ONTARIO GROWERS IN COUNCIL. 



also radishes, asparagus, lettuce and tomatoes. Lettuee 

 was ready for picking in the open field by New Years in 

 a few cases, but it ordinarily comes on from one to three 



Fig. 7. The Spinage Nurse. 



months later. It is sown directly in the field in Septem- 

 ber, or the winter crop may be grown entirely under 

 cold frames. Tomatoes are grown much less than 

 formerly because of the competition of the southern 

 states. Mr. Cox tells me that when he first went to 

 Norfolk, the early tomatoes brought from $4 to $10 per 

 bushel, and cucumbers sold for I40 and $50 per barrel. 

 Cucumbers are yet very largely grown. Melons are an 

 important crop. They are planted from the last of 

 March to the first of May. Beans are much grown, the 

 first crop being planted about the last of March. 

 Mohawk and Speckled Valentine are the most popular 

 kinds. There is profit in egg-plants, but the potato bugs 

 attack them so greedily that they are not much grown. 

 Asparagus culture appears to be profitable. Some grow 

 a crop of kale between the rows in winter. 



An interesting example of the extent to which these 

 truckers avoid the cold winds is afforded in the manner 

 in which some growers protect the young spinage. The 

 early sown spinage attains sufficient size before the cold 

 weather comes to pass the winter in safety. A few 

 weeks after this is sown, a second crop is soivn upon the 

 south side of the row and about a foot from it (Fig. 7). 

 The older row then protects the younger one. A large 

 field of this spinage, double-cropped, was being culti- 

 vated when I visited Mr. Cox upon the last day of the 

 year. For the same reason, radishes are sometimes 

 sown upon the south side of rows of peas. Mr. Cox 

 called my attention to an interesting rotation — little 

 used, however — in which five different crops are grown 

 and taken from the land between January and Decem- 

 ber. Peas are first planted. Upon the south side of 

 the pea rows, radishes are sown. Cucumbers are later 

 planted between the rows. When the peas and radishes 

 are removed, corn is planted in their places ; and at the 

 last cultivation of corn, the cucumbers having been 

 removed, turnips are sown broadcast. Corn is used to 

 piece out the season in an interesting manner. It is 

 planted all the way from May to August, whenever a field 

 becomes vacant. The late corn is used mostly for field. 



Unquestionably, trucking is profitable at Norfolk, but 

 it has its uncertainties. The weather is the controlling 

 factor.? 'The winter crops are sometimes seriously in- 

 jured by a sudden cold snap, so that there is an element 

 of venture in the business. But there are few regions 

 which are so peculiarly adapted to the profitable grow- 

 ing of vegetables as this. And the industry has but just 

 begun. 



New York. L. H. Bailey. 



ONTARIO GROWERS IN COUNCIL. 



IT WAS a large and enthusiastic gathering in 

 the Hamilton City hall on December 16 to 

 18, 3890. No wonder either, for the asso- 

 ciation brags of having a boiia-fide paid-up 

 membership of 2, 100. In the customary address, 

 president A. M. Smith says the poor fruit crops of 

 the past two seasons teach us that it is not safe to 

 depend on one thing alone, urges increased planting 

 for home use, desires improvement in the business 

 methods of the Canadian express companies, and 

 tells of Prof. Saunders' efforts to bring out hardier 

 small fruits, especially raspberries, and that there 

 is now a fair promise of the introduction of many 

 new sorts greatly superior to many now largely 

 grown. 



Among new fruits. Secretary Woolverton's report 

 mentions especially the Clark cherry, which has a fall- 

 bearing habit, and the Williams strawberry, which is 

 large and very productive. 



The following officers were elected : president, J. 



A. Morton, of Wingham ; vice-president, A. H. Pettit, 

 of Grimsby ; secretary, L. Woolverton, of Grimsby. 



The scheme of government inspection of fruits, which 

 A. H. Pettit advocates in his paper on " Our Fruit 

 Markets," appears impracticable to the outsider, but 

 the majority of members, among them the apple 

 expert, A. McD. Allan, thinks it very desirable to 

 establish a standard of quality, and have this standard 

 guaranteed for each package by the official stamp (No. 

 I or No. 2, as the case may be) of a government inspec- 

 tor. So the question was referred to a committee, and 

 will be put before the Dominion government for legisla- 

 tive action. The disposition to look to the government 

 and legal enactments for relief in every difficulty crops 

 out very prominently in all the proceedings of the 

 Ontario fruit growers, while in .\merican societies 

 this is rarely the case. The cause of this is obvi- 

 ously the greater weight and importance which the 

 Canadian government attaches to the desires and needs 

 of the horticultural professions. At least it so appears 

 from the confident tone of the members in the dis" 

 cussions of such questions, and so it appeared from the 



