October, 1915. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



239 



your precautions. It may be that you find, 

 after completing your purcliase, tliat wliile 

 the fruit you pointed out appeared alright 

 on the stand, its good side had been turned 

 up, thereby concealing the defects that would 

 have been only too apparent could the other 

 side of the fruit have been seen. The only 

 way to insure fair treatment in some cases 

 is to stop and examine your purchases before 

 you leave the stand, and if necessary be pre- 

 pared to call for the services of a police con- 

 stable. Even then it may be impossible to 

 prevent an unpleasalit scene. 



Many people have received such miserable 

 treatment from this class of dealers that they 

 must have given up the purcbase of fruit in 

 this way. The fruit grower, anxious to find 

 an outlet for his fruit, is the ultimate chief 

 loser. The provisions of the Fruit Marks 

 Act might be made to cover such cases and 

 they should be vigorously enforced. Prose- 

 cutions of well-known offenders, if followed 

 up systematically for a while, would soon ' 

 bring about an improvement, and benefit 

 both the consumers and the growers. 



Our modern .methods of national economy 

 sometimes produce surprising conditions 

 We conduct campaigns to encourage pro- 

 duction and then we maintain import taxes 

 on fertilizers and other essentials to 'n- ' 

 creased production. Lifting some of the 'bur- 

 dens from producers, as Germany has done 

 since the outbreak of the war, would pro- 

 mote the increased production so much de- 

 sired. 



PUBLISHER'S DESK M 



Our front cover illustration this month 

 shows a scene in the garden of Mr. Oscar 

 Boden, Meaford, Ont. One of the flower beds 

 in this garden is illustrated on Page Z37 



* * • 



There are some unusually helpful and in- 

 structive articles in this issue of The Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist. Fruit growers will en- 

 Joy the contributions from the pens of Mr. 

 Carey and Mr. Smith, as well as the descrip- 

 tion of 'Mr. Chute's rise in the fruit indus- 

 try. Amateur flower growers appreciate 

 the articles by :Mr. Gibson, with their 

 monthly retminders and Mr. Gall's simple, 

 helpful directions for the production of 

 more and better flowers. Mr. Gibson's 

 articles are to be a feature of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist during the next few months. 



* * • 



The Canadian Horticulturist guarantees 

 the reliability of its advertisers. Neverthe- 

 less we almost never receive a complaint 

 against any of the several hundred firms 

 and individuals who patronize our advertis- 

 ing columns throughout the year. This 

 proves their reliability as nothing else 

 coujd. Two complaints were received some 

 time ago about the methods of one Arm. As 

 correspondence on our part failed to effect 

 a settlement, a member of the staff took the 

 train during September and visited the head 

 ofl^ce of the firm in question. A satisfactory 

 settlement ha.=? now been assured. This in- 

 cident is mentioned merely in order that 

 our readers may see that we are determined 

 to stand behind the advertising guarantee 

 that we publi.=h on the editorial nage of each 

 issue and which is intended for their full 

 protection. 



» * » 



Our readers are once more invited to send 

 us photographs of fruit and floral scenes. 

 Subscription representatives in certain of 

 tlie leading fruit districts are also desired. 



VACANT LOT GARDENS. 



Reports from various cities and towns in 

 Canada as to the oultivation of vacant lots 

 thai have reached the Canadian Commission 

 on Conservatloin indicate that the cam- 

 paign inaugurated lasit spring for greater 

 production and more extensive use of va- 

 cant land has been a success. Several 

 cities have handJed the vacant lot problem 

 an a sysftematic manner, and have secured 

 results commensurate to the amount of 

 energy expended. Some, by allowing in- 

 terest to lag, have 'been only partially suc- 

 cessful. In others, also, clrcums:tances mil- 

 itated against success. In that unemployed 

 men took up the cultivation of vacant lots, 

 and, upon securing employment, neglected 

 them. On the whole, however, the move- 

 menit has proved a distinct success. 



There is one danger from the vacant lot 

 garden, namely, the growth of noxious 

 weeds in the newly cultivated land. Too 

 often, on the removal of the crop, the ground 

 is givem over to the weeds. Organizations 

 handling the vacant lot work should give the 

 matter of weed destruction early attention; 

 otherwise, 'the lots will not only prove a 

 menace to the land in the vicinity by the 

 spread of weed seeds, but create antagon- 

 ism to the movement on the pajt of the oc- 

 cupiers of the neigliboring lamd. 



HAMILTON. 



The spring premiums distributed by the 

 Hamilton Horticultural Society this year 

 comsisted of three classes of perennials, of 

 four varieties each, and one parcel of glad- 

 doli, as a choice; while the autumn one will 

 be tulips and paeonles. The lecture sea- 

 son was prolonged, and all ithe meetings 

 were well attended, better than in previous 

 seasons. The May meeting, which was to 

 have been a Garden meeting at the "Holm- 

 stead," the lovely home of Mrs. Hendrie, 

 was marred by the news of the Lusitanaa 

 disaster, especially as well-known members 

 were known to be passengers, and Jupiter 

 Pluvius was not kind that day. 



The four Wednesdays in June found the 

 well-remembered garden of Mr. Alexander 

 (wihos.6 name was so long associated with 

 horticulture, not only locally, but through- 

 out the Province), opened to the mem'bers 

 and friends, through the kindness of Miss 

 and the Messrs. Alexander. The pleasure 

 and profit resulting from this courtesy can- 

 not be estimated. 



The proposed Spring Show, owing to war 

 conditions, had to be postponed until Fall, 

 only then to find that other ways would have 

 to ibe adopted, to meet the existing condi- 

 tions, as it was decided to divide the city 

 inito sections, and have a committee visit 

 the garden of every member — the directors 

 only being ibarred. 



A scale was decided upon which would 

 meet all the garden- workers, and the re- 

 sults of the vlsitor'a decision, are reported 

 to the committee responsible for the sec- 

 tion; after which the committee will visit 

 and pass final judgment on those recom- 

 mended. In this way none are omitted, as 

 might be the case if the entry was made 

 a voluntary thing on the part of the garden 

 owner, whose modesty would prevent his 

 making an entry, and possibly winning an 

 award, which might be well deserved. 



The society have been supplying judges 

 for several Community Garden Clubs, as 

 well as otherwise helping these to develop 

 into organizations capable of administering 

 their own affairs. In the little exhlbitiona 



s.tajged by these Infant societies certificates 

 of merit have been awarded hy the Hamil- 

 ton Horticultural Society. Among these 

 will be Included the Civic Vacant Lot Gar- 

 dens, where from one plot 42 bushels of 

 siplemdid potatoes have been taken. 



The awards for the winners of the So- 

 ciety's "Members' Garden Competition" 

 will ^be given out at 'the annual meeting, No- 

 vember 4th, when we hope to welcome the 

 1st VicenP resident. Rev. G. W. Tebbs, now 

 a resident of Hamilton fortunately, who has 

 already aided the work being done here by 

 acting as a judge both in the garden work, 

 as well as in the community shows. 



One of the members, Mr. Jarman, of West 

 Hamilton, who has for 'Some time specialized 

 in gladioli culture, gave, for the children's 

 work, 1,000 corms, and the results were 

 staged August 30th at the Red Cross head- 

 quarters, with Mr. Tebbs as judge. The 

 flowers were sold for the funds of the Red 

 Cross, the children being delighted to have 

 this opportunity to do their ibit. 



The story of the rise, growth, and rapid 

 progress of ithe Community Garden Work 

 is of interest to all who desire to see men 

 ajnd women get the best from their little 

 home grounds; and after witnessing the ob- 

 stacles which had flrsit to be faced and over- 

 come, and then, in an incredibly short time, 

 see the splendid showing of flowers and 

 vegetables which were produced under 

 many difficult conditions, it is safe to say 

 that those ^who had worked so hard to suc- 

 ceed in making community gardens popu- 

 lar, will never again despair of success. 



A perennial border started in Dundum 

 Park last year is to be Increased this Au- 

 tumn. What has heen done there already 

 hias resulted iprofitably. 



While the results of our work here can- 

 not be tabulated, yet good work has been 

 done, and the time has been well spent, as 

 the quality of the work to-day proves. I 

 hope that this sketch may prove of interest 

 to some one who has felt that the abnor- 

 mal conditions unfortunately existing to- 

 day have spoiled their well-laid plans, as it 

 has, I know, many of the earnest workers 

 In many places.— ADA L. POTTS, Secretary. 



ST. CATHARINES. 



The autumn flower show of the St. Cath- 

 arines Horticultural Society was held Sep- 

 tember 14th and 15th, in the Armories, which 

 was converted into a fairy garden. There 

 were shown magnificent specimens of 

 many of the best known varieties of flowers 

 from the simple marigold to the glorious 

 cream-white hydrangea and intermingled 

 with these were great banks of ferns and 

 palms. Never before has such a display 

 been seen under the auspices of this society, 

 which has held many successful exhibitions. 

 Gladioli and asters were the most popular 

 and were exhibited in abundance, although 

 the dahlia, sweet-pea, tiger-lily, stock and 

 numerous other flowers all had a part In 

 making the Armories a bower of beauty. 



The flowers were so neatly arranged as to 

 show to wonderful effect the luxuriance of 

 their growth and fine variety of tone and 

 color. The display of the school children 

 Is worthy of special mention, as their efforts 

 have never been greater and their display 

 never larger. Mr. W. H. Nicholson's ex- 

 hibit tor the CK)ld Medal was a splendid 

 contribution, with about 70 gladioli on dis- 

 play. The door receipts were for the bene- 

 fit of the Patriotic Fund. It was decided by 

 the directors to sell all cut bloom at the 

 close of the exhibition, the proceeds also to 

 be given to the Patriotic Fund. 



I am much pleased with The Canadian 

 Horticulturist, and find It very Instructive. 

 —C. N. 'Holdsworth, Barrie, Ont. 



