The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE BRANTFORD MEETING. 



V 





INCE a verbatim report has been taken of this 

 meeting, to be sent out from the Department of 

 Agriculture to all our members early in 1893, it 

 is unnecessary to give any detailed account here 

 of the work accomplished at our last annual 

 winter meeting. Notwithstanding the unfavor- 

 able weather the local attendance was large, and 

 the efforts of our directorate to encourage the 

 fruit growing industry of the section, seem to be 

 fully appreciated. 



Principal Dymond presided at the welcome 



meeting at the Institute for the Blind, and 



showed us every possible courtesy, favoring us 



with a rich musical treat in the performance of 



several instrumental and vocal selections of 



classic music by the pupils. Mayor Secord, in 



well-chosen words, welcomed us to Brantford, 



and President Pettit in his address spoke hopefully of our work, and called upon 



the directors to aid him in making a creditable display of fresh fruit at Chicago, 



during the coming summer. 



There was a large attendance for the day meeting at the Court House. The 

 greater part of the first morning was spent discussing Prof. Craig's paper on 

 " Plums Native to America." The classified list appearing in our report, with 

 illustrations, will be exceedingly valuable for reference. The afternoon was 

 largely occupied with apple growing, spraying, windbreaks, and bee-keeping as an 

 adjunct to fruit growing. Mr. Holterman, who read the paper on this latter 

 subject, did not advise a fruit grower to undertake bee-keeping if his time were 

 already pretty fully occupied ; in such a case it would probably not pay, but 

 otherwise there is money in the business, even at the present low prices for 

 honey. In his own case the profits of two years had about equalled the whole 

 value of his stock of ninety-five colonies, worth, say, $700. PJesides this the 

 fruit grower has the special advantage of the usefulness of bees in the fertiliza- 

 tion of the fruit blossoms. In reckoning his profits he had reckoned his time at 

 $1.25 per day. 



Prof. Panton's lecture Wednesday evening, on " Enemies in Horticulture," 

 illustrated with stereopticon views, was much appreciated, and will be put in 

 shape for our report. Some excellent music was contributed by local talent, 

 which much enlivened the meeting. In reply to a question on the best six 

 varieties of apples to cover the whole season, Mr. A. McD. Allan, gave the 

 following list : Duchess, Gravenstein, Ribston, Blenheim, King, and Ontario ; 



