the Min- 

 ister of Trade and Commerce for the Dominion 

 to amend the Act respecting staple commod- 

 ities (that re fruit baskets), in accordance 

 with the resolution passed by the fruit asso- 

 ciations, and that the government make, and 

 stamp the forms and issue them to the basket 

 manufacturers to ensure uniformity of fruit 

 packages. 



That inasmuch as a large number of fruit 

 growers are using carbonic acid gas as a source 

 of power in their spraying operations, and as 



309 



a great deal of difficulty has been experienced 

 in securing a satisfactory supply in Canada, 

 we would respecfully urge upon the Dominion 

 Government the desirability of some system 

 of registration of the containers, so that these 

 containers might pass freely to and from the 

 U.S., duty being levied upon the gas only. 

 By this means a satisfactory supply might be 

 available, and spraying operations greatly 

 facilitated. 



That the Government of Ont. be asked to 

 publish yearly in the report of the Bureau of 

 Industries further details regarding the fruit 

 industry of the province, that the government 

 be asked to add columns on the assessment 

 roll providing for the gathering of information 

 re^rding fruit statistics. 



That we desire to show our unbounded 

 gratification at the splendid pubUc spirit shown 

 by Mr. M. F. Rittenhouse of Chicago, in giving 

 a farm for experimental work in tender fruits, 

 and in the prompt action of the Ontario Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in providing " equipment 

 for the same. 



THE SPENCER SEEDLESS APPLB - 



The Spencer Seedless Apple was the subject 

 for considerable discussion. Its dissemination 

 in Canada means something of more than ordin- 

 ary importance to our fruit industry. If it 

 were what it is claimed to be, it would supplant 

 all the standard varieties now grown. Fruit 

 growers think it is not. A committee consisting 

 of H. H. Groff, Simcoe, chairman; D. Johnston, 

 Forest; E. Morris, Fonthill; W. H. Dempsey, 

 Trenton; and W. T. Macoun, Ottawa, was ap- 

 pointed to look into its merits and demerits. 

 They reported as follows: 



"We secured specimens from the exhibit at 

 Massey Hall, which showed the following ob- 

 jectionable characteristics in apparent contra- 

 diction to the printed description. Although 

 the core is smaller and less distinct than in the 

 average apple, there is still sufficient to make 

 the process of coring a necessity. The practical 

 absence of the calyx tube leaves an abnormally 

 large and deep opening reaching to the core, 

 thereby involving loss of flesh nearly equal to a 

 normal core, as well as affording a harbor for 

 injurious insect pests. The specimens examined 

 by us showed this space to contain an objec- 

 tionable mold-like accumulation. They also 

 gave well-developed seeds, though fewer than 

 the normal apple. As to size, the specimens 

 seen by us were about equal to our Fameuse, 

 or Snow, and those tested for quality and flavor 

 were about equal to Ben Davis. We believe 

 that our inspection warrants the advice that 

 trees of this apple should only be purchased as a 

 curiosity." 



In the course of one of the sessions, a repre- 

 sentative of The Spencer Seedless Apple Co., of 

 Toronto, addressed the convention. He pro- 

 tested against the report of the committee and 

 intimated that such was biased. He claimed 

 that the fruit in flavor was similar to that of 

 the Baldwin, that apples from the latest genera- 

 tion of trees do not show any more opening at 

 the calyx than an ordinary apple, that the core 

 found by the committee vanishes as the apple 

 becomes more mature, and that the apple is 

 well worth planting in Canada. In the face of 

 the aforementioned report and of the general 

 disfavor in which fruit growers look upon the 

 apple, these explanations, while presented to 

 the meeting in a kindly way, are not acceptable 

 to practical men — -men who know what is what 

 in a variety of apple for commercial purposes. 



REVISION OF CONSTITUTION 



One of the most important items of bu-siness 

 transacted was a revision of the constitution. 

 As was pointed out in the Sept. number of The 

 Canadian Horticulturist, the time seemed 

 ripe for a change. It has been felt that the 



li 



