314 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



apples in boxes. The exhibit was attractive, 

 the apples being of high quality and neatly 

 packed. 



An exhibit of Spencer Seedless apples attracted 

 much attention. A number of specimens were 

 cut and given to fruit growers and others inter- 

 ested. Information regarding the variety was 

 disseminated by members of the company. 



A standard Wallace Sprayer was on exhibitign. 



Mr. W. H. Brand, Jordan Station, was in charge 

 and expounded upon the many merits of this 

 well-known and well-tried machine. 



Horticultural manures in variety were ex- 

 hibited by The Arnott Chemical Co., of Toronto. 

 An exhibition of fruits, flowers and vegetables 

 would not be complete without the presence of 

 the fertilizers that produced many of the first 

 prize specimens. 



Important to Vegetable Gro"wrers 



THE horticultural department at Guelph, 

 thfe holding of vegetable growers' meetings 

 throughout Ont., the increasing of the 

 government grant of the assn. and the 

 advisability of urging the establishment of 

 vegetable expt. stations at central points 

 throughout Ont., were 4 important matters 

 discussed at the meeting of the directors of 

 the Ont. Vegetable Growers' assn., held in 

 Toronto, Nov. 7, at the time of the Ont. Hortl. 

 Exhibition. 



A special committee, composed of Joseph 

 Rush, of Humber Bay; T. Delworth, of Weston, 

 and W. C. McCalla, of St. Catharines, who had 

 been appointed to visit the college to find what 

 work was being done there for the benefit of 

 the vegetable growers, and to make suggestions 

 for new lines of work, presented their report. 



The committee reported that at the time of 

 their visit the crops at the college looked well, 

 especially the onions and a few rows of asparagus 

 planted the past spring. An exception was the 

 early cabbage, which had been almost entirely 

 destroyed by root maggot. In view of the 

 fact that the O.A.C., in Bui. 122, gives remedies 

 for this pest, the committee reported that they 

 were surprised to find that these remedies were 

 not in use. In the opinion of the committee, 

 the value of the work done at the college would 

 be nmch increased if the remedies suggested in 

 the bulletins were found in actual operation 

 there, so that visitors would be able to judge 

 their work. So far as they were able to learn, 

 no attempt had been made at the college to 

 combat the root maggot. 



On the trial grounds, a number of different 

 varieties of vegetables were found to be imder 

 test. Some vegetables, such as beans, peas and 

 celery, were not included in the test. The de- 

 partment of entomology had issued a bulletin on 

 "The Common Fungous and Insect Pests of 

 Growing Vegetable Crops." Experiments have 

 been conducted this year with remedies for the 

 radish root maggot, but no definite conclusions 

 have been reached so far. Prof. Harcourt has 

 been doing valuable work through experiments 

 with fertilizers. Prof. Zavitz has conducted 

 experiments of great interest in the growing of 

 potatoes. In their recommendations, the com- 

 mittee expressed the opinion that it was a mis- 

 take for the dept. of horticulture to devote 

 itself almost exclusively to variety tests. Many 

 of the varieties under test are inferior, and were 

 discarded long ago by gardeners. In the case 

 of lettuce, out of the 91 varieties under test at 

 the college, growers have found that only 6 or 

 8 are worth growing. The committee believes 

 that the rest should be discarded and that in 

 future the college might confine itself to testing 

 the novelties introduced each year by reliable 

 seed firms. It believes that this plan would 

 much reduce the work of the college without 

 impairing its value. 



They suggested that work be attempted along 

 the line of improvement, by seed selection or 

 otherwise, of the best known varieties. The 

 conducting of experiments to determine the best 

 methods of fertiUzing and preparing the ground, 

 of planting, of cultivating, and of protection 

 from insects and fungous enemies and of hand- 

 ling the matiu-e vegetable crops; that these ex- 

 periments should be conducted with a view to 

 their value to the commercial grower. The in- 

 itiative, they .believe, belongs to the dept. of 

 horticulture. In conclusion, the committee ex- 



pressed the opinion that the college and growers 

 should keep in close totich with each other. 



In a discussion that followed the reading of 

 the report, the members of the committee made 

 statements that were stronger than any con- 

 tained in the report. The view was cx[)ressed 

 that the hortl. dept. lacks a proper conception 

 of the work it should undertake. Instead of 

 branching out along new and important lines of 

 work, it apparently has been content to do about 

 as little as possible. Some of the directors 

 stated that when they had asked for the appoint- 

 ment of a vegetable exjx^rt at the college, they 

 thought that this expert would be given consid- 

 erable power of initiative, but, apparently, he 

 has been treated as but little better than a 

 hired laborer. It was finally decided to lay the 

 matter fully before the Minister of Agriculture. 

 Later, the full board of directors waited on Hon. 

 Mr. Monteith and presented their views to him 

 fully. The as.sn. made application to the Dept. 

 for an increase in its grant from $(300 to $1,000. 

 The assn. has 1.50 more members than any other 

 assn. in the province. Its grant is only one- 

 third of that of the Ont. Fruit Growers' Assn., 

 and $400 less than the grant to the Bee Keepers' 

 Assn. 



A report was read from a committee composed 

 of representatives of the Kingston and Ottawa 

 branches, who had been appointed to visit the 

 Central Experiment Farm at Ottawa to ascer- 

 tain what work is being done there. The report 

 merely mentioned lines of work being under- 

 taken at the farm, and did not offer any criticisms 

 or suggestions for new work. Mr. Bushell, of 

 the Kingston branch stated that the growers in 

 the vicinity of Kingston feel that a vegetable 

 expt. sta. should be established near there and 



he asked for the cooperation of the Ont. As- 

 in securing such a station. While the mat' 

 was Ijeing discussed, it was suggested tl 

 vegetable expt. stations might be estabUsh. 

 throughout the province on the same lines 

 the Ont. Fruit Exp. stations This suggest i 

 met with considerable favor. It was felt, Im 

 ever, that the assn. has been moving ratli. 

 rapidly, and that it would not Ijc wise for it ti< 

 press for these improvements all at once. 



A committee composed of Messrs. McCali 

 Macoun and McMcans, who had liecn appoint* 

 to judge the essays in the ess:iy comixititu 

 presented its report. The winners are as {o\U>v 



Potato culture — 4 essays received. — 1, \ 

 A. Broughton, of Sarnia; 2, F. F. Reeves, 

 Humber Bay; 3, H. A. Blundcn, Sarnia. 



Cauliflower culture — 4 essays received. — 1, 

 Knight, Cataraqui; 2, T. Delworth, West' 

 3, J. N. Watts, Portsmouth. 



Tomato culture — 2 essays received, one 

 which was received after the competition 1: 

 closed and therefore was ruled out. — 1, J. 

 Watts. 



(Continued on page 320) 



THE POST OFFICE DEPT. saves you mon. 

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 ordering your requirements through the mail 

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The Arnott Chemical Co., whose advertise- 

 ment appears on another page, are now manu- 

 facturing their special manures in Canad.i 

 The.se fertihzers are carefully made from t! 

 test ingredients, as proved by their crop p: 

 ducing powers. The advantage of growc;., 

 being able to obtain such high-class fertilizer 

 manufactured in Canada, thus saving the im- 

 port duty, cannot be overestimated. One 

 specialty, their Concentrated Soluble Odorless 

 Horticultural Manure, we can highly recom- 

 mend to amateurs, especially ladies, as it is 

 clean to handle and free from objectionable 

 smell. Jt is invaluable for plants in the house, 

 keeping them healthy and vigorous during the 

 winter months. 



