142 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the vines off before ; but they are 

 nearly all gone now. We suppose most 

 people don't know that gi-ape vines 

 may be planted later than anything 

 else. We shall have 100,000 to plant 

 after we get through mailing, so you 

 can see we have not served ourselves 

 fii'st. Should any fail to gi'ow we will 

 replace them next fall or spring, gratis. 



THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 



A subscriber in St Thomas sends u^ 

 a plea for the spai-row, cut from the 

 St Thomas Times. The writer pleads 

 in their favour first that they make 

 delicious pies, and second that they 

 kill May bugs, and peel off the wing 

 covers to prepare them as food for their 

 young. He also pleads that they de- 

 stroy the plum cui-culio. 



Such pleas in its favour are very 

 scarce. The general testimony of fruit 

 growers and farmers both in the United 

 States and Canada, is that they are 

 perfect nuisances, and one of the 

 greatest enemies we have to contend 

 with. 



Only the other day we discovered 

 these scoundrels in a fresh sort of 

 mischief. The plum and cherry blos- 

 soms were coming down like snow. 

 It was too soon after opening for them 

 to fall naturally, so we stopped to ex- 

 amine, when lo ! two sparrows, as busy 

 as busy could be, picking out the young 

 plums and scattering the waste part of 

 the flower to the ground. 



Others may need to try the miserable 

 foreigner a little longer, before they are 

 convinced of his mean spirit, but the 

 writer has determined to show him no 

 mercy. 



A LETTER FROM J. J. BOURNE. 



Sir : — In the February number of 

 your paper, a letter appeared from me 

 in reference to Messrs. Jackman & 

 Lindsay, of Toronto. I have been in 

 England since, and I am informed that 



Jackman & Lindsay complain that my 

 letter may in some way injure them in 

 their dealings with fruit men, and bears 

 the construction that I think they are 

 unreliable and do not act honestly. 

 I never intended what I wrote you 

 to be published in the Horticulturist, 

 and much less did I wish to hint 

 that I thought the said firm dis- 

 honest. All I had to complain about 

 was that I thought each day after fruit 

 was sold, the commission merchant 

 should send word to the shipper, by 

 post card or otherwise, of the result of 

 the fruit sold, so that the shipper could 

 judge for himself where was his best 

 place to sell. Some other commission 

 houses do this, and I think all should 

 do so. This firm did not do so to me, 

 but they have honestly accounted for 

 all fruit I sent them, and I have no 

 complaint to make except in the one 

 direction I have alone referred to. That 

 is, perhaps, a matter for their own busi- 

 ness ; but I mei'ely intended that I 

 thought all commission men should 

 adopt this good plan. If I have injured 

 them, I did not wish to do so, and still 

 hope they may do a good business. 

 May 25, 1887. Jos, Bourne. 



PROGRAMME OF THE SUMMER MEETING 



Of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, 



Town Hall, Collingwood, June 28 & 29, 



1887.— Open to the Public. 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. 



10 A.M. — Fraternal Greetings. 



Appointment of Commit- 

 tees. 



11 A.M. — The Apple. 



(a) Varieties wiapted to Simcoe and 

 Grey. 



WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. 

 QUESTION DRAWER. 



2 P.M. — The Apple. — (Continued.) 

 (h) Varieties for foreign markets. 

 (c) Best modes of gatheriug. 

 {il) " " packing. 



