September, 1915. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



217 



I 



Our froai.t cover illustnation shows a har- 

 vest scene in a Norfolk OoTinty Ontairio or- 

 obard. Of late yeajs, largely through the 

 work of the Norfolk County Pruit Growers' 

 Association, Norfolk Coumty has come to 

 the front as an apple prodiucing iseotion. 

 It is now one of the best appJe producing 

 districts in Canada. 



* * * 



This is our Fifth Anniual ExiiiWtioin and 

 Fall Packing Nurti'ber. Its contents speak 

 for themselves. It contain's moire informa- 

 tion for the fruit and flower grower than 

 any of its predecessors. As the name indi- 

 cates, The Cajnadian Hortioiiltairist is na- 

 tional in character. In this connection we 

 would call attention to the fact that the 

 con'trabutors In this iss-ue include leading 

 fruit growers and borticuiltninal authorities 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The sub- 

 jects they discuss are itimely and interest- 

 ing. We trust that our readiers will feel, 

 when they have seit this issue down, that 

 it is a credit to the industry it represents. 



* • * 



Much Is heard these days of depression 

 in business consequent upon the war. Much 

 of this is imagined. In the case of The 

 Canadian Honticuilturisit the advertising car- 

 ried in ouir July and August issues, as well 

 as in this issue, has exceeded in value 

 that carried an the corresponding issues 

 last year. As the flmus who advertise in 

 The Canadian Hortioultunist are repiresenta- 

 tive in character and are located in all sec- 

 tions of Canada, as well as in the United 

 States and Great Bri'tain, this condition 

 speaks for itself. 



* * • 



A numiber of most interesting articles 

 are to appear in the October issue of The 

 Canadian Horticulturist. Mr. P. J. Carey, of 

 the Dominion Fruit Division, will contriibute 

 a most interesting article on "Fruit Pack- 

 ages and Packing." This article will not 

 only deal with *he various packages now in 

 use, from berry baskets to iboxes and bar- 

 rels, but will point out the defects and 

 strong points of each and improvements 

 that might be made in their dimensions and 

 construction. Wonderful progress has been 

 made of late by the fruit growers of Nova 

 Scotia. The article in this issue by Mr. 

 Adams explains part of it. At the Dominion 

 Fruit Conference held a year ago in Grims- 

 by, Ont, the delegates from Nova Scotia 

 who spoke to an editor of The Canadian 

 Horticulfcuriat seemed pretty well agreed 

 that the man in Nova Scotia who had done 

 more to promote the fruit industry in that 

 province than any other was Mr. S. B. 

 Chute. Mr. Chute has not only done much 

 to promote the interests of the United Fruit 

 Growers of Nova Scotia, Ltd., but is a suc- 

 cessful fruit grower himself. A description 

 of his rise in the fruit industry from hum- 

 ble beginnings, until now he is one of the 

 largest fruit growers In the province, will 

 be given in our October Number. 

 * * • 

 In the floral section of the October issue 

 of The Canadian HorUcul'turis-t Mr. Henry 

 Gibson 'wlU again contribute a page of 

 timely notes sucih as appears in this num- 

 ber. In ijact, articles of this character by 

 Mr. Gibson are to be a feature of the next 

 several Issues of The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist. In Western Caaiada Dr. H. M. 

 Speechley, of Pilot Mound, Man., is a recog- 

 nized leading authority on matters pertain- 

 ing to the cultivation of flowers. An article 

 from his pen, entitled "Simple Facts About 



the Growing of Bulbs," wiill prove of in- 

 terest to all our readers. Mr. John Gall 

 will contribute another of his practical and 

 timely articles, in which lie will deal with 

 plans for next year's perennial border. The 

 few articles here mentioned will, we trust, 

 give isome indication of how interesting the 

 October Numlber will be. 

 • * * 

 On page 228 of this issue appears the win- 

 ning poem in the competitioaa conducted 

 recently hy Tihe Canadi-an Horticulturist, 

 with the object of advertising the apple as 

 Canada's National Dish. In ithe opinion of 

 the judge. Prof. T. G. Bunting, of Maodon- 

 aJd College, Que., Mr. Robinson's contribu- 

 tdon was the most deserving of the prize. 

 We purpose having extra copies of this 

 printed and will be pleasied ito assist Fruit 

 Growers' Associations and other organiza- 

 tions in the diS'tribution of ithis poem for 

 advertising and other similar purposes upon 

 request. Here is an opportunity to help 

 advertise 'the apple as Canada's National 

 Dish. 



SOCIETY NOTES 



rm^rrmmmmmrmmM/timmmmn\'rsii 



WHAT THREE PEOPLE DID. 



W. S. Dinnick, Toronto, Ont. 



In Baltimore, four years ago, three peo- 

 ple who had been turning their attention to 

 making gardens out of backyards, resolved 

 to systematize their efforts and extend thein 

 over the whole city. They made them- 

 selves into a committee, obtained the ser- 

 vices of a social worker and the very valu- 

 ahle assistance of the Baltimore Evening 

 Sun. The Sun advertised a window hex and 

 garden competition, photographed the suc- 

 cessful gardens, and opened its columns to 

 a daily discussion on how to beautify Balti- 

 more. 



A vacant lot garden was started, where 

 many poor families grew vegetables for 

 their own use. As a means of transforming 

 the rows of backyards, wires only were used 

 to mark divisions. Thus the general effect 

 •was that of one long garden at which all 

 could gaze and enjoy. This idea of back 

 ■gardens has spread through Baltimore. 



VACANT LOT GARDENS. 



As an outcome of the Patriotism and Pro- 

 duction campaign, the gardening of vacant 

 lots has become well established in Ottawa. 

 Although the work was not commenced until 

 late in the season, a large number of plots 

 were put into potatoes and other vegetables. 

 The land being used is what is known as 

 the Glehe property, owned by the St. An- 

 drew's Church of the city. At the instance 

 of Mr. W. T. Macoun, Dominion Hp-rticultur- 

 ist, the trustees of this property threw it 

 open for the use of poor families and those 

 in moderate circumstances. The land, 

 which is in one block, has been divided into 

 one hundred and twenty-eight plots, most of 

 which are one hundred by fifty feet. For 

 these one hundred and twenty-eight plots, 

 one hundred and seventy-three applications 

 were received. Many oithers would be made 

 if the land were available. 



The trustees of the property have pro- 

 vided sufficient funds to have the work car- 

 ried out properly. Besides laying out the 

 land with roads and paths, the trustees had 

 it ploughed and harrowed, and have even 

 gone so far as to remove clumps of small 

 trees In order to satisfy, as far as possible, 

 the demand for plots. Provision was made 

 that every gardener who wanted to raise 



potatoes must grow them at the back of his 

 plot, so that tihe potato plots could all be 

 easily reached by the sprayer which the 

 trustees have provided. The Grand Trunk 

 Railway Comipany gave the use of two old 

 box cars, in which the implements used In 

 the cultivation and working of the plots are 

 kept. The city is providing water and sani- 

 tary closets. Night and day watchmen are 

 being provided by the trustees. The com- 

 mittee in charge of this work is composed of 

 Mr. W. T. Macoun, Dr. Jas. W. Robertson, 

 and Gilhert Allan, secretary. 



ST. THOMAS. 



The St. Thomas Horticultural Socierty 

 have ordered, through a New York firm of 

 Japanese importers, a oolleotion of 27 varie- 

 ties of Japanese herbaceous single paeonies. 

 This collection wiiU be presented to Pina- 

 fore Park, and together with tree paeonies 

 and doubles will make 143 varieties to be 

 planted in this park by this society in 1915. 

 An educational exhibition of gladioli, 

 asters, dahlias, etc., was iheld hy the society 

 in ithe windows of the Baldwin Robinson 

 Company on Saturday, August 14th. It 

 was a great success. On account of the 

 planting of about 30,000 gladiolus in the city 

 by the society members this flower in mag- 

 nificent blooms were sihown in abundance. 

 Blue Jays, Barom Hulots, Amerioos, Mr. 

 Francis Kings, Peace and War, Lily Leh- 

 man Hohenigollem and Princeps, etc. Some 

 excellent exhibits of paeonies, cacti and de- 

 corative and show dahlias weire made. The 

 quality of the asters were Al hut the qua-i- 

 tity limited, owing to the majority of the 

 plants ibelng killed by fungus. Mr. Thos. 

 Allan, isuperimtendant of the waterworks, 

 had the ^star attraction of the show, a vase 

 of water ilildes, Egyptian Lotus, and Lieu- 

 tenamtrCol. Caughell a bouquet of Peren- 

 nials Physostegia. Many other varieties 

 of seasonable flowers were shown. The 

 .society furnished a.bout 700 gladioli from 

 their own garden. These and other flowers 

 were sold by the ladies of the Humane So- 

 ciety for the henefit of the Blue Cross, about 

 $25.00 being realized. 



Mr. John PaUand, Superintendent of Pin- 

 afore Park, kindly donated to the society 

 the use of a plot of ground. This was 

 planitjod to gladioli and over 5,000 blooms 

 'have heen cut. During the season these 

 have been cut and sent to the sick and on 

 Sundays large bouquets are sent to each 

 churah and after the evening service they 

 are sent to the sick and aged of the re- 

 spective congregations. 



The public beds of the society which are 

 planted on ,the boulevards never looked bet- 

 ter than thtey have this year. Mr. Foster 

 Andrews, the society gardener, makes a 

 complete round of the 150 beds in 10 days. 

 His equipment conslsits of wheelbarrow, 

 lawn mower, irake, spade and small digger 

 to weed hetwreen the plants. After a rain 

 and the groaind is too wet to work Mr. 

 Andrews secures a horse and wagon and 

 draws manure which, when rotted, is used 

 to fertilize the heds. As has heen stated 

 ■before, the society finds the public beds are 

 the most appreciated work that is done. 



WEST LORNE. 



West Lome citizens were addressed dur- 

 ing the summer hy Dr. Bennett, Secretary 

 Spencer and Director Hardy of the St. 

 Thomas Society, and it ■was decided to form 

 a society this fall. A great many West 

 Lome cditizens' aire identified with the St. 

 Thomas Society and during the .wnuner 

 these memibeirs have done considerable 

 work along the lines of beautifioation In 

 their village. With Aylmer on the east, 

 West Lome on the west, and St. Thomas 

 the hub, it in the hope of Elgin residents 

 it will become the floral county of Ontario. 



