494 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  ANt)  UOTTAGE  GARUEHER.  June  4,  19C3. 
The  “Daffodil  King’’  on  Tour— No.  2. 
{Continued  from  page  466.) 
Having  visited  Boston,  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Albany, 
Rochester,  Buffalo,  and  Niagara,  Mr.  Barr  proceeded  to  Canadian 
territory,  and  at  Toronto,  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario,  he  saw  much  that  was  of  interest.  Toronto  is  a  well 
laid  out  city,  and,  according  to  our  respondent,  is  likely,  in 
the  no  distant  future,  to  become  the  residential  place  for  the 
leisured  classes  of  the  United  States.  Lying  on  one  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  its  climate  is  mild,  and  it  posse.sses  many  good 
parks.  These  are  under  the  control  of  Mr.  John  Chambers, 
and  possibly  by  tliis  time  (continued  Mr.  Barr  at  our  interview) 
be  has  got  the  concession  to  widen  the  river  to  make  it  an  attrac¬ 
tion  for  boating,  as  the  lake  was  considered  treacherous.  It  is 
at  Toronto  that  Mr.  John  H.  Dunlop  has  his  extensive  glass 
nurseries,  devoted  mainly  to  the  market  culture  of  Roses,  Car¬ 
nations,  Chrysanthemums,  Violets,  Lilies,  and  a  few  other  sub¬ 
jects.  As  cut  flowers  his  supplies  are  mostly  sent  to  cities  in  . 
the  United  States,  as  mentioned  in  the  first  instalment  of  these 
notes. 
Canada. 
At  Ottawa  are  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  a  grand  block 
of  buildings  they  are,  evidently  having  been  erected  regardless 
of  expense.  The  town  is  growing,  and  doubtless  in  course  of 
time  will  become  a  fine  city.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  good  work 
going  on  of  a  botanical  character,  and  experiment.s  in  regard  to 
forestry.  In  its  forestry,  Mr.  Barr,  in  1898,  considered  Canada 
ten  years  ahead  of  the  United  States.  Shown  the  experimental 
forestry  department,  he  asked  the  gentleman  in  charge  what  his 
views  were  in  regard  to  the  making  of  forests,  and  was  informed 
that  many  species  of  trees  (i.e.,  mixed  foi'ests)  were  the  desi¬ 
derata,  for  the  reason  that  insects  may  attack  one  species  and 
rot  another  in  mixed  plantations,  besicles  which,  the  mixture  of 
species  places  a  serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  their  rapid  pro¬ 
pagation  or  concentration.  On  these  principles  the  forestry 
expert  Avas  in  favour  of  the  reafforestation  of  Canada.  Talk¬ 
ing  of  the  need  for  reafforestation,  Mr.  Barr  instanced  the 
A'alley  of  the  Huclson  River,  which  seventy  years  ago — aye,  .sixty, 
even  fifty — the  most  magnificent  timber  that  found  its  Avay  to 
the  Clyde  .shipbuilding  yards  came'  from  here;  but  noAv  there  is 
scarcely  a  piece  of  valuable  timber  to  be  found.  Tlie  history  of 
the  demolition  of  the  original  fore.sts  Avas  this :  The  GoA^ernment 
rented  out  the  places  to  a  lumberer,  Avho  cut  doAvn  Avhat  he 
considered  the  very  finest  timber.  This  lumberer  sells  his 
interest  to  another  man  at  an  enhanced  price,  Avho  takes  out 
Avhat  he  considers  the  pick  of  the  Avood,  and  Avhen  done,  places 
it  in  the  hands  of  a  third  party,  still  at  an  enhanced  A-alue,  and 
ultimately  the  fine  forest  becomes  reduced  to  mere  scrub Avoqd; 
yet  even  then  the  demand  for  timber  raises  its  preceding  price. 
The  hard  MajAles  are  noAv  nearly  demolished,  and  .sugar-making 
from  Maples  Avill  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past  in  many  laarts  of 
Canada. 
Montreal,  the  home  of  Lord  Strathcona,  takes  the  traveller 
still  further  north  into  Canadian  territory,  and  on  the  hills  that 
overlook  the  city  on  one  side,  an  enchanting  view  is  obtained 
of  the  country  for  miles  around.  Montreal  AAas  visited  Avhen  the 
landscape  Avas  covered  Avith  snoAV,  but  the  itinerant  noticed  that 
the  toAvn  Avas  full  of  life,  and  possesses  handsome  suburbs  and 
residences.  Lastly,  Mr.  Barr  speaks  of  Quebec,  Avhich  he 
characterised  as  “an  old-fashioned,  ‘  dead-and-aliA^e  ’  town,”  of 
much  intere.st  to  the  historian  and  archaeologist,  but  of  no  im¬ 
portance  to  the  commercial-minded  person.  The  most  remark¬ 
able  feature  about  it  is  its  handsome,  commodious  hotel.  During 
the  past  forty  years  Quebec  has  been  on  the  Avane,  mainly  OAving 
to  the  more  enterpri.sing  character  of  Montreal,  Avhich  appears 
to  absorb  the  commercial  element  of  the  proA’ince,  and  possibly 
there  may  haA^e  been  a  little  boycotting  on  the  part  of  the 
French  section.  Mr.  Barr’s  younger  brother  lies  buried  here, 
and  on  a  Ausit  to  the  cemetery,  our  narrator  was  informed  in 
ansAver  to  a  query  of  the  superintendent,  that  burials  in  that 
particular  place  are  noAV  feAV,  as  “  the  Protestant  section  of  the 
community  had  mostly  taken  their  departure  from  Quebec.” 
Hamilton  is  a  busy  Tittle  town;  London  is  charming;  and 
Windsor  (each  in  Canada)  has  great  prospects  of  development. 
Here  Walker’s  Rye  Avhisky  is  made,  and  a  good  deal  of  Grapes 
groAvn  for  Avine  making.  The  C'alaba  Avine  is  good.  And  so  here 
Ave  leave  Canada. 
Washington. 
The  city  of  Washington  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  finest  in 
the  United  States,  Avitli  a  Avinter  climate  admirably  suited  for 
the  most  delicate  constitutions.  It  is  laid  out  in  very  fine  style, 
though  made  from  the  roughest  materials  of  which  a  city  was 
ever  formed.  Here  is  the  seat  of  the  Government  of  the  U.S.A., 
and  once  a  Aveek  the  President  sits  in  audience  to  receive  and 
shake  hands  Avith  visitors  avIio  attend  hi.s  levees  at  the  White 
House.  Washington  is  quite  expected  to  be  the  resort  of  the 
millionaires  and  other  Avealthy  people  Avhen  Parliament  is 
sitting;  in  fact,  says  Mr.  Barr,  “  They  Avill  talk  of  the  Washing¬ 
ton  season  just  asAve  talk  of  the  Lonelon  season.”  The  District  of 
Columbia,  is  .set  apart  for,  and  controlled  by  the  Federal  Govern¬ 
ment,  and  no  one  living  in  Washington  has  a  vote.  The  civil 
servants  are  alloAved  free  travelling  tickets  to  travel  over  the 
raihvays  in  order  to  vote  in  their  OAvn  native  States,  but  the 
State  of  D.C.  itself  is  regarded  as  neutral  in  politics. 
The  Agricultural  Department  is  a  perfect  beehive  of  scientific 
men,  each  deA’oted  to  his  oaa'ji  particular  line.  ’  The  head  of  the 
pomolcgical  department  is  mov’able,  according  at  the  pleasure  of 
the  President  of  the  U.S.,  but  the  permanent  secretary  and  other 
officials  are  not.  The  Government  agricultural  establishment  at 
Washington  is  not  one  of  those  great  imposing  buildings  one 
might  naturally  imagine  it  to  be,  nor  concisely  organised.  It  is 
a  series  of  buildings  that  has  come  into  use  Avith  the  increase  of 
the  department.  Inquiring  of  Mr.  Taylor,  of  the  Pathological 
section,  about  Peach  YelloAvs,  Mr.  Barr  Avas  informed  that  the 
State  inspectors  have  poAvers  to  prosecute  fruit  groAvers  when 
the  di.sease  appears  on  their  trees  unless  they  arq  at  once  ready 
to  liaA’e  the  stoek  destroyed.  If  a  man  has  been  notified,  and  he 
fails  to  comply,  the  State  representative  has  power  to  remoA’e 
the  trees  at  their  oAvner’s  expense.  In  1898,  and  for  some  years 
previously,  the  number  of  affected  trees  in  the  State  of  Michigan 
did  net  amount  to  five  per  cent. 
Amongst  the  agricultural  departments  there  is  an  office  for 
forestry,  another  for  the  study  of  injurious  insects,  Avith  the 
pomological  and  pathological  sections,  and  several  others.  In 
1898  an  agitation  Avas  being  made  in  order  to  secure  the  ap¬ 
pointment  of  a  man  Avho  Avould  devote  his  Avhole  thought  to  the 
subject  of  hybridisation.  Mr.  Webber,  a  notable  scientist  at  the 
Americian  Hybridisation  Conference,  does  a  little  hybridisation 
on  his  OAvn  account,  but  a  department  had  not  yet  been  estab¬ 
lished.  One  gentleman  is  allotted  to  discoA’er  the  merits, 
qualities,  and  uses  of  seeds,  bulbs,  or  plants  not  grown  in 
America,  and  to  introduce  the  same  to  the  States  Avhere  they 
are  likely  to  be  successful.  “  The  object  of  this,”  says  Mr.  Barr, 
‘•'is  to  make  the  U.S.  a  self-contained  countrj'.”  The  Smithonian 
Institute,  the  gift  of  an  English  gentleman,  is  at  Washington, 
and  to  Avhich  every  patriotic  citizen  of  America  tries  to  seqd 
some  relic  or  object  of  special  interest. 
The  Washington  Botanic  Garden  is  nothing  to  boast  of,  and 
it  is  exijected  that  Avithin  a  feAV  years  it  Avill  be  utilised  to  improve 
the  entrance  to  the  Capitol.  Mr.  Smith,  the  curator,  has  pre¬ 
sided  over  the  garden  from  its  earliest  days  to  the  present,  and 
is  ably  supported  by  that  clever  gardener,  Mr.  OliA^er,  Avho  Avon 
the  essay  prize  offered  by  “  American  Gardening  ”  for  the  best 
paper  on  “  Hybridisation.” 
Baltimore  is  remarkable  for  having  the  finest  hospital  in  the 
Avorld,  built  by  the  money  left  by  a  John  Hopkins,  and  is  named 
the  Hopkins  Hospital.  Prior  to  its  erection,  a  commission  Avas 
sent  throughout  Europe  to  visit  the  notable  hospitals,  and  the 
best  features  of  these  Avere  taken  and  utilised  in  the  Baltimore 
building,  so  that  it  may  well  lay  claim  to  be  the  finest  in  the 
world.  A  few  years  ago  Sir  Michael  Foster  lectured  to  the 
students,  and  propounded  the  doctrine  that  the  old  system  of 
making  doctors,  by  each  man  being  responsible  for  his  apprentice, 
Avas  better  than  the  present,  of  licensing  doctors  by  exami¬ 
nations  only.  Mr.  Hopkins  left  his  housei  and  garden  to  the 
pAiblic,  and  these  are  maintained,  besides  Avhich  they  liaAm  a  large 
public  park  with  a  considerable  lake,  and  the  most  conspicuous 
statue  in  this  ground,  adds  Mr.  Barr,  with  national  pride,  is  one 
erected  to  the  memory  of  Sir  William  Wallace,  of  early  Scottish 
fame. 
Pittsburg  has  been  referred  to  as  “hell  AA’ithout  a  lid,”  and 
it  is  certainly  a  smoky,  dirty  city;  but  its  suburbs  are  superb, 
and  the  park,  Avhich  is  capped  by  a  splendid  glass  erection  (the 
gift  of  a  citizen),  aaus  then  ruled  over  by  Mr.  Wm.  Falconer, 
Avho  had  made  many  improvements  in  the  boundary  line,  the 
carriage  clriA^es,  the  bedding,  and  the  planting  generally. 
Mr.  Falconer  Avas  turning  a  large  section  of  the  great  con¬ 
servatory  into  an  aquatic  pool  for  Nymphseas.  Our  informant 
A’isited  Pittsburg  in  the^  year  that  the  Ma.sonic  gathering  took 
place,  and  the  floAver  beds  in  the  park  Avere  all  arranged  Avith 
the  various  signs  and  emblems  of  the  craft. 
Chicago  is  a  marvellous  city,  and  though  extensive  (its 
numeroiAs  buildings  nearly  all  .skyscrapers),  is  laid-out  to  occupy 
three  or  foicr  times  the  extent  of  Avhat  it  is  at  present,  being 
Avell  supplied  Avith  electric  trains.  AA'hich  carry  the  people  far 
out.  Its  parks  ate  large  and  highly  decorative,  but  there  Avas, 
according  to  our  traveller,  a  great  deal  too  much  colour,  and  ar 
the  time  of  his  A’isit  there  Avas  a  mania  for  representing  elephants 
and  such  other  monstrosities  in  the  floAver  beds.  The  site  of 
the  recent  Chicago  Exhibition  is  utilised  as  a  park,  and  Avas  in 
course  of  making  in  1898.  The  gem  of  the  place  is  an  island 
in  the  lake,  Avhere  Ls  a  Japanese  teahouse.  The!  island  is 
Avell  planted,  and  is  delightful  in  repose,  being  connected  with 
the  mainland  by  a  bridge.  There  are  other  parks,  each  beau¬ 
tiful,  extensive,  and  .Avell  maintained.  What  struck  Mr.  Barr 
as  remarkable  in  the  gardens  about  Chicago  Avas  that.  Avhere 
there  Avere  glass  houses,  Orchids  formed  a  distinguishing 
feature.  There  are  many  gla.ss  house  market  gardens  for  t’ne 
cultWation  of  cut  flowers,  some  of  them  very  extensive. 
(To  be  continued.) 
