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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The Ontario Horticultural Exhibition and Convention 
Great Display of Fruits and Vegetables--Important Addresses • 
[special report for national nurseryman.] 
The Horticultural Exhibition held in Massey Hall, Toronto, from 14th 
to 18th of November, was acknowledged by all who saw it to be the 
finest display of fruits, flowers, and vegetables ever got together on the 
Continent, and united with this exhibition there was an exhibition put 
up by the Bee Keepers’ of the Province.—[Strong claim.—E d.] 
The generous prizes offered brought out strong competition in nearly 
all classes of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and special 
encourgement was given to the commercial exhibits of fruits put 
up in boxes and barrels ready for shipment. The Ontario Fruit 
Experiment Stations, of which there are fourteen in number, 
also contributed largely to the display and made valuable 
educational exhibits showing fruits which have been found 
most desirable in the various parts of the Province; and in many cases 
also samples were shown of those which have been tested and proved 
uusutiable in various sections. The desirable varieties were mosely 
exhibited in large pyramids and were labelled with large placards calling 
attention to their A^alue for home use or market. An excellent exhibit 
of fruits was also shown by the Dominion Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 
and the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. A valuable educational 
feature of the College exhibit was the display of insects and fungus dis¬ 
eases affecting garden and orchard crops. 
FINE VEGETABLES AND BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. 
The display of vegetables was exceptionally fine for this season of the 
year and in nearly every one of the 60 sections on the prize list, There 
was keen competition and good specimens shown. This is the first 
time that the Vegetable Growers have made an exhibit at the winter 
show, and the excellence of this winter display is evidence that this 
feature of the Exhibition will readily develop. 
The Toronto gardeners and florists have long been noted for the 
excellence of the exhibits which they have been making from year to 
year in their annual chrysanthemum show. This year they seem to 
have beaten their record, and the beautiful display of chrysanthemums, 
carnations, begonias, orchids, ferns and palms interspersed with the 
fruit exhibits throughout the building made Massey Hall a dream of 
fairyland. 
One of the Horticultural features which attracted great attention 
was the table decorations. These have come to be one of the promin¬ 
ent features of the exhibition, and the taste shown in the tables set by 
Half dozen of more exhibitors called forth unstinted praise from all 
present. 
ADDRESSES BY PROMINENT SPEAKERS. 
In connection with the Horticultural Exhibition, meetings were held 
throughout the week at which important subjects were discussed rela¬ 
tive to the different branches of horticulture. The Ontario Fruit-grow¬ 
ers held two days convention, at which addresses were' delivered by the 
Hon. Sidney Fisher, Minister of Agriculture for the Dominion, and the 
Hon. Nelson Monteith, Minister of Agriculture for Ontario. Addresses 
were given which included such subjects as cultivation, cover crops, 
spraying, grading, packing, shipping, marketing, and also the Canadian 
Tariff on fruits coming into the country. 
Mr. A. N. Brown, of Wyoming, Delaware, gave valuable information 
on new ideas in spraying and fighting the San Jose Scale. One whole 
day was given to the work of the Fruit Experiment Stations, and the 
experimenters present gave their experience with the varieties which 
had proved most satisfactory in their experimental orchards, vineyards, 
and plantations. 
VARIETIES OF FRUITS RECOMMENDED. 
Mr. W. H. Dempsey, Trenton, spoke on the most desirable new varie¬ 
ties of apples which had appeared among the four hundred kinds he 
had under test. Among the most promising is Coo’s River Beauty, a 
variety introduced a few years ago from California. 
Mr. Harold Jones of Maitland spoke on the fruits which had proven 
hardy enough to stand the climate in the eastern part of the Province, 
which his Experiment Station represented. His most profitable va¬ 
rieties for the home or foreign market are Fameuse, McIntosh, and 
Scarlet Pippin. All of these varieties did exceptionally well in the St. 
Lawrence Valley. He is still looking for a good winter variety, hardy 
enough for that section. 
Mr. W. W. Hilborn of Leamington, from the most southerly portion 
of the Province, spoke on “Peaches for Profit,” and dwelt upon the sub¬ 
ject of pruning, thinning, and winter protection of the roots. He men¬ 
tioned the following as the most desirable varieties to cover the season 
from early to late: Alexander, St. John Bri den, New Prolific, Engol 
Mammoths. Elberta, Crosby, Kalamazoo. Golden Drop, Banner and 
Smock. 
Mr. G. C. Caston of the Craighurst Station in the northern part of the 
Province, reported upon cherries sufficiently hardy to withstand the 
climate in his section of the country. None of the sweet varieties are 
hardy enough. Among the most desirable of the sour varieties are: 
Ostheim, Orel 24, Russian 207, Bessarabian, Montmorency, and Dye- 
house. 
Mr. A. E. Sherrington of the Walkerton Experiment Station reported 
upon raspberries for profit, and took up the question of their growing 
and cultivation. He has found Herbert, a Canadian seedling originated 
a few' years ago with IL B. Whyte of Ottawa, the most productive va¬ 
riety he has yet tested. This variety has proven itself exceptionally 
hardy wherever tested, and is a valuable acquisition to the list of 
raspberries. The purple varieties, such as Columbia and Shaffer, had 
proven very productive, but were not so acceptable on the market as 
the brighter colored varieties, such as Cuthbert and Herbert. 
Mr. A. W. Peart of the Burlington district reported upon his experi¬ 
ments with currants, and discussed fully the matter of cultivation and 
pruning. Wilder, Cherry, and Pomona are his favorite red varieties. 
Saunders and Victoria the best black, and White Grape the best white 
variety. 
Mr. M. Pettit of the Niagara Peninsula took up the subject of grapes 
and gave a list of those he found most desirable for profit among the 
two hundred varieties he had under test. His choice varieties are: 
Black: Concord, Worden, Wilder, and Campbell’s Early. Red: 
Delaware, Bindley, Agawam, and Catawba. White: Niagara and 
Moore’s Diamond. 
CONFERENCE OF VEGETABLE GROWERS. 
The Vegetable Growers’ Association, which was organized last spring, 
held its first Annual Meeting in connection with the Exhibition. Mr. 
W. T. Macoun of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, gave a list 
of the varieties of vegetables which had proved most satisfactory at 
Ottawa; and Prof. Hutt of the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, 
gave a list for comparison of those which had proved most satisfactory 
at Guelph. Prof. Zavitz of Guelph reported upon his experiments in 
potato culture, and Mr. Jarvis of Guelph dealt with the insect and dis¬ 
eases affecting garden crops. The question of Commercial Fertilizers 
for the Vegetable Growers was intioduced by Prof. R. Harcourt of 
Guelph, and Vegetables under Glass was discussed by Mr. J. L. Hilborn 
of Leamington. The lively discussions which followed the addresses 
showed that the Vegetable growers were keenly on the alert for informa¬ 
tion, and the interest taken in the meetings was good evidence that 
they are bound to give their work more prominience than it has yet re¬ 
ceived in public discussions. 
NEW ASSOCIATION FORMED. 
There are throughout the Province about fifty local Horticultural 
Societies which have been doing good work in towns and cities in en¬ 
couraging amateur horticulture, especially along the line of floriculture 
and Civic Improvement. These associations w r ere organized by the 
Provincial Fruit Growers’ Association and have been so far affiliated 
with it. The delegate present at the Convention this year decided that it 
would be advisable to form an independent organization, to be known 
as the Ontario Horticultural Association. Officers were elected, and 
the Executive instructed to prepare a constitution and bylaws for 
ratification at the next meeting. Horticultural work in all its lines is 
thus well organized throughout the Province, and we look for rapid 
development in the vears to come. 
H. L. H. 
