HORTICULTURE IN CANADA. 93 



very large, aud is estimated at fifty-six million bushels. In the 

 Niagara peninsula, and along the shores of the western part of 

 Lake Erie, peaches are grown very su.ccessfully, and there are 

 said to be over half a million of peach trees planted in that part 

 of Canada. Grapes, also, are grown in immense quantities. 

 There are about three million of bearing grape vines in Ontario, 

 producing annually about fifteen million pounds of grapes. There 

 are also large orchards of pears, plums, and cherries, so that 

 Canadian markets are well supplied with home-groAvn fruits of 

 excellent quality throughout the season, and a large quantity of 

 apples is exported to Great Britain. During the past year more 

 than two million barrels were exported from Montreal. Ontario 

 also sends large supplies of fruit to the prairie districts in the 

 west. A thriving organization, known as the Fruit Growers' 

 Association of Ontario, has been in existence for the past twenty- 

 eight years, and has done much to stimulate fruit growing through- 

 out the province, and also to cultivate a taste for ornamental 

 trees, shrubs, and flowers. This Association receives a liberal 

 annual grant from the provincial funds. The large display of 

 fruit and flowers at the leading annual exhibitions helps to draw 

 further attention to these interesting and important subjects. 

 The Ontario government also gives annual grants towards the 

 support of horticultural societies, Avhich are established in most of 

 the towns and cities of the province. Under this stimulus, fre- 

 quent floral exhibitions have been held, and the people have l)een 

 led to vie with each other in beautifying their homes by the 

 planting of trees and flowers. Many large floral establishments 

 are well supported by lovers of flowers. In the cities and larger 

 towns public parks have been established, valuable not only as 

 health resorts, but as repositories for some of nature's choicest 

 arboreal gifts.' Horticulture also forms an important part in 

 the curriculum of the Ontario College of Agriculture, which is 

 located at Guelph. 



Adjoining Ontario at its western extremity is the Province of 

 Manitoba, with sixty -four thousand square miles of territory and 

 a population of one hundred and fifty-two thousand. Here the 

 climatic conditions are too severe to admit of the rapid extension 



1 The lecture was illustrated with lantern slides, showing scenes in the public parks and 

 gardens in the different cities in the Dominion; also views of many beautiful individual 

 specimens of ornamental trees and shrubs grown on the experimental farms. 



