May 7. l8 9 8 - 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



Horticulture in Canada. 



t ■ ,hP discussion of horticulture in Canada it is perhaps best to treat of horticulture 

 ;r, w dest sense, as embracing the art and science of the cultivation of trees, 

 f s . ff n(i Dlants for both utilitarian and decorative purposes. This subject, 



Professor W. Saunders, of Ottawa, at a meeting of the Massachusetts 



wi'Hp a fif»1rl that fhp hrief oeriod of an hour will 



Recently a public park, comprising two hundred and forty acres, has been est ab- 

 iisnea at the City of St. John, occupying a commanding position overlooking the 

 turbulent waters of the Bay of Fundy. Through this park roads are being laid 

 out amidst charming and, in some places, rugged scenery. This must in time 

 become a most attractive place of resort. 



stated rroicbsui tt. ^ , — ,7, - - . ? . , r , ... . The Province of Quebec, with an area of two hundred and twenty-seven 



orticultural Society, covers so wide a field that the brief period of an hour wiU thousand square miles, and a population of about one and a-half million, is also 

 admit of touching on but a few of its more important features ^ ^ ^^ roakin g Progress in horticulture 7 In the valley of the St. Lawrence there are 

 of presenting these ma clear and intelligent manner, he first gave a very short many hne orchards, and nowhere does the celebrated Fameuse apple reach so 

 sketch of the country whose horticultural progress he had undertaken to outline. high a degree of perfection as on the Island of Montreal, where many varieties of 



pears also, and plums of fine flavour, thrive well. In the eastern townships, on 

 the south side of the River St. Lawrence, fruit growing is carried on to a consider- 

 able extent, and quantities of apples from this territory find their way to Montreal 

 or are shipped to foreign markets ; but on the interior lands, on the north side of 

 the river, only the hardier fruits succeed, and the orchards are few and small. In 

 Montreal and other cities and towns in this province, much taste is displayed in 

 the laying out of the public parks and squares, and in the ornamentation of the 

 grounds of the more wealthy members of the community. Hoiticultural societies 



a\ ProvinciaI F ruit Growers' Association have been organised, which are 

 aided by provincial funds ; annual exhibitions are held, and thus the love for the 

 cultivation of fruits and flowers is fostered. 



Description 



The Dominion of Canada consists of seven provinces, four provisional terri- 

 tories and a vast area to the north, much of which is yet unexplored. If the 

 Livelier through this country takes the train at its eastern boundary, at Halifax on 

 the broad Atlantic, he may ride with one change of cars through to the shores of 

 the Pacific, covering a distance of '3,662 miles, and all within the settled area of 

 Canada. The three most easterly provinces form a group partly surrounded and 

 more or less inteisected by the ocean, known as the Maritime Provinces. 

 Following these come the goodly provinces of Quebec and Ontario, the latter 

 stretching westward along the margins of the Great Lakes — Ontario, Erie, Huron, 

 and Superior— until its western boundary is found beyond the Lake of the Woods. 

 Here Ontario joins the 11 prairie province n of Manitoba, west of which lie the four 

 gigantic provisional territories — Assiniboia, Saskatchewan^ Alberta, and Athabasca 

 —comprising vast plains. In part of the territories a wide belt of the country, 

 lying north of the forty-ninth parallel — which forms the boundary line between the 

 United States and Canada— has a dry climate, caused by the hot winds which 

 blow northward from the great American desert. But beyond the spent force of 

 these hot currents, beginning from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred 

 and seventy-five miles north of the boundary, we find immense partly wooded 

 areas, watered by streams flowing northward, with a soil wonderfully rich and 

 fertile and with conditions favourable for mixed farming, especially for the raising 

 of cattle and for dairying. Still further west stands British Columbia with its sea 

 of mountains enclosing an area abounding in minerals, coal, and lumber. Its 

 waters teem with fish, and some of the fertile valleys are being fast converted 

 into smiling fields of grain and prolific orchards. 



Let us touch briefly on the conditions found in each of the divisions of this 

 your neighbouring country, and note the indications of horticultural progress. 

 Prince Edward Island, the smallest of the provinces of Canada, has an area of 

 2,133 square miles, is one hundred and fifty miles long, and varies from nine to 

 thirty miles in width, and has a population of one hundred and ten thousand. This 

 island has a fertile soil ; the climate is cool and bracing in summer, but rather 

 severe in winter. Many varieties of apples, plums, and cherries succeed well 

 there, and gooseberries, currants, and other small fruits are produced in abun- 

 dance ; but the winter season is too severe to admit of growing the more tender 

 fruits successfully. The cultivation of flowers is very general, especially in the 

 cities and towns, in which many avenues of stately trees are found, most of which 

 are European. So also are the shrubs which decorate the grounds about rural 

 and city homes. The number of varieties of trees grown are few, and in shrubs 

 one notices the absence of many beautiful forms which are grown very successfully in 

 other provinces, and which will, no doubt, when introduced, do well here. Horticul- 

 ture is encouraged by the holding of exhibitions of fruits and flowers in the capital at 

 Charlottetown and elsewhere, which are assisted by grants from the provincial 

 treasury. There is a fine park in Charlottetown, comprising about one hundred 

 and tifty acres, with beautiful drives through the wooded areas and along the sea- 

 shore—a cool and delightful place of resort for the citizens throughout the 

 summer months. & 



Across the Northumberland Straits from Charlottetown, some thirty miles 

 distant, lies the province of Nova Scotia, with its twenty thousand five hundred 

 and fifty square miles of area, and a population of four hundred and fifty-one 

 thousand. The climate of the eastern part of this province is mild and well 



SrrL %l g A rowin g of "?f n y varietie * of fruit of high quality and in great 



a J he . Anna P° h . s valley, so well known as the scene of Longfellow's 



2„! a • 21810 ^? m \^ s P ecial, y ada P ted b y climate and situation for fruit 

 g owing, and is rapidly being converted into a vast orchard where the choicest 



X* vin aPP Pe - arS ' p]u ™\ anc l cherries 8 low in the S reates t abundance. In 

 mis vallev there is a snprwl c/*v«r^i \^^\^,u. «m 



pro- 



growth of fruits, ornamental 

 ong the beautiful scenes in 



shrubs, 

 that 



thic trolls.. *U s " . ; T *> ' "* rtUUUUdilU 



■in,; J y ♦ "u 13 a s P eciaI 501,001 of Pomiculture, receiving a liberal 

 Z \Jl™t * h « e .P^tical training is given to students in the propagation 



trees, and flowers. To drive 

 covert ki • ", .• ~ charming valley, when the trees 



go den C in T m % m thC Sprin §', 5. When their braDches are I* ndant *"h 

 goiaen fruit in the autumn, is a delight not soon to be forgotten There are 



SS-faU? and* ST ^ ^7 , ^ WhCre frUk CultUfe ?s i7 r W on very 

 SSS 7 * T& ??° rtS ° f ft* fr ° m . thU pr ° vinCe are lar g e and constantly 

 by Sda^ funH? - GrOW f r S Asso ? atlon of Nov * Scotia, which is also aided 

 intervals SSL a » " / st u ron g. *nd active organisation, holding meetings at 

 and oThl K g u he y r Car f °. r the dlscussi °n of subjects relating to fruit growing 

 h ,h° ? l^_ eS ° f horticulture, and the information brought out is oSSed 



Association. During the past 



am tnlrl k„W •* «wuc live nunurea mousana Darrels. borne of this fruit I 



tO be much Qnnr., are said 



about two hundS 1 »nJ \» Halifax there are several parks, including in all 

 ' een acres are ,1c Clghty ^ T 5 e PubUc Gardens, containing about 

 I mos IvEur * VC 1 attract,v ^ ^d contain some excellent specimens of 

 i e S nlL E " 0pe f an T ' and man ,y va " eties of sh ™bs and conifers, inemding s ome 



trees 

 choice 



<-uuice soecimpnc ~r>f f 4* • ««u wuucu, including s 



andC. *lZn<„\ Japanese KeUnosporas, notably of 



Cha??i(vcy parts plit??iosa 



here, and Ce of Z *J«* ^Ta **> ta»™tes 



has b^Z^td^A^ ' are . ma , r g ined wit ^ ^ P^tty plant, whica 

 Truro and other sm^ler ' W?™* m ^ patches in the P ub,ic Parks. 

 ^ the t^tMiZ^^S rL T ^ t0 ^ M W ^ ° f Halifax are emulating the capital 



embellishing tfS T homes wi ] h avenues of trees ^ and 



& "ieir nomes with groups of choice shrubs and beds of flowers. 



d Ontario 



thousand sn 



Scot: 



the climate is not so 

 sister province of Nova 



John ,iver, the S£Jf7 ^ successfjll y established in the valley of the St. 

 cultivation 0 f Ci^ a re chiefly of the hardier sorts, and the 



abundance ™a i lrul . ts 15 not general. Small fruits, however, are arnwn in 



Ontario is the Banner province of the Dominion, and its wonderful variety of 

 climate and rich horticultural possibilities are as yet but partially known. With 

 the noble area of two hundred and twenty thousand square miles, and a population 

 of two million one hundred and fifteen thousand, this province has twelve and a 

 half million acres of cleared land, about three hundred and twenty thousand 

 acres of which are under orchard, garden, and vineyard. The number 

 of apple trees of bearing age in this province is about six millions, 

 while there are three and a half million more of younger trees, most 

 of which will soon be in bearing condition. The yield of apples in 1896 was 

 very large, and is estimated at fifty-six million bushels. In the Niagara peninsula, 

 and along the shores of the western part of Lake Erie peaches are grown very 

 successfully, and there are said to be over half a million peach trees planted in 

 that part of Canada. Grapes, also, are grown in immense quantities. There are 

 about three million of bearing grape vines in Ontario, producing annually about 

 fifteen million pounds of grapes. There are also large orchards of pears, plums, 

 and cherries, so that Canadian markets are well supplied with home-grown fruits 

 of excellent quality throughout the season, and a large quantity of apples is 

 exported to Great Britain. During the past year more than two million 

 barrels were exported from Montreal. Ontario also sends large supplies of fruit 

 to the prairie districts in the west. A thriving organisation, known as the 

 Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, has been in existence for the 

 past twenty-eight years, and has done much to stimulate fruit grow- 

 ing throughout the province, and also to cultivate a taste for orna- 

 mental trees, shrubs, and flowers. This association receives a liberal 

 annual grant from the provincial funds. The large display of fruit and flowers at 

 the leading annual exhibitions helps to draw further attention to these interesting 

 and important subjects. The Ontario Government also gives annual grants 

 towards the support of horticultural societies, which are established in most of the 

 towns and cities of the province. Under this stimulus frequent floral exhibitions 

 have been held, and the people have been led to vie with each other in beautifying 

 their homes by the planting of trees and flowers, Many large floral establishments 

 are well supported by lovers of flowers. In the cities and larger towns public 

 parks have been established, valuable not only as health resorts, but as repositories 

 for some of Nature's choicest arboreal gifts. Horticu'ture also forms an important 

 part in the curriculum of the Ontario College of Agriculture, which is located at 



Guelph. 



Manitoba and Columbia. 



Adjoining Ontario at its western extremity is the province of Manitoba, with 

 sixty-four thousand square miles of territory and a population of one hundred and 

 fifty-two thousand. Here the climatic conditions are too severe to admit of the 

 rapid extension of horticulture. The larger fruits are not successfully grown, 

 but many of the small fruits are produced in abundance. The people are every- 

 where fond of flowers, and the long days and abundance of sunshine in the 

 summer months give a wealth of bloom to many annuals and hardy perennials 

 unknown in eastern climates. Westward of Manitoba lie the four organised 

 territories of the Canadian North-West — Assiniboia, with an area of eighty-eight 

 thousand square miles ; Saskatchewan, one hundred and one thousand ; Alberta, 

 one hundred and five thousand ; and Athabasca, one hundred and three thousand. 

 These great divisions extend from the western boundary of Manitoba to the Rocky 

 Mountains, are partly traversed by railways, which have opened up the country 

 for settlement, and a sparse population of from fifty thousand to sixty thousand 

 people is scattered here and there throughout this very large area. The love of 

 trees, shrubs, and flowers is universal on the plains, and luxuriant gardens full of 

 bloom are frequently found among the settlers. In the country to tlie north^ie 

 the unsurveyed and but partly explored districts, occupied only as yet by widely 

 distant trading posts and occasional settlers, but mainly in possession of Indians 

 and fur-traders. In this wide expanse are included the districts of Ungava, 

 Keewatin, Franklin, Mackenzie, and Yukon, comprising in all about a million and 

 a-half square miles, exclusive of the water areas. 



The most westerly province, British Columbia, includes three hundred and 

 eighty-two thousand square miles, and has a population of about one hundred and 

 twenty five thousand. In the busy mining districts not much attention is paid to 

 horticulture, but west to the Coast Range of mountains, where the climate is mild 

 and genial, much like that of England, fruits and flowers grow in profusion. 

 There the holly, laurel, rhododendron, and yew flourish with the apple, pear, 

 plum, and cherry, and in some localities, the peach. In those parts of the province 

 between the Coast Range and the Rockies there are many fine valleys, some of 

 which have not sufficient rainfall to admit of the successful cultivation^ either of 

 grain or fruit without irrigation. There are, however, many mountain streams 

 available for this purpose, and on some of the ranches very fine apples are grown. 

 The taste for flowers is almost universal, and the long, mild season permits of 



Vancouver and 



season 



Bost 



cities, with 



good 



Association, assisted by a grant from the public purse, and exh 

 and flowers are held annually in the larger towns and cities. 

 Victoria have both very fine public parks. 



Experimental Farms. 



The progress of horticulture, as well as agriculture, throughout Canada has 

 been greatly stimulated by the organisation and maintenance of experimental 

 farms by the Dominion Government. Ten years ago this good work was begun, 

 and while the greater attention has been given to measures looking towards the 

 improvement of farming, many lines of horticultural work have been vigorously 

 prosecuted. These experimental farms are five in number, the central or principal 



