May, 1915. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



133 



An interesting example of tlie benefits 

 tliat follow from co-operative effort conduct- 

 ed on a large scale has been furnished re- 

 cently by a series of advertisements that 

 have been appearing in the Fruit, Flower, 

 and Vegetable Trade Journal. This journal 

 has a large circulation among the apple deal- 

 ers in England. It seems that the pack of 

 the United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia, 

 Limited, has already become so well known 

 on the English markets that the dealers, 

 when they have any of this fruit to sell, are 

 anxious to make the fact known. The con- 

 sequence is that different dealers have been 

 announcing recently in this journal the re- 

 ceipt of consignments of this fruit. Natur- 

 ally they have lauded its merits, and thus 

 have helped to make these merits still better 

 known. Thus the enterprise of the co-opera- 

 tive fruit growers of Nova Scotia is meeting 

 a reward which could hardly have been fore- 

 seen when their co-operative movement was 

 first launched. 



It Is difficult, if not impossible, for the 

 ,iverag:e fruit arrower or shipper to become 

 thoroughly familiar with the railway or ex- 

 press tariffs and their many supplements 

 nnd changes. Therefore, it would be in the 

 interests of the industry from a Dominion- 

 wide standpoint for the Dominion Fruit 

 Division to take up this line of work, keep 

 the shippers advised of their existing- privi- 

 leges under the tariffs, and see that fair 

 and reasonable concessions are obtained 

 from time to time as traffic warrants. 



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PUBLISHER'S DESK 



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The efforts of The Canadian Horticulturist 

 to have the apple recognized as the national 

 dish of Canada have met with such a hearty 

 response from the Atlantic to the Pacific we 

 have decided to offer a prize of $10 for the 

 best piece of poetry, not over four verses in 

 length, extolling the merits of the apple and 

 referring to it as Canada's national dish. We 

 liopp, for the good of the cause, that many of 

 our readers will take part in this competi- 

 tion. It will close on June 20. If you have 

 any friends who are gifted in this line urge 

 "them to take part. 



The Canadian Horticulturist has subscrib- 

 •ers in all parts of the world. We are sur- 

 prised every now and then to find the remote 

 corners of Europe and Asia to which The 

 Canadian Horticulturist penetrates. Re- 

 cently we received a letter from one of our 

 readers, Hans Rasmussen, in Progress, Mars- 

 lev, Denmark, in which Mr. Rasmussen 

 wrote as follows : "It interests me very much 

 to see how our fellow fruit growers on the 

 other side of the ocean are working. In fruit 

 growing our m'tethods are far behind yours. 

 I have about ten acres in fruit, mostly 

 apples, and my orchard is one of the largest 

 in the country. There is not a fruit cold 

 storage plant in Denmark." Mr. Ra.smussen 

 asked for certain information relating to 

 fruit conditions lin Canada, which we took 

 pleasure in sending him. 



Recent reports issued by the Ontario De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Toronto, include 

 "The Cherry in Ontario," by E. F. Palmer, 

 B.'S.A., and "Vegetable Growing," by S. C. 

 Johnston, B.S.A. Both reports are illus- 

 trated, and contain valuable information on 

 the sublects mentioned. The annual reports 

 of the Ontario Fruit OroTvers' and Vegetable 

 "Growers' Associations are also being dis- 

 tributed. 



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SOCIETY NOTES 



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Flower Shows 



Dr. F. E. Bennett, St. Thomas, Ont. 



Successful flower shows have been held 

 for some years by the St. Thomas Horticul- 

 tural Society. We do not offer many prizes 

 for flowers at these shows, giving instead 

 first, second, third, and fourth prize cards. 

 At the spring flower show last year a cup 

 donated to the society, which has to be won 

 three times, was offered for the best display 

 of tulips. At the rose show we gave a cut- 

 glass vase for the best bouquet, and anotner 

 for the best individual bloom. At the fall 

 flower show we gave bronze and silver med- 

 als for the best general collections of fall 

 flowers. When giving prizes • we always 

 select articles that are useful, of good qual- 

 ity, and of a horticultural nature. 



Our shows are generally held in the win- 

 dows of a furniture store, which are very 

 large, but we have outgrown these quarters. 

 When we hold a one-day show on a Satur- 

 day we receive entries from eight to ten- 

 thirty in the morning. All entries are made 

 by number, but we place the exhibitor's 

 name on the prize card. We solicit entries 

 a few days ahead by telephone. A personal 

 invitation is worth half a dozen circular let- 

 ters and away cheaper. We do the same 

 when calling a meeting. We own our owri 

 bouquet receptacles — all glass vases, of dif- 

 ferent shapes and sizes. Our ladies auxiliary 

 are always on hand at the exhibitions. 



Stratford 



During 1914 the membership of the Strat- 

 ford Horticultural Society increased from 

 187 to 500. Over fifty flower beds were 

 planted throughout the city. The society 

 planted and took charge of the flower boxes 

 in front of the city hall and post-office and 

 planted 6,000 tulip bulbs in public beds. 

 Four hundred shrubs and six thousand five 

 hundred bulbs were given as options. Flow- 

 er shows were held during the year — in May 

 for daffodils and tulips, in June for roses, 

 and in August for zinnias, salpiglossis, sweet 

 peas, and asters. Three prizes were given 

 in each class, consisting of hyacinth, daffo- 

 dil, narcissus, and tulip bulbs. In connec- 

 tion with the August exhibit a sale of the 

 flowers was held, which netted the sum ot 

 twelve dollars, which was turned over to the 

 Belgian Relief Fund. The flowers from the 

 other shows were sent to the General Hos- 

 pital. Entries for the children's home gar- 

 dens were numerous. These were graded in 

 two classes, and bulbs were given as prizes. 

 An exhibit for the children's home gardens 

 was held in September, bringing out one 

 hundred and thirty-eight entries. Three 

 prizes Jn bulbs were awarded for each of the 

 following: Beets, carrots, onions, zinnias, 

 asters, salpiglossis, and a prize for the best 

 collection. 



Ottawa 



The Ottawa Horticultural Society has an- 

 nounced the prizes and conditions govern- 

 ing the summer garden competition. The 

 rommittoc of judges. Messrs. W. G. Black. 

 John Graham, and Thomas E. Davis, will 

 examine each exhibit once each month dur- 

 iinir Tune, July, and August. The awards 

 will be made on the total number of points 

 scored. 



The list of prizes is as follows : For the 

 best and most artistically arranged garden. 



as seen from the street, with lots not ex- 

 ceeding 66 feet frontage — 1st, $30; 2nd, 

 $25; 3rd, $20; 4th, $15; 5th, $12; 6th, $10; 

 7th. $8; 8th, $7; 9th, $6. For the best 

 flower box, not exceeding five feet in 

 length— 1st, $9; 2nd, $8; 3rd, $7; 4th, $6; 

 5th, $5; 6th, $4; 7th, $3; 8th and 9th, $2. 



The basis for judging will be the same 

 in both classes, namely : For the arrange- 

 ment and artistic effect, 50 points ; for neat- 

 ness and cultivation, 25 points ; for floral 

 display. 15 points ; and for quality and var- 

 iety of plants, 10 points. A competitor may 

 enter in both classes, but one competitor 

 will not be awarded more than one prize. 

 The competition is open to all within the 

 city limits, without fee or charge. 



St. Thomas 



Already this year the St. Thomas Horti- 

 cultural Society has passed its last year's 

 membership mark of 1,100. Its membership 

 now is 1,200, and still growing. The society 

 has imported 3,000 European roses of 45 

 varieties. Within less than a week of their 

 receipt the roses were gone, and about 400 

 more secured and distributed. The society 

 this year has specialized .in roses, selling 

 them to its members at practically cost. 

 The stock was excellent throughout. In ad- 

 dition 20,000 gladioli were ordered of the 

 best varieties. As many as seventy-flve were 

 given to a member as an option, and mem- 

 bers had the privilege of purchasing more 

 at 1% cents each. The society this year will 

 import its bulbs direct from Holland. 



An expert landscape gardener has been 

 engaged to look after the society's public 

 bed on the boulevard, where fifty additional 

 beds are being put in and filled with flower- 

 ing shrubs and roses. The society intends 

 to try and make Pinafore Park the equal of 

 Highland Park, Rochester, N.Y. This year 

 it has donated one hundred roses to the 

 park, and in the fall one hundred varieties 

 of peonies will be planted there. 



Walkerville 



Ten flower beds were planted in promin- 

 ent places around the town last year by the 

 Walkerville Horticultural Society, in which 

 were a total of 2160 plants. The town coun- 

 cil kept men at work all summer keeping' 

 the boulevards rolled and grass cut, which 

 greatly enhanced the appearance of the 

 streets. Shade trees were well looked after, 

 and trees planted in new sections of the 

 town, including six hundred large elms. 

 Messrs. Hiram Walker & Sons, who take 

 a great interest in the town, donated prizes 

 for garden competitions. In all $274 were 

 given, fifty prizes eoing to tenants, and 

 forty-two to owners. Roses, bulbs and plants 

 were distributed to the members, and 11,200 

 tulips set out in public flower beds. 



Napanee 



'Civic improvement is earnestly promoted 

 by the Napanee Horticultural Society. In 

 the town there are prominent church and 

 school grounds and public buildings, such as 

 the court house and post-office. The society 

 has promoted the improvement of these 

 grounds and those surroundiing public build- 

 ings, and, besides this, has taken care of the 

 flowers and shrubbery in a small park in the 

 heart of the town. Through its efforts Bos- 

 ton Ivy is now growing on nearly every 

 church and flower beds have been estab- 

 lished about them. 



Some improvements were carried out In a 

 cemetery on the T>ank of the river. No exhl- 

 bitlon was held, as there is no suitable place. 

 This work not only beautified the town, but 

 furnished object lessons to the citizens. 



