November, 1915. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



259 



When fruit growers receive fifteen cents 

 net for their apples on the tree, as has been 

 the case in British Columbia, and see that 

 fruit sold later for one dollar and fifty cents 

 to two dollars a box, it is not to be wondered 

 at that further production has been dis- 

 couraged, and that a demand has arisen for 

 the appointment of a commission to investi- 

 gate fruit marketing methods. 



There are so many lines of work which 

 can be conducted by horticultural societies, 

 an effort should be made by many societies 

 to extend the Sphere of their activities. 

 There is a tendency among a considerable 

 n.umber of societies to confine their activi- 

 ties largely to the distribution of premiums 

 and the holding of an occasional meeting or 

 exhibition. Suggestions for other lines of 

 work, which would help to make the society 

 more useful and popular, may be obtained 

 from the aniual report of The Ontario Hor- 

 ticultural Association. 



The success of the local horticultural so- 

 cieties of Ontario and branches of the Or,- 

 tario Vegetable Growers' Association are 

 dependent in a large measure upon the ac- 

 tivities of their provincial organizations, the 

 Ontario Horticultural Association and the 

 Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association. As 

 the annual convep,tions of both of these or- 

 ganizations will be held during the second 

 week of November, the local organizations 

 should have delegates in attendance at them. 



As thousands of ships which ,ir, former 

 years were engaged in the transportation of 

 the world's products from port to port, have 

 been driven from the seas as a result of the 

 European war, or have been sunk in con- 

 nection therewith, it is not to be wondered 

 at that there is a shortage of suitable steam- 

 ers available for the carrying of the Cana- 

 dian and American apple crop to the ports 

 of Europe. This is r^aturally adding to the 

 difficulty of marketing this year's crop. Even 

 where the best of care is exercised, the 

 danger of loss in shipping abroad this year 

 will be much greater than usual. Special 

 efforts, therefore, should be made to mar- 

 ket as much of the orop as possible on the 

 home markets. 



PUBLISHER'S DESK m 



Our front cover illustration this month 

 shows the benteficial eftects of the use of the 

 Skinner system of irrigation. It should add 

 to the interest taken in the article by Prof. 

 T. G. iBuntin^g, of Macdonald College, pub- 

 lished on page 251 describing this system, 

 based upon results obtained from its use at 

 Macdonald College. 



* * » 



For thirty-eight years The Canadian Hor- 

 ticulturist has been the only publication in 

 Canada devoted exclusively to the horticul- 

 tural interests. This record speaks for li- 

 self. From time to time efforts have been 

 made to publish papers relating to horticul- 

 ture, but these ultimately have met with 

 disaster, or later the character of the med- 

 iums has been so altered as to considerably 

 modify the purpose for which they were es- 

 tablished. This has not been due to any 

 lack of ability on the part of those who have 

 been behind these enterprises, but to con- 

 ditions over which they had no control. The 

 fruit interests of Canada, for instaace, are 

 mainly centered in the Annapolis Valley of 

 Nova Scotia, the counties in old Ontario 

 bordering the Great i.akes, and in the val- 

 leys of British Columhia. The mere state- 

 ment of the conditions explains the difficulty 

 coiineeted with the establishment of a paper 

 that will reach all these fields. A few years 

 ago "The F'ruit Magazine" was launched in 

 British Columbia. This magazine has under- 

 gone several changes of ownership, as well 

 as changes in name. It is now known as 

 "Fruit and Farm," it having been found 

 necessary to add the farm interests to its 

 field of operation. Nine years ago The 

 PYuit Grower and Farmer was established 

 at Grimbsy, Ontario. Th.is little publication 

 was first published weekly, and later semi- 

 monthly. It has been doing good work in 

 the Niagara fruit district, but has recently 

 suspended publication until after the war. 

 Last spring a publication known as Garder, 

 Life was launched in Montreal. It was a 



creditable publication, but lasted only three 

 issues. In Nova Scotia, good work .is being 

 done by The Co-operative News, which, 

 while horticultural .in character, is largely 

 devoted to the extension of co-operative ef- 

 fort among fruit growers, it being published 

 by The United Fruit Companies of Nova 

 Scotia, iLimited. The fact that for thirty- 

 eight years The Caaadian Horticulturist has 

 remained true to its field and has Shown 

 consistent improvement throughout all that 

 period, is an indication of the hold The 

 Canadian Horticulturist has among those 

 who are identified with the horticultural in- 

 terests of Canada. 



• • * 



lOn page 256 of this issue of The Canadian 

 Horticulturist is an article dealiag with a 

 suggestion that haJs been made, that some 

 certain flower be selected as our National 

 Floral Emblem. As at is to be expected, 

 there is a difference of opinion as to which 

 flower it should be. If you have any pre- 

 ference we invite you to express it through 

 the columns of The Canadian Horticulturist. 

 A full discussion should prove beneficial to 

 all .interested in the growing of flowers- 



Dundas 



A flower Club was formed here this year 

 among the pupils of the DundaJs Public 

 School. Over twenty dollars' worth of seeds 

 and plants were distributed to about one 

 hundred and fifty pupils. These consisted 

 of asters, phlox drummondi, nasturtiums 

 and geraniums. The teachers visited many 

 of the gardens and in nine cases out of ten 

 found that they were a great success and 

 that both the children, and parents were 

 proud of them. 



iPrizes, consisting of bulbs, have been 

 given to the children having the best flowers 

 and plants raised in these gardens. The 

 citizens' committee connected with Dundas 

 park generously donated ten dollars worth 

 of bulbs as prizes. 



Exhibitions of flowers by horticultural societies accomplish much good. The June show of the London, Ont, Horticultural Society i.s here shown. 



