■ ' r DOCUMENTS COLLECTION BROCK UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Brock University - University of Toronto Libraries http://archive.org/details/reportoffruitgr1882frui DOCUMENTS COLLECTION BROCK UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DOCUMENTS COLLECTION BROCK UNIVERSITY -LIBRARY • REPORT OF THE FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO, FOR THE YEAR 1882 $mtM by ®x&tv oi Hit f£ttf»lxtivt %mwW$. PRINTED BY C. BLACKETT ROBINSON, 5 JORDAN STREET. 1883. 6 6 1 p INDEX A. D. PAGE. PAGE. Acronycta repus-culina .. 276 Decay of forests .. 199 Actias luna .. 274 Denudation of the forests .. 183 Address of Governor Foster .. 147 Destruction of forests . . . . : 199 Address of President Loring 148, 174 Diptera . . . . . . .... .. 282 Address of N. H. Egleston .. 157 Directors' Report 3 Address of Emil Rothe .. 160 Discorea villosa 26 Address of Hon. M. Joly .. 167 District of Algoma 83 Address of Dr. F. B. Hough .. 169 Dolichus Japonicus 23 Adlumia cirrhosa . . 26 Dougall, John 211 ^Egeria acerin . . 271 Dragon flies .. 282 Agricultural College, fruit planting at .. 142 Droughts, floods and famine in China .. 188 Akebia quinata 23 Drummond, A. T. .. 203 Algoma, fruits in 83 Ampelopsis quinquef olia . . 23 E. Ampelopsis veitchii 23 Andrew, George L., paper by . . .. 195 Eby, Dr. A Effects of winter on trees 195 Annual meeting 2 44 Aphis caryaiia Apples, new Apples, summer Apple root plant louse Apricot Arbor-day . . . . Aristolochia sipho . . 278 80 .. 101 .. 270 71 .. 158 23 Egleston, N. H Encouragement of tree planting by law Emil Eothe Emory, S. M Eupsalis minuta Eumenes fraterna European larch .. 157 .. 234 . 160 .. 258 .. 272 .. 281 .. 236 B. Experiments in tree planting on Cape Cod .. 232 Bailey, Hon. D. H. , paper by . . .. 188 F. Beadle, D. W. paper by . . .. 266 Beal, W. J. , paper by .. 247 Fay, Joseph S. . . 232 Beall , Thomas, paper by . . Benefits of shelter 234 Fences 26 .. 266 Fertilizers for small fruits .. 116 Best timber trees .. 247 Fernow, Bernard E. .. 214 Black walnut .. 136 Forests in Germany .. 154 Broad-necked prionus .. 269 Forest Fires 177, 180, 187 Brown, Professor W., paper by .. 181 Forest and rainfall .. 181 Bryant, Arthur, paper by .. 238 Forests and health . . 190 Burson, D. C, paper by .. 238 Forest tree culture .. 253 Forest trees from seed . 266 0. Forest tent-caterpillar .. 273 Forestry in Canada . . 203 Cabbage 131, 133 Forestry in Michigan . . 248 Calosoma .. 280 Foster, Governor . . 147 Carabo .. 280 Foster, Suel. . .. 206 Catalpa, new variety . . 245 Fruit packages 29 Catalpa, speciosa .. 207 Fruit on the table 62 Cattle, injuries by. . .. 177 Fruit Garden, the 65 Cauliflower 131, 133 Fruit prospects in Lambton .. 140 Celastrus scandens 26 Fruit trees . . . . . . . . . . 199 Celery .. .. 32, 131, 133 Furnas, A. . . . . 243 Cherries 71 Chestnut, the 91 G. Cicindelidae .. 279 Clay, Cassius M., paper by .. 198 Gelechia pinifoliella . 277 Clematis, best for Ontario 21 Gooseberries 70, 127 Clematis montana . . 24 Grapes, most profitable 9 Clematis Virginiana 24 Grapes for amateurs 14 Clematis, new sorts 25 Grapes for wine making 18 Cleveland, H. W. S., paper by. . . . 223 Grapes 71 Climatic influence of trees 57 Grape growing at Oshawa . 123 Climbers, report on 22 Grapes, cultivation of . 125 Climbers deciduous 23 Grasses 198 Climbers, in-door. . 25 Growth of black walnut in Ontario 234 Clisiocampa sylvatica .. 273 Clytus speciosus .. 270 H. Coccinellidse . . 280 Coccus pinicorticis .. 273 Health and forests 190, 200 Conditions of forest growth .. 214 Hedera 23 Coppice, the, for village and farm .. 202 Hickory and walnut borer 273 Corn for table use 40 Hickory aphis 278 Culture of our native forests .. 223 Hicks, John S. 241 Currants 70, 127 Hough, Dr. F. B 169, 260 IV. How to grow forest trees from seed . . Hybernia tiliaria . . Hydrangea scandens Hymenoptera PAGE. . . 256 .. 275 23 .. 281 Ichneumon flies Insects affecting forest Ivy trees . 281 .. 268 23 J. Jasminum officinalis Joly, Hon. H. G. . . L. 24 167, 253 Lady-birds Lime tree measuring worm Little, James . . Lithocolletis hamadryadella Locust, black or yellow Lonicera Halleana Lonicera reticulata Lonicera Linensis . . Lopt^rus abbotii Loring, Hon. George B. . . .. 280 .. 275 156, 186 .. 277 .. 241 24 24 24 .. 278 148, 174 .. 274 M. Management of our native forests Maple borer Maple ^Egerian Marler, G. L Massachusetts forestry Melons .. 223 .. 270 .. 271 .. 183 157 37 Menispermum Canadense Millikin, Dr. D 26 190 Monohammus tigrinus Mytilaspis gromi corticis 273 .. 270 N. 282 New catalpa Nicol, David .. 245 .. 236 Northern Brenthian 0. .. 272 Oak-leaf miner 277 Oncideres cingulatus P, . . 273 Peaches for market Peaches for canning 41 44 75 Peach trees .. 199 47 Pears, new Periploca Graeca . . Pigeon tremex Pine leaf -miner 79 24 .. 272 .. 277 .. 199 Plums, new 77 . . 239 Poplar trees for paper Poplar dagger-moth Potatoes, new sorts Preservation of forests . . Preservation of forests from wanton de tion Presidents' address Prionus laticollis Profit of durable timber . . 252 :: %i .. 198 struc- .. 2L1 5 .. 269 .. 243 Raspberries Raspberries, new Raspberry, profitableness of Raspberries, desirable sorts Read, M. C Recommendations Re-growth of forests Renick, H Report on fruits exhibited Report on fruit packages Report on new fruits Report on fruit planting at Agricultural College Report on Forestry Congress at Cincinnati . . Report on Forestry Congress at Montreal . . Report on Forestry Roadside Fences Roadside trees Rothe Emil Russian Mulberry . . :>>7. PA&E. 54 69 95 97 202 282 199 234 112 66 67 142 145 165 181 26 92 160 238 s. Sanitary effect octrees 190, 195, 200 Saunders, William 252,268 Small fruits, fertilizers for 116 Spalding, V. M 248 Strawberries, new. . .. .. .. .. 67 Strawberries . . . . . . . . . . 84 Strawberries, profitable sorts 112 Strawberries, discussion on . . . . . . 113 Summer meeting . . . . . . . . . . 95 Summer apples . . . . . . . . . . 101 Syrphus flies 282 Tachina flies Teas, John'C. Tecoma Tiger beetles Timber trees, best Treasurer's report Trees, climatic influence of Trees, general discussion on Trees and climate Tree planting in shelter belts Tree planting Tree planting on prairies Tree planting by railroads Tree planting for railroads Tremex columba . Twig girdler Vegetables . , Von Stenben, Richard V. w. Ward, J. K Warder, Dr. John A. Watson, Prof. Sereno White pine in Canada White ash White pine saw-fly Why should we plant trees Wind-breaks on the prairies Wing, L. B Winter meeting Winter injury to fruit trees Wistaria sinensis . . Wistaria florepleno Wistaria magnifica Woolly louse of the pine . . . 282 . 245 24 . 279 . 247 4 57, 200 93 . 200 . 208 . 211 . 258 . 260 . 263 . 272 . 273 87 154 .. 187 208, 263 . . 239 156, 186 .. 238 . . 278 . . 195 . . 206 . . 266 9 44 24 24 24 .. 273 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION OF THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO, FOR THE YEAR 1882. To the Honourable the Commissioner of Agriculture : Dear Sir, — I have the honour to hand you the report of the Fruit Growers' Associa- tion of Ontario for the year 1882. The discussions have been carefully taken down by an able short-hand reporter, and will be found to contain an unusual amount of very valuable information on matters pertaining to the objects of this Association. The papers contributed by the members will be found to be full of practical information, the results often of extended experience. The Canadian Horticulturist has been enlarged to twenty-four pages, and otherwise improved, so that it is becoming a most valuable periodical and highly appreciated by the public. The membership of the Association has increased upwards of fifty per cent, during the past year. There is evidently a growing interest in the Association, and its usefulness is continually being extended. Trusting that you will be pleased with the work performed by the Association during the past year, I have the honour to be, Your most obedient servant, D. W. BEADLE, Secretary. PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, held at Kingston, 19th September, 1882. President Dempsey was in the chair. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and approved. The Directors' Report was read and received. The Treasurer's Report was read and received. The President presented his annual address, and a vote of thanks was accorded to him for it. The meeting then proceeded to the election of officers for the ensuing year. Wm. Saunders Esq., London, was elected President, and Wm. Roy Esq., Owen Sound,. Vice-President. Mr. Drury moved a nominating committee of three, carried. The President appointed Messrs. Rykert, Dunlop, and Denton, Nominating Com- mittee. The Nominating Committee retired and prepared their Report, which was presented to the meeting by Mr. Rykert. The following gentlemen were then chosen Directors : No. 1, John Croil, Aultsville; No. 2, P. E. Bucke, Ottawa ; No. 3, R. J. Dunlop, Kingston ; No. 4, P. C. Dempsey, Trenton; No. 5, Thos. Beall, Lindsay; No. 6, Geo. Leslie, Jr., Leslie; No. 7, W. EL Mills, Hamilton, who has since declined to act ; No. 8, A. M. Smith, St. Catharines ; No. 9, C. Arnold, Paris; No. 10, A. McD. Allan, Goderich; No. 11, J. M. Denton, London; No. 12. B. Gott, Ark on a ; No. 13, C. Drury, Crown Hill. The following gentlemen were chosen Auditors : John A. Bruce, Hamilton ; Angus Sutherland, Hamilton. Meeting adjourned. DIRECTORS' REPORT. To the Members oj the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario : Gentlemen, — It is with feelings of great pleasure that your Directors come before you at the close of their year's labour and present their report of the condition of the Association. During the year the membership has increased fully fifty per cent., rising from eleven hundred and ninety-eight to eighteen hundred and thirty-nine. The binding of our annual report is a great improvement, for which we are largely indebted to the deep interest which the Honourable S. C. Wood, Commissioner of Agri- culture, is taking in all matters embraced within the operations of this Association, and who feels that the information contained in these reports, is worthy of careful preservation. We have acted upon the suggestion of your Directors of last year and increased the size of the Canadian Horticulturist, to very nearly double the amount of reading matter, and added a coloured illustration to each number, thereby enhancing very materially, both the usefulness, and attractive appearance of our Monthly. We have abundant reason to believe that these changes have met with the cordial approval of our members, and that they have been important means of increasing our membership. It will be for our successors to consider whether further improvements may not be attempted, and particu- larly, whether the popularity and usefulness of our Magazine may not be still further secured. The experiment of reporting the discussions of the Winter Meeting by a shorthand reporter, proved to be so successful in securing a full and accurate report of the valuable suggestions and experiences given at those meetings, that your Directors obtained the ser- vices of the same reporter at the Summer Meeting, so that the report for 1882, will be one of the most complete and valuable ever issued. The Midsummer Meeting held at the flour- ishing town of Trenton was a great success. The attendance was remarkably large at that season, and the interest manifested in the discussions was very spirited. The Cor- poration of Trenton entertained the members with a magnificent banquet, at which the interchange of thought and of kindly feeling was continued into the morning hours. Many members availed themselves of the liberality of the Central Ontario Railway, to make an excursion to Picton and the Sand-banks, and in this way examine the capacities of that famous fruit growing country. The planting of fruit and forest trees at the Experimental Farm, Guelph, was not so extensive this year as last, but enough was done to maintain and somewhat extend the work. We are happy to be able to say that the plantations are in a thriving condition, and that with care in preserving what has been done, and making each year such additions as may be necessary to meet the requirements of horticultural progress, the institution will soon feel the benefits of this work. The financial condition of the Association is very satisfactory. Notwithstanding the increased expenditure consequent upon the enlargement and illustration of the Canadian Horticulturist, and the reporting of the discussions, we have been able to meet the de- mands upon us, and the year will close with means sufficient to meet all our liabilities. All of which is respectfully submitted. TREASURER'S REPORT. Receipts. $ cts. Members' fees 1,839 00 Government Grant 1,800 00 Advertising 17 50 3,656 50 Balance at last audit 751 83 $4,408 33 Disbursements. $ cts. Postage and Telegrams 74 22 Freight and express 13 20 Duties 39 80 Printing, binding and mailing 906 55 Directors' and Committees' Expenses 588 78 Audit, 1881 20 00 ♦ Guarantee premium 20 00 Rooms, meetings 4 00 Stationery 13 40 Advertising 20 00 Clerk 100 00 Reporting winter meeting 55 00 Plant distribution 497 28 Illustrations 331 50 Commissions collecting fees 66 15 Secretary 200 00 Editor 400 00 Balance in treasury 1,058 45 $4,408 33 Liabilities. $ cts. Printing, binding and mailing 500 00 Illustrations 225 00 Directors and committees 200 00 Audit, 1882 ' 20 00 Reporting summer meeting 35 00 Postages, express and duties 45 00 $1,025 00 We certify the above to be a correct abstract. John A. Bruce, } . ,.. Angus SutheelInd, ^«**»* PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. Members of the Fruit Growers' Association : Gentlemen, — Another year has past and it becomes my duty to address you upon the important subject of horticulture. The season has not been favourable for the fruit grower. Over the greater part of our Province, the past winter was very severe. In many places there was no snow to protect the roots of trees or plants from the effects of the severe frost. In such sections strawberries suffered, some beds being frozen so they were past any possibility of recovery. With my own, the rains that came in April and May partly restored their vigour, so that they were induced to set an abundance of fruit. The drouth that immediately followed, caused the greater part of the crop to perish. Where frequent showers continued through the season the crop was good. The raspberries were destroyed, in many localities, by a cutting frost, when in blossom. Some places where they were more favourably situated, they escaped, consequently there was a full average crop harvested. The markets having ranged high have partially compensated for the failure. APPLES AND PEARS. Never in the history of your Association was there a better prospect of an abundant crop. The bloom was simply immense, but about the first of June the foliage and em- bryo fruit was attacked by a fungus or mildew, that utterly destroyed the prospect, that a few days previous was so bright. In some sections, where 'fruit has set partially, a large per centage of samples are spotted and one-sided. Plums, peaches and cherries have suffered in like manner. But I think in my own section of the country, the result may be attributed to the frost, that the roots of those trees were so near the surface, that in the absence of snow to protect them from the severity of the winter, many of them have succumbed to the effect. ' I have a row of early Richmond cherries that is grown in ground that freezes deep, and more than one half of them are dead. Some of my neigh- bours can testify to similar results with plums. Even apple trees have been affected in the same way. After listening to'some'remarks made by my friend, H. F. Young, Esq., of Trenton, at our summer meeting, I was induced to visit his grounds. There is a ridge or rise of ground extending across his orchard, where no doubt what little snow fell was blown off into the flats. On this ridge there are several trees of the most hardy verities frozen dead. It is only right to say here, that Mr. Young manured heavily with stable manure, and cultivated late last season ; a practice that nearly always proves disastrous to an orchard and should never be done. Grapes, in the more northern sections of our Province, when protected by being laid down for the winter, and covered with a slight covering, are giving a good crop of iery fine fruit. In some places vines have been known to fail after starting into growth. The leaves turned yellow and presented a sickly appearance. A popular opinion was, that the frost had destroyed the roots. But an investigation was made by Messrs. Saunders and Denton, of London. Upon examining the roots of the vines, they found the effects of the Phylloxera, and the insects themselves in large quantities. I hope this insect pest will not prove so formidable an enemy to our vineyardists as it has in Europe. There the vineyardists, or at least many of them, have been obliged to abandon the enterprise, not being able to find any antidote or means for the destruction of the enemy. IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF OVERSTOCKING OUR MARKETS WITH FRUITS? In the year of 1874 there was an abundant crop of fruit, of every description. Some growers did not know what to do with the surplus crop. Evaporators were not plentiful at that time ; canning was poorly understood ; vinegar and jelly establishments were few and far between. The export to Europe was not introduced or practised to any- great extent. The question was raised by not a few, will it pay to increase our orchards 1 The people were looking for an equal crop to follow the next year, but in vain, for a similar result was not experienced for six years. In 1880 a similar productive year returned. People having learned by past experience, were induced to erect large evapo- rating, jelly and canning establishments for the purpose of saving the surplus as much as possible. Where, I ask you, is that surplus to-day 1 Considerable competition has been observed between buyers of fruit this season. Some for export, but more for manufac- turing. An estimate has been made after a thorough trial, and the result was, that a barrel of Northern Spy apples when canned was worth $8.00. Parings and cores when dried sold for five cents per pound, for the purpose of making jelly, and thus they paid largely towards the expenses of manufacturing. In as much then, as a universal crop does not occur more than once in five years, and the fruit growers are being educated to their business, is there any danger of a glut in the markets like those of 1874 and 1880 ever being repeated 1 How are the fruit growers being educated 1 You are scattering every year through your report an amount of information that cannot be obtained in any other way, so reli- able. Many able papers are being prepared by skilful hands, setting forth the result of practical experience and scientific truth that are being read at your meetings which are held in different sections of this fair Ontario of ours. Again, the Canadian Horticulturist, published by you is ever full of reliable and useful information, the result of years of experience, gained through research, experiment and practice. Allow me to congratulate you, that there is the disposition and ability in our mem- bership to send out so much useful information upon such an important branch of indus- try, and a readiness on the part of our Government to provide the means for its dissemina- tion. The results of your labours are being seen in the abundance of fine fruits now on exhibition at every fair and for sale in our markets, and those labours will be appreciated, I hope, by generations that are to follow you. NEW FRUITS. A good deal has been done within the last twenty years to produce new fruits. Wm. Saunders, Esq., of London, has surprised the world by his hybrid gooseberries, currants, raspberries and grapes. Charles Arnold, Esq., of Paris, has accomplished wonders in his new American Wonder pea and several other vegetables, besides strawberries, raspberries, grapes and apples. His Ontario apple bids fair to become one of our best market varieties. Messrs. Haskins and Mills, of Hamilton, have produced some very fine hybrid grapes, some of which I think must eventually create an excitement among the fruit growers of America. There are many others that are engaged in this, one of the most pleasing of enter- prises— I mean the producing of new fruits, vegetables and flowers by artificially crossing in the blossoms — whose names should be mentioned if it would not become wearisome to you. I wish that more of our young men would commence experimenting in this field. I cannot recommend too strongly an effort yet to improve the apple. Not but that we have varieties that are very good, and those that are vigorous, productive and hardy ; those that possess good shipping, desert, and cooking qualities. But while the Baldwin possesses nearly all the good points for shipping, the tree is not sufficiently hardy in all sections of our Province. The Northern Spy seems to possess all the characteristics of a good fruit, but it is a long time coming into bearing, and when it does, the tree becomes tender and is liable to fail in a very few years. What we want is an apple that has as many of the desirable points as possible. At the present time the trees are propagated by graft- ing or budding the best varieties we have. Formerly nearly every family had a little nursery of seedling trees that has given to the world the immense collection of varieties we now have. Why can we not each plant a small orchard with seedlings from seeds saved from our best varieties, for by this means we may obtain some that will be superior to anything that we now have in cultivation, and should they prove inferior, it is an easy matter to top graft them with such varieties as we may prefer. Let us try to get an apple that is as hardy, thrifty and productive as the Talman Sweet, and as good for ship- ping as the Baldwin, and with flavour as good as Coxes' Orange Pippin, and that will keep equal to the Ben Davis. The person that will produce an apple that will possess all of these points, may be called a benefactor, and it may be said of him, "he has lived a life of usefulness, and his name will remain on the page of history." ADVANTAGES OF CROSS FERTILIZATION OR HYBRIDIZATION. What wonders have been achieved in the vegetable kingdom by cross fertilization within our own memory. But are there not greater results to be achieved by this art as time advances producing new and improved varieties of much superior excellence1? In- stances are so numerous of wonderful results being achieved by the application of this art in the production of new vegetables, flowers and fruits, in Europe and the United States, as well as in Ontario, that it becomes our duty to encourage those who may feel disposed to commence such an enterprise of so vast importance to the future of our fair Province. Who, I ask you, that has seen the results of this art in Arnold's wheat, peas, corn, rasp- berries, strawberries, grapes and apples; A. M. Smith's raspberries and strawberries; Saunders' raspberries, gooseberries, grapes and many wild flowers crossed with cultivated species ; Haskins', Mills' and others' grapes, and pears, the many improvements through- out the world in the vegetable kingdom generally, can hesitate to say, that this is the art, is the great secret and source of the wonderful success that has been achieved during the last thirty or forty years '? The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder says, that this improvement is all within the hand of man, to use it as he will, and that the field of progress is endless. It is your duty, gentlemen, to occupy the ground. The same Divine Power* that gave us the almost infinite variety of plants and trees, also furnished them with the ability — not only to perpetuate themselves, but under judicious treatment, and a wise selection of parents, to produce indefinitely still better varieties than we now possess. In a word, we must depend mainly on the production from seed of fruits adapted to the various portions of our vast territory. And what richer legacy can a man leave to the gener- ations that are to follow him than a fine delicious fruit, which he shall have originated by his own hand. This will be a living monument to his memory when posterity shall recline beneath the shade of its branches and pluck the precious fruit from the trees which he has left them. PROGRESS OF YOUR ASSOCIATION. Twenty or more years past, your Association was organized in the City of Hamilton. It was then called the Fruit Growers' Association of Upper Canada. I think the Hon. Judge Logie was the first President. Among the officers of that day we find very few surviving at the present time. There are, however, some among us yet. Charles Arnold, Esq., of Paris, who still holds a position among you, was then the second Yice-President. We find he has always done what he could to foster the interest of your Association. D. W. Beadle, Esq., of St. Catharines, was the first Secretary, and after looking over the history of your Association with care, I am only able to say, that the present Secretary has been the best that we have ever had ; in fact, gentlemen, he is the Alpha and Omega thus far. While looking over your reports for the last score of years, I, as one of you, feel like congratulating him, for not only the amount of zeal which he has manifested, but for his untiring labours, serving this Association in the same position for so many years. We have several among us that have manifested an untiring zeal for the improvement of fruits, vegetables and flowers, that have very kindly given their time for the advance- ment of your Association. As the result of these labours, you have an increase of mem- bership this year over the last of about seven hundred, a number that is not to be des- pised, when we learn that many kindred Associations upon this continent do not number anore than one-third the amount. How can we make our Association more useful ? Our winter meetings are generally well attended, and it seems to me that every one that attends them is amply paid for the time and labour spent. We enjoy a privilege that can scarcely be attained in any other way, the privilege of grasping a brother's hand and exchanging ideas ; privileges that seem too difficult to secure in any other way. Our Summer Meetings are not so well at- tended, coming as they usually do on account of the maturing of small fruits, just as the farmers are commencing to harvest. Can we not hold thirteen summer meetings — say one in each Electoral division, each meeting to be presided over by the director represent- ing that division. It occurs to me that in this way we may induce many to attend and take part in our discussions that we don't have the pleasure of seeing or hearing anything from. Again, the information obtained would be sectional and consequently more valu- able. The expenses of these meetings would not be so much as now, even if we had to employ a Secretary for each of them. The Agricultural and Horticultural Societies could in many instances be induced to unite with us. Nearly every farmer, merchant, mechanic, teacher, or gardener, is becoming interested in this, one of the most interesting branches of industry. Many questions are being asked every day : How can I best ornament my grounds 1 How can I grow raspberries and strawberries to supply my family % How do you manage to get such fine melons, cauliflowers, celery, and other vegetables'? Thus we find the majority of our population becoming interested in this most important branch of husbandry. Again, can we not in some way induce ladies to attend our meetings, by arranging our subjects so that they would become interested in them % Could we not admit man and wife as members upon the payment of one dollar and fifty cents, only sending them one copy of the Report and the Horticulturist ? By this means the man could select his tree and vine, while his wife could choose her flower or vegetable, as the case may be. Can we not induce ladies to contribute papers to be read at these meetings upon their favourite flower, or their best varieties of vegetables or fruit for canning or culinary pur- poses 1 FORESTRY. More than that of other workmen, the farmer's business binds him at home. He lives on or near the soil he tills. Hence, above all others, he should try to make his home attractive and pleasant by planting ornamental trees and shrubs about his place. Can we not encourage a taste for arboriculture by introducing the study of Botany in our common schools 1 Could not our teachers make the study interesting by showing the children how plants grow, what are the component parts of a tree, the difference between the formation of wood and bark, and how to recognise the different species by their foli- age and otherwise 1 Also by encouraging them to plant each a tree within the school grounds, each to watch and care for his own tree or plant. Could this system not be so introduced among our people, that the love and respect for tree culture will become so inculcated in the minds of the people that they will look upon any person that will deface or destroy any ornamental or shade tree, as upon one that would rob them of their own existence or best friend 1 Would it not have a tendency to some extent to do away with those bush fires that are so much dreaded % Could not our children so be taught that the next generation would hold our forest as sacred, and preserve them as one of God's bless- ings to them, particularly those forests situate upon lands that will not admit of cultiva- tion 1 Cannot our farmers be taught, that, when clearing their lands, it will pay them to preserve all the surface soil and decaying foliage as one of their greatest treasures 1 Gentlemen, I must not detain you any longer. These suggestions are made for your consideration. I know not whether you will find them of any practical value. The field opening before us seems to be boundless ; to be one that will task the utmost power of human thought and energy. I wish you God speed in your every undertaking to further the objects of our noble society. THE WINTER MEETING was held in the City Hall, Hamilton, on Wednesday and Thursday, the 18th and 19th of January, 1882. President Dempsey called the meeting to order. The minutes of the last winter meeting and also those of the last summer meeting were read and approved. The subjects proposed for discussion were then taken up. GRAPES. WHAT VARIETIES OF GRAPES ARE THE MOST PROFITABLE FOR MARKET? Mr. Saunders was asked to introduce the discussion on this subject, and said: It is rather taking me by surprise to call upon me to give my views on grape growing for profit. I do not do anything of that sort. My grapes are all grown as the work of an amateur, and I do not know that I could give the meeting any information that would be of any value to them as to the varieties most profitable for market, other than as regards those that I know coming into market which have been grown by other people. The grapes that we find most abundant in the London market are the Concord, the Delaware, and some of Rogers' hybrids, particularly Nos. 15 and 4. I do not know that any of those grapes of later introduction — the more fancy varieties — are grown in our section for profit. Mr. Beadle. — In the section of country where I live — the County of Lincoln — I suppose that as far as the experience of cultivators has gone, the Concord would be voted by our grape growers as on the whole the most profitable variety that they have as yet grown to any extent. They have found it to be very hardy and prolific, and to resist disease well ; rarely suffering in fact from disease of any kind. They also find that it resists the attacks of insects, on account of its peculiarly woolly, thick leaf. It is true that grapes have been produced so abundantly of that variety that the price has gone down to an average, I should suppose, of about four or five cents a pound. Yet those who have raised that variety of grape say that even that rate pays them better than what they can get for any other crop, either of fruit or grain that they can get off the same acreage. Another variety of grape that is coming into favour with our planters is the Wilder — one of Rogers' varieties — a black grape of good size, and usually of a pretty good bunch. I believe that the average size of the bunches of that variety is better than that of several of the other Rogers' varieties. You are aware that the Rogers' varieties are apt to be very variable in the size of their bunches. I believe that that variety, on account of the grape being showy and the berries large, sells for about ten cents a pound wholesale. I am told that there is a gentleman living near Hamilton who has been growing it for market, that he had several tons of it last year, and that he wholesaled it at ten cents a pound — all his crop. Samuel Burner is the name of the gentleman I refer to. One of my neighbours living on the lake shore, Mr. William Reid, tells me that he finds that variety of grape a very promising one. He has been planting it and extending its planting, because of its having succeeded so well with him. He has also grown the Champion, alias Tallman, alias Beaconsfield ; but he says that as soon as they can get a better grape people will not buy it. For a time it was a profitable grape, because it ripened so early that he got it into market before other grapes came in ; but other grapes are coming into the market now, and consequently the time within which he can sell the Champion grape is so short that he does not market all his crop. It is a poor grape in quality, and he says that he will not plant any more of it for market. The Delaware grape is also grown in our section of the country for market. The small size of berry and bunch of that variety has been against it ; but grape eaters have now learned its good qualities, and it will sell for a higher price in our market than the Concord. When the Concord is selling at four or 10 five cents it is bringing seven or eight, or possibly nine, and sometimes ten — say from seven to ten. I am inclined to believe, however, that the care it requires, good soil, good cultivation, and the taking away of superfluous bunches, it is prone to overcrop, makes it a little more expensive to raise than the Concord ; and I doubt whether the increased price more than compensates for the increased care which it requires. On account of its growth in popular esteem in our section of the country, the demand for it is rather above the supply, and I think the demand for it is increasing. Unless some other variety of grape coming in about that part of the season, equaling it in quality and larger in size shall take its place, it is likely to be in demand for some time. Those are the varieties of grapes that are grown for market purposes in our locality to any extent. There are other varieties brought into the market, but it is only because there happen to be more in somebody's hands than are wanted for home consumption. I know of vine- yards that are planted for wine making where they have other varieties, largely the Clinton, I am told ; but for market purposes these are the varieties that are most planted with us ; and I believe that everyone who has planted these varieties of grapes and has grown them has been satisfied with the pecuniary returns, even at what seems to be a low price for the fruit ; that the amount of fruit that can be obtained from an acre is so large, and vines come into bearing so soon after being planted that grapes are thought to be profitable for the fruit grower. Mr. Gott. — I claim to know very little about grape growing for market, ajthough I do market considerable. The Secretary has named several of the best varieties. In addition to them we find some others profitable. The Hartford Prolific, for instance, we find to be very profitable in its season. It comes in immediately after the Champion, and before the Concord, and is a good flavoured grape, and takes well. Rogers' No. 9, usually known as Lindley, is a very valuable variety ; his No. 19 is also good, and his Nos. 43 and 44 are equally good with No. 4. The vines are very hardy. Ive's Seedling is a most profit- able grape, inasmuch as it is a most enormous bearer. The Iona in reference to flavour is, in my opinion, at the head of the list. It continues well in the market, and will command a good price. In some sections it is^charged with tenderness, but the wood is very robust with us. When you say profitable for the market I scarcely know what to understand, because no two markets are the same. The tastes of markets differ, the same as the tastes of people differ. Some markets will require one kind of grape, and other markets will take hold of any kind of grape. We do not claim our markets up west to be first class, but the people there have tastes that we respect, and they will take hold of the Concord at the ordinary figure before they will take hold of the Delaware or Iona. The Iona and Delaware will not command extra prices in those markets on account of their extra qualities, but the Concord is everywhere acceptable. Mr. Bucke. — I would like to know something about the profits of grapes, and about how much can be raised on an acre. Mr. Biggar. — I agree with Dr. Beadle in regard to the Concord. I find that it is growing in favour more than it was, and an acquaintance of mine who sends grapes to the New York market says that there it is growing in favour. The quality of the grape depends a great deal on its cultivation. With good cultivation the grapes are much superior in quality. When I commenced attending the market here there were very few grapes brought in. If there came in 25 or 30 baskets extra, the market would go down on account of the quantity. The Concords were then ten cents to a shilling a pound, and the Delawares were a little higher. Since then the Delawares seem to have increased in value, from the fact that they have grown somewhat out of cultivation — the supply is not equal to the demand. I have grown four tons to the acre of Delawares and Concords — probably one ton of Delawares and three of Concords. At the time that I refer to they were sold principally in the Hamilton market. Some few were shipped to out markets — Guelph, Gait, London, etc. The profits were very satisfactory, but as grape planting became more extensive the prices declined, and we are now very glad to get three cents a pound for them at the station — three cents a pound for Concords and four and five cents for Delawares. The Concord, I have no doubt, is the grape for the people, its hardiness and productiveness, together with the quality make it so. I have fruited a number of Rogers', but cannot say that they have ever given me satisfaction. I have 11 fruited the Wilder, but have never found it to bear satisfactorily. The bunches were small, very showy, but not numerous. Those grapes have suffered from frosts. About eight years ago the thermometer went down 20 degrees below zero, and they were so injured by the frost that I never replanted them — I pulled them out. The price was a little high, but not high enough to compensate for the loss in the quantity. The Dela- ware requires a great deal of attention, and I think a man should have ten cents a pound for it, and five cents for the Concord, if he takes into consideration the difference in the cost of raising them. You cannot grow the quantity nor get the quality without a degree of attention that very few are willing to give to grapes. In regard to the Delaware, we have all been too ambitious to get quantity rather than to get quality, and our grapes have not ripened well. If we would have the courage to go through our vineyards and cut off about one-third of the Delaware grapes, and give them other attention — some pruning, some pinching back — we would have better Delawares, and command higher prices. Another grape that takes well in the market, an old known grape, one of our first grapes, the Isabella. I think it has been very much neglected. I find that it pays me well, in fact equal to any grape that I have. I find that every four or five years we lose a portion of the, vines by the frost ; but we can afford the loss. Last winter, a year ago, my vines were pretty nearly destroyed, but they are coming on again, and next year I shall have a good crop. There is no doubt that that grape will bear if properly taken care of, and I think its quality is much superior to that of the Concord. I shipped a couple of baskets to Glasgow, Scotland, a couple of years ago, and they went in very good condition. I should like to see the Isabella more extensively planted than it is. The Creveling is a grape that I am very much in love with. It is a good bearer, though the bunches are scraggy ; but the quality of it is superior to that of any dark grape that I have ever grown, and the hardiness of the wood is all that you can desire. I would like to see the Hartford Prolific thrown out by the Society altogether, it is not fit for any decent Society to have. People must have a queer taste if they like it. The quality of the Iona is very fine, but it does not seem to ripen very well with me. I am en the lake shore. For wine making the Clinton, I think, stands ahead of any dark grape that I know of. Mr. Dempsey. — There are a great many questions we should take into consideration in connection with that of growing grapes for market. The particular market to which we are sending our fruit is one thing that is very important to take into account. One market will require a certain quality of grapes, while another market will submit to almost any- thing. I find in marketing grapes that colour is a very important matter. Parties wishing to decorate their tables with fruits like to have a red grape, and a white grape, and a black grape, mixed on the table at the same time. Another question that we should not lose sight of is with regard to the season of maturity. I find that some varieties that ripen very early command a high price in the market, but a little later, when everything comes into the market, we must have a very fine grape in order to get anything like a remunera- tive price. Then we require a grape that will stand well — that will ship and keep. This year the grapes that were in first with us were the Champion and the Worden. They were sent into the market, and my little son, who was in charge of them, said, "Pa, I have one request to make of you, and that is that you will never send me to market with another Champion grape." I have thought that over, and if I can have any success in grafting, I will never have another Champion in the market again. But the Worden is in the market two weeks before the Concord. I do not know that it would produce so many tons to the acre perhaps as the Concord, from the fact that it is not so rapid a grower ; but I defy any man to go into a vinery and select the Concord from the Worden from the appearance of the vine, .either the foliage or the stock — they look alike exactly. I could not do it, at all events. I think that the Worden is one of the most profitable black grapes that we have. Moore's Early may be just as profitable — perhaps more pro- fitable. On our grounds, a few days after our Delawares have set, we take the precaution to thin the bunches ; we j 11st walk along with a pair of scissors, and cut off about two-thirds of the bunches, and I find that this not only increases the size of the bunches that are left, but also causes them to mature earlier than the Concords. Nearly all varieties of grapes are benefited by thinning, and very little decreased in weight ; but any decrease that there is in this way is more than compensated for by the increased 12 weight of the bunch. When we come to the later grapes, I find nothing that pleases me so well as Rogers' 44. It is a grape which you may cut, tumble into a basket if you like, send to market, and every berry of it will come out sound after being cut a fortnight. It will produce as many pounds of fruit as any of Rogers' hybrids. My wife on Sunday evening brought me some bunches of Rogers' 44 that had just been thrown in a pile inside of a store room, and subjected to light frosts, and they were really very fine fruit. I think that of all Rogers' black grapes I would place Rogers' 44 at the head of the list. It is a little later than 9 or 4. A Member. — Is it better than 43 1 Mr. Dempsey. — Yes, with me. I find, however, that these grapes, like other fruits, differ in different sections of the country. In some sections we find Rogers' 15 superior to any other of Rogers'. In fact, I plant it extensively on account of it being a red grape. This year we sent Rogers' 15, Rogers' 44, and one of my own hybrids, a white grape, to the market, and it commanded a high price, and was sought for by nearly every person, and they came a second time and a third 'time, and we did not lose any customers by it. Mr. Beadle. — How 'many tons of Concords do you get to the acre in your part of the world 1 Mr. Dempsey. — I cannot answer that question fully, because I -have not given the subject that strict attention. Mr. Biggar. — I have grown four tons to the acre. A Member. — What do you think of Rogers' 16. Mr. Dempsey. — It is rather a fine grape. Rogers' 34 and Rogers' 5 are also very fine grapes; but those happen to be three varieties that we have rooted out altogether, on account of mildew, it takes perfect possession of them, and I have abandoned the idea of trying to cultivate them any more. I should include the Salem among them. The Salem mildews with me. Mr. Gott. — You have not mentioned any white grape, I think. A Member. — He is delicate about his own. Mr. Gott. — We find Martha a profitable white grape. It takes well in the market. It is a heavy bearer. We used to have a good opinion of Rebecca, but last winter killed it down. The root is living yet. Rogers' 15 with us is a failure. The fruit is good, but it mildews so badly we cannot grow it. As to amount, we might give you a little of our experience. Our plantation consists of 250 vines, and their net product was 5,000 pounds. That is, for the season last past. The average product per vine was 20 pounds, and the value was $1.60 per vine. At the same rate of planting, an acre of ground would contain 544 vines, and the produce would be 10,880, or five and a-half tons, which would sell, at the rate that we sold ours at this season, for $870. This we find by looking over the Commissioner's Report from Washington is in excess of the highest given rate for the State of Michigan. In that State the highest given rate, according to the Commissioner's Report, was 10,000 pounds, and that was in the County of Kent. The average for the State was 4,523 pounds. Mr. Arnold. — I endorse what Mr. Biggar says about the Hartford Prolific grape. With us — when we get it, we have not got it — it is all on the ground. It does not stick to the bunch. Take it to the market and it is all in the basket instead of on the stems. And it is a very foxy grape. The Iona does not succeed in our section of the country — it is too tender. There are very few parts of the country that it will succeed in. I think north of the Grand Trunk Railway it will not succeed. The Delaware is a very fine grape. It is a gross feeder, and if it is well fed it will succeed. The Creveling is a splendid grape if it is well fertilized. It is so imperfect in its fructification that it should stand near some other grapes that have abundance of spare pollen. Otherwise you will find but three or four berries on the bunch. One favourite of mine is Rogers' No. 3. It is the earliest grape I grow, and I can get a double price for it. It is an early red grape, and has a good bunch. With me it is far more profitable than the Concord. Mr. A. M. Smith. — How is it for bearing? Mr. Arnold. — The first vine that I got seemed to be failing. I took a number of layers from it, planted them in differents parts of the ground, and they bore an immense 13 crop, equal if not superior to anything I have. It wants to be put in the open ground. I had it alongside a building at first, and it did not seem to like that. It is quite as early as the Hartford Prolific. Mr. Gott. — It is not always the most valuable grape that sells best. The Hartford Prolific is profitable in the amount of grapes that it produces, and in the supplying of the demand. We do not claim for them, however, first class quality. Their falling off the bunch is the fault of the grower — not their own fault absolutely. Rogers' No. 15, Agawam, is not a success with us, although a very fine grape. All grape vines must be fed to some extent, and it makes very little difference what they are fed on so long as it is something good and substantial. I suppose the food mine gets is of that character. Mr. Dempsey. — The varieties of Rogers' hybrids that do best with us are 3, 4, 9, 15, 19, 43 and 44. Mr. Beall. — When you were speaking of the kinds of grapes you sent to market, you did not mention the name of the white. Will you be good enough to tell us which one it was 1 Mr. Dempsey. — It was my No. 25. It requires some degree of care to cultivate it ; it is liable to mildew. I thought at one time that I would try and make some money out of it by having it propagated, but I have not done that from the fact that the foliage seemed tender. It is a rapid grower. The vine is easily propagated. It is enormously fruitful, and requires to be thinned in the bunch and in the branches. It has made more money for me this year than any other two varieties. Mr. Bucke. — We grow Mr. Dempsey 's No. 60. He was kind enough to send me a vine a few years ago, and I have found it a very rapid grower, and a very good bearer. I have only had a very few berries from it that were ripe, however. It is of course very necessary to get an area of country in which a new grape will grow. I think this No. 60 is a grape that ought to be tried over various parts of the country. Some grapes mildew with Mr. Gott that grow perfectly well with me, and some grapes mildew with me that grow well with him. Mr. Gott. — Another grape that should have been mentioned, inasmuch as the Society had something to do with its dissemination, is the Eumelan. With us it is a failure, inasmuch as it mildews very badly both in leaf and in berry. Mr. Carpenter. — I may be styled the largest grower in this section of the country at the present time. Still I have been but very few years in it. I grow different varie- ties from most other persons about me. I have quite a number of Rogers' varieties, and for profit I would select of Rogers' varieties, the 4, 9, and 15, as far as I have cultivated it, although the 1 5 is not as valuable as the other two varieties. Last winter, a year ago, about half of my Rogers' varieties perished with the frost, so that I do not feel quite as enthusiastic on the Rogers' grapes as I did a year or two ago. I would consider the Concord, the Delaware, and the Rogers' 4 as among the leading varieties. We require more of the pink grapes to supply some of our markets. Our customers in the west as well as in the north require pink grapes as well as black ones. Some in London when sending for grapes will ask for Rogers' 9 and 15 and the Concord. In Sarnia they wish for some of the pink grapes as well. I have not fruited any of Rogers' 43 and 44 as yet. I have quite a number out. My Rogers' vines, particularly Rogers' 4, a year ago last summer, produced about 40 pounds to the vine, about two-thirds of them. The over- bearing might have had a little to do with the winter killing. The greater portion of my Concords have this year borne about 30 pounds to the vine. My vines of that variety are five years old. I have the Rogers' 3, and I do not think much of it. The bunches are very inferior with me. It is an early grape, and it will hang on the vines until the end of the season. It ripened up a year ago. Last year it did not. It never ripened but once. A Member. — What did you think of it when you saw it ripe? Mr. Carpenter. — Very good. The Iona with me did very well last year. That was the first year that I had any success in ripening it. It bore heavily. I believe Mr. Gott's vines are a little closer together than mine. Mine are twelve feet apart in the row. The Hartford Prolific I am not very much in favour of. Last year I picked once off them, and the remainder of them seemed to dry on the vines and to fall off. 14 Mr. Orr. — Mr. President, in speaking of the Delaware you say that you pruned off about half or two-thirds of the bunches. I would like to ask you if you pruned early in the spring, and how much each of the vines would yield you on an average 1 Mr. Dempsey. — Our Delaware vines will only yield us about one-third of what the Concord vine will ; but we grow two Delaware vines where we grow one Concord vine, and what the single vine yields us I would not be able to say, because I have kept no track of it whatever. I fancy that the Delaware would not come so far behind the Concord per acre as some imagine. It would not in our section of the country. There is a grape which has not been spoken about this morning that I would have liked to have heard something about, that is the Brighton. It is fruiting very well with us. It is a good grape, but it will not stand very long after ripening — it loses its flavour. Mr. Biggar. — Is it a good grower % Mr. Dempsey. — It is a good grower with us, and very prolific. Mr. Biggar. — I cannot get it to grow. Mr. Carpenter. — That is my trouble too. Mr. Dempsey. — Wherever I have seen it in our section of the country it appears to be doing well. I have heard some men say that it was the best grape on their premises. Dr. Day, for example, cultivates a great many different varieties, only one or two plants of each kind, and I heard him say that the Brighton was standing at the top of the list, except my 25 ; and of course my 25 I do not recommend to anyone for the reason I explained. The Brighton grape requires pretty high culture. It requires considerable manure. WHAT SORTS OF GRAPES ARE MOST DESIRABLE FOR AMATEUR CULTIVATION? The discussion of this subject was next taken up. Mr. Biggar. — In some places one variety would do which would not in another. I can ripen the Diana very well. With you I suppose it would not ripen at all. Have you ever fruited it, Mr. President 1 Mr. Dempsey. — Yes, I have fruited it. It does not ripen, or rather it ripens in pieces. We will have a few grapes of it that will ripen and be very nice, but two-thirds of the bunch will never ripen at all. Mr. Biggar. — Occasionally with me one part of the bunch will be ripe while the other is green still. Those grapes will sell green in the Hamilton market better than some dark grapes. Mr. Saunders. — I grow a good many kinds of grapes. The Diana is not a success with us. I do not think that in our district it would be worth cultivating. It ripens very irregularly ; and for my part I do not like the flavour of it. I do not think the public generally are favourable to a grape with so much of the fox character in it, and with so tough a skin. So far as my own taste goes, I would put the Burnet at the head of the list for eating and for amateur cultivation. Next to that for eating I would place the Canada, and next to that the Creveling. Then there are some of Rogers' varieties that in my estimation would come in, and after them the Delaware and the Concord. The differences of taste in different individuals would of course result in great difference of opinion in matters of this kind j but for my own taste, and I find a great many people whose tastes run in the same direction, the grape that is not too dead sweet suits better than a grape that has that heavy saccharine character that some of Rogers' hybrids have. At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. Woodward, of Lockport, N.Y., and Mr. S. D. Willard, of Geneva, N.Y., entered the hall, and were cordially welcomed by the meeting. Mr. Saunders — resuming his remarks. — The Martha is another grape that succeeds very well with us. There are many people who like to see grapes of two or three colours on their table at the same time. You will find that the colour that is the scarcest in the market will command the highest price. The Delaware is a grape that with us com- mands a higher price than the Concord, and is a much pleasanter grape, to my mind, to eat, but the skin is a little tough, and when chewed is a little acrid. That quality of skin prevails very largely in the Rogers' hybrid varieties, and prevents you chewing the skin with any degree of pleasure. The skin of the Burnet and Canada can be chewed 15 for any length of time without producing any unpleasantness. I think that is a point that ought to be considered in grape culture. The Iona will not ripen with us in London. Mr. Gott is very favourably situated, close to the lake shore, and can of course ripen varieties that we cannot succeed in at all. Of Rogers' varieties, I think Nos. 4, 44 and 9 are the three varieties that I should prefer for table use. Mr. Gott. — There is another very nice variety that comes under this head, and that is the Walter. It possesses very good qualities as a grape for amateur culture. We have not fruited the Brighton yet, but the vines are growing and doing well. Mr. Switzer. — I am an amateur. In some sandy locations many grapes are apt to mildew, and although they will be good bearers they will have to be thrown out. My garden is clay, and I have no mildew in it. Raspberries will not wildew there. Noth- ing that I have mildews. I have tried many varieties of grapes, some have been thrown out. I have the Diana, and I have hardly been able to keep it within bounds. The stalks will grow almost any length, but there will be very few grapes on them. The few I have had were good. However, I have tried to cultivate it and give it such protection as I could, but it has been impossible to prevent it growing to wood. I like the Dela- ware very much. It crops every year. It is not so large as some of the other vines, but I like it for its sweetness and beauty. Rogers' Nos. 5 and 15 have been growing with me for some years, and they are very beautiful for the table — very beautiful to eat. I have grown the Sweetwater and the Golden Chasselas also. They are very fine grapes too — very nice for desert. I have the Concord and the Isabella also. I am glad to hear a good word spoken for the old Isabella. I think it is the best cropper I ever had in my garden, and I think it would be well if people would cultivate it. I grow a little for market, though I am mainly an amateur. Whatever is left from what my family eat we make into wine. The Clinton is the mainstay of the wine. We make about twenty gallons a year of it. We do not tap it until it is three years old, and then it is too good to sell any of it. I sometimes think that it is like the wine that Abraham and Lot drank, that makes the heart of man glad. I put nothing in the juice but the sugar, and there is not a headache in a quart of it. I have come in tired and taken a tumbler of it ; and I think if there was more of that wine made it would do more good than all the tem- perance talk we hear. I will never drink any more wine in hotels. I used to, and once I sold it in my stores ; but I do not drink any more in hotels, because it is not my wine, and it does not agree with me. Drinking my own wine makes me temperate. Col. McGill. — This part of the subject interests me a littie, the growth of grapes for amateur purposes. 1 have on my grounds some 22 or 23 varieties of grapes. I have 17 or 18 that are in bearing and have been for a good many years. They call me the king of the grape department in my country. The variety that I find most profitable is the red variety. I can sell my Salem and Rogers' 15 at from 15 to 20 cents a pound by the basket, while those that consume them can come up to Toronto and buy them at 6 and 7 cents a pound. I have an Isabella, and she is an enormous bearer, but she is a little too late. It is only occasionally that we can get her to ripen so that she is fit to use at all. I have Rogers' Nos. 3, 4 and 9. The 9 is a very fine grape on my grounds. I have no mildew whatever, and never have had any signs of mildew on any of Rogers' hybrids on my grounds. My soil is sandy loam. It is not underdrained, but there is no surface water. The exposure is rather northerly — northwest — one of the very worst ex- posures. No. 15 is not as prolific a bearer as I would like to have it. My Salems do well. I have good bunches on every vine ; especially my prize bunches, which are some- times a pound and sometimes over a pound. I never had any mildew on them but once, that was three years ago, a few spots that affected the fruit more than it did the foliage. The No. 44 I think very much of. It is a very prolific bearer with me. The Hartford Prolific is another prolific bearer with me. She is hardly second class, and I never can ripen her on my grounds before I ripen the Concords. The most of the grapes are on the ground when I come to gather them. I have been woefully disappointed in the Bur- net, and that is the general experience of most cultivators of the Burnet in our part of the country. In some parts of the country it mildews dreadfully. In my garden (three years ago) there was a little mildew, and I removed it. It has borne for three years. The berries are very small, but they ripen and are very good. It stands just between 16 the Champion, the Hartford, the Delaware and the Salem, so that it has some good com- panions. The Brighton I think very much of. It is a very rapid grower on my grounds, but a shy bearer. The quality of the fruit, in my estimation, is very difficult to beat. A Member. — Is the Burnet a strong grower on your soil? Col. McGill. — Yes. I have the Champion, and so far as dollars and cents are con- cerned, I make more out of it than anything else. A year ago last fall, when I was exhibiting at the county agricultural society's show, a gentleman came across my Cham- pions. He helped himself to them, and said he, "that is the best grape, Colonel, I ever ate in my life." I said, " I am very much obliged to you, I never heard it get that praise before." I have no trouble in selling them for eight and nine cents a pound by the basket. I think very much of the Delaware. It is small. It bears very heavily, but we cannot sell the grapes for any more than the black. The Concord is, I think, so far as tested, the grape for the million. It is very popular, but I am inclined to think it will lose its laurels to the Worden Seedling. The Worden Seedling is, at least, ten or twelve days earlier, and equally prolific, if not more so ; and I think in flavour a little better. My favourite among the reds would be Lindley (No. 9), and then the Salem. Then, the Lady Washington, so far as flavour is concerned, I think that there is nothing that can touch it. 1 have the Duchess, Prentiss, and friend Dempsey's No. 25. It has not fruited yet, but it has never shown the least sign of mildew on the foliage. I have fruited the Lady Washington. It ripened very well with me. I have fruited the Early Dawn and Moore's Early. I do not think, so much of Moore's Early. I think more of the Early Dawn — of the fruit, but it is small in our section. It is the eye that has to be pleased more than the palate ; they look at the size more than they consider the flavour. I have fruited the White Lady, and I like it very much. My grounds are very warm, and I train it pretty close. I have been trying this last few years to get the Niagara along- side of it. I would like to test it along with the rest. I have the Ann Arbour white grape from Michigan. It is a seedling from the Concord which has not fruited yet. I find most money in the Concord from its prolificness so far, because the others are just com- ing into bearing. Then come the Salem, Rogers' 15 and No. 9. They are red. I can sell them at any time from 12J to 15 and 16 cents a pound in Oshawa, while they come to Toronto and buy what are supposed to be the same grapes and sell them for seven and eight cents. Mr. Bucke. — I would like to say a word in favour of the Burnet grape, as an amateur grape, not a grape for the market. It has been fruiting down in Ottawa now for a couple of years, and it is very highly thought of by those who have fruited it. I do not know that it has been put on the market at all, but those who have grown it for themselves consider it an Al grape. This year a great many of the berries on the vine had no seeds, and they were very small. I think this may be owing to some climatic influence in consequence of the shifting of the grape. We grow the Iona down there — a red grape — and we think a great deal of it for home use. It ripens with us very well if we do not let it crop too heavily. You should not have more than two bunches to every spur. They are also propagating down there. ' The Golden Chasselas de Fontainbleau, the Golden Chasselas it is called, is being very largely planted, and it sells very well. It is a white grape and the bunches are very large. Unfortunately the thrip has attacked it very much. We keep the grapes from being discoloured by the thrip by putting paper bags on them, and the bunches turn out very large and very fine. It is not only a good grape for private individuals, but it is a good grape to sell. Col. McGill. — Another grape that slipped my memory — a new grape — that is bear- ing not far from me, is called the Janesville. It is a new seedling. It is earlier than the Champion — more prolific, and better and harder in the wood. It is enormously pro- ductive. It would only rank, however, as a second-class grape. A Member. — Do you grow that Chasselas De Fontainbleau without the use of sulphur % Mr. Bucke. — Yes. A Member. — And does it never mildew 1 Mr. Bucke. — No. Mr. Arnold. — Do you grow the Miller's Burgundy ? 17 Mr. Bucke. — Yes. It is never injured by the thrip, and it bears very early, but it is so thick in the bunch that it bursts, and you must thin it or you do not get a crop. Mr. Woodward being called on to address the meeting, said : — I do not know of any grape in the whole list that is not desirable for the amateur to cultivate. He will have all the pleasure of cultivating it whether he gets any fruit or not. But with the farmer it is a different thing. He wants certainty. He has not time to grow grapes for the sake of growing the vine. He wants grapes for his children, and he wants them in plenty. And there are only a few grapes that the farmer can grow to a certainty. If the thrip attack a grape badly it is worse for the farmer than for the amateur. If the Philloxera attack it that makes it worthless for the farmer also. The farmer wants a pure native American grape, with us, and I believe it is the same thing in Canada. Foreign blood is not for him. He wants something that is hardy, that is early, of which the quality is fairly good. I would not like to have my children learn to eat Champion grapes. I don't want them to eat anything that the hogs or the birds will not eat, and they certainly will not eat Champion grapes. Other grapes that mildew are good for nothing. The Hartford Prolific is not appreciated among the people for the reason that it drops badly, but if you take the Hartford Prolific, thin it out, and only let a moderate crop of fruit grow on it, it is not a bad grape — it is a hundred times better that the Cham- pion. Farmers will not grow Delaware grapes. That variety of grapes must have a peculiar cultivation, and a peculiar position. It must be looked after carefully. But a farmer can plant the Concord, and, if he gives it a little care, he will grow Concord grapes for certain. There are some newer varieties that I think will be as early and as productive as the Concord, among them is the Worden. The Moore's Early, while it is earlier than the Worden, is not a grape that I would recommend. It cracks so badly, and it drops so badly. If it is not properly pruned it drops as badly as the Hartford. In quality it is not good enough. It is not as good as the Concord, nor beginning to be. The Rogers' hybrids we can- not grow for family use. They must have more care than the ordinary farmer will give them. So with the Burnet. We tried them over there with us, and they mildew very badly. I know of very few new grapes that it would pay anybody to plant them for family use or for farmers' use. Mr. Willard was also asked to speak, and said : — The wind has been pretty much taken out of my sails by those who have spoken. I have to speak from my own stand- point, and what I may say should be taken with a great deal of latitude, there being such a difference of soil and climate, even in localities so near together as that in which I live and Canada. There were certain general principles advanced by my friend, Mr. Wood- ward, that carry a great deal of weight with them. I think with him in meetings of this kind we ought to recommend something that will please, something that is adapted to the masses. The people generally do not discriminate with that nicety that your Presi- dent or Secretary, or Mr. Woodward would. My own idea is that you have got to go to the Concord parentage or that type for those varieties of grapes that are adapted to the masses. I have studied that subject so much that I may have got into a rut, but if I have I cannot get out*of it very well. I cannot get rid of the idea that we must stick to a certain type of grape to give the people the kind they want. In my opinion we want a good dark grape, the best ; we want a good amber coloured grape, the best ; and we want a good white grape, the best j as the best adapted to the masses. I have found in my experience that all our hybrid grapes that have been crossed with foreign blood suc- ceed in some localities admirably, and ten miles away are a failure. I fear that, with regard to some of our newer varieties of white grapes ; I fear, that with regard to the Prentiss for instance. I have no doubt whatever but what the grape, of which my friend Mr. Woodward is the advocate, will succeed well anywhere, because it has the right parentage. And I believe that true in regard to the Pocklington. I believe it is a good grape ; and I believe it will succeed well, because it has the right parentage at the bottom of it. I believe that for an early grape, we have, perhaps, nothing better than the Wor- den Seedling. I believe I planted it among the first vines sent out by Mr. Worden, and it has succeeded well with me. I desire to mention a new amber-coloured grape which I believe is going to make its mark — that is, the Yergennes. I have no interest in it, but it ripens early, and also keeps till very late. It originated up in Yermont. It ripens 2 (F. G.1 18 with me about the same time as the Concord does, and it will keep till February most beautifully. Mr. Haskins. — We know that in Europe, in the best grape-growing localities, they cannot grow grapes in every field, or on every part of a farm ; they must have fields with an eastern or southern exposure. If they did not do this, but planted their vines on the tops of hills where there was no protection from the winds, they would fail to grow grapes. I think, if in this country we looked for suitable locations, or planted artificial protection on the north and west, and took the same precautions that they do in Europe, we would grow almost all our native grapes in the open air. In that case I think there are many varieties that we could successfully grow out of doors. There is the lona, in this district, and from here to Niagara, I look upon it as very valuable if it is not allowed to overbear. The Delaware can be grown out of doors with a little precaution in this section of the country, and it will succeed well if not allowed to overbear. The Concord will grow almost anywhere. I think if we look for protection on the west and north — windbreaks of evergreens, or a hillside, or a fence — we shall succeed with most of Rogers' hybrids, the lona, the Concord, the Delaware, and many other varieties. WHICH VARIETIES OF GRAPES ARE THE BEST FOR WINE-MAKING 1 Mr. Haskins, in introducing this subject, said : So far the grape that I have used for wine-making is the Clinton, for the most part. The fruit ripens on arbours, and is left till the frost touches it, and is then mixed with other varieties. A Member. — How do you find the Delaware to compare with it as a wine-making grape 1 Mr. Haskins. — Of itself I do not think much of it, but mixed with other varieties I think it is very good. A Member. — Do you use the Concord to any extent 1 Mr. Haskins. — Yes ; it is very good to use with the Delaware. There is a great deal of flavouring matter about the Concord, and very little about the Delaware. Put them together and they make a very fine wine. And I think the Niagara probably, when we can get it, will be a good kind to mix with the Delaware for flavouring. I think I have not anything to say as regards wine-making but what you have heard or read before on the subject. Mr. Bucke. — Mr. Haskins, there is some insect which attacks the Clinton, and the berries do not ripen on the bunch. How do you find about that ? Mr. Haskins. — If you will let them hang till the frost touches them, I think they will be pretty well withered up, they will not do any damage. I think clean cultivation will get rid of the thrip. Some say not, but I have no other theory about it. I think I find that ploughing in the fall and burying the leaves destroys the thrip. Mr. Bucke. — Is the sale of native wine increasing ? Mr. Haskins. — I think so ; very much. Mr. Saunders. — It was a marvel to me to see Mr. Haskins' garden almost clear of thrip last year when I went to see it. I think the reason is what is given. I did not see any rubbish about the place — any dead leaves or anything of the sort. The thrip lives through the winter, and, if there is no hiding-place for it, it has to emigrate to where it can get shelter, or die. Mr. Gott. — We find the more we cut or prune the Clintons, the more they grow to wood. Mr. Haskins. — We grow the Clintons on eighteen-foot span arbours, so that the horses can travel under. Mr. Gott. — Then you do not prune at all 1 Mr. Haskins. — Yes ; we prune once a year. Mr. Gott. — No summer pruning1? Mr. Haskins. — We thin them out. Mr. Saunders. — But not the wood? Mr. Haskins. — No. I think we have hew grapes coming on that will make a wine that will rival the best imported wines. A short time since an English gentleman, who 19 had lived very many years at Oporto as the agent for an English wine house, called on me, and I showed him a native port wine that he thought very well of. He did not think that it was grown in this country. It was made from a new grape that I am grow- ing myself. I do not want to sell the plants ; I want to grow all I can of them myself. The grape is called the Abyssinnian. I exhibited it at London last year. Mr. Switzer. — I think it would be a good idea if everyone who grows grapes would make wine for the sake of the effect it would have in promoting temperance. It was a very difficult matter at first to make wine, because we got the idea that the grapes had to be squeezed through cloths. Then, when it was put in the barrel to ferment, it had a great deal of impurity to throw out, so that it would be months before it purified itself. We have now got over that ; and, after using all the grapes that we require for our house, we mix together all that are left and put them through a sausage-machine, and that breaks every one. They are then thrown into a large tub with a tap to it, and to keep the must from getting into this tap we put some twigs of the grape-vine over it, so that the liquor may percolate through that. In the course of a few days the wine comes to the top and the skin begins to drop. That is the proper time to turn the tap, and when it is turned then you would be astonished to see how dry it would drain. Sometimes we put a gallon of water in, and it hardly comes out coloured. If we want to have a dry wine or a sweet wine we then put the sugar in and put the wine away in our casks. It soon effervesces a little — it has nothing more to discharge — and in the course of a few weeks we put the bung in a little, so that in case of any further effervescing it shall not blow out the end of the keg. The older the wine the better, but in the course of three years it is good. You may open it sooner if you like. If you let it go to four or five years, though, and then bottle it off, you will have a wine that you will be surprised at. I do not put anything to it but the sugar. If I want a dry wine 1 put in a pound, if a sweet wine three pounds to the gallon. The amount of sugar depends greatly on the amount of sweet grapes that I put in the mixture. I am indebted to Mr. Haskins for a hint he gave me. Three years ago he took me down to his vaults and gave me a bottle of wine to take home. I brought him back a bottle in return. Mr. Haskins tested the wine, and he told me exactly how it was made. He said, "you do not reduce it." I said, " no." He said, " you put brown sugar in ; you should not do that." I said I thought there was more sacharine matter in the brown sugar than in the white. He told me that was a mistake ; and I use white sugar now. Mr. Bucke. — In putting the grapes through the machine, do you break the seeds at all? Mr. Switzer. — No. The object of putting them through that was to break the grapes. Even if it did break the seeds, they would not run out through the tap. The wine per- colates through the twigs, and comes out perfectly pure. They use something like that in the old country in the making of beer. Mr. Haskins. — Might it not be better to press them through a very coarse sieve than through a sausage-machine 1 Mr. Switzer. — That might be done, perhaps ; but we put the machine over the tub, and grind them through it. Mr. Beall. — Don't you press the grapes at all after they are ground? Mr. Switzer. — No. Mr. Dempsey. — I have been cultivating grapes ever since I commenced cultivating fruit. Then my first experience was only with three or four varieties, which, I believe were then the only varieties in cultivation in America. I then resorted to exotic varieties, cultivating them under glass. It always delighted me to treat my friends as well as I could, and we frequently used on the table exotic grapes — the finest we could grow, mixed with some of the hardiest outdoor varieties — even sometimes Hartford Pro- lific— and I have seen friends select the Hartford Prolific as the best grape. So that it seems as though it must be left to everybody to select the fruit that suits him best. For my own taste, and for many persons', as an amateur grape I would take, first of all, the Worden for an early grape. I find nothing that I have fruited superior to it. There are several varieties, however, that I would be very sorry to reject. There are several of my seedlings that I prize very highly as amateur grapes. I prize the Brighton very highly 20 as an amateur grape. It matures sufficiently early, it looks very nice on the table, and none of us is going to object to its flavour. I prize the Walter also very highly as an amateur grape. It is almost useless for marketing purposes. It does not require very high culture, neither does it require with us very careful culture. I would never reject the Delaware for amateur culture. It is one of our grapes. I was very agreeably dis- appointed this year when I fruited the Pocklington. I found it mature with us earlier than the Concord, and it suited nearly every persons' taste, who had the privilege of tasting it on our grounds. When we come to Rogers' hybrids we find several varieties that are appreciated ; but I must confess here that I do not appreciate any of them — they leave an unpleasant sting about the tongue, that I do not care for at all. Still, some of them, on account of their keeping qualities, we can enjoy after all the other grapes are gone. They are of no value to us where we cultivate the Burnet. I cultivate the Burnet largely and successfully, and I do not know how long it can be kept. I have never seen it spoiled, and I have never seen a spoiled berry on it yet. We do not suppose it is going to succeed in every section of the country, but, as an amateur grape, I would be very sorry to do away with it on my ground ; in fact, I could not. Mr. Saunders. — Does it mildew with you 1 Mr. Dempsey. — I have seen some of Rogers' hybrids, the varieties I have just spoken of, mildew. I have seen the Burnet vines growing in among them, and not one particle of mildew on it. Mr. Haskins. — I can say the same thing. Mr. Dempsey. — I am not going to say it is exempt from mildew, because, I believe, every variety of grape, to a greater or lesser extent, is subject to mildew. This year, when the Burnet was in blossom, there came a very heavy rainstorm, and the pollen seemed to be carried off, not only from the Burnet variety, but from every other variety that was in blossom at the time. The Burnet went on, and produced a very small berry without any seeds. My No. 25 I have fruited extensively, and I have fruited it so that I have sent it to market, and it commanded the highest price this year of anything that I sent to the market. It is one of the hardiest grapes I have, and one of the most rapid growers. It is also one of the most productive varieties that I have, and, if thinned, it ripens very well with me ; but it is inclined to be late. It is a very high- flavoured grape. I sent a sample of it to Mr. Saunders in the fall, and I presume that he can give a better opinion of it than I can, for the reason that we are all liable to cultivate our taste to a certain variety — we can cultivate a taste even to like tobacco. No. 6 is a very rapid grower. It is the Delaware crossed with Allen's hybrid. It is a very early grape. It is the earliest grape we cultivate ; but it drops off the bunch very early. It is a small grape, a little larger than the Delaware, but it is almost a white grape. Mr. Saunders. — In regard to the samples of this white grape sent to me by the President in the summer, I must say I was favourably impressed with it. The berry was about as large as the Concord, a little more oval in form, and sweet and good in every respect. Mr. Dempsey. — In justice to another Province (Quebec), I have this to say : Mr. Bucke was speaking of cultivating the Royal Muscadine in Ottawa — the Chasselas de Fontainbleau, or Golden Chasselas, I think he called it — they are all the same thing. If you look at the report of the Farmers' Association from Abbotsford, in Lower Canada, you will see that there are a large number of exotic varieties there that they are succeed- ing with ; and they can actually cultivate some varieties of grapes that we cannot succeed with here at all. That is the fact in the vicinity of Ottawa, on these south-eastern slopes, where the soil is largely composed of a shaly, slaty rock. Grapes will mature there earlier, and they are finer than we can produce. The farther we come south, the more liable does fruit appear to be attacked by mildew. I am not surprised at our American friends feeling astonished at seeing us growing and succeeding with grapes in the open air. It only makes us feel prouder of this Canada of ours. Mr. Arnold. — We do not succeed in growing the Muscadine in our section of the country satisfactorily ; but, there was a white grape, sent out by some gentleman in Hamilton, some twenty-five years ago — by Mr. Fairman — called the Canadian Chief, which is much more hardy than the Royal Muscadine. It is not so liable to be injured by the 21 thrip. The parentage of it I do not know anything about. I feel sure it would succeed with Mr. Bucke far better than the Sweetwater or the Chasselas. I endorse very much what our American friends say with regard to this Labrusca family. There is no doubt that they will succeed better than others where the thrip prevails. Mr. Wellington. — With regard to the amateur, I think he must decide for himself, to a great extent, what grapes he will cultivate. Some will praise one variety, while others condemn it, as my experience shows. I was pleased to hear the remarks in favour of the Worden. That is a grape that I noticed for the first time this year, particularly. I think myself its quality is better than the Concord. Its productiveness is probably not up to that of the Concord, but good. It ripens early, and then, late in October, in going over our grounds I have found good samples of it, and they have tasted exceptionally good. The Brighton, I think, is another that should be in every amateur collection. If you take into account what a farmer would cultivate, I do not think that, for general culture, the Brighton would suit him — and I do not think it would suit every section — but an amateur would like it. It will not keep, however, and must be eaten when ripe. I have eaten Champions that have been equal to Concords, and I have eaten Champions again that would make a pig squeal. The first Champions I ate came from Charlotte, and at that time I thought the grape was totally useless. After that I ate some that had been grown a little north of Richmond Hill ; and the flavour was equal to that of the Concord. They ripen a little later there ; and, being hardy, I formed the idea — and I hold it still — that in a great many sections, where other grapes cannot be grown, it is a valuable grape. When you come to talk about a grape, which is for the masses, I agree that you have to get a grape with a native strain in it ; and nurserymen and others are now working on such grapes that I think there is a class coming forward that will be very valuable, especially of the white grapes. Of course, being interested in a white grape, I do not wish to say anything about that kind. I think, in the end, the best grape will come to the surface, and will be recognised, and in the hands of the public. I believe that, besides the grape I am interested in, there are others that will be very valu- able. I believe, also, that in other colours we shall have grapes that will do away with a great many varieties that are now being cultivated. Mr. Woodward. — I was in Montreal last summer and I thought I would look up the Champion ; and they told me the fact was that the Champion grape coming into Mon- treal market had crushed the whole black grape market. Everybody there thought every black grape was the Champion. One gentleman at Chateauguay told me that, if they had never put a Champion grape in the Montreal market, it would have been hundreds of dollars in his pocket every year. It being one o'clock, the meeting now adjourned till two o'clock. After the adjournment, A committee to examine the fruit on exhibition was appointed by the President, consisting of Messrs. William Saunders, S. D. Willard, and A. McD. Allan. CLEMATIS. WHICH VARIETIES OF CLEMATIS ARE BEST FOR CULTIVATION IN ONTARIO ? Mr. Bucke, in introducing the discussion, said : I have not much to say about the Clematis — merely that the Jackmanii appears to be perfectly hardy with us, and I presume others are quite as hardy. I have seen the Clematis in England. The white varieties grow very beautifully over the houses there in the south of the island. I have seen Mr. Wellington's catalogue, and, I have no doubt, he can say something about the Clematis. Mr. Wellington. — I suppose my report last year covers the ground about as well as I am in a position to do now, with the exception of some of the newer varieties, and those, as I was appointed chairman on the committee on climbers this year, I have taken. 22 up in my report, aud probably when that is read the discussion might be brought forward with regard to the Clematis. The President. — If you are ready, I would suggest that we have your report. Mr. Wellington. — It is not ready yet, but will be in a few minutes. Mr. Willard, being called on, said : I do not know of anything new in regard to Clematis. I do not know that I can say much to the edification of the gentlemen present, except that I yet think there has nothing been brought out in the shape of a coloured Clematis that is superior to the Jackmanii. There may be others being brought out in England that will supercede it, There are white ones that are desirable, but I do not think any of them have met the views of the people so well as the Jackmanii. Mr. Beadle. — I think Mr. Wellington has probably told us correctly that his report last winter has covered the ground very fully, and I only wish to emphasize one point with regard to it. As far as my experience goes it is this — that I think our Canadian people will be more likely to succeed well with those varieties that bloom upon the new wood. There are two classes of these Clematis. One variety blooms upon the new wood, and the other upon the old wood. In the family that bloom upon the new wood, even though they should get somewhat injured by the winter, or by any other cause, the young wood will throw out its shoots — from the root even — and bloom freely throughout the summer ; and if well fed, so as to be kept vigorously growing, they will keep on blooming all through the season, wTith very little intermission. I fear that if our buyers and planters should get on to the varieties that bloom from the old wood they might be disappointed ; perhaps the plants might get winter killed in some severe winters. Mr. Saunders. — I admire the Clematis very much as a class of plants, and have found them very satisfactory indeed as far as the culture of them has gone with me. I have not had many varieties. I have had the Jackmanii for a long time, and that is one of the most satisfactory of all. I have had Tunbridgensis, and it is another one that I have found very good indeed. I have also had two white ones, which I cannot recollect the names of just at the present moment. There is another variety of Clematis that is extremely hardy and very ornamental when in fruit. I have forgotten the name of it for the moment. The flower is yellow, and when in fruit it becomes a mass of those delicate feathery fruit heads, which are of a very brilliant silvery cast. When the sun shines on them they present a very beautiful appearance. We have it in our Mount Pleasant Cemetery in London, and it is one of the things which attract the most attention, I think, of any growing on the ground while it is in seed. The flower is inconspicuous — a dull yellow — and while it is in flower it does not attract much attention. Our native Clematis, the Virginana, blooms profusely, and has quite a pretty flower. It is very useful as a covering for unsightly objects. Then there is a bluish purple one that is native to this country, that grows from Maine to Wisconsin, called the Bordicillerous, which we have cultivated to some extent. But there is none of them that is so handsome or so wonderfully covered with blossoms as the Jackmanii. I have found no trouble in growing them, they grow without protection. They shoot up from the base every year, they usually die down to the ground, and send up new shoots which blossom on the wood, commencing, I think, about the beginning of July, and continuing blooming for about two months, during which the plants are perfect pictures of beauty. Mr. Wellington here read the report of the Committee on Climbers. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CLIMBERS. Nothing in the floral world has added more to its beauties or is more varied in their uses than the long list of climbing plants of various kinds, and yet no class of plants are more neglected than many of our most valuable climbers — whether it be the " Ivy Green " of the old song, the magnificient and brilliant beauty of the gay Clematis, the graceful Wistaria, the modest Honeysuckle with its wealth of intoxicating fragrance, or the odd, 23 yet attractive Dutchman's Pipe, they are all too frequently absent from our gardens. There are so many positions in which they can be utilized, both for adding to the beauty of a place, or hiding a defect, that one is often surprised at the want of taste — shall we say — in the laying out of our gardens and grounds. For rockwork, for hiding an un- sightly stump or building, and turning it into a thing of beauty, for trellis or pillar, for bare walls, for the arbour, and even for bedding plants, there are some of our climbers specially adapted ; nor must we forget the gorgeous Rose, the climbing varieties of which belong to this Report. There is the blushing Anna Maria, with its well formed and large clusters of bloom, the bright rosy red large, compact and globular Queen of the Prairies, the carmine crimson Gem of the Prairies, and the modest white — the finest of its class,the Baltimore Belle, all belonging to the hardy Prairie Roses (Rubifolia). Then there is the Ayrshires which from their slender growth are more properly speaking run- ning roses, and are best for covering banks, buildings or unsightly objects ; they are also remarkable for succeeding in the poorest soil. Will often run twenty feet in a single season. Of these we would recommend Bennett's Seedling — pure white ; Queen of Bel- gians— pure white ; Queen of Ayrshires — dark purple and crimson. The Noisette, Tea and Banksias of climbing habit, we will pass over as our report will be more particularly given to hardy out door climbers. From Roses we pass on to our best deciduous climbers. DECIDUOUS CLIMBERS. Akebia Quinata. — A singular Japanese, climbing plant, with neat shining sub- ever green leaves, and purple flowers, perfectly hardy, and worthy of more attention. Ampelopsis Quinqe folia (Am. Ivy or Virginia Creeper). — One of the best known as well as most valuable trailing shrubs, beautiful digitate leaves, turning to rich crimson in autumn. Has tendrils and clings like the Ivy, and is excellent for walls, and screens, arbour, and verandah. Ampelopsis Veitchii or Japan Ivy. — The best of all foliage climbers for outer wall decorations. Leaves smaller and finer than Virginia Creeper, forming a dense sheet of green ; clings with the utmost tenacity to brick, stone, or wood and even iron, foliage turns to a rich crimson in autumn, grows rapidly when once established. Many specimens of this plant can be found covering scores of yards of surface with bright glossy foliage. Invaluable for the walls of churches and public buildings. Aristolochia Sipho (Dutchman's Pipe). — A native plant of climbing habit. Rapid grower, with large dark green foliage, ten or twelve inches in diameter and curious pipe shape, yellowish brown flower in July. Dolichus Japonicus. — A new and rare climber of immense growth, covering twenty feet in a season, and having long racemes of purple and white flowers (Wistaria like), excellent to cover rocks and stumps. Hedera, Ivy. — There are many vaiieties of this, not a few of which are too well known to need mention. Among the latest and best is New Silver Striped, Body of leaf deep green heavily bordered with white, clean and distinct, and a very fair grower. There are a number of kinds having silver margined leaves, but none equal to this in size of foliage, vigour of habit, and beauty. Other sorts are veined and spotted with yellow, and are very beautiful for house plants. All varieties of the Hedera, we believe, are too tender for outdoor cultivation in the North. Hydrangea Scandens. (Japan Climbing Hydrangea). — This is a new and very rare plant, the merits of which have not been fully developed. Thos. Hogg describes it as clinging to trees to the height of fifty feet, producing corymbs of white flowers of the size of the ordinary Hydrangea, leaves cordate, sharply toothed, longstalk, dark green, slow growing and possibly a little tender while young. We have not flowered this plant but have it growing, and are favourably impressed with its appearance. If hardy, and having the beauty of flowers of Hydrangea Paniculata, it will be a most valuable addition to the list of climbers and no doubt become immensely popular. 24 Jasminnm Officinalis (White Jasmine). — Not entirely hardy, requires southern ex- posure, delicate and beautiful foliage and flowers, fragrant white, blooms in July. Loniceras. — A few sorts only of these are necessary to mention. L. Ifalleana (HalVs Japan Honeysuckle). — A strong and vigorous evergreen sort, with flowers white, changing to yellow; very fragrant, and in profuse bloom from Jane to November. We consider this the best of the Honeysuckles, and most admirable for rock- work, screens, walls, and fences. Lonicera reticulata (Golden Leaf Honeysuckle). — Leaves distinctly and finely veined with fine golden lines, foliage small, and growth moderate, makes a beautiful bed or border plant, as well as desirable for screens, and walls, hardy, and one of the most beautiful of its species. Lonicera Semper virens (Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle). — Strong rapid grower, bloom- ing all summer; flowers without fragrance, but this and its varieties have the handsomest flowers of all the Honeysuckles. Lonicera Sinensis (Chinese Honeysuckle). — Dark green foliage which hangs very late, blooms in July and September, and is very fragrant. A very popular sort. Periploca Grceca (Silk Vine). — A rapid growing beautiful climber, native of South- ern Europe. Will twine around a tree thirty to forty feet high, foliage long narrow and shining, flowers purplish brown, in clusters. Tecoma or Bignonia (Trumpet Flower). — Strong growing showy flowers — scarlet crimson and orange, good either for trailing or as standards. Wistaria Chinensis (Chinese Wistaria). — Rapid growing, and elegant, attaining an immense size ; has long pendulous clusters of pale blue flowers in May or June, and in Autumn ; it may be grown as a standard. Wistaria Chinensis Alba (Chinese White Wistaria). — The best white Wistaria, habit not so strong as the blue, but fair grower, and blooms freely, a little tender when young, needs high culture and a little protection until well established. Wistaria florepleno (Double Purple Wistaria). — A charming new variety with per- fectly double flowers, deeper in colour than the single. The plant is perfectly hardy, and like the Sinensis in habit. The most valuable of the Wistarias, and will be in great demand when better known, Wistaria Magnifica. — Flowers in dense drooping racemes, of the same size as the Chinese, and of a pale lilac colour. Foliage of the same graceful habit as the American. Vigorous and hardy. Clematis Montana. — A remarkably free growing Indian climber well adapted for trail- ing over walls and trellises. The flowers are white with a dash of pink and tuft of straw- coloured stamens ; sweet scented and very copious — the branches literally becoming con- verted into floral garlands. Clematis Virginiana. — Another of the strong free growing sorts, having small frag- rant white flowers, and excellent for screens and walls. We think these varieties of Clematis are deserving of more than a passing notice. At the time when the Virginia Creeper is turning its foliage, C. Montana, and Virginiana are in full bloom. They are quite as vigorous in growth as Virginia Creeper, covering an immense surface, and the great profusion of their fragrant flowers, in the form of a dense spray, make them remarkably beautiful. They are extremely hardy, enduring any climate without injury. We can most safely recommend them to any who have walls or screens, or unsightly places to cover, or who wish a hardy free growing beautiful climber. The already long list of Clematis is being yearly increased by contributions from the best English growers, most prominent of which are Geo. Jackman & Son, and Thos. Cupps & Sons. Much attention seems to have been directed, and with considerable success to the 25 production of the double flowering sorts, all of which, however, are of the Patens or Florida type, and these free summer bloomers only. We give descriptions of some of the newest and choicest introductions. NEW SORTS. PERPETUAL BLOOMING CLEMATIS. Duchess of Tech. — A pure white, with a faintly delicate mauve bar. Awarded a first class certificate by the Royal Botanic Society. Duke of Norfolk. — A very deep mauve colour, with a broadish pale bar, the anthers are dark coloured. Earl of Beaconsfield. — A rich royal purple, splendid form. First class certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society. Lilaciana Florabunda. — Pale grey lilac, deeply veined, and abundant bloomer ; a fine contrast to C. Jackmanii for bedding purposes. Grand Duchess. — A splendid variety with flowers about nine inches across, blush white and of good quality. First class certificate, Royal Horticultural Society. Guiding Star. — Purplish hue, shaded with crimson, maroon band down the centre of each petal. First-class certificate, Royal Horticultural Society. Louis Van Houtte. — A strikingly showy variety with bluish purple flowers. Lady Caroline Neville. — Beautiful bright mauve, with deeper bars. First-class certi- ficate, Royal Horticultural Society. Lord Neville. — Flowers large and well formed, colour rich dark plum. Stamens light with dark anthers, edgings of petals finely crimped. First class certificate, Royal Horti- cultural Society. Othello. — Flowers medium, a good shaped six petalled variety. Late and very free flowering, colour velvety purple. Purpurea Elegans. — Deep violet purple, light coloured filaments and pinkish brown anthers. First-class certificate, Royal Horticultural Society. NEW SORTS. — DOUBLE FLOWERING SUMMER BLOOMING CLEMATIS. Countess of Lovelace. — A decided advance on John Gould Veitch, both in habit, colour, and form, a bluish Lilac, rosette shaped, forming a double flower. Belle of Woking. — A fine double variety of the Florida type, with about eight series of sepals, and a small tuft of stamens. The colour is a charming delicate but decided tint of bluish mauve or silver grey, the innermost sepals having here and there a dash of reddish lilac, the filaments white, supporting cream coloured anthers. Enchantress. — A very large and distinct variety, good habit, bearing very double white flowers ; the exterior petals are very prettily flushed in the centre with rose. First- class certificate, Royal Horticultural Society. Venus Victrix. — Another double variety, but of a delicate lavender colour, having sepals very broad and finely formed. First-class certificate, Royal Horticultural Society. INDOOR CLIMBERS. Of the indoor climbers, there are few that thrive with ordinary house culture if we except the Ivies. Of these Helix Tricolor (Tricolor Eng. Ivy). — With its leaves of green, white and rose. H. Canariensis or Hibemica (Irish Ivy). " Var latifolia maculata (Broad Leaved Variegated Irish Ivy). — With broad leaves, distinctly variegated. 26 H. Picta. — Small leaves, fine lobed, and H. Roegneriana or Colchica (Giant Ivy), with large thick leathery leaves, are the best. There is however, one plant which should be in every collection of indoor plants and which seems to do well with ordinary culture, and that is J Manellia Bicolor (Origan Rio Janiero). — Named in honour of Xavier Manette, pre- fect of Botanic Gardens at Florence ; one of an elegant family of greenhouse climbing plants, suitable for training over a wire trellis, attached to the pots in which they grow ; it delights in a moderately warm and moist atmosphere. It is a winter flowering plant, the flowers are scattered thickly along the vine, colour scarlet tipped with yellow covered with fine hairs that resemble the marking on a butterfly's wings, the whole flower of a waxy texture, tubular in shape, terminating in four short points, giving it a square appearance from the face. W. E. Wellington. Among our native climbers, there are several sorts deserving of notice. First, among these we would place the wild Yam (Dioscorea Villosa), a perennial plant, with thick, fleshy, knotted roots, which send up early in spring a number of rapid growing shoots, which soon develop, leaves strongly netted veined and wonderfully beautiful, these leaves overhang in a regular symmetrical manner, the colour of the leaves is a deep rich green, the flowers are small, whitish and inconspicuous, found throughout the southern part of Ontario. Celastrus Scandens (False Bittersweet). — A rapid young climber with handsome foliage ; flowers green and insignificant, followed in the autumn by bunches of berries of a brilliant scarlet. Menispermum Canadense (Moonseed). — A very pretty climber, with large and pretty foliage of a rich green colour, which twines around trees and tall shrubs in our woods ; the flowers here are also inconspicuous. Adlumia Cirrhosa (Climbing fumitory). — A biennial climber, common westward, but not found as far as we know in Ontario. The foliage of this plant is very beautiful, finely cut, and a very free bloomer, flowers formed as in Dielytra spectabilis, and of a yellowish white colour. W. Saunders. Mr. Saunders. — The Clematis, the name of which I was trying to recall a little while ago, is the Graveolens, the yellow flowering one. The Periploca Grseca has been growing with me for some years, but I have never had it flower. It is a very rapid growing climber, and I think it is one that deserves to be well known. Mr. Beadle. — I move that this report be received with thanks, and be handed to the Publication Committee to to be incorporated in our annual report, The motion was seconded and carried. FENCES. Mr. Beall submitted the following report from the Committee on Fences : — ROAD-SIDE FENCES. The Committee to whom was referred the report of the Committee on Fences at our last winter meeting, with instructions to furnish such facts, figures or circumstances as led them to the conclusion arrived at in that report, now respectfully submit, 27 1st, — That every farm of 100 acres, divided in the usual manner will have about 1,200 rods of fence thereon. 2nd, — That one of the best and most economical fences now coming into general use is a straight one, made of cedar rails and posts. It is usually built five rails high, the ends of the rails being inserted into augur holes in the posts, which are set firmly in the ground, in line, 12 feet apart. 3rd, — The cost of such a fence for a farm of 100 acres will be about as follows : 8,250 Rails at $52 per 1,000 $429 00 1,650 posts at 18 cents each t . . . 297 00 Digging holes and setting posts at 10 cents each 165 00 Boring holes in posts at $1 per 100 holes 82 50 Cutting and turning rails, at $1 per 100 82 50 Setting up the rails at 10 cents per length of 5 rails. ... 165 00 16 Gates. Hung and painted at $6 each. 96 00 $1,317 00 or about $1.30 per rod. Such a fence is estimated to last about 25 years. The gates about 10 years. 4th. — The annual charge for permanent maintenance of such a fence will therefore be : Interest on (say) $1,300 at 6 per cent $78 00 Estimated average annual charge for repairs and for per- manent maintenance at 6 per cent 78 00 Extra, do. do. for gates, 10 per cent 9 60 Rent of land, lost by fence 6 feet wide — 4.36 acres at $5 per acre 21 80 Total $187 40 The foregoing estimate has been made with the assistance of a thoroughly practical farmer in the Township of East Whitby, and we are of the opinion that although the cost of such a fence must necessarily vary much in different localities, the cost of material and labour here submitted may be regarded as a fair average for the whole Province. 5th. — Your committee are of the opinion that the kind of fence as usually constructed in the back country involves a much greater annual expenditure than the one here des- cribed. A common snake fence of the same length will require about 26,000 rails, which are usually made of basswood, pine, elm, ash, &c, &c. Supposing these to be hauled a distance of one mile, they will cost about $30 per M., or $780 00 Labour in setting up at $4 per 100 rods 48 00 Preparing and setting 16 sets of bars at $2 per set 32 00 $860 00 Such a fence is estimated to last about 10 years, the bars about half that time. The annual charge for such a fence would therefore be : Interest on $860 at 6 per cent $51 60 Estimated average annual charge for repairs and for per- manent maintenance 15 per cent., or 129 00 Extra, do. do. for bars 20 per cent 6 40 Rent of land, lost by fence 12 feet wide — 8.72 acres at $5 per acre 43 60 Total $230 60 28 showing an annual expenditure on a farm thus fenced of $43.20 for permanent mainten- ance, greater than on the fences first described. 6th, — The estimate, therefore, in the second paragraph of the previous report of two dollars per acre per annum seems a moderate one, and your Committee are of the opinion that if farmers were not compelled to fence against their neighbour's cattle, they would protect their crops and their own cattle by live fences of trees forming wind breaks ; by the use of hurdles, and otherwise, (which would add much to the general beauty of the country and thereby greatly enhance the value of the land) at less than one quarter of the yearly expenditure above shown, or — in other words — that the farmer of every 100 acres of land in Ontario could realize a clear yearly profit, over and above what he is now doing (if every owner of stock were compelled by law to keep them enclosed), of $150.00. 7th, — That the foregoing figures showing the unnecessary but compulsory annual expenditure of $1.50 per acre for all. cultivated land, by the unwise laws at pres- ent in force in this Province, have been carefully prepared, and therefore, by applying them to communities of farms, we find that the annual loss from this cause to the large Township of London in the County of Middlesex, — having a cultivated area of nearly 70,000 acres — is over $100,000. The Township of Mariposa, in the County of Victoria, having cleared land to the extent of nearly 48,000 acres, looses $72,000 annually. The Model Farm at Guelph losses by the same means annually about $800. These figures when applied to the whole Province assumes gigantic proportions, for we find from official reports that there are at the present time between eleven and twelve millions of acres under actual cultivation. The total loss, therefore to the farmers of Ontario must be upwards of $16,000,000 per annum. Thos. Beall, Chairman. P. E. Bucke, Thos. Halliday Watt. Col. McGill. — I understood you to say that the old snake fence lasted ten years. I used to be a practical fence maker. I was brought up in the woods. I came into Canada in 1820, and settled in the Township of Pickering when it was almost in a virgin state, and I know a little about making fences. I have been married now 47 years, and I built a fence some time before I was married, and it has never been made over from that day to the present. It keeps all the cattle in. Mr. Bucke. — What wood is it made of 1 Col. McGill. — It is made of pine and cedar. Mr. Bucke. — Is it staked and ridered 1 Col. McGill. — It was staked and ridered at first; but the stakes have been down these last fifteen years. It has never been repaired; it has never broken down to the bottom rail, and there is a northwest wind with a sweep of four miles that rakes it. There is a good deal of fault found with the timber, whereas it is the men who use that timber and put it up who are to blame. If the rails for a rail fence are cut at the proper time of year, and properly split and put up, the fence will last twice as long as if they are not. A worm rail fence costs more in its first construction than the fence of which Mr. Beall was speaking. There is a large proportion of that fence being built in the Township of East Whitby that will not last half as long as a worm fence. It does not occupy as much ground ; but there are six feet of ground even at a straight fence that is not ploughable, because you have to keep far enough away from your wires for the end of your whipple- trees. There is a little more than that in a worm fence ; but you can get right up to a worm fence. Six hundred and fifty twelve-foot rails will make a worm fence forty rods long and four feet high if the rails are what they ought to be ; and a rail fence put up in that way will last as long as two straight fences, because the posts of the straight fence will decay in one half the time between wind and water. The first fence spoken of is not as good a fence. It is not as durable a fence, from actual experience, as to take two posts and set them in and put rails between them. The tenon is only two inches that goes into each post — though sometimes about four, when you happen to have an extra sized post 29 — and then the merest sag of a post will let the ends drop out. It is then almost impos- sible to get them replaced again, because your posts are supposed to be fast at both ends. Now, if you are ascending a lofty hill or going down a decline the posts are not perpen- dicular. If they are they have not got a hold, and the moment one begins to sag, out comes your rail. There are hundreds and hundreds of rods of it in East Whitby that is not going to last half the time that the ordinary straight fence fastened with wire is, and just from that very fact. I have never seen a rod of it that was according to the Legis- lative enactment. The law says in reference to fences that a lawful fence shall be four feet and a half high, composed of substantial rails or boards — that the lower half of the cracks shall not be more than four inches wide. ,Now, you cannot build a fence of the kind first described and get the cracks that way. Supposing you have evc^ry rail exactly alike, when you come to cut off the shoulder to make the tenon there you have a large crack up against the post. Our law is such in Ontario that any municipal council may pass a by-law compelling the owners of cattle, horses, sheep, turkeys and geese to confine them on their own land, and if found running on the highway they are pound- able ; any person can take them up and pound them. We have had that law in East Whitby for years, and I am happy to say we are not half as particular now in making our outside fences as we used to be. I know a man who has 150 or 200 acres of land, and there is not a fence along the road that will keep cattle out. I was pleased last fall when I was in York State to see no fences as I passed along. There were the most beautiful lawns and flowers without a fence or a rail to protect them. I am in favour of that, although I have criticized the report as I have. We have a law now enabling us to have that here too. Mr. Beadle. — Once on a time I ran for Reeve of the Municipality of Grantham. At that time I was living in that municipality. I had not been absorbed into the city of St. Catharines then. I should state that I had been Reeve the year before, and I had advocated very strongly the passage of a by-law such as our friend has just now spoken of — that every man should take care of his own pigs, and sheep, and cattle, and geese, and so on. My opponent in the election of the next year raised the cry that I was opposed to the poor man. There was a certain poor man always around somewhere who had a cow, or a sheep, or a small flock of geese or ducks, or a dozen turkeys, and I was not willing that that poor man should have anything for his pigs, or sheep, or cows, or turkeys to eat ; and the result of the election was that I was beaten. Col. McGill. — That same cry was used in the township I live in for years ; and the gentleman who had the by-law passed had his cows out the next year. Mr. H. O. Smith. — I have a fence on my place that has stood there for forty years, and it is a good fence yet and has never been repaired. It is a rail fence, composed of pine and ash rails. I have no doubt it will stand for fifty years. Mr. Dempsey. — I have seen rails that were over ninety years old in my own section of the country. They had been split from butternut. They were undoubtedly very large rails when they were first made ; but they are gradually growing less every year through the rain wearing them away. Then I have seen butternut cut not more than ten years that have failed since. FRUIT PACKAGES. Mr. Dempsey, on a report being called for from the Committee of Fruit Packages, said that the Committee had not prepared any report. He proceeded : The Committee met several times ; but one or two of the members thought it better to allow every man to swindle all he pleased. The result of every effort to arrive at any conclusion has con- sequently been a failure. We took the trouble to examine into the law to see what there was regulating the size of the apple barrel ; and there is no such thing that we could find. I believe there is a law in Canada fixing the size of a barrel at 31 J gallons, imperial measure ; but custom has often disobeyed this law. With respect to packages for small fruits and peaches we could not come to any conclusion. Two of us, however, Arere of opinion that three half -pints would be sufficient for a strawberry basket — as 30 large as it could be used for shipping purposes. When we came to peach baskets we were of the opinion that twelve quart baskets were preferable to baskets holding half a bushel, from the fact that the fruit would carry safer in them, and enable the peach- grower to place his peaches in the market in an honest shape. In fact, he could have control of his baskets, and nobody could accuse him of dishonesty, because it would not be understood that there was half a bushel in the package. We could not agree on any conclusion ; and we decided not to make any report unless this meeting wished it. One member of the Committee opposed everything that the other two of us proposed. Mr. Pettit. — I am in favour of our shipping the fruit in such packages as will bring us the most money. If we were required by law to ship any certain sized packages we could not ship sometimes in as good shape as would be desirable. In the case of the early peaches, for instance, you will get as much for the small packages as you would for the larger ones. It is to the interest of the grower, I think, to preserve his freedom in this matter as far as he can. Of course it is different with the consumer. Mr. Dempsey. — It occurs 'to me that, supposing there was some authorized size for the peach basket, a man might honestly ship half baskets as half baskets, because if there is a law that regulates the size of a bushel of potatoes it does not follow that a man must always have a bushel in every quantity he sells. Mr. Bucke. — It appears to me that this age of civilization requires universal measures; and I do not see why the fruit business should not have a standard measure just as well as anything else. If a person sells a small gallon for an imperial gallon he is hauled up now-a-days. I do not see why there should not be a standard for fruit as well as a wine measure or a dry measure. Mr. Drurf. — It just depends on whose interest you are looking at. If you are looking at the interest of the grower you had better leave it so that he can make a little deduction — not large enough, perhaps, to attract attention, but large enough to do a service to him. But if there is to be justice and fair play all round, then I say there should be a standard. Mr. Gott. — I maintain that it is an injury to the grower not to have a standard. It occurs something like this : An honest grower takes a half bushel, say of peaches, and charges so much for them. " Oh, but," says the buyer, "we get them in Toronto for so much a bushel ; they are half bushels." " Well, are you sure they are half bushels'?" "Oh, yes, they are half bushels." At the same time they are not half bushels. In this way the home-grower is injured. Therefore I think it is important that we should have a standard. I would say it is not only in the interest of the fruit growers, but also in the interest of the public. We should have something, especially in the case of strawberries and raspberries, and in the case of peaches. As for grapes, they are sold by the pound, and we know just exactly what we are getting. Mr. Biggar. — There are two sorts of baskets introduced for peaches, twelve-quart baskets and fourteen-quart baskets ; and I have known men with fourteen-quart baskets selling them at the same price as those with the twelve-quart baskets. Now, when this has been done somebody has got a bargain, or somebody has got cheated. If we used only fourteen-quart baskets we could put a half-bushel in them without crushing them, and the fruit would come to the consumer in a good condition. I would be in favour of selling peaches by weight — making so many pounds a bushel, and making the baskets accordingly — making three sizes of baskets. A Member. — Couldn't that apply to all fruits % Mr. Biggar. — Yes, to berries and other small fruits. I shipped some peaches last year in the large baskets in order that they should go in good condition. I sent them to Colling wood, and explained that the baskets held fourteen quarts. Still they did not give satisfaction. I put more peaches in than I put in the twelve-quart baskets ; but they were not heaped up. They were in good condition ; but they were not satisfactory, and I had to go back to the twelve-quart baskets. Mr. Beadle. — I quite agree with Mr. Drury's view of the matter. I think that what is fair for one would be fair for the other. If the grower of fruit wants to be honest and treat his customer honestly he ought to be willing to sell a bushel for a bushel, and not sell fourteen quarts for a half bushel. A law was introduced, if I remember rightly, 31 a few years ago that we were to sell root crops by weight ; but I do not think that it is done. I know we go into our market and ask for potatoes, and they are so much per bag. The seller never talks about weight. I presume large cargoes are sold by weight. Then if we were to weigh strawberries and raspberries I suppose we should be troubled by getting into ounces and fractions of ounces, perhaps. But if a fruit grower uses a twelve-quart basket when he should use a sixteen-quart basket, I hold he is doing wrong. Mr. Orr. — I would not be in favour of selling peaches by weight. If they were sold in that way we should be looking for peaches with large pits. But I think we might easily arrange it to have a standard basket of fourteen or sixteen quarts, and have baskets of three or four different sizes based on that — whole basket, half basket, and quarter basket. By sending the fruit in large boxes a grower can sometimes make as much out of them by shipping them in large lots as by shipping them in small. Mr. Drury. — I think the proper thing would be to have a law enacted to this effect : That there should be so many cubic inches in what we call a basket of peaches, and then that a basket of that size and, for convenience, baskets which were fractions of it should be made standard measures. If that were done it would meet the whole case ; while it would be no injustice to the grower, I believe it would be ample protection to the buyer. Mr. Wolverton. — I think there should be a standard size of basket ; but the ques- tion is what the size should be. We ship a great deal from about Grimsby, and the size we generally use is the twelve-quart basket — not from any intention to deceive the buyer, but because that is the most convenient size in which to ship soft fruit. One way, of course, to avoid any difficulty is to state in shipping what the basket contains. That is what we do. Mr. Beadle. — I do not think there could be any exception taken to the use of baskets of various sizes as long as it was understood between the buyer and seller whether any basket being purchased was a twelve-quart, a fourteen-quart, or a sixteen-quart basket. But the difficulty comes in just here : I buy a basket of peaches, and it may be twelve, fourteen, or sixteen quarts ; and the purchaser sometimes thinks he is getting one when he is getting another. Mr. Gott. — We get the reports of the New York markets almost every day, and peaches are quoted at so much a basket, and we do not know how much that is. Mr. Dempsey. — I hope nobody will think there is any imputation intended against any person who may use the small basket ; this is simply a discussion. I was in Montreal last year looking at the fruits in the market there ; and I found I was using a berry basket the same that most of the others were using — one that held a little more than three half pints. By rounding the berries veiey high you could put a quart in them. You would see some lots of strawberries there in which the baskets of the top tier in the case were heaped up, and the under ones very poorly filled. Those fruits were soon found out, and they then went for from one to two cents less than the berries of the honest shipper. Then I found that some did not fill the baskets of the top tier any higher than those of the lower ones ; and there were some persons that shipped into that market that got, during the whole season, about two cents a quart more than the quota- tions. So that I am satisfied it pays the producer to use such a basket and fill it in such a way that he can go into the market and conscientiously say " there is so much in it." I have been in the market with my strawberries, however, when I knew the basket did not contain a quart ; and when the people asked me " Is there a quart in it? " I would tell them " Oh, no, not at all." Then another man standing a little way off would be asked "Is there a quart in your basket 1 " and he would say " Oh, yes;" and he would sell his berries before I could sell mine simply because he would lie about what the baskets contained. Strawberry packages should be twice the size of raspberry packages in order to ship the fruit successfully. Mr. Wolverton. — I would like to ask our American friends if they have a standard peach basket, and, if so, what the size of it is. Mr. Woodward. — The size of our basket is just exactly the size of a lump of chalk. Every man goes as he pleases. We have thought over this, and had committees on it, and had legislation ; and yet the thing remains just where it started. I find they are 32 having the same trouble in Michigan. I think there are only two practical solutions to this question. One is to sell everything by weight. That is a thoroughly practical solu- tion. Another is to brand every basket with its size, and let a man sell any size he pleases. Half the berries in the market of New York are in third pint packages ; and men who grow extra nice berries put them in even smaller baskets than that. They call them third pints, or half pints, or quarter pints ; whatever they are you will see them quoted at that. Mr. Dempsey.— I would be satisfied if the Legislature would compel the seller to mark the basket with just what it contains. Mr. Drury. — That would just meet the difficulty. I know it is a cause of complaint all though this northern country that there is a variation in the size of the peach baskets ; and we find we are not getting what we expect. Mr. Pettit. — If the packages were marked — take those for peaches, for instance — if you shipped a twelve-quart basket of peaches, and they got pretty soft before they got to their destination, so that they would not measure the twelve-quarts then, should they be confiscated on that account ? Are you to guarantee they are twelve-quart baskets or not 1 A Member. — Guarantee the twelve-quart basket. Mr. Biggar. — In shipping a basket of peaches from here to Quebec, if the peaches are not very hard they will sink an inch and a half on the passage. The only way to sell peaches or anything of that kind that shrinks is to sell by weight. I have known peaches to sink as much as two inches in going to Collingwood. It is utterly impossible to pack them so that they will not shrink. Mr. Orr. — Berries picked in a damp day and then passing through a dry day would shrink perhaps more than one-tenth in weight, so that there would be the same objec- tion to weighing. Mr. Honsberger. — In my business I am using three different sizes of packages, a four-quart basket, a twelve-quart basket, and a sixteen-quart basket ; and I ship the most of my fruit. Sometimes, however, I go to the St. Catherines market. I had one time both twelve- quart and sixteen-quart baskets for the sale of peaches, and, when a customer would come up and want a basket of peaches and I would say to him, " Here is a twelve-quart basket and here is a sixteen-quart basket, which will you have V He would say, " Oh, I will take the twelve-quart basket, it is lighter ; I cancarryit easier." He was willing for that reason to take the twelve-quart basket at the same price as the sixteen. A Member. — Was the price for each of them the same ? Mr. Honsberger. — The price for the twelve was exactly the same as for the sixteen. A Member. — The same quality of fruit ? Mr. Honsberger. — Exactly the same. Mr. Drury. — I move that Mr. Bucke be added to the Committee, and that the mat- ter be referred back to the Committee, with instructions to reconsider the subject, and to report to this meeting if possible. The motion was carried. Mr. Beall was called on for the Report of the Committee on Roses, but said he had not had time to prepare it. Mr. Beadle moved that the committee be continued, with a request that they hand in their report to the Publication Committee in time for the next annual report. The motion was carried. CELERY. Mr. Taylor was asked to introduce a discussion as to the best method of cultivating celery and the best varieties of it. He said : I do not know that I can offer you much on the subject. Celery has been almost a failure in this neighbourhood of late. We tried to grow it, but the thrip has almost destroyed it. My idea is that it does not pay to grow it for the market. In cultivating it we manure it well. We bank it up the first time we 33 plough it. We do not sink trenches any more — merely plough it — we cultivate on the surface. The insect keeps eating off the outside leaves. Mr. Gott. — Will the gentleman state what varieties he has had that experience with. Mr. Taylor. — The small size grows solid and good. The pipe stuff is no good for the market at all. We cannot find out anything that will stop the insect. Mr. Bucke. — There is a great deal of celery grown down at Ottawa. It grows nat- urally in low ground. It is a kind of swamp plant. At Ottawa they grow it in black muck, and they find that in deep black muck it grows best. I have seen splendid crops grown in that way without any manure at all. They find that it keeps better in the win- ter in the muck than in sand. It almost always rots if kept in sand in the winter time. Mr. Woodward. — I grow enough celery to eat, and I am surprised that the Ameri- can people use so little celery as they do in their families. Of all the vegetables I know of I do not know of anything, aside from the potato, that is more indispensable to a fam- ily's welfare and enjoyment as celery ; and I do not know of anything that is more easily grown, provided you have a supply of water. I grow the celery for my family in my city lot. I have grown this year 70 rows 60 feet long. They have had all the celery they wanted to use from the time it was large enough, although it is on the table three times a day, and I have enough yet to last till April. There are two things requisite in growing celery. One is to have the ground rich, and the other is to have plenty of water. That which I want to use in the fall I hill ; that which I want for winter use I do not hill, or only enough to keep it up and keep it close. I take those deep boxes such as men's rub- bers come in ; I set the box right on the end, take up the celery with all the dirt I can get adhering to it, put a little light loam across the end of the box, lay in the celery, till in around the roots with the soil in which it grew, and spread some loam on top. Then I lay on top of that another tier of celery, and so on until I fill the box. I then carry the box into the cool part of the cellar, and, if I want to water it, I go and pour a pail on there, and it will absorb into the bottom of the box. I was looking at my celery the other day, and there is plenty of it grown up new in the box. I buy my plants at the gardener's. I have forgotten the name of the celery I have this year, but I like it better than any I ever had. It is a purple celery. It has more of the distinctive flavour of the celery than any of the green celeries I have ever grown. It does not look so well on the table as the green celeries, but in taste it is very much better. Mr. Storrs, of Michigan, has a way that seems to me fully as good as mine where it is available. That is, instead of filling in with loam, he uses packing moss such as the nurserymen use ; and where that is obtainable I think it is preferable to the loam, and very possibly it would keep the celery just as fresh. A Member. — Have you an insect % Mr. Woodward. — In very dry weather we have a little trouble with the insect un- less we have plenty of water. During the very dry weather this summer I set the water running on my celery plot, and it ran about three quarters of the way across. My little boy shut it off ; I did not notice it ; and in less than a week you could see the line that the water went to by the size of the celery. And the start it thus got it maintained until it was time to take it in in the fall. Mr. Beadle. — With regard to variety of celery, the one that has pleased me best is the one that we know by the name of the Dwarf Sandringham. We do not want those large, coarse green kinds. It is some years since I have grown any of that kind of celery. It is undesirable for table use in comparison with the dwarf varieties. I have never tried Mr. Woodward's variety of purple celery, and perhaps he is correct in regard to it ; but there is a sweet, nutty flavour about this Dwarf Sandingham celery that is very agreeable to me, and I believe to all persons who have used it. With regard to the cultivation of celery, I have known what Mr. Bucke said about it to be true. There is a part of my grounds that is a black, mucky spot, and water goes there in the spring, and fall some- times. We have put the celery there of late years, finding it grows better there — I sup- pose from the very reason that there is more moisture there. This being a very dry season the celery stood still through the summer, and I saw the effect of insects on the leaf. I did not examine it enough to ascertain whether it was the thrip or not, although I thought it looked like the thrip's work ; but after the autumn rains came on we had such an open fall 3 (F. G.) 34 that the celery took a start and grew very finely ; and we had a very fine crop of celery after all. I have not been in the habit of keeping it as Mr. Woodward suggests. I have no trouble in gettting at it. I put it in trenches, and when I take it up I keep plenty of soil at the root, and stand it up in the trenches. Then I take a couple of boards and put them over the top, lay a little straw over the boards, and there it keeps ; and we go and open it on any mild day and get any quantity of celery we want, and take it into the Gellar and store it. We have often found it to grow in these trenches. Stalks grow up from the very root, and by spring there will be quite a growth of it. Mr. Woodward. — We used to store our celery just as Mr. Beadle says, and it is not half the work to put it in the boxes that it is to put it in the trenches. And you do not have to wait for a warm day ; it is there any time. When it is very cold where I have my celery stored I throw mats over the boxes. Mr. Dempsey. — I have never tried the cultivation of celery very extensively, but gen- ally try to grow nearly enough for my family's supply. We find no difficulty in growing it. We select a piece of land that is capable of standing any drought, make it rich, and we find that we can get very nice celery. We cultivate just as Mr. Woodward speaks of, and we have been in the habit of packing it in the cellar. That has not a cement bottom — just an earth floor. We fill in with the earth we dig out with it — any earth, in fact. This system of watering is a novelty to me ; but a neighbour of mine had very nice celery this winter, which we were admiring, and he said that he simply packed it in his cellar in the fall just as we did, but he would go in occasionally and throw water over the top of it. He kept it almost saturated with water all the winter through. I had always thought too much water would rot the tops, but in this case it was just the opposite. Mr. Woodward. — If the temperature happens to get up warm it will rot the tops, but if you keep water at the bottom to keep it moist it will be all right. Mr. Dempsey. — I have seen it packed in straw for the winter, set up as Mr. Wood- ward says — close together, and with straw around it. Mr. Woodward. — When we commence on a box it is just full, and it is pretty hard work to get it started. At first when you pull it out it is just like pulling out weeds that grow out of doors, but after you have once got it broken you can keep taking it out. The variety mostly used by us is Boston Market. Mr. Beall. — Those who have never grown celery in the black muck, and who have black muck in which they might do it, I would advise to try it, because celery is the most profitable vegetable you can grow if you have plenty of black muck. I can remember in our town, five or six years ago, when it was regularly sold at ten cents a root. For the last four or five years we can buy all we like, and it is generally eighteen or twenty inches long from the butt to the end of the leaf. It is grown in black muck. It is very easy to grow it. A lazy man can grow it. It sells now generally at from two to three cents a bunch. Mr. Gott. — Is it planted on the surface or in trenches 1 Mr. Beall. — In trenches ; and there is no water. Even this last summer where we had about six weeks with scarcely any rain we noticed no difference — it grew right along in that particular sort of soil. NEW VARIETIES OF POTATOES. Mr. Bucke, in opening a discussion on the question " Which of the new varieties of potatoes give promise of being valuable?" said : The only new variety of potatoes I know anything about is Mr. Dempsey's. I sent some of them to Keewatin to a man who is ear- liest out there. He came in the other day and told me that out of the pound of seed he had got he had obtained a yield of 81 pounds. The potatoes were very large indeed. Three pounds was a small one, he said. I thought that was a very good yield. Mr. Beadle. — Was it just one pound of seed 1 Mr. Bucke. — It was the pound sent out by the Association. Mr. Dempsey. — That was to be under two pounds. 35 Mr. Bucke. — Mr. Dempsey's potato did very well with us. It is very nutty and nice in flavour. People who have raised it like it so well as a rule that they are not eating it ; they are keeping it till next spring for seed. Mr. Wellington. — Potato growing is hardly in our line, but last year we grew the Beauty of Hebron, and this year we have set out the White Elephant. That is a late potato, and I think it is a potato that has come to stay. It is very large and very pro- ductive. It is white ; the eyes are not deep set ; and on cooking it, it has turned out remark- ably well, being very floury and without any sogginess in even the largest specimens. We had one specimen this year — and it was not a very good year for potatoes either — which weighed two pounds and a half. Mr. Beall. — I had some of the Dempsey Seedling potatoes. I got a few more than the law allowed in the Fruit Growers' Association. I got them in another way. I had intended to have given them a very fair trial planted side by side with the Early Rose ; for I cannot very well judge of the quality of a potato or of its productiveness but by comparison. I knew very well already what the Early Hose did for me. My land is not very well situated, I think, for potatoes, and when the dry weather came on the Early Rose soon failed — ripened early. The Dempsey potato continued green, but the rain kept off too long, and in due time the leaves gave way and died. I gathered the potatoes, and found a very fair crop. The Early Rose was not, I think, a third of a crop on ac- count of the dry weather. If the Early Rose had produced in the same land as the Dempsey potato I should have said the Early Rose had given me a very fair crop. With regard to the qualities of the potato, I think I can sum them up very quickly. My Early Rose potatoes are sold. The Dempsey potato we are eating this winter. I think it will not be a favourite for some time —that is, until it is found out how to cook them. My wife tells me it is almost an impossibility to cook them ; for you will either have them all broken open like flour or the heart not entirely cooked — they are so dry. We are much pleased with the potato, and for a long time I shall certainly not plant an Early Rose. The Dempsey potato will take its place. It is a better potato in flavour, and we like it in every particular. It resembles the Early Rose in shape, but it has a rougher skin It s a kidney potato. But the best feature about it is that the eyes are not sunken. It is the nearest to being smooth of any potato I ever saw. I never saw any other potato that I liked as well, I have had this year other potatoes that produced better, but they were in soil specially prepared. They were the Burbank Seedling. Mr. Honsberger. — Although I cannot say that I am not a potato grower, I received from the Association the Dempsey Seedling, and gave it rather an indifferent trial. I was very much surprised at the results. I found it made a very rank growth. I am satisfied the land had no manure for at least five years, consequently the yield of po- tatoes was very light. I got for my crop about half a bushel, and from appearances they were very nice. I thought I should have just what I wanted in a potato — a medium sized one If I get an overgrown potato, I rather take it to the root-house for the cattle than store it for table use. This Dempsey Seedling is an almost perfectly smooth potato, and just about medium sized. Having so few of them I could not testify as to their quali- ty ; I want to give them another trial. I also tried the Burbank Seedling this year, and like it very much. Mr. Woodward. — Varieties multiply rapidly, and about ninety-nine out of a hundred that are put out are hardly worth anything when you come to test them. It is very hard to find a potato that is better than the Early Rose, all things considered, although I do not consider the Early Rose a superior potato so far as quality is concerned. The Beauty of Hebron I call a very good potato. We have many potatoes that outyield it very much ; but, all things considered, with us that is the best of all the new varieties I have tested. We have another potato, the Queen of the Valley, which is the heaviest yielder of any potato I have ever tried ; but with me, this year, the quality is not up to what I expected. Mr. Beadle. — What do your people think of the Early Ohio 1 Mr. Woodward. — The Early Ohio is very similar to the Early Rose. Mr. Dempsey. — Does it ever grow hollow 1 Mr. Woodward. — Yes ; if it grows very large it does. There is one thing about the 36 White Elephant that I think very highly of ; that is, this year it has been less subject to the attack of the potato beetle than an other potato I have ever seen grow. That insect will eat up other varieties around it and never touch it. Mr. Morris. — I have grown the Dempsey potato. I can only speak of it in com- parison with the Beauty of Hebron, the St. Patrick, and the White Elephant. The Beauty of Hebron is a very nice potato, one of the best in quality, I think, I have ever known ; but it is a very shy cropper. The St. Patrick would come next in cropping, and the Dempsey would about compare with that. It is a far better cropper than the Beauty of Hebron. But the White Elephant outdistances the whole of them in cropping. I grew the White Elephant on three different pieces of ground. One was an old fence row. There they grew pointed. One specimen of them weighed three pound six ounces. Some that grew on another piece of ground grew as nice a shape as could be. Mr. Saunders. — I grew the Dempsey potato last year. I planted a row of them alongside the Early Rose, subject to the same treatment and in the same soil, and they yielded, I should judge, fully as much again in weight of crop, and the potatoes were a better size and smoother — better in every A\ay. I found them very good indeed. I think that variety is a decided acquisition in the potato line. This last year was particularly unfavourable for growing potatoes with us. Mr. Bucke. — J think we are not going to have any potato come to stay with us. It seems to me that, after a few years, every potato we get runs out. Any person who can remember the potatoes of thirty or forty years ago will know that they are all gone. We are always requiring new varieties ; and for my part, I have given up all idea of having any standard potato. I think any person who brings out a new potato deserves the thanks of the country for so doing. Mr. Woodward. — Don't you think the Early Pose is just as good now as it ever was? Mr. Bucke. — Yes ; I think it is. It has been in about ten years. I think in a few years it will disappear. Mr. Beall. — A year ago when I was here I spoke of a peculiarity connected with my Beauty of Hebrons — that is, that they were scabby — and I could not assign any reason for it. This year I got a few nice clean potatoes, and I put them in these sample rows where I put the Dempsey potatoes and the Early Rose. They had the same culti- vation, the same manure, and the same treatment in every way, and they came out more scabby than ever. There was nothing of the kind on either of the other potatoes. I forgot to state that the Dempsey s I raised were nearly all of medium size. I had not one perhaps as large as the quarter of the part of the seed I got. Mr. Bucke. — I think the scabbiness of the potatoes can easily be accounted for. There is only one true way to grow potatoes, and that is on sod. If they are grown on newly manured land they are sure to be scabby. Mr. Dempsey. — This Dempsey potato that we have been speaking of is a seedling of my own. I showed in Hamilton — I think it was eight years ago last fall — two hundred varieties of new potatoes of my own production, and this is the only one that I thought worthy to continue in cultivation. It is a seedling of the Early Rose crossed with the Early Goodrich. The first year it was grown — I remember speaking of this before ; and parties even questioned the truthfulness of my assertion — we obtained from seed the full-sized potato ; but this variety was red throughout the inside as ever you saw a beet. We cultivated it the next year, and when we came to split the potatoes we saw that some of them were becoming whiter. We kept selecting the whiter potatoes, and it took us two or three years to establish the character it now possesses. I have compared it with several new varieties that I have had, and I have never found a variety that would beat it in yielding. I have never found a variety yet that will cook equal to it, aud I feel perfectly satisfied still to stick to it. It was not sent out last year to make money ; because it cost the parties nothing ; and I have no object in making money out of it now. The potatoes are always a medium size ; but the crop is abundant. They are always large enough for cooking purposes — I mean the large size. You scarcely find an overgrown one. They are ovate in form. The seed eyes are usually found only on one side of the potato, and very few in number. We had no trouble whatever in regard to 37 rotting or anything of that kind. We found the stalks grow very upright. It is an easy matter to hoe them — little danger of the whiffletrees of the horses or the edges of the teeth of your cultivator tearing them to pieces. We have tried the Beauty of Hebron — grown it beside other varieties ; and certainly I think it is the best early potato I have tested. The Early Ohios do very well ; but we find the most of them hol- low. The Burbank Seedling I found to have the same defect as Col. Brooks' Ohio ehoke-cherry — " it wa' n't fit to eat." REPORT OF COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO EXAMINE FRUITS ON EXHIBITION. Mr. Saunders presented the Report of the Committee on Fruits on Exhibition : Mr. S. Fowler, of Cambray, exhibits two varieties of seedling apples under numbers one and two. No. 1 is about medium in size, of a yellow colour, with a brownish pink cheek with greyish brown specks, calyx much depressed and slightly ribbed, stem short and slender in a rather shallow cavity. Flesh moderately fine in texture, nearly white, juicy, sub-acid with a pleasant aroma and fair flavour, would probably prove a good cooker. No. 2 resembles No. 1 in form and colour, but is larger, flesh scarcely so fine as No. 1 ; juicy, sub-acid, and would doubtless cook well. Both of these seedlings are a little over-ripe to admit of their being properly judged as to character. Messrs. Geo. Leslie & Son exhibit samples of the Blue Pearmain, which is said by Mr. Leslie to ship much better than any other variety of apple known to him, uniformly reaching their destination in good condition. Mr. O. F. Smith, of Glanford, shows a handsome bright red seedling apple, about the size and colour of the Jonathan ; flesh rather coarse, sweetish sub-acid. As it is rather over-ripe, it is difficult to judge of its true merits. Mr. A. M. Smith, of St. Catharines, has on exhibition good samples of Lawrence Pear, in an excellent state of preservation, with their full flavour and juicy mellow char- acter well developed. Mr. S. Wo«dley, of Hamilton, exhibits fine samples of the following varieties of pears, all in good condition : Easter Beurre, Josephine de Malines and Winter Nelis. Mr. Alexander Cowan, of Hamilton, exhibits some handsome specimens of fruits from Riverside, Southern California — gathered during a recent visit there. Beautiful clusters of oranges on the stem, with leaves attached, comprising Mediterranean Sweet orange, and the Navel . orange. He also shows two varieties of lemons. These fruits are from trees grown by a Canadian settler named Chaffey, who settled in this district four years ago. A very fine box of California raisins is also shown prepared from grapes grown in the same vicinity. Four samples of very good wines are also shown by the same gentleman, consisting of Sherry, Port, Jasens wine made from Muscat grapes, the variety used for making raisins, also a wine known as Cucamonga wine ; your Committee, think that the Sherry is the finest of the four wines exhibited. Wm. Saunders, S. D. Willard, Alex. McD. Allan. MELONS. Mr. A. M. Smith, in speaking on the subject of melons and best methods of cultiva- tion said : I do not grow but about three varieties at present. The only musk-melon I grow is one that I got the seed of from Washington, called the Hunter melon. It is a large, long, rough-skinned green-flesh melon of very fine quality, and I have grown it for several years. When I was located at Drummondville I supplied the principal hotels about 38 the Falls with it j and they told me it was the best melon we could get hold of. I grow that exclusively as a musk-melon. Of water-melons I grow principally now a variety that is called, I think, Haskell's Excelsior. It is a large-sized, mottled melon of very good quality. I tried this year a new one called the Cuban Queen. It is said to be of enor- mous size, though this last season it was so dry that it did not grow with me very large. I think the largest one I had weighed about 25 pounds. They claim to have raised it in the States to weigh 80 pounds. It is a red-flesh, very fine melon, and very thin-skinned. It would be a very fine melon for amateurs ; but it is rather tender to handle for ship- ping. I have tried the Mountain Sweet, which is a very good melon. The Gypsy is a very large melon, but a little too late for this climate. I find the Excelsior is hardly equal to it in size ; but it is earlier, and in quality fully as good. With regard to the method of cultivation, I generally make my land as rich as possible. I do not know that you can get it too rich for melons. The great secret in growing them is to keep them cultivated ; if you hoe them every other day it is to their benefit. Mr. Gott. — Do you manure the whole surface of the ground, or simply the hills where the roots are 1 Mr. Smith. — I put the manure in the hill. Mr. Bucke. — How early do you have them 1 Mr. Smith. — Generally about the middle of August, sometimes a little earlier, and sometimes a little later. It depends upon the location. Mr. Gott. — What distance do you plant apart, and do you practice pruning the vines 1 Mr. Smith. — No ; I never practice pruning to any extent. In the last hoeing, if some of the leaders are getting out a little too long, I sometimes crop them off with the hoe. I generally put them from seven to eight feet apart. Mr. Bucke. — Do you allow them to fertilize naturally ; or do you assist fertilization ? Mr. Smith. — Just naturally. Mr. Beadle. — It is claimed by some that if you will pinch the.running vine after it starts out and has got to be two or three feet in length, and compel it to branch, you will get fruit much earlier, it will set much earlier than if you allow it to run on until it sets its fruit. I thought perhaps Mr. Smith would throw some light upon that point. Mr. Dempsey. — I have tried pruning in that way. We generally pinch the ends when they start to run, particularly in the musk-melons. Some growers prefend that it pays to pinch the vine before it starts to run, and that several branches will start from the same plant ; but I think it pays better to let it run about twelve inches or something near that. Some will be eighteen and some six inches, because when we go there to pinch them we don't do it all at once. That induces laterals to start out from every joint. I have seen stems that were not pinched run six or eight feet before there would be a blossom that would produce fruit, and then if it was not pinched that fruit would fail. We do not prune them, only pinch the tip. All of the fruit would lie then near the roots. The hills we plant generally eight feet apart, which gives ample room to get around your hill ; and it is none too much space either, from the fact that you will find if you examine the soil that these roots actually meet, and in fact more than meet — they cross each other. The whole of the soil will be occupied a little below the surface of the musk-melon land with the roots. Consequently it will be necessary to fertilize the whole of the land. I do not like too high manuring for melon culture. We simply use a handful of salt in the hole, and a little ashes. Gypsum is a very good thing, and we like it and some bone dust. We do not use much stable manure for our musk-melons. For water-melons we generally use superphosphate— just a handful of it. I would rather have a loose, sandy soil than a very rich loamy soil to grow water-melons. If you are going to be successful in growing water-melons you must select a very warm spot. If possible, select a piece of ground that is protected from the north and west. Cultivated on such soil I find no difficulty whatever in obtaining melons of large size and delicious flavour ; and they ripen sufficiently early. I never saw a man cultivate his melons too much. It will pay to cultivate them every day, if it can be done — the soil between them. The musk-melon should never be cultivated deep, however, after they begin to vine, from the fact that the roots run very close to the surface, and they do not require any root- 39 pruning. For water-melons you can cultivate deeper ; you will find the roots penetrate deeper into the soil. I have seen Long Island melons and Black Spanish melons on soil that would not grow a good crop of Indian corn, that would weigh more than thirty pounds. We have a piece of land that is a sand hill — actually a drifting sand, you may say — and I remember picking one melon on it, a couple of years ago, that was all I could carry to the house conveniently. I am satisfied it is not manure nor strong soil we want to produce good water-melons, but heat and cultivation. Mr. Beadle. — Why so much cultivation ? Mr. Dempsey. — They are like all other crops that we cultivate on a warm soil. All warm soil is inclined to be a dry soil, and the oftener we stir it the opener we will keep it ; and by that means the atmospheric air is enabled to penetrate the ground, and to maintain a certain amount of moisture without the amount of cold being admitted that there would be if we applied water to it. I ask for no better water-melon on my table than the Mountain Sweet ; but I find there is more money in the Black Spanish than in any other variety I have tried. It will yield more weight than any other we have, and will ship better than any other melon. The skin is rather thick. We cannot barrel the Long Island safely for shipping. We find that a great many of them and of the Mountain Sweet have broken, so we usually ship the Black Spanish. The Hunter musk-melon is a large melon that is liable to grow crooked if you are not careful to turn it over, and one side will be thin ; but it is a very fine-flavoured green-flesh melon. It is one of the finest melons to supply a hotel with that I have ever seen. It will produce a greater weight per acre than any other melon I have ever seen. We cultivate Skill- man's fine netted melon also, a musk-melon. It is an early melon, very reliable ; and you will generally find, if they are properly cultivated, that there are no bad ones among them. The Nutmegs we cultivate sometimes ; but they are variable in their flavour. Mr. A. M. Smith. — In regard to this sandy hill — don't you manure pretty liberally in order to get good water-melons out of it 1 Mr. Dempsey. — No. We usually sow broadcast from a barrel to two barrels of common salt to the acre ; and then we plough the soil. It is better to plough the soil three or four times before planting the seed — not be in too great a hurry in getting it in in the spring ; let the soil get warm. Apart from the salt we apply a handful of the superphosphate of lime. If we have not that we use the bone dust and ashes. We grow a great deal better melons where we use the salt than where we do not. The salt helps to retain the moisture. Mr. Beall. — Isn't your land new where you grow the melons ? Mr. Dempsey. — I was told by an old man who worked for me that right on that spot he recollected cutting wheat that yielded forty bushels to the acre more than forty years ago. It is soil that has never been in the hands of parties that had enterprize enough to draw a load of manure on it. When I moved on it, all the manure was lying at the barn. I presume it may have had a little manure dropped on it occasionally ; but I do not think it had had a load of manure on it for forty years. It actually failed to produce rye and buckwheat. Mr. Gott. — Could you give us any information as to the profitableness of this crop, and as to the amount to be produced 1 Mr. Dempsey. — It is a very profitable crop if you have a market for it. We have sometimes produced such quantities of water-melons that the truth in regard to them would appear unreasonable. We had a couple of acres of them four years ago, and the yield that year was so great that we could drive a two-horse waggon into the patch and load it with water-melons, without stirring the waggon, one or two men outside passing them to a man in the waggon, and he laying them round. It was a two-ton load at that. The waggon box was made wide so that it would hold fifty bushels of potatoes, and we would round it up with melons without stirring the waggon. Mr. Beadle. — How do you market them — by the ton 1 Mr. Dempsey. — No ; by the piece. Parties generally order a certain number of jnelons of about such a weight. Mr. Orr. — How far do you have to take them before reaching cars or boat? Mr. Dempsey. — Twelve or fifteen miles. 40 Mr. Be all. — I want to ask the President whether he sowed the seed in the ground where the melons grew, or put it in hot-beds 1 Mr. Dempsey. — Invariably sowed it in the ground where they grew. Usually we begin to pick our melons about September, and no matter how early the season is, we never think of planting the seed until along in June. They begin to vine in about six weeks, and by forcing them on they grow very fast. It being now six o'clock, the convention adjourned till half-past seven. CORN FOR TABLE USE. In speaking to the question, as to what are the best varieties of corn for table use, Mr. Beadle said : I think the sweet corn is the best for table use. Then the question is, which sweet corn 1 I know that our yellow corn is a very good variety of corn. It continues a short season, and makes very fine, sweet meal ; and it is passable eating when green. But our renowned sweet corn is altogether preferable. I find the variety known as the Minnesota sweet corn the earliest. I have tried a sweet corn raised in Vermont, which I find about as early. It is sometimes grown in the eastern counties of Quebec. It ripens about the same time as the Minnesota, and I cannot see any material difference between the two varieties in quality. Then we have Crosby's early sweet corn, which we like very well. I think it a little richer, a little sweeter than the Minnesota. Then there was an Egyptian sweet corn. I have grown that ; but I do not like it. It is not sweet enough to suit me. It gets in late, which is perhaps an advantage. And yet, to me, that is no advantage ; I can keep the other corn just as late, by planting it a little later. Then we had Stowell's Evergreen. It does not get hard, and it is, in that sense, an evergreen corn that remains fit for table use a consider- able time. But I do not consider that of the highest quality. I can just as well have one of these other varieties of sweet corn that is richer by planting it later. I do not see anything gained by multiplicity of kinds. I believe, however, that for canning pur- poses, for winter use, these later varieties are preferable. Perhaps one reason is, that the ears are larger ; you get more corn on the cob, and probably can do the work more rapidly. Stowell's Evergreen is so called, because it is in use for a long time ; in fact, stays green until the frost appears. 'Mr. Bucke. — A very large cob? Mr. Beadle. — Yes. There is not much difference, to my taste, between that and the Egyptian. Mr. Beall. — We grow corn. I was trying very hard, just now, to think of the kinds we grow ; but there is one kind I cannot think of the name of. It has a long, yellow ear. However, we grow the early Minnesota and the Stowell's Evergreen ; and this other one comes in between the two. We generally grow four kinds in the year. We generally take one other new kind ; but we invariably come back to the three old ones, and the new one we generally pass aside. This year I had a couple of ears of Chief Johnson's corn, and I must say that, when it was exactly in the right season, it was exceedingly good. We liked it as well as any corn we ever had. But a great draw- back to it was this, that after three or four days — perhaps not longer than a week — we had not any of it to eat ; it was too dry. Another objection to it was, that it was cer- tainly the most rampageous corn I ever saw — most immoral corn ; for it impregnated almost every other corn I had. It discoloured their seeds. Mr. Woodward. — We grow Minnesota for early. Although it is not very sweet, it is about the earliest I think we have. Then we grow Stowell's Evergreen ; and then we have a corn that we call California Sweet Corn. It is much larger than the Stowell, and more prolific. It does not grow quite as early. I think the finest corn I have ever eaten, I ate last summer in New Jersey. It was a black sugar corn ; I forget the name of it — rather darker than Chief Johnston's corn ; it was quite black before it was cooked. When it was cooked it paled out a little. It is not as early as the Minnesota, but about next to it. E. Williams, Mount Clair, is the gentleman at whose place I ate it. 41 Mr. Willard. — I grow the same corns that Mr. Woodward does. I think a great deal of that large late corn, that he speaks of. I think a person would enjoy eating it better than any other corn, on account of its coming in later. You get a larger mouthful of it. PEACHES FOR MARKET. The next topic discussed was, " Best Varieties of Peaches for Market, ripening so as- to give a continuous supply during the season." Mr. Gott. — The earliest peach that we have is the Alexander, Amsden's June, or Early Canada. We consider these three varieties to be identical, inasmuch as if you put the ripened fruit into a basket and shake it up, you cannot pick out the different kinds again. The trees too are very similar. I do not mean to say that they are identical, but they appear so to us. Another peach that we have is the Early Louise. It is one of Mr. Rivers' peaches, from England. It is an excellent peach. The next profitable peach that we have, coming in after those, is Rivers' Early. It is a peach for the million. With us, it stands in the same relationship to peaches in general, as the Concord grape stands to the grape family. It is emphatically the peach. We consider it to be the standard of all other peaches. Crawford's Late is an excellent peach, possessed of many valuable qualities. It is large sized and of beautiful colour ; the trees are hardy — fully as much so as the Early ; and the fruit appears to be worth more — it is better adapted to our markets. The worst feature of Crawford's Early is, that it comes to the glut — usually at the time our seedling peaches are in the market. But a good peach will sell at any time, glut or no glut. There are several peaches coming in after these. The peach called Stump-the-World is one of them. It is possessed of a great deal of value. It is an excellent peach for exhibition purposes, coming in for our fall shows, when all the other peaches are done. The peach called Foster is, in every way, I think, a model peach. If there is any possibility of beating Crawford's Early that does it. Another peach which we have grown, but of whose qualities we could not say very much, is the Lemon Cling. It is a very yellow peach. It has a very fine colour — looks well ; but it is almost an impossibility to get it off the stone. Mr. Pettit. — There are several important varieties that Mr. Gott has left out. I would plant first the Alexander. It is a very fine peach, and comes into bearing young. After that, the Early Rivers. It is not a peach that will stand shipping very well ; but it is a fine peach, and sells well. After that, the Hale's Early. It is not much of a peach, and it has had a good deal of abuse ; but it bears such quantities, and so regularly, that I think it will produce as much money as any other peach. After that, the Craw- ford's Early. That, I think, in our section, we have run too heavily on. It comes in with so much other fruit, and with so many other varieties of peaches, that it sells pretty low sometimes ; altogether, it is such an excellent peach that no other variety would stand the quantity in the market that it would. After that, the Old Mixon, a fine peach, which always commands a good place, and is a good shipper. Then the Lemon Cling. It is an excellent shipper and very heavy bearer. After that, the Smock, an excellent bearer and one that comes in after the glut is over, and always commands a good price. Then comes the Salway. It is a little later ; but it is a good peach. Mr. Morris. — The Mountain Rose is left out. It would follow the Hale's Early, and then after that comes the Early York. I think those are as good as any. Mr. Biggar. — Our friends have omitted a very excellent peach, the Morris' White. People are getting to know it now. I remember, a few years ago, it was hardly saleable in the market. Now there is a great deal of call for it, and you can hardly supply the demand for that variety. I would not be without it. Mr. Honsberger. — My experience is not very extensive in peach growing. The Early Canada, the Alexander, and the Amsden's June are the earliest I grow, It would be like a grasp in the dark for me to choose between them. After them I grow the Early Rivers ; after that comes the Early Beatrice, although a great deal is said against it. I find it in my orchard a little under-sized. It is a peach that is highly coloured, 42 and is a longer time in ripening than most peaches. The Early Rivers is a very nice peach ; but I do not find it as profitable for a distant market as for a local market. For a local market there is nothing to excel it at that time. With me the Early Louise fol- lows. It is a very nice peach ; but I do not find it very profitable. Then comes in the Crawford. I have no Hale's, because they do not succeed with me. I find the Foster takes a few days the start of the Crawfords with me. The Crawford follows it. Then would come in the Mountain Rose and the Sweetwater. Those two are my favourite peaches for canning, above all the peaches that I have grown yet. Then would follow the Barnard, which is a very profitable peach if not allowed to bear too heavily. They want a great deal of thinning. It is just a medium-sized peach. It is very handsome. I think a great deal of it in the orchard. Then I have the Late Crawford, which I think a great deal of. The Old Mixon paid me better this season than any tree I had. Morris' White I find a little too small to be profitable. The Lemon Cling is a peach that a great many find a great deal of fault with ; but for my part I would not want to be without some of them. They are a peach that come in in a good time, and I have found them to sell for a higher price for the last three years than Crawford's Early. Then I have the Smock, which I like very much. It comes in at a time when it has very little opposition, and generally fetches good prices. The latest I have is the Salway ; but I would not want to plant very extensively of it, as it is a little too late to risk. A Member. — Have you found the Salway ripen with you as well the last year or two? Mr. Honsberger. — It has ripened thoroughly the last three years with me. A Member. — What do you think of the quality of it 1 Mr. Honsberger. — It is very good when thoroughly ripe. Mr. Biggar. — Does anyone know anything about the Boisole's Late ? It is a very good peach and a hardy one. Mr. Gott. — The Early Barnard is one of our best peaches, very profitable and every way acceptable. There was another peach that was sent out some time ago by Mr. Barnard, called Early Melocoton, which is a good one. There is another peach grown up our way, called the Black Peach. The flesh is a dark pink colour, as though the whole thing from centre to circumference were stained with blood. Judge Macpherson. — We grow a few peaches at Owen Sound. I had one last year, I know. There have been some very good ones grown there. The Early Crawford grows very well. But it is not a peach-growing country there, nor has much attention been paid to peach-growing in that section yet. Some places along the shore they grow them every year, and succeed very well. Mr. Saunders. — I did not get even one peach last year from my place. The winter was too hard on the trees. Mr. Willard. — I have been interested in listening to the ideas brought out with. regard to the qualities of the peaches that have been mentioned. I have grown peaches somewhat myself • but I have found that the early peaches and the late peaches have paid me best. I do not think I have had any that have paid me as well as the Amsden. I can see no percep table difference, however, between the Amsden, the Alexander, the Wilder, and the Waterloo. I think there is a little difference in the period of ripening in some of these varieties that are so closely connected together ; but I think that differ- ence, and perhaps the difference in the quality, is attributable some to the soil on which they are grown and the age of the trees. Mr. Barry, whom we regard as an authority on almost all of our fruits, has claimed that the Waterloo was earlier than almost any of these early peaches by a week at least. Now, I found the Waterloo on my ground this year to ripen with the latest of the Amsdens. I shipped the Amsdens for about ten days, and I found the Waterloo and the Wilder came in with the latest of these Amsdens. I have found the Rivers to be with us a very valuable peach. It has been one of the best that I have grown, but not entirely fit for long shipments because of its very tender flesh. It is the best, I think, of those peaches that Mr. Rivers has sent out. Speaking of it with regard to quality, you will invariably find the Rivers best on the south side of the tree. Perhaps that may be accounted for in a measure by the very marked character of the foliage, which is sometimes almost like that of a Lombardy poplar. In consequence 43 the fruit is shaded a good deal. I have fruited the Hale's July. It is a peach that stood the severity of the winter of 1875, when almost all the peach orchards on the shores of Lake Michigan were destroyed. It is a very fine yellow-meated peach. My wife thinks there is nothing like it for canning. But it has its imperfections. It is a tree that will over-bear • and it must be thinned thoroughly. This year, in order to have good fruit, I had my man thin it three times. It may bear every year, and bear profusely ; but in order to get good specimens of fruit you must thin it thoroughly. While the Crawfords sold in our market for two dollars a bushel this year, the Hale's July sold for three, on account of its quality and on account of the glut being off the market. After that we found the Smock just what we wanted ; and after that the Salway. There have been a great many objections raised to the Salway, and perhaps justly. Mr. Elwanger said, in one of our meetings, that he had failed to ripen it afc Rochester ; but it has ripened now for three seasons, and has been sent to Philadelphia and Boston and sold for four dollars a bushel. Its keeping qualities are wonderful, and in favourite localities where you are sure of ripening it well, I believe it is an acquisition. Mr. Woodward. — There is one thing I would like to see — that is, a maA who can tell the difference between a basket of Amsdens, one of Alexanders, one of Early Canada, and one of Waterloo peaches ; and I would like to see another man who can tell the dif- ference between Early Crawfords, Foster, or Allen's peach. I think that of all the early peaches there was nothing that, with judicious care, we used to get so much money out of, when we were in the business, as we did out of the Early Beatrice. It is the handsomest of all the early shippers. It is as good a keeper as any of the early shippers. There is but one objection you can raise against it, and that is as to its size ; but if you thin out your trees you can get it up in such shape that it will sell with any of the peaches. There is another peach that I used to grow a little, that is, Hand's Early Golden. It comes a little later than the Crawford. It is a better peach than the Crawford — a better grower — not as good a bearer, but a very good peach. The Salway, where you can ripen it, is one of the finest peaches you can have, and it is a good keeper. I have seen them repeatedly kept until along in December. Wherever it will ripen it is a peach that is profitable. Mr. A. M. Smith. — I would like to endorse what Mr. Woodward said in regard to the Early Beatrice. We have some three or four young trees of it ; and as a shipper I consider it ahead of the Rivers, though the size is against it. If, however, it is properly thinned out it is a profitable peach, and it is sure to bear every year. In regard to the difference between the Foster, Early Crawford, and Allen peaches, I would not say that I could tell the difference between the Foster and the Early Crawford ; but if the Allen peach that Mr. Woodward refers to is the one that I have in my mind, it is as distinct from the Crawford as the Spitzenburg apple is from the Baldwin. In the first place, the Allen peach is a week later than the Crawford ; it is a rounder peach, and has a great deal deeper colour. Mr. Willard. — The Wager is a fine canning peach. It comes in between the Craw- fords. It is exciting a good deal of interest among peach growers in our section at the present time. Mr. A. M. Smith. — Some parties consider this Wager and the Allen identical peaches. Mr. Woodward. — The Mountain Bose, for a not too distant market, is a very pro- fitable peach. It is the only one of the white peaches, not too early, I would advise any man to plant. I consider it the best of all the peaches to can. Mr. Gott. — The Mountain Rose is with us one of the best peaches that we have, and one of the most profitable. We can almost universally sell them for as good a price as we can the yellow flesh ones. With us the Amsden's June is picked first of the three mentioned by Mr. Woodward. Mr. Beadle. — 1 would like to ask Mr. Willard if he knows anything of Reeve's Favourite 1 Mr. Willard. — I only know of it from what I have seen in (Delaware. I saw it fruit in Delaware some few years since, and the impression I formed of it was very favour- able indeed. 44 Mr. Beadle. — I have an idea that it ripens about the time of the Wager peach. It is a yellow-fleshed peach of a very good quality, a good bearer, good size and appearance. I have not fruited it myself. Mr. Morris. — There are a good many of that variety fruited in our section, and I think the fruit is the largest that we have. It ripens a little before the Late Craw- fords. Mr. Beadle. — What do you think of the quality of the peaches'? Mr. Morris. — Very good. Mr. Willard. — We have none of the yellows where I live ; but knowing that they have them in almost every section, it seems to me that those engaged in the work of arresting the progress of the disease should ferret out and let it be generally known what peaches are less liable to the yellows than others. There must be some such grown at the present time. Mr. Beadle. — I think that last winter Mr. Woodward told us that in his peach orchard — which was worth a good deal once, but is worth hardly anything now — there was one variety that escaped the disease. Mr. Woodward. — That is so. This last year that same variety remained free from the yellows. I would not like to say it is exempt until I have tested it further. I do not know what the name of it is. It is a better peach than the Crawford. It is a round, dark peach, a deep yellow, and a larger peach than the Crawford, a good, strong grower. PEACHES FOR CANNING AND DRYING. Mr. Gott. — It has already been said that the Mountain Rose has excellent qualities for canning. We have a peach — I do not know whether it is very generally known — which we call Hall's Beauty. It is a very solid peach, not very large, but for canning purposes it is first-class. For drying, we consider that our seedlings answer every pur- pose. Mr. Beadle. — I came away from the Rochester meeting with this impression on my mind — that the white-fleshed peaches have been used of late years by those who dry and those who can peaches because of their handsome appearance when put up — because they are more attractive to buyers than the yellow peaches. It is not that they possess any particular qualities that make them dry any easier or better, or because they can better, or are any richer. With regard to the seedling peaches, I do not know to what market my friend sends those he dries ; but I think that no person who has an educated taste with regard to peaches would ever buy his Seedling peaches dried if he could get these other varieties. Mr. Woodward. — -We had one dryer in our town who told me not long ago that he would take all the Mountain Rose peaches he could get, and agree to run his evaporator night and day throughout the season, and would pay seventy-five cents a bushel for them. He said he thought he could not begin to supply the demand for them, and that the people would not take anything but that variety. He said there was twice the money in them that there was in any other variety that he had ever dried. EFFECTS OF THE PAST WINTER ON FRUIT TREES, ETC. The next topic discussed was, " The effect of last winter on fruit trees, grape vines, and small fruits." Mr. Bucke. — I can bear testimony that last winter was the best winter we ever had for fruit trees. We had more blue plums this year than we ever had before ; and we did not loose any fruits at all from the effects of the severity of the winter. Up here the winter was so severe that they thought we in Ottawa were all going to be killed out ; but we never before had so much fruit as we have had this year. We had more 45 and better plums than we ever had before. I do not think we had it lower than 35° below zero last year. Mr. Saunders. — We were not so fortunate in the London district. My registering thermometer registered 26° below zero. The mercury got to the end of the tube, and I do not know how much farther it would have gone — I presume down to 32° or 33°. The result was that it killed nearly all the plum trees in our- section dead, or so nearly dead that a few of them have struggled along here and there, making a very insignificant growth, and died towards the end of the year — those that did not die in the winter. I have not noticed any of the wild plums in the woods killed ; but I think all the culti- vated varieties suffered, except in the city, where the trees were protected by houses. We found some of our ornamental trees killed outright also. When the thermometer has not been so low as that, we have usually lost some of our peach trees ; but last year the peach trees survived where the plum trees were killed standing alongside of them. The same might be said about some other varieties of fruit that are usually considered tender. In grapes, for instance, although my friend Arnold's grapes have usually been hardy, yet in one location on my grounds they were killed outright. The same varieties within a hun- dred yards, not so much exposed, survived, and made a good growth this year. Some of the cherries were very much injured. I lost several trees. They seemed to make a little start in the spring, and then died out. But it did not affect the cherries in the same disastrous way as the plums. Most of them survived. Mr. Willard. — Had the plum trees to which you refer generally half a crop the previous season 1 Mr. Saunders. — The previous season these trees of mine had a very light crop on. This would have been the fifth year if they had survived. Mr. Woodward. — Did not your plum trees, a year ago this last summer, lose their leaves in that drought, and did not they start out with their leaves when the warm weather came in the fall 1 Mr. Saunders. — They lost their leaves quite early in the season, but their buds did not start out again to any extent in the fall. Mr. Willard. — I think the losing of their leaves then weakened the trees, and that then the severe weather last winter worked the disastrous effect on them. Mr. Woodward. — I believe it was not last winter, but the severe weather a year ago last November that killed Mr. Saunders' trees. The sap was in the trees, and the frost caught them and killed them with ease. I was up in Ohio last fall, the first of December, and I saw grape vines there at the winter meeting by the armful, and you might examine them and not find a live bud in a thousand — they were killed. We had it down to zero in December, and they had it down there to five, six, and ten below zero. I never saw such extreme cold in November as we had then. It did not affect the peach, because the peach was done ripening ; it was in entire rest in November when the frost came. Mr. Beadle. — I think Mr. Bucke's trees are natives, are they not 1 Mr. Bucke. — The only really cultivated plum tree I have is the Orange Gage. Judge Macpherson. — As far as Owen Sound is concerned, we had a frost in June that killed a greater portion of the outdoor grapes and plums. I do not think the No- vember frost affected us. My recollection is that we had snow on the front then, and that it continued through the whole winter. We had very severe weather in the winter, sometimes 35 and 36, I think, and a great deal of snow, but I do not think the trees were injured by the winter at all. Mr. Boy was so singularly fortunate that all his grapes did well this year. Mr. Holmes, who lives on the other side of the bay from Mr. Boy, some little distance from the water, had as fine a crop of plums as you will ordinarily see. There were a few other places where they were successful in raising plums, but the greater portion of the plums and grapes were killed by that frost, and in fact all other trees, even the Canada thistles were cut down by it, but I do not think the severe winter affected them at all. Probably the reason for the difference is that in this part of the country there is not so much snow as at Ottawa or Owen Sound, or it may be that owing to having warm weather here the trees had commenced to bud out again. Mr. Arnold. — I feel somewhat inclined to endorse the theory of Mr. Woodward as to the November frost. I think the cold came upon us so suddenly that the trees were 46 not prepared for it. My plum trees were killed — three-fourths of them — both in the nursery and in the orchard ; and it was not because they had a very heavy crop the year before. As for the grapes, they bore a slight crop. They were never worse covered than they were last winter ; and I was not looking for any. All my cherries that are worked on the Mazzard stock were killed ; and I do not know of a single instance where they were grafted on the Mahaleb stock that they were killed, and they were growing side by side. My theory of the peaches being killed is that, in the Indian summer we have, the buds, after the foliage has been off some time, become swollen by the warm weather, and are thus destroyed. A warm fall is almost sure to kill the peach buds with me. Mr. Gott. — Last winter was considered the most disastrous winter that we have come through for a number of years. In some places it affected the apple trees, though just in our immediate neighbourhood we have had one of the finest crops we have had for several years. Our plums were considerably affected — some varieties especially. The cherries were killed outright, especially those belonging to the Heart varieties. In grapes it pointed out to us those varieties that would kill down by frost. The Rebecca was killed to the gound, as was also the Isabella. The Eumelan was killed also very badly. The Rogers' No. 3 was killed entirely down to the ground. The Adirondac was killed so that it scarcely recovered any foliage from the old wood. The Salem was very badly killed so that it bore no fruit. The Iona was injured to a certain extent so that the fruit amounted to very little. Around the towiiiof Strathroy the peaches were killed outright. We lost no peach wood ; but we lost all our fruits. The Balsam buds were killed by the winter's cold. Mr. Beall. — I can scarcely think that the cold through the winter, although it was such a severe winter, did the injury that has been attributed to it, because with us it is supposed to be a cold climate, and I have not heard of a solitary thing having been killed in the neighbourhood — not even shrubs. I find that the lowest temperature we had was about 28 below zero ; and that was on the second of February. Now, it is possible that Mr. Woodward's theory is correct, and if it is I can account for the effects being wanting at Ottawa as Mr. Bucke says they were. It is quite possible that Mr. Woodward's theory is correct ; because the cold wave that we had at that time in November — that is from the 16th to the 26th — was to the south of us principally. At Erie, in Pennsylvania, the thermometer went down eight or nine degrees lower than at Toronto. The intense cold was to the south of us, I find that with us the thermometer registered nearly ten degrees below zero on the 24th of November, and still nothing was injured. I think the solution of the question can only be found in a better knowledge of meteorology,, and that the Fruit Growers' Association should take means to get more knowledge on that subject. I think it would be to the interest of the fruit growers if comparative statements were obtained and published every year from certain given localities relative to the weather. It would assist in giving us knowledge which we do not possess now, and cjan not possibly possess. Mr. Woodward. — The first frost that we had at Lockport, I remember distinctly, was on the 6th day of November. I remember taking grapes off the vine that day plump and nice, and up to the time we had that severe weather there had not been frost enough to drop the leaves from the trees, while at Ottawa, and at Mr. Beall's place, I have no doubt it would be different entirely, and the same temperature would not kill there that' killed with us. I remember being in a plum orchard on the 9th day of December, and a gentle- man was showing me his plum trees. It was at Adrian, Michigan. I took out my knife and cut a tree, and said to him, "your trees are killed." They had dropped their leaves, and then when the warm wet weather had come on they had started out, and many of the trees had young leaves on them as large as a mouse's ears, and they were frozen up in that succulent state. Mr. Dempsey. — Although the winter was very severe with us we suffered very little. The frost in November came upon us so early that we had only got our trees properly covered over. The first frost was the first one that killed anything. There were only a couple of varieties of apples that I noticed to be affected at all by the cold winter, and strange to tell you they were Russian varieties. Our plums stood the severity of the winter very well, and blossomed in the spring, but we had no fruit ; of course the frost 47 in November happened to strike our grapes at that time before we got them laid down. We dare not attempt to winter them on trellises. Our grapes must be laid down every fall, consequently we suffered severely with our ' grapes. Some varieties, however, did not get killed. We would find that one variety in a certain locality had suffered scarcely any, while the same variety was frozen to death forty rods away. Among my own seed- lings I noticed that in one place the Burnet was frozen dead, and my number 25 pro- duced, although it was not laid down during the winter ; and in another place it was just the reverse. We never had our small fruits winter so well. The most tender varieties of raspberries came through the winter perfectly, and we did not lay them down. How- ever, I believe you had a more severe winter here than we had farther east. We did not have that June frost on our own place, but within a mile of us they suffered severely. Our places are both protected, one by elevation, and the other by being beside water. MOST PROFITABLE PEARS. On the question of which are the most profitable varieties of pears for market, Mr. A. M. Smith, said : — I think the most profitable variety for our section is the Bartlett. Mr. Beadle. — I would like to draw out an answer to this question : — Do any of the pear trees pay 1 It is really getting to be a question whether they do or not when we look at the destruction which the pear blight has occasioned to our pear orchards. I have been talking to some pear tree planters in our vicinity, and they are about giving it up in despair. They say they do no more than get their orchard in nice paying condi- tion" than the blight comes and kills the trees, One gentleman told me he was replacing his pear trees, as fast as the blight killed them, with plums. If this is the experience of pear tree growers generally we have to wait perhaps until we get trees that are blight- proof, or nearly so, before we can make pear orchards profitable. I remember talking to a Mr. Townsend in Lockport a good many years ago, and telling him that I had come to his place on purpose to see his pear orchard. " Well," said he, " you cannot see it. I can show you where the pear orchard was, but it is not there now. The blight has been there and killed nine-tenths of the trees, and a great many of the dead trees are still there." " Well," said I, " what do you think about it 1 " " Oh," said he, " I think it has paid me very well for the investment ;" — whether he ever planted another pear orchard and ran the risk of the pear blight I do not know. Mr. Gott. — The first pear, in my opinion, is the Bartlett. It always commands a good price. The next one that we find very profitable as a market pear is the Flemish Beauty. It is very popular. Another pear that we have that is very profitable and sells well in the market is the Louise Bonne De Jersey. Another pear that we are testing, and that we consider to have valuable qualities, is a combination of the two first I have named, called the Clapp's Favourite. It is a very fine pear to look at, and will sell very well. It seems to be a little shy in bearing. It must not be allowed to get too ripe. A very good pear for market purposes, and which will command a good price, is the Easter Beurre. Then comes the Lawrence. The Seckel is considered ahead of the last in selling value; but to say that it is profitable in the market is quite another thing. It is not profitable with us. We have had little or no experience with the blight. I do not know of an orchard in our section of the country that is suffering from it. I hardly know how to account for that. Mr. Orr. — I have between one and two hundred pear trees out, most of them set out within the last five years. There are about fourteen or twenty that are about fourteen years old. They have been bearing abundantly since they were six years old, but the Bartletts were blighted this summer. I think the Flemish Beauty the most profitable. The Bartlett commands the best price, but the Flemish beauty bears twice as much as the Bartlett. The soil where the Bartlett blighted is sand. Where the Bartletts are doing well, and where the Flemish Beauties are, is a loam with heavy red clay subsoil. 48 Mr. Willard. — I believe the cause of peach yellow, if ever ascertained, will be found to be the same as that which produces the blight in the pear. I believe that the investigation that is now going on in the minds of some of our scientific men in the country, as well as in the minds of men who are practical, is going to result in giving us ultimately varieties of pears that will be more or less free from the blight, while at the same time combining productiveness to a sufficient degree to make them profitable. As I said with regard to grapes this morning, I am a great stickler for blood, and I believe we have to look in a measure to something that gets back near to the seedling for a variety of pear that is not only going to be free from blight, but also to be sufficiently productive to be profitable. I believe that the Seckel is one of those varieties that to a very great extent throughout the United States is free from blight. I have never seen a pear called the Doctor Reeder blight, although I have seen it surrounded by trees that blighted to the ground. A Member. — Hear, hear ; that is so. Mr. Willard. — The wood of the Doctor Reeder is very rugged, showing a rugged- ness of constitution which abundantly fits it to resist disease. I have a list here of varie- ties which T have found to be quite free from blight. The Sterling is one which, I find, has never blighted in Michigan. The Seckel I have mentioned. The Rutter, a pear which originated in the vicinity of Philadelphia, shows by its growth that it has a rugged constitution. I have seen the Bartlett, the Flemish Beauty, and the Clapp's Favourite on my own ground blight around the Rutter, while I have never seen the Rutter blight at all ; and while not of the highest quality, the Rutter is as good as the Duchess, I think. He wrote to me this fall that if I had sufficient of those pears I would have no trouble in getting ten dollars a barrel for them ; and I am quite satisfied with that. Another pear which may be known to some of you is the English Jargonelle. It is an early summer pear. I have seen it in an orchard in which everything else around it was blighted — in which there were perhaps no trees five years ago — and yet that English Jargonelle stood there without a single blighted stick in it. The Duchesse d'Angouleme is not inclined to blight very much. I have found the Doyenne Boussock not inclined to blight. I have growing on my ground, surrounded at one time with Bartletts, Clapps and Flemish Beauty which have since been swept off by the blight, standing there with them untouched, three of the Chinese Sand pear. I have been growing from them some seedlings. What they may amount to I do not know, but I made up my mind there was some good stock to work on any way. I do not think the Chinese Sand pear amounts to anything as fruit, but I understood there were those who regarded them as a great cooking pear. There is a man in Pennsylvania who has originated a pear which he claims as bred from the Chinese pear and the Bartlett — the KiefFer. As soon as I heard of it the thought struck me, " He has got a good thing there," and I accordingly tried it a little, and my experi- ence in relation to it is this : — I found last year away out in the outskirts of Kansas a man growing them who said they were blight proof. I have planted a tree of it which I procured two years ago ; and this year, although the tree has been cut to pieces for buds, and handled as badly as it could be, we had eleven perfect pears on it. I have seen it fruit in the nursery. It has vigorous foliage ; and, I think, a good deal of foliage. Give me a plum tree that will hold its foliage as I would like to have it, and I will give you a tree that will stand the winter as a rule. Well, now, the foliage of that tree is like the foliage of a Lombardy Poplar. I was afraid somewhat in regard to its hardiness until last winter. Last year I planted out twenty -three trees, and as I wanted the wood pretty badly at the time I cut them off about three feet high. Well, those trees wintered perfectly, and this year we cut an immense amount of buds off them, notwithstanding the severity of the weather. The productiveness is beyond all question. There has been a difference of opinion in regard to the quality, but not greater perhaps than exists with regard to the Beurre Clairgeau. I have eaten Beurre Clairgeaus that I did not consider better than raw turnip, and I have fruited them myself of superior quality. With re- gard to all these pears I assume that their quality is enhanced or reduced very greatly by the manner of handling them. I had fears that that pear, originating in a warmer climate, might not do equally well with us up there. I went one day to look at them, and I found five of them had been taken by somebody else, and that there were only six left. I put 49 them in my fruit house, and there they lay until the first of November. I then went out to look at them, and took one of them to our table at dinner, and sliced it up and passed it round ; and my family liked it pretty well. Another I took to my office that evening, and cut it up and passed it around to those who thought they were judges, and asked how it was liked, and the universal testimony was, " I wish I had a barrel of them to eat." There has been a variety of opinions with regard to that pear, but where it is well ripened and well handled I have no doubt it is a pear which will meet the views of the American people generally. So far as their style is concerned it is a style that will sell them, though it is not of the highest quality. Mr. Drury. — The remarks of the gentleman who has just spoken, I think, are very much to the point. I have no doubt he is a reliable authority in matters of this kind. For my part, I feel interested in this, because we can grow the pears in the northern country where 1 live, but felt a little doubtful about going into their growth on account of their liability to blight. I think there is great reason in what the gentleman has said. We see the truth of it in the animal kingdom. We know that the superior breeds of cattle, sheep, and hogs are more or less liable to diseases to which the lower breeds are not. On my own place some pear trees as far back as I can remember were killed down to the ground — every one of them. I do not know what the reason was, but I am pretty sure it was not the blight. They have all grown up again ; and they are a picture of health. They are bearing a lot of little fruit which does not amount to anything ; but they are hardened to all influences. I am led from this to think that it is possible that we may strike upon a hardy kind of pear that may be suitable to this country. A year ago I was in various parts of Ontario, and I saw eveywhere evidences of the blight. Just north of Simcoe, in the County of Norfolk, I saw a large orchard of pear trees — I think about five hundred, and I think mostly Bartletts and Flemish Beauties — and I said to the gentleman, " I think that is about the finest orchard I have seen. How have you escaped the blight 1 " He said, " I have been in the habit of painting our trees with raw linseed oil, and I attri- bute my escape to that." In the immediate vicinity there were evidences of the destruc- tion of the pear tree wholesale. I have mentioned this to several gentlemen who are interested in pear growing, and they have said there is nothing in it ; but if that is a preventative of blight it should be generally known. In that whole orchard there is not a single tree that had a sign of blight. I think the trees were seven or eight years of age ; but there were trees in orchards all around of the same age that were blighted. He had painted with a paint brush up to the limbs. He had been doing that every year for several years. Mr. A. M. Smith. — I heard of the same orchard this fall. I think a great many of you will remember that our friend Springer thought he had a remedy. That was, splitting the bark ; but in the seventh or eighth year the blight struck them. Mr. Saunders. — This linseed oil remedy has been the rounds of the horticultural journals these last two or three years. Another remedy was a mixture of sulphur and lime and carbolic acid. I have understood from people who have used both these reme- dies that in some instances they have succeeded, and in some they have not. I do not know whether the fault, where they have not succeeded, has been in the insufficiency of the application or not. Mr Woodward. — My trees are all Duchesse ; and I have never yet lost one of them by the blight. They are dwarfs. I apply to them a combination of salt, phosphate, and ashes. Sometimes I add a little copperas — scattered around among the trees. I have one orchard on which I put this composition each year and manure it a little with barn- yard manure ; and this three or four years it has escaped blight. I think the pear blight attacks the tree from the outside, and works into it. I have also a Bartlett orchard. It is a small orchard ; there are perhaps fifty trees in it ; and I have not lost any Bartlett trees in a long time with the blight — never since I began to take care of them and apply this dressing every year. That orchard pays me very well. I cannot say that that remedy is a preventive entirely ; but so far it has been very satisfactory. Mr. Arnold. — With us this blight attacks the present year's wood. How would you apply the remedy in that case % Mr. Woodward. — Cut it off. 4 (f. g.) 50 Mr. Arnold. — The Rutter has been free from blight with rue for a good while, and the Goodale also. That pear is a fine grower. It is a good one to look at, and it is a fair pear to eat. I have very little faith in the different kinds of washes. The English Jargonelle is a miserable grower ; when we get the pears they are not fit to eat. They are not the English Jargonelle here ; they crack and go to pieces, and they rot every- where, inside and out. Mr. Saunders. — I began an orchard some ten years ago with 150 varieties ; and I feel just as undecided as to what ten or twenty pears I would select if I were going to plant out an orchard again as I was at first. I coincide with what Mr. Willard has said with regard to the Reeder pear ; I have never seen it blight. At the London asylum they have nine Dr. Reeder's in a row, and they are as healthy to-day as any trees you could wish to see, while all around them the other trees have nearly all disappeared on account of blight. I thought at one time the Malines was free from blight ; and so it was for quite a number of years ; then there came a blight which took nearly the whole of my trees. Then I thought the Clapp's Favourite was going to be free from blight. They were so for several years ; but at last they nearly all went too. Mr. Woodward. — I do not wish to be understood as saying that the Duchesse never blights. It does blight ; but with careful treatment I have avoided it. The meeting then adjourned until ten o'clock the next day, when, upon the President calling the Convention to order, the question " Which Pears are the Most Desirable for the Amateur V was added to that which was under consideration the previous evening, and the discussion of the two together was proceeded with. Mr. Beadle. — I will name one pear that I think the amateur will like — I do not know anything about its value for market — the Josephine de Malines. Somehow I like that pear as the best of our winter pears. I do not know that it is the best ; but I happen to know more of it, perhaps, than of some others. It is a very pleasant-flavoured pear ; and when you cut it the flesh has a pretty pink tinge, which adds a little to its beauty. I suggest that that pear would be a desirable one to recommend amateurs to grow for a winter pear. Mr. Holton. — I think I remember last year that the President laid some of them on the table here. Can you give us any idea of how long it can be kept 1 Mr. Dempsey. — I have fruited the Josephine de Malines for several years ; and I was induced to plant it in the first place from having seen specimens of it on Elwanger & Barry's grounds at Rochester. I carried some of them home and ripened them carefully, and the fruit was so delicious that I was induced to plant fifty trees of that variety. They come into bearing so very young, and the pear was so very different from what I had seen on their grounds that I top-grafted them. Since then I have been top-grafting them back. They require age ; but the fruit is very fine when the tree comes to be ten years years old — with the first specimens you would be perfectly disgusted. Perhaps I I could not put it in stronger terms than to say I want no other winter pear. After it acquires a little age it is very prolific — sufficiently so, at all events. It bears a good average crop annually. The fruit is sufficiently large ; the fruit is not large, but medium sized, and it ripens easily. You can throw them in a pail or in a box in the cellar, or you can mix them with a lot of turnips if you like, and every time they come out all right. They are very pretty when peeled ; only they are so juicy they appear to be oily. With care they can be kept until March. If they are kept in a warm cellar they are just in their prime now. The Yicar of Winkfield is very fine this year with us ; but this is the first year, I think, for as many as fifteen that I have had them to mature. It is a very fine pear when you get it in perfection; but you may only get it once in twelve or fifteen years. He who plants Vicars with a view to obtaining a dessert pear is quite certain to be disappointed, as they are very inferior when not properly grown. There are several varieties of pears that were not spoken of yesterday that are doing nicely with us. Manning's Elizabeth, I think, is one of our finest pears. Osband's Summer also ; and I enjoy a good Rostiezer. These are all good summer pears. Another is Beurre Hardy. I think that of all the autumn pears we have, Beurre Hardy stands at the head of the list. It does upon my grounds. I have never seen any of the branches blighted. I do not say any pear is free from blight. I would also name besides these 51 Clapp's Favourite for a summer pear. With respect to Mr. Willard's theory of obtaining blight-proof pears, a few years ago they accused me of having pear on the brain. I was experimenting largely by hybridizing different varieties ; and the worst of my seedlings to blight was the result of a cross between the Duchesse d' Angouleme and the Seckel. I think they are all gone. Those that appear to resist the blight best are the result of a cross of Osband's Summer with Duchesse. I have some seedlings that are very fine, but not fruited yet, which are from that cross. Therefore I fancy we have as good a chance by selecting the tenderest as by choosing the hardiest • they seem to become acclimatized. I take a good deal of pleasure in studying the theory of Van Mons, who has done more, I think, than any other man to improve the pear. He never hybridized, but supplied the seeds from the first seeds that were produced on a seedling ; and he always argued they continued to improve until the third or fourth gen- eration. After that they commenced to deteriorate. It always appeared to him that the first blossoms on a young pear tree were quite likely to be fertilized from a neigh- bouring tree ; consequently that he actually obtained crosses until the tree had attained some age. Mr. Biggar. — What is your success with the Duchesse d' Angouleme 1 Mr. Dempsey. — The frost affects it ; but it is a good fruit. I do not want to eat it. The Duchesse d' Angouleme matures in December. I do not fancy that coarseness that it has. I should have said something about the blight, perhaps. In our section of the country everybody was planting Flemish Beauty pears a few years ago. I had that fever myself until I got five or six hundred of them, and they went back on me. A fruit-grower there was priding himself two years ago with having the finest pear orchard in all that part of the country. I visited his grounds last summer ; and it would be a little too hard to say that there was not a pear tree there then that was worth anything ; but really I think that if I did so I should be telling the truth. They were all blighted. However, I attributed that to the dry weather more than to any other cause. Mr. Orr. — What is your objection to the Seckel ? Mr. Dempsey. — If I were to speak with regard to all my favourite pears, and to include all the varieties that I liked the list would become very large. I have fruited about two hundred varieties. My aim simply is to recommend a pear that will sell in the market, and at the same time be an amateur pear. The Seckel is not profitable to produce for market purposes ; but I will ask nothing better to eat than the Seckel pear in the season. The system that we have adopted for pruning standard pears is to let them do that themselves ; we do not prune them at all. I fancy the less cultivation they have the better. With respect to manuring, we find nothing that will swell the fruit so rapidly as sulphate of iron — common copperas. Just dissolve it and apply it in a liquid state in the summer occasionally. Sulphate of iron and ashes are two of just about the best fertilizers I have ever found for pears. The manure should be, I fancy, applied to the surface of the soil. Mr. BiggJar. — Some four or five years ago I sent in some pears with a young man, I coming on the cars ; and when I arrived he told me the fruit dealers here said the fruit was too large. These pears were Flemish Beauties. I sold them at twenty-five cents a basket more, however, than I sold my smaller ones for. I had not many large pears until this year, when I sent three baskets of very large pears to a fruit dealer, telling the young man who took them that if she objected to them he was to take them to another party I named. Just as I expected the first person I sent them to refused to take them on account of their being so large. They were too large to sell. I find that the Flemish Beauty overbears with me. I have been in the habit of pruning back every year about one-third of the new wood. Would the pruning have any effect on the bearing, do you think. Mr. Dempsey. — My experience is different from yours. We often have the ther- mometer sink to thirty below zero in the winter. Pruning would not do with us, though it might with you ; because pruning increases the wood. The Souvenir du Congres was. the only variety that I missed any from last winter on account of the frost. We had shoots of about four feet growth on them ; and they grew so fast that they were not prepared for the severe frost in the early part of the winter. I find that I can grow a 52 variety in our section by not pruning it, which will stand the severity of the weather better than one that has been pruned, from the fact that it is not so vigorous in growth. Mr. Willard. — I question whether there is any one winter pear so valuable to the orchardman or to the amateur as the Josephine De Malines. It approximates very closely to the seedling. It is, perhaps, the most uncouth pear growing — with one exception, and that is the ; yet it is very free from blight. With respect to the fruit not being satisfactory in its early stages, you must give the tree a little age to have it produce the fruit in perfection. The greatest success in the shape of a pear orchard that there is in the United States to-day is one the owner of which would not allow a man to put a knife to a tree in it ; he says that anything that tends to disturb the circulation of the tree might tend to cause blight. Mr. Morris. — I have noticed that pear trees planted on low, moist, rich soil are usually subject to blight, particularly if there is much vegetable matter in the soil. This induces a growth late in the season, and where that is the case you nearly always see blight the next season. I have noticed again that where trees are planted on a high knoll, particularly if it is on the edge of a ravine, you always find healthy trees. I think one of the greatest causes of blight is the long trunks of the standards. I have seen orchards in which the tops have been blighted, but which were allowed to grow from the bottom, that have afterwards remained good, healthy trees for years. I think that by proper selection of the soil pear growing might be made one of the most profitable branches of fruit growing. Mr. Biggar. — I have not been troubled with blight except in one variety. I prune off the blighted wood as much as possible, scrape it, and give it a coat of linseed oil. Any time in the year that I find a tree is blighted I immediately take off the blighted part. My standard trees are all tall. I believe it would have been better if I had kept them close to the ground. My Clapp's Favourite is gone altogether with blight ; but the blight has not prevailed to any great extent in my grounds. I use nothing but ashes for fertilizing my trees, which are healthy. Mr. Dempsey. — We had a good deal of blight this last summer. There were only a part of the pear trees in our garden that ashes were applied to ; and, strange to tell you, we had scarcely any blight in them at all ; but where the ashes had given out we lost several trees from the effects of the disease. Mr. Arnold. — We have had no blight in our section the last two years ; and we have used no ashes. The thought occurred to me while I was sitting here that it was a dangerous thing to spout about new pears. I think that a man should have from ten to fifteen years' experience of a pear before he ventured to express an opinion of it. If I was to speak of any pears at all I would confine myself to the old varieties. I would even go back to the old Bloodgood that I have rejected two or three times in my lifetime. There were several old pears that were not mentioned. There is the Rousselet Stutgart, which is a splendid pear, very like the Rostiezer. The Seckel is a good pear with us if we get it on the right kind of stock, and it has arrived at an age of about twenty-five years. It is rising in my estimation. As for the Tyson, I would not be without it. I think it is equal to the Seckel in flavour ; and it is three times the size. We have not heard the old Belle Lucrative mentioned. I always think that is hard to beat. It grows to a good ;size with us. It is not equal to the Bartlett, of course, in that respect. It is very vari- able in appearance. You might pick three or four different kinds of pears, you might say, ofl the same tree. The Duchesse as grown on a quince stock and as grown on a pear stock are altogether different pears. I never saw a Duchesse worth looking at grown on a pear stock. It is not half the size with us grown on the pear stock that it is grown on the quince stock. The Winter Nelis is a very ugly looking pear, but an excellent one. The Vicar of Winkfield I would not have in my ground if I could grow the Glout Morceau ; but I cannot grow it on my place. Mr. Saunders grows it. There is no profit in winter pears ; because you cannot rely on them. You may pick winter pears all at the same time, and pack them all away in the same place, and yet you will find Ahat while some of them will turn out excellent, others will not be fit to eat. Mr. Saunders. — The Glout Morceau is one of my favourite pears ; and for some 53 reason or other it appears to be less liable to blight on my grounds than any other variety I grow. The fruit is very good. It grows to be a good fair size with us, and ripens uniformly — that is, the pears will nearly all ripen about the same time. The Gloufc Morceau is a pear I would not like to be without ; and yet it is a pear I would not like to recommend other people to grow, because generally it is a failure. The Tyson is one of my favourite pears also ; and I find it produces more fruit to a tree on an average than any other pear I grow. Still, it is not a large pear. It is a very delicious pear ; and it comes in at a season when pears are very acceptable. Mr. Holton. — It has always been the impression that the Duchesse grown as a standard was a failure. My experience with it is very different. To me the flavour of it grown on the pear is equal to what it is grown on the quince. I have grown it several years in this neighbourhood on sandy loam, and fruited it ; and it is a fine cropper, the fruit is always fair, and it brings you a good price. There are a couple of summer pears that have done well with me. One is the Beurre de Koning, and the other is the Supreme de Quimper. It has proved a strong tree, and it is doing well. The pear is a little larger than the Seckel, and is a good colour. Mr. Saunders. — Another pear that we find very successful about London is Elliot's Early. It produces a good crop of pears large in size ; and they have a blush of red on the cheek sometimes. It is a pear there seems to be money in, coming in, as it does, early — so early in the season that there is nothing else to compete with it but the Windsor Belle, which tastes like a mixture of sawdust and vinegar. The Beurre de Koning with me is too shy a bearer to induce me to plant it to any extent. It does not seem to thrive in our cold climate. With me it is a poor bearer. Mr. Arnold. — I would like to ask Mr. Holton if all his Duchesse, grown on standards, have produced equally good pears. If he has a quantity of them that have been grafted promiscuously on pears, it is a pretty good proof that the Duchesse can be successfully produced in some districts on standards. Mr. Holton. — I have about half a dozen trees of them. They are now fifteen or twenty feet high perhaps. They are uniformly good. Mr. Arnold. — No one would own my Duchesse on a pear stock. Mr. Willard. — Probably there is no one variety that is growing in demand so* highly in Massachusetts — which is probably the greatest pear-growing State — as the Duchesse as a standard. During the last ten years the demand for that variety, as a standard, has increased, I presume, fifty per cent. Mr. Gott. — There is a prejudice against dwarf pears in this country. They will have them standards or nothing at all. Mr. Wellington. — That must be owing to the different part of the country you live in ; because our experience is that you can hardly keep up with the demand for dwarfs at present. Mr. Dempsey. — In a section of country where there is not much snow, it is exceed- ingly risky to graft pears on the quince. Mr. Arnold. — We work our dwarf trees right down to the ground. Some years ago a gentleman applied to me for some Dwarf Seckels. I said to myself, " the man does not know what he is talking about ; a Dwarf Seckel is perfectly worthless grown on the quince stock." I ventured to offer him some on a pear stock ; and that gave him a tolerable Seckel. Mr. Morris. — My experience of the Seckel on the dwarf is that it makes a perfect union. A great many of the failures in the dwarf pears come from budding on too small a stock. I have seen them myself budded on a quince not much larger than a lead pencil. The result is that you have a tree with a very large shoulder, and that often breaks off. Mr. Saunders. — My best Seckel pear is on the quince stock. Mr. Beadle. — I have about as beautiful trees of Seckel on the quince stock as I have ever seen, and I get finer specimens of fruit from it than I can off the pear stock. 54 RASPBERRIES. The Association then took into consideration the two following questions, viz.: "Which are the most profitable varieties of raspberry for market?" "Which are the most desir- able for amateurs V Mr. A. M. Smith. — Which are the most profitable varieties depends, in a great measure, on how near you are to market. There are very few varieties of raspberries that would stand shipping a long distance. I have found fully as much profit in the Highland Hardy as in any raspberry I ever grew, for this reason — -that it is the earliest. You do not get such an amount of fruit ; but you get it so much earlier that it will com- mand a much higher price. Perhaps if all of us went to cultivating it, it would soon become depreciated in value. We got for our Highland Hardy this year about double — yes, quite double — what we did for our Philadelphia ; and the crop was probably about two-thirds as large. For a near market, I consider the Clarke a profitable raspberry. It is large-sized, and has a fine colour and flavour, and it will always command a very high price. But it is too soft to ship. And the same might be said of the Herstine —with this exception, that it is a little tenderer variety. It does not succeed in all localities as well as the Clarke. I do not doubt but that the Philadelphia for the million is the best raspberry that has been tested yet. It is as hardy, probably, as any of the less prolific ; but its colour is against it. It does not bring such a high price in the market as berries of a better colour. I am inclined to think that the Cuthbert is the coming red raspberry for the market. I have only fruited it this season for the first, and that only on a small scale. It is a large berry j very fine colour, and moderately firm, and I should think would command a good price. For amateur culture I do not know of anything much better than the Herstine and the Clarke, in red raspberries. Where the Herstine will succeed, it is a very fine berry. I would not recommend it, though, outside of the peach- growing line. It is inclined to winter-kill. I have a seedling of my own that I call the Niagara, which I consider valuable as a late berry. It is larger than the Philadelphia ; firmer, and of better quality, though perhaps not quite as good a bearer ; and it is about a week later. Of the Blackcaps, I have generally found most profit in the Davison's Thornless and the Mammoth Cluster. I think the Gregg is, perhaps, going to supercede these for profit, though I have only fruited that one season. Mr. Gott. — For largeness, and beauty of fruit, Naomi and Turner stand very high. Both those varieties are very profitable. The canes are hardy ; grow very high and thrifty ; and the fruit is abundant and well-proportioned. The Clarke is also a very profitable fruit ; very highly flavoured, fine size. The cane is hardy and very thrifty. The Philadelphia is well known. It is considered a profitable fruit. The Highland Hardy and Brandywine are near relatives in appearance and quality. Neither of them is considered profitable. The only merit in them is that they are early. The Cuthbert is promising. With us it is the coming raspberry. The cane is very thrifty. It is an abundant bearer ; quite hardy ; and the fruit is very large, handsome in form, and of fine quality. Mr. Saunders' No. 55 has been tried. It is something like the old Ameri- can Ganargua ; and it has been said that it will have good quality. We have not suffi- ciently tested it yet. Among the Blackcaps we would name as first, in point of profit, the Mammoth Cluster. The Gregg is likely to supercede it, however. The Gregg has all the good qualities of the Mammoth Cluster — with the additional merit of being a little larger — having a little more bloom, and coming a little later in the season. Davison's Thornless is not profitable. Seneca is profitable. Tt is a most robust-growing bush ; it is almost impossible to kill it by cold or other means ; and it is sure to produce a crop. The Ohio is a great producer ; but if it is allowed to produce a very heavy crop in the former part of the year, the crop in the latter part of the year will be very much weaker. Mr. A. M. Smith. — I neglected to mention Mr. Saunders' hybrid. For an amateur berry, I know of nothing better • but its colour is against it as a market fruit. It is generally admitted, I believe, that where the Franconia will bear, it is a very fine berry. 1 have found it too tender. Mr. Wellington. — Until the last few years the Franconia has been the berry, as 55 regards price and colour ; but the cold weather has destroyed it. My opinion is that the Cuthbert is going to be the raspberry. It is of good size and colour, has a good shape, and is very productive. It seems to have the peculiarity of dragging its crop along for a greater length of time than most other varieties. The Turner I believe to be a good berry ; and in conversation with Mr. Hooker, of Rochester, one of the largest fruit- growers on the other side, he says that the Turner is with him one of the largest rasp- berries he has. The Philadelphia is, I think, going to be done away with. It is not a berry that takes well in the market. The colour is against it, with the dealers in Toronto ; they want something of a lighter colour and better size. The Herstine is a good berry ; and my experience is that it can be grown outside the peach-growing district. But it is not a shipper. The Gregg I believe to be the best of the Blackcaps ; but I do not think it will supercede the Mammoth Cluster, because it is a little later. There is one berry that I think the amateur should cultivate any way, and that is a yellow berry, the Caroline. As far as tested it has proven hardy, a very good cropper, and a berry of good quality. Mr. Willard. — I have been interested a little in the Cuthbert ; and I had reports from Kansas last spring that the Cuthbert had stood the severities of last winter better than almost any other berry there. I have raised a great many berries for the Phila- delphia market ; and I have found the Highland Hardy one of the best for profit that I have raised, simply because it comes in very early. It has invariably brought me twenty cents a quart in Philadelphia. I have no doubt the Cuthbert will prove itself worthy of all that has been said about it this morning. Mr. Beadle. — What does Mr. Willard know about the Caroline'? Mr. Willard. — I do not know anything about it, any more than I have looked into the matter a little with a view of planting it, and I do not want it. Our people want a bright attractive berry, and one that is hard enough to bear handling. Therefore the Caroline would not suit my purposes. Mr. Wellington. — 1 have tested the Caroline, and I call it very good ; but it is merely a berry for the amateur on account of its colour. Mr. Beadle. — I was very much disappointed last summer in the Caroline that was grown on Mr. A. M. Smith's grounds — I have not fruited it yet. I was down at his place and saw the fruit there, and he kindly, afterwards, when it was more perfectly ripe, sent me a basket of it ; and I was very much disappointed in the quality. It was almost flavourless. It had a pretty colour, somewhat resembling Brinkle's Orange, but a long way off from it in flavour. Mr. A. M. Smith. — I would simply say, in regard to the Caroline, that it has some- thing of the Blackcap habit of growth. The first season it droops over and lies on the ground. The plants fruited on my place when they were only one year out ; and the berries were picked from near the ground, where the bushes were lying down, and quite shaded by the very strong growth of the new shoots, which might account in some degree for the insipid flavour. It is apparantly a very hardy berry, and it has this peculiarity : it propagates both from suckers and the tips. There has been a want felt among amateurs for a good, light-coloured raspberry — something of the nature of Brinkle's Orange — that was hardy enough to stand this climate ; and I was in hopes we were to get it in the Caro- line ; but, if its flavour is no better than it was on my place this year, I cannot speak very highly of it. In regard to the Turner, I consider it would be a very valuable raspberry for the colder parts of our country — in sections where the Clarke, Herstine, and some of our finer varieties will not succeed. The Turner, I am told, will succeed almost anywhere. The only objection I have to it is its profuse suckering. In regard to the Brandy wine, it is claimed that it is an excellent berry for shipping. I presume it would be ; but there is that same objection to it with regard to suckering ; and it is also small. Mr. Gott men- tioned that it came about the same time as the Highland Hardy. My Brandywine is a good deal later. Mr. Dempsey. — I think raspberries a very profitable crop. I think they rather surpass the strawberry in point of profit. I adopt the same principle in recommending varieties of the raspberry to the people that I have recently done with regard to apples. I say to them, " Go to your neighbour ; ascertain what variety of apple is succeeding ; pick 56 a specimen of that apple and send it to the nurseryman you wish to patronize, and say, 4 Send me so many trees" that will produce apples just like that ; if they do not, I will prosecute you.' '; Otherwise, I find that the nurserymen sometimes do not send the same varieties that I recommend, but I have to be responsible for it. I have a neighbour that would not plant anything else in raspberries than Davison's Thornless and the Blackcaps. Well, I failed to succeed with Davison's Thornless. The Seneca I find a very profitable berry, except in regard to one thing, that is it matures so irregularly. It commences to ripen middling early. It is not an early berry, however. We do not get enough berries at a time. In this respect, I would prefer the Mammoth Cluster to any other berry that we cultivate, from the fact that our pickers can clear the vines in about three pick- ings, and it is very fine fruit. I do not think the Gregg will ever supercede it, from the fact that we want them both ; the one succeeds the other. I have every confidence in the Gregg. With respect to some of the red varieties, the Philadelphia is wonderfully productive and hardy ; but when you have said that, I think you have said all for it, there are so many varieties that are superior to it in point of flavour, colour, and shipping qualities. I like the Herstine better than the Clarke on my grounds. I find it sufficiently hardy. I have never seen .an inch of it frozen in my life. The Turner, I think, is going to be very profitable. It is a little in advance of the Philadelphia — not quite so product- ive ; but it is a larger berry and a little better berry, and I fancy it will stand shipping better. It is inclined to sucker a little more than the Philadelphia ; but the cultivator can easily overcome that. The Cuthbert [ am perfectly well satisfied with. I fancy that we shall never get too many of them ; because they ship very nicely. Mr. Woodward. — I am not a raspberry grower now, except for family use. The most successful plantation of red raspberries about Lockport — the one that has been established the longest, and the one that has made more money for the grower than has been made out of any and all other varieties — is of the Franconia. It has stood every winter we have had perfectly ; and it bears abundantly, and brings the highest price. A gentleman there, who has been dabbling in the newer varieties, told me that he would rather have the Franconia than all of them. I should want, in Blackcaps, the Doolittle for an early berry. It is a good, productive berry, and the earliest of the good ones that I know of, except the new one, the Souhegan, which, I am told, has some merits. And then there is the Mammoth Cluster. I would grow those three if I were growing for market and for drying. Mr. Beall. — Brinkle's Orange is reported everywhere as being very tender, and the Philadelphia as being very hardy. I grow both of these, side by side, and one is equally as hardy as the other, in my ground. Mr. Dempsey. — Brinkle's Orange stands with us. Mr. Beall. — The same number of plants with us will produce more quarts than the Philadelphia ; I think fifty per cent. more. Mr. Dempsey. — One quart of red raspberries with us will fetch more than two quarts of yellow ones. Mr. Arnold. — I do not know whether we have a better raspberry yet than the Franconia. The Highland Hardy I rejected years ago. It sometimes seems to me that it is like that great strawberry, the Mexican or Maximilian, it has to change its name every few years to keep in existence. The Highland Hardy has been called by different names. It is early, and stands the winter well ; but it is so remarkably small with me. If we want size, and if it will stand the winter, let us go back to the old Hornet. Who ever had a larger or better berry than that 1 The Belle de Fontenay, if we can get rid of the suckers in it, where can we get a better bearer ? It bears splendid crops. I thought .1 was having good success with berries; but a neighbour took me to the north of his house and showed me some Yellow Antwerps that made me ashamed of mine. There is too much wood in the Blackcaps to suit me. There is less in Mr. Saunders', because they are a cross between the two varieties. 57 The following paper by Dr. Warder was here read by the Secretary : — THE CLIMATIC INFLUENCE OF TREES. BY JNO. A. WARDER, M.D., NORTH BEND, HAMILTON CO., OHIO. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association : After hearing the paper on " Protection to the Orchard " read at the recent Pomo- logical Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts (September 15th, 1881), you, Mr. President, conferred upon its reader the honour of an invitation to prepare a lecture for presenta- tion at the approaching meeting of your Society at Hamilton, Ontario. The proposition was accepted with hesitation — partly on account of impaired health, but mainly because of an apprehension that yourself and your worthy confreres, as fruit- growers, would be disappointed in the character of the topic selected — "The Climatic In- fluence of Trees." However, after traversing a portion of your beautiful and productive Province in the lovely days of October, and after beholding the wonderful progress that has been made by your citizens in clearing off the dense forests that once clothed your fertile soil ; while observing and considering the changes consequent upon converting the woodland into the farms, the forest into the prairie — the conviction became stronger that the theme must be drawn from that group of topics, which deserve so large a share of the thoughts and consideration of the American farmers and statesmen. A perusal of such numbers of your valuable transactions as have been kindly fur- nished by the secretaries of the two leading societies of the Dominion, also assure the writer that such a theme as the one about to be presented may be welcomed by you, and he feels encouraged by finding that, on your side as well as on ours, forestry is becoming an important question, and that, to some of you as well as to some of us, the sprite will not down — the question must be met : the sooner the better ! Nor should the great interests involved in the word be ignored, either by agriculturalists or statesmen. It is high time that our attention should be directed to a consideration of the subject in its bearings upon the agriculture of our continent and its future maintenance and prosperity. The transactions of the Ontario and Montreal Societies already contain evidence of your interest in forestry, as shown in the valuable papers relating to Canadian forests by Mr. A. T. Drummond, Mr. Jas. Little, Mr. H. G. Joly, Mr. G. M. Dawson, Messrs. McAinsh, G. Peacock, and others, which may be read with profit, and which show that your attention has already been directed into this channel, all of which encourages me to continue. At the same time, the intelligence and the familiarity with the subject thus displayed by your own members, might well cause a stranger to feel some diffidence and hesitation on entering an arena with which you are supposed to be so much more familiar than a casual visitor. It is, however, but a limited portion of the subject which it is proposed to discuss at this time, Mr. President, and as you are aware, the task is under- taken only after having consulted you, and having received your approval of the discus- sion of " Wind-Breaks, and Shelter Belts, and Sheltering Groves for Ontario." Reference has already been made to the extensive clearings that have been effected by the generation of men now occupying the interlacustrine region of fertile lands in Upper Canada. It seems almost incredible that in half a century or less, so vast a change should have been effected in the condition of this broad plateau, as is evident even from the car windows of the rolling train. Over wide areas the forests that once encumbered them have disappeared, leaving no traces of their former existence in the smooth and wide savannas of smiling fields, covered with bountiful crops and beautiful herds. In a brief period the howling wilderness of woods and swamps, which greeted, and might well have repelled, the sturdy settlers, has been transformed by man's persevering industry into the smiling prairie. Wonderful transformation ! The very stumps of the sylvan monarchs have been rooted out ; the soil has been tamed of its wildness and brought into the highest culture over wide tracts ; and, with the evidence of high farming that so generally prevails, there have come also the improved 58 animals to consume their share of the products, and to aid in maintaining, or even in enhancing, the natural fertility of the soil. One of the most striking features of the country traversed, next to the apparent fertility of the land, was the broad extent of the tillage, where large fields made parts of great farms, and these were bounded on all sides by other farms of apparently equal dimen- sions lying contiguous to them on every side, or with small intervening wood-lots that could rarely be called forest lands, for their limited extent, and their rifled condition, would hardly entitle these bits of woodland to be called forests — they are but shadows of their former selves. Looking out from the car-windows, on either hand one might behold vistas opened over these fields that extended in many cases for miles without the interruption of a grove or a tree, or even a stump or a bush ! Here, then, while finding so much to admire in the results of the industry of the settlers, who, in half a century or less, had effected so great a change upon the earth's surface — here a theme was suggested to the traveller for him to present to-day to his friends of Ontario. This is what he now desires to impress and to emphasize — The necessity for you to protect yourselves, your cattle, and your crops from the storms of winter. He begs you to begin at once your efforts to modify and to meliorate your climate by restoring barriers against the winds which you have invited by too widely opening to them doors of access to your homes. He also begs you, at the same time, while beautifying your country, to provide against the future necessities of the people by producing in these plantations future supplies of fuel and lumber. Yes ! even here, and on these fertile lands, this may be done, and by the wisest economy, by planting trees in protective groves, but especially in wind-breaks and shelter-belts on all your farms. While occupying even a considerable portion of arable land, that would thus be withdrawn from the dominion of the plow, these plantations will, nevertheless, inure to the advantage of the farmer and of the country by enhancing the fertility and produc- tiveness of the remainder of the land thus sheltered, as has been demonstrated on the open prairies of Iowa wherever these shelters have been applied. The whole of the route traversed by the Grand Trunk Railway westward from King- ston, is very happily situated in respect to lacustrine influence which must greatly modify the climate of the region. The broad surfaces of those great inland seas, Ontario, Erie, and Huron, cannot fail to exert the well known effects of large bodies of water upon the atmosphere. It is, however, the region west of Toronto that is most happily situated in this respect, and here, too, the prevailing character of the soil seems to adapt the region to high farming. Here the lacustrine surroundings are most fully developed ; and here, while enjoying the advantages derived from this source, the inhabitants must beware how they expose the country to the disadvantages that may arise from a too open exposure to the water. The winds must not be allowed too free an access to the land. To obviate the effects of the winds it is advised to plant groves about the farm- steadings to the windward sides of barns and sheds as well as of the dwellings. These should by all means be supplemented by evergreen shelter-hedges and screens about the residence and out-houses. The fields and pastures should be protected by wind-breaks on every farm. The wind-break demands a liberal space and the planting of numerous trees to make it effective. In a champaign country these shelters should not be more than forty rods apart, nor should they occupy less than four rods in width, though even a single or a double row of trees between two fields will furnish a great deal of shelter, especially if they be evergreen species. The soil should be well prepared by thorough ploughing and harrowing, so as to pro- duce a good tilth. To plant, parallel furrows should be drawn four feet apart, in which to set the little trees. This close planting is particularly recommended where the use of deciduous trees has been determined upon, but more space may be allowed for the ever- greens, and where these are planted in single or double rows, with the trees of one row set opposite to the interspaces of the other, six or eight feet may be allowed. If the evergreens have been planted three or four feet apart at the first, alternate trees can be removed and set elsewhere when their limbs meet on either side. They will be saleable 59 to your neighbours, or they may be used in the extension of your own shelters ; at any rate they will have already served a good purpose by rendering the screen more effective — they have paid their way. The planting, particularly of evergreens, should be done in the spring, and care should be taken to preserve the roots from exposure to the sun and wind. If these deli- cate organs be once desiccated they never recover. Planting small trees is a very simple operation, and may be thus performed on land prepared as already directed : a spit of the mellow soil of the furrow is lifted with a spade, the little tree is placed, its roots are spread out and the earth from the spade is thrown upon them— this needs to be well pressed by the foot, so as to bring it in close contact with the fibrous roots and exclude the air as thoroughly as possible — sufficient mellow soil is then thrown about the tree, so that it shall be buried rather deeper than it had been previously. Two men with spades and a boy with trees may constitute a team for this work, and carry two rows. A favourite plan in Iowa is to employ the small force in a single furrow that has been freshly deepened by the plow. One man follows the boy, setting the trees with his hands and tramping with his feet, so as to make them stand to the line, while a second follows with a hoe or shovel and draws in the earth. A cultivator or double-shovel plough is then passed along each side of the row. The plantation should be well cultivated and kept clean for a few years, longer or shorter, according to the thriftiness of the species, but until the trees shade the ground, when they will take care of themselves. Cattle must be rigidly excluded. Various combinations of species have been recommended for these belts, but, as a rule, in forestry, it should be borne in mind that evergreens and deciduous trees do not succeed so well when mixed as when each class is massed separately. To this there may be some apparent exceptions — the European Larch, and the Scotch Pines, or Norway Spruces are often found in the same group doing well together — so in nature we sometimes find similiar admixtures ; but all the evergreens would be likely to suffer if they were mingled in a plantation with the rapid growing and umbrageous elms, cottonwoods, maples, and other broad-leafed trees. Beautiful and effective for shelter as are the evergreen conifers, how- ever, these native deciduous species cannot be ignored, nor should they be neglected nor dispensed with by the farmers who may desire as quickly and as cheaply as possible to produce an effect in the shelter-belts. Let such an one begin with the poplars, willows, or with any other trees and cuttings that are at hand, always ^excepting the so-called Lombardy Poplar, which as an ornamental (V) shade (?) tree already shows its aspiring head in some of the western towns of the Dominion. Indeed, both classes of trees may be happily, combined without mingling them pro- miscuously ; they may be planted in the same belt but in separate rows, putting the sturdy native deciduous kinds in a few rows on the outside, using the cottonwoods, white willows, etc., which grow freely from cuttings, and which rapidly produce an effective screen ; next to these may come the elms, the oaks, maples, or white ash, and other kinds. These thickly set will soon rise and form a protection to the evergreens. Mr. H. G. Joly, in the sixth report of the Montreal Society (for 1888), speaks in high praise of his cottonwoods, which, in twenty-three years, had attained the height of sixty feet with a diameter of twenty-five inches. This is a remarkable growth truly, and though the timber be not of superior value, the desired shelter is very quickly produced, and, as he wisely suggests, it will aid in protecting other trees. One form of the cotton- wood is a great favourite in Scotland, where it is called the Black Italian Poplar, and perhaps the same kind is planted extensively in parts of France, where it is known as the Peuplier du Canada. The European white willow (Salix alba) is another tree of similar characters — easily multiplied by cuttings, of rapid growth, and largely employed in prairie regions for wind breaks and shelters. When matured these soft-woods will be found to have great value for many purposes, though inferior to hard woods and resinous trees either for lumber or for fuel. The charcoal used in the manufacture of gunpowder is almost exclusively pre- pared from the white willow. But your own native trees claim your consideration, and, as appears from your trans- actions, they have received deserved attention in your discussions. The noble American 60 oak ("Canadian ! ) (Quercus alba) merits the care of all planters, especially in the groves Though it be rather slow in its early growth, it may be supported by rapidly growing species that must be gradually removed as the oaks need the space they have occupied Oaks or their acorns, may be planted among the poplars and willows of the outside rows and they will be ready to spring into a vigorous growth when these pioneers are removed The sugar maples will make lovely groves that will yield their sweet tribute, as well as lend their beauty to the landscape while living, and furnish valuable timber or fuel when cut down. The invaluable white ash should be much more largely planted in groves and by the roadside, as it makes a beautiful and most useful tree. The American elm, too, has its uses as timber, and is especially adapted for avenues, where room is given for the development of its wide-spreading and wind-resisting branches. The wild cherry— the back, not the red— (Prunus serotina) is commended for its 'elegance its thriftmess, and rapid growth, as well as for the great beauty and usefulness of its lumber which is quickly produced. ^ In your discussions on the subject of shelter, as reported in one of your volumes, a native tree is named, which is well to have recognised for its beauty as well as for the merit you very properly attribute to it as a bee-pasture. The America linden or bass- wood (Tiha Americana) may very well be made a leading component of the home groves. Its rapid growth will soon make it effective, and its sweets will certainly be welcomed by the bees. The timber of the linden, too, has its uses, though very soft and inferior to many other species, and its inner bark has a commercial value as the material of bast matting, while the wood is used for paper pulps. There are many other trees with which you can experiment in your planting, but they need not now be mentioned. In the selection of evergreens for these shelter-groves and belts, the hardy natives of your own country should first claim your attention. Nothing can better serve your pur- pose than the common white pine (Pinus strobus), and the red pine (Pinus resinosa). Both are rapid growers when fairly started, and both are well adapted to your soil and climate. For a shelter-grove or wind-break they connot be surpassed. Next to these, and in the same genus, come the foreign kinds, known as the Scotch (Pinus sylvestris), and the Austrian (Pinus Austriaca), which are rugged and thrifty ; of great value, both growing and when felled ; but not equal to our natives above-named, either for their future lumber nor in the rapidity of their growth. Neither of these can compare with our natives as ornamental trees, though they are often planted with that end in view. They belong to the forest rather than to the lawn, for which we have lovelier species. Of spruces, you have the natives, the beautiful white spruce (Picea alba), and the black, which often has a blue tint (Picea nigra), and the variety often called red spruce —trees of medium size and beautiful, but excelled in size and utility, whether standing or felled, by the foreign exotic Norway spruce (Picea excelsa), which yourselves have decided, and very correctly, to be the very best of all evergreen trees for the shelter-belt, on account of its hardiness, its adaptability to all soils, its rapid growth, dense spray and foliage, and its comparative cheapness. The Norway is also a very pliable tree, and bears transplanting remarkably well ; and in the shelter-hedge it patiently submits to the free use of the knife in close trimming. For the shelter-grove, and especially for the single or grouped trees of the lawn, nothing can- excel the beautiful grace of form, nor the depth and purity of green presented by the common American hemlock spruce (Tsuga Cana- densis). This species was common in much of your early forests, and must be familiar to you all. The hemlock has a northerly limit, as shown by Mr. Drummond's map, extending from the north-west and north-east coasts of Lake Superior, by the head waters of the Ottawa River, crossing the St. Lawrence below Quebec, and traversing New Brunswick to the ocean in latitude 47 degrees. The hemlock makes such a dense growth of foliage and of slender twigs that it is. perhaps the very best plant for the protective shelter-hedges that should be found about the dwellings and out-houses of every farm in your broad domain of Ontario. The native balsam (Abies balsamea), as you seem to be aware, is hardy enough and very beautiful when young, but unsatisfactory for planting, because it is apt to grow shabby when older. 61 The red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) has a wide range, both north and south, east and west ; though less extended than the other native evergreens, this juniper is found in your part of Ontario, and would be hardy enough, which is not the case with the Irish juniper and some other garden forms. The red cedar has been called the poor man's evergreen in our western states, be- cause of its abundance, its consequent cheapness, and the ease with which it may be brought into cultivation. Its growth is sufficiently rapid. Trees set out twenty feet apart have formed a close wall of sheltering green, while their tops have grown twenty feet high, with branches from the ground, and all within twenty-five years from the seed. This tree needs age to make its lumber valuable ; while young there is too large a propor- tion of alburnum or sap-wood. When the red heart-wood is developed the timber is per- durable, and highly valued for posts, sills, and other uses where durability is required. One of your most beautiful and most abundant native evergreens is yet to be men- tioned— the American arbor- vitse (Thuya occidentalis). This is erroreously called white cedar, which is quite a different tree (Cupressus thyoides), also found in parts of the Province, and reported in Mr. Dawson's catalogue, on the faith of Mr. Brown, on the great lakes. The arbor-vitse abounds everywhere on low lands, and Mr. Drummond reports it on his map as reaching to James' Bay, in latitude 52° north. This plant is very abundant along the line of the Grand Trunk Railway, and in favourable situations immense num- bers of young plants might be obtained from the mucky lowlands, but it may also be procured from the nurserymen, of any desired size and at low prices, in much better con- dition for planting out than those taken from the swamps. The arbor-vitee and the hemlock spruce, though admirably adapted for the construc- tion of wind-breaks, are also the two very best species for planting as shelter-hedges upon the lawn around the gardens, and about the dwelling, and out-houses, wherever it is pos- sible to introduce these screens. You are strongly urged to set them abundantly in all such places for the comfort they will afford to your families. Plant hemlocks and white spruces on the lawn near your houses. The shelter- groves, to which allusion has already been made, should not be overlooked nor forgotten. These should be placed rather near to, and on the windward sides of your buildings. Select the site and prepare the soil thoroughly before planting out the trees you may have selected ; set them closely to produce an immediate effect. Three rows in every four may be of inferior or cheap kinds, to act as nurses to the more desirable plants that are to remain permanently ; the former must be removed as soon as these last need the space for their healthy development. Of course the whole lot should be well cultivated for a year, or until the ground is well shaded. Exclude all cattle from the grove — this is absolute ! Finally, my friends, lest you become aweary with too long an article, let us draw this to a conclusion, though you may rest assured the half has not been told had the dis- cussion been intended to embrace all the trees that are worthy of your care in general planting. A few only have been introduced that were supposed to be especially adapted for the object in view — that of providing shelter-groves and wind-breaks in the open country to compensate, in some degree, for the excessive removal of the natural forests, which has already occurred in portions of your country, just as it has happened in our own States. In your north-western Provinces there are open prairies which must be planted, and doubtless will be, by hardy settlers, who will imitate the examples set them by our fellow-citizens on the broad trans-Mississippi plains. But it is especially you, my good people of the Province of Ontario, and you, dwellers in this fertile, interlacustrine plateau, who are now most earnestly entreated to begin at once the work of providing the needed shelter for yourselves, your cattle, and your crops, by planting homestead groves, shelter-hedges, wind-breaks, and shelter-belts. Do it, my friends, also, for the sake of your friend and well-wisher from over the border. Mr. Saunders. — I desire to move a vote of thanks to our esteemed friend, Dr. Warder, for this very valuable contribution on the subject of forestry. The matter is 62 becoming yearly of more importance to us all. He is so well known all over the conti- nent as an authority on the subject that not a word more need be said. I would add to the motion, "and that the paper be referred to the Executive Committee for publication." Mr. Arnold seconded the motion, and in doing so remarked that if the recommen- dations of the Doctor were acted upon he would i-eceive the thanks of the next genera- tion. The motion was carried. Mr. Dempsey. — I have been a few years acquainted with Dr. Warder — have had the pleasure of meeting him a few times on occasions something like this ; and I do not know — to use what may seem rather extravagant language — how any person who knew him could fail to fall in love with him. He is open-hearted ; he is a man filled with infor- mation— on pomology especially ; and he is willing, under all circumstances, to impart his knowledge for the benefit of others. Mr. Gott here read the following paper : — FRUIT ON THE TABLE. " Quite a good many farmers have come to feel that they were not doing their family justice without placing upon their tables a bountiful dish of fruits such as the various seasons of the year afford, beginning with strawberries, and following into cherries, cur- rants, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, apples, peaches, plums, and pears. Farmers of this class are not so numerous as they should be, nor as they will be, in our opinion, ten or twenty years hence." — American Rural Home, June 10, 1882. " While there has been a marked improvement at the table of many of our farmers within the last few years there is yet much to learn. One of the greatest faults in this direction, and one which is the cause of very much illness, is the comparatively small quantity of fruit they use. It is a mistake to consider that fruit, like confectionary, is to be taken only between meals, and not to be counted in the work of sustaining life." — London Farmer's Advocate, June, 1882. Such are some of the profounder utterances of the late agricultural press upon the subject of fruit as food upon the table of our country peasantry and more wealthy farmers. It is unquestionably a subject of great importance and influence in the economy and hygiene of our people. Fruit on the table in this connection is not merely a question of fruit for show or exhibition purposes, but rather is it to be understood that fruit is to be sup- plied our dining-halls and refreshment tables, not merely to beautify and decorate, or to please our fancy, but more substantially for food, for the full and perfect gratification of an inbred appetite and taste, for the sustenance and support of our exhausted physical forces, for medication and health, for the furthering and promoting of pure animal en- joyment and pleasures, as well as to defend us against the many dangerous and obnoxious influences to which flesh is heir. Fruit in this connection is one of those many merciful provisions of nature designed for the highest and purest enjoyments of the needy creature, man, one of those safeguards that the Creator of all has thrown around the frail human life, and one of those fertile sources of many high and noble physical pleasures. Fruit is further a fine example of the strict economies of the Designing Author of nature in His infinitely wise and merciful provisions for the furtherance and accomplishment of the supreme uses of the plant itself in its future life and continuance in being, and also in furnishing food and pleasure to the many depending sensitive creatures who daily wait upon it. In its very nature it is health-giving and pleasurable. Fruit is, in short, condensed sunshine, and just what is needed for the best uses of refined and refining as well as vulgar animalism. It is mainly composed of diluted sugars and acids, in delightful admixture held together by fine vegetable tissue, and in this diluted form is found not only to be pleasureable, but essentially necessary for the well being of the animal economy. It will be well for us to understand here that, whenever fruit is mentioned in this connection, matured and well ripened fruit must be understood. Fruit in that beautiful 63 tempting condition, when the internal acids are largely changed to sugars, and the whole mass of that inviting toothsome colour that engages at once the sense of sight, and is of that yielding state of softness to the sense of touch that gives assurance to the eater. This is the condition when the forces of nature have consummated her elaborate work upon and in it so well understood by the well trained fruit-grower, and when it is alone fit for refined and refining human food. The influence of such food upon the human consti- tution is doubtless very great, and definitely marked. This, to us is the ambrosia and nectar that was formerly thought becoming for the dieties only to use as food, and never for ordinary mortals. The keen observer of human nature can almost readily discern at a glance the difference between the man who is in the habitual use of fruits and vege- tables largely in his diet, and the man who has a large dose only of animal ingredients in his constitution. In the first case the food being select, congenial and mild, the nature manifests the benign influence of such congeniality. How different is this beautiful in- fluence to that of the mere animal or flesh eater. By this we would not be understood to discard in toto all animal diet, on the contrary, we practice and most devoutly believe in a mixed diet as best and most suitable to the urgent necessities of our present economy. What we do mean is simply this, that we most firmly believe, that we, as a people, use too much of pure animal diet, and if the relishable qualities of fruit more and more en- tered into our daily diet, it would, in our humble opinion be better for us intellectually, physically and morally. We hold fruit in its uses to be a medicant, a corrective, a sol- vent ; in this connection, as well also, we hold it to be a food, a tissue builder and a force producer in the human organism. Further, we believe, and would teach the use of fruit at all seasons and at all times. We believe in fresh fruit, in canned fruit, in evaporated fruit, and in preserved fruit, in jellies, in marmalades, in beverages, in cider, and in wine. We believe in its use further in the autumn and in the spring, in the summer and in the winter, and on all days and occasions in company and out of company. In short, we finally believe in the wisdom of its use thoroughly, wholly and completely. We believe, furthermore, in all fruits that are by our experience known to be good for food and pleasant to the eye, and to be desired to make us better. In this connection, we believe in strawberries of all sorts, although connoisseurs would fain have us believe that some varieties are better than others. But to us they are all good and equally to be taken with equal amounts of rich and well prepared fixings. We believe also in raspberries and blackberries, and can take them in equal doses, being also as with strawberries welJ- fixed. As for the kinds or colours, we have very little discerning choice so long as the true and genuine raspberry qualities are present and well developed. With our present facilities for preserving and canning these fine summer fruits we believe it is our duty to have them at all seasons of the year and in greatest abundance. We believe also in cur- rants and gooseberries and all varieties, but not so firmly as we do those of strawberries. Our reasons for this are private, but nevertheless we believe in them. However, we most firmly believe in the free and untramelled use of the whole of the following list of superb native fruits, viz. : — Apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, and grapes, and these in all their endless variety of sorts and kinds. In these fine fruits is an almost endless diversity of quality, as hard and soft, as sour and sweet, as woody and melting, as strong flavoured and insipid, as buttery and as sugary, but still we believe in them. We be- lieve they all have an appointed place to fill, a work to do, and a use to exert, and a character to sustain. Whether their origin was recent or remote, whether at home or abroad, whether in England or Ireland, or Scotland, or on the continent of the old world, whether on the continent of the new world, or in the still more stern and trying in- fluences of Canada, wheresoever their early home may have been, we still believe in them, and welcome them. We believe also in tropical as well as temperate fruits. And those of all sorts, whether they may be called oranges or lemons, from the torrid and tropical regions of California or Florida, or whether dates or figs from the more tropical clime of the East India Islands, or whether they may be limes or bananas, we would still use them, and relish them and be thankful for them. But in our endless and varied wealth of rich and tempting fruits suitable to our condition and clime, we are most happy to say we need never covet the tropical fruit of the southern zone. Our basket of fruit is so rich, so varied, so tempting, so seasonable, so luscious and delightful. Under whatso- 64 ever supervision and artistic training, or delicate manipulation they may have been sub- jected ; we would also thankfully accept them as a blessing to mankind. Though they may have originated in the untired and patient labours of a Van-Mons of Europe, who spent a long and valuable life in the service of the delightful and buttery pear, and who started so many fine and standard varieties for the service of the world, they may be thank- fully accepted. Though they may have come from under the scholarly tuition and masterly training of a Thompson, the head of the Royal Horticultural Gardens of England, or of a Dr. Lindley, or a Thomas Andrew Knight, or a Kenrick, or a still more famous, De Candolle, of Geneva, a gentleman to whose manly and masterly skill, and indefatigable labours we are so much indebted for so many improved pomological treasures ; we thank- fully receive and cherish them. Though they may have come from the still more recent successful labours of a Kirtland, of Cleveland, Ohio ; a Rogers, of Salem, Mass. ; a Wilder, of Boston, Mass., whose memory is so widely and deeply cherished as a national blessing; or a Clapp, of Boston, Mass. ; or a Miller, of Bluffton, Mo. • or an Ellwanger and Barry, of Rochester, N.Y.; or a Downing on the Hudson, N.Y. ; or a Saunders or a Dempsey or an Arnold, of home and Canadian fame in the origin of fine table varieties of fruits, still they are most acceptable, and to be taken with devout thankfulness. They are to be re- ceived too, in all the varied and honoured names and designations they bear upon their fair faces, and by which they are severally known. These are sometimes remembrances and bring afresh to our thankful minds the noble figure or still more noble deeds of the noblest of man ; of a Knight, of a Napoleon, of a Rivers, of a Lindley, of a Kenrick, of a Cox, of a Diel, of a Knox, of an Alexander, etc., all of European fame. Still more recently, we have the names upon our fruits of men of home and continental fame, as Wilder, as Saunders, as Downing, as Madison, as Jones, as Manning, as Kirtland, as Longworth, as Elliot, as Rogers, as Talman, as Dana, as Hovey, as Ott, as Piatt, as Rea, as Coe, as Coolidge, as Crawford, as Hale, as Hyslop, as Sturtevant, as Barry, as Herbert, as Houghton, as Moore, as Morton, as Allen, as Williams, as Andrews, and a host of others whose honoured memories we love to cherish. Our earnest and best advice then to the people of this whole country, and from whatever part of the globe you may have come, to the high and to the low, to the noble and to the degraded, to the learned and to the illiterate, to the rich and to the poor, to the skilled and to the dunce, to the righteous and to the unrighteous, to the male and to the female, to the young and to the old, to the white and to the black, to the bond and to the free, without any distinction of station, or sex or colour, or creed, or politics, whosoever you may be, or whatever may be your name, use fruit. Give it constantly and plentifully to yourself, whom you deeply esteem, to your wife, in whom you sincerely confide, to your son, in whom you delight, and to your daughter whom you love. Give it without stint to your man-servant and to your maid-servant, on whom you rely, to your ox and to your horse, which you so highly value, and to the stranger, whom you are bound to respect, within your gates. Furthermore, and above all, we most devoutly believe in fruit, because it directly points us to God and leads us to think of Him as the " Giver of every good and perfect gift." This we consider to be the highest and most precious service in the whole history of our fruits. We have thus attempted in a feeble way to show the intrinsic value of our native staple fruits, as well as all fruits soft shelled and hard shelled, and some of the reasons why they should be more generally placed upon our tables, upon our dining tables, upon our tea tables, and upon our festive boards for supberb occasions, for our use and comfort. While we are very anxious to produce good fruits for export, fruits well-fitted for the English market, we see at the same time very little good fruit placed upon the table of our peasantry, as though it was perfectly fit and proper for the English- man to use, but not good for us. We emphatically teach the contrary; place it upon your tables in a natural state, in a prepared state, for the meal, for desert, for use, and our humble word for it, the public health and the public purse would be the gainer. At this stage the Association adjourned till two o'clock. 65 Upon the President resuming the chair, Mr. Beall, Lindsay, read the following paper : THE FRUIT GARDEN. "What soil, and what conditions of the surface soil would best conduce to the proper development of apple trees'?" While the apple tree is being so generally and often so successfully cultivated throughout the country, it seems unnecessary to give any minute description of a suitable soil for that purpose. The general intelligence of our people has led to the establish- ment of the idea that land, which will produce a good crop of wheat or barley, ought to be suitable for an orchard, 'and in this they are mainly correct, as the cause of failure is not so much in the kind of soil selected as in the lack of knowledge as to the preparation and after treatment of the surface soil. A large portion of the surface soil in Ontario is of a clayey formation, and is usually described as clay, clay loam, sandy loam, loamy clay, eing made in Canada were coupled with the condition that pine timber fit for masts . vessels should be reserved from clearing in certain cases, the property therein beir retained by the Crown. It would be an interesting study for a Canadian archaeologist to trace up the history of these reservations, with a view of ascertaining how extensively they were made, and how far they were observed. But in the United States the general government has almost altogether lost its op- portunity in the disposal of its national domain. It would have been possible to insert a clause in the patent for every section that it conveyed that a certain portion, if already timbered, should be preserved in woodland, or if a prairie, that a part should be planted within a time and in a manner that would not have been burdensome, and that these conditions should follow the title in all future transfers. 172 But without dwelling further upon what might have been done that was not, or fur- ther noticing the good intentions that failed, let us consider what may still be done under authority of gevernment in providing for the public welfare with respect to forest supplies. The plan I would suggest as worthy of study for this object would be somewhat as follows : — Let a system of forest administration be established that should include the means for exploring and estimating the extent and value of timber tracts. Let them be divided and described by natural boundaries into parcels of convenient size, and let a ground rent be fixed that should be reasonable in amount and certain in its terms of payment. Let these parcels be leased one year at a time, but with privileges of renewal at the end of each year upon strict compliance with all the terms of the lease. Let the principal revenue depend upon the amount of timber brought out, and in case of competition for the privilege, let the man have it who will bid the most. Let the terms of the lease re- serve the young trees below a given size, and impose strict attention to prevent forest fires. And finally, let the land be reserved and protected for a future growth. Inspec- tions and reports should be required to ensure a knowledge of the fidelity of all parties to the conditions of the law and exactness in the returns, and the business of each year should be embodied in an annual report. A plan of forest management, having for its object sustained production for indefinite time, implies a special qualification for the service, and both a theoretical and practical acquaintance with all matters affecting the growth and reproduction of woodlands. It needs maps, plans and a programme for future management ; the location and construc- tion of roads for the removal of products ; the measurement of standing timbers ; the calculations of areas and contents, and a wide range of knowledge in the sciences that concern the welfare of forest growth ; the prevention of injuries so far as within the skill of man is possible, and a habit of study and observation that qualifies the mind for appreciating and applying any modifications of a plan as new conditions may require, and as unforseen contingencies may arise. In Europe, where forestry has been practically studied for centuries, Schools of Forestry have been established under the care and at the expense of governments or of associated proprietors of forest estates, for the express purpose of preparing candidates for the forest service, for the intelligent and successful discharge of their duties, and none but those who can bear the test of rigid examinations and of approved practical skill are entrusted with the care of the public forests. With us there has been hitherto no inducement for young men to qualify themselves for such a position as the superintendent of a forest would be required to fill, and no oppor- tunity would have been open for them had they the requisite qualifications for the trust. There can be but little doubt, however, but that persons fully qualified for a be- ginning, could be easily found, and that others would seek to qualify themselves when- ever there was a prospect of permanent employment. But there is another class of duties that relate to the sale of timber and its delivery — to its protection from trespass, and other administrative details that can be performed by any person possessing vigilance, energy, integrity and a good business talent. It might be proper to assign these general duties to two classes of agents under one central direction, but acting separately, each in matters relating to his own charge, but both in harmony with the general plan. In case of such a division of duties, the one looking after the general welfare of the forest should decide when and where and how a cutting should be made, reference being therein had to the condition of the woodlands, and the welfare of their future. It should have the care of inspection, to insure faithful observance of its rules and conditions in the work done, but he should have no interest nor motive in any way relating to the sales, and in European Forest Codes, not only are the agents in the service excluded from dealing in forest products, but their relatives also, within the limits of probable interest, or the sympathy of family ties. Already in the British Colonies of Australia, in New Zealand and in India, systems of Forest Management have been commenced in a way that promises good success — but from the necessities of the case, each country has much to learn that could not be applied in another. 173 Let us next for a moment consider the duties and opportunities of Canada in this great question of National Economy, which, whether we are willing or not, will unavoid- ably and only too soon be pressed upon our notice. The crown lands here belong to the Provincial Governments, excepting in Manitoba and the North Western Territories, in which they are owned by the Dominion Government. This plan of management differs somewhat in its details, but in the main is this : — The forest is leased, generally at a certain ground rent per square mile, and for short periods, and a certain rate of tax is collected upon the timber that is taken out. If two lumbermen want the same tract it is put up at auction, and the man who pays the most for the privilege, in addition to the ground rent and the rate tax, obtains it ; but gener- ally the man who has made improvements, and has complied with the terms of his lease, is allowed to renew it from year to year until the timber is all removed. The soil itself is retained by the Government, and after a lapse of time it may again come into market for the sale of another crop. We may congratulate the Canadians in having already, and, perhaps, inadvertently made a long advance in the way of forest management, which, with amendment, may gradually be brought into a very complete system. In the Province of Quebec the pine trees under twelve inches in diameter are reserved from cutting. It would be better to rescue them of larger size, because a pine of that size is gaining more rapidly than at any other period, and it is a sacrifice of interest to cut it of that size. This is good as far as it goes ; let me suggest some further regulations tending to profitable returns and to future supplies. Let the wood-lands where the timber has been cut be carefully protected against fires, against pasturage, and against plunder. It would require a system of forest wardens, or guards, and would require some outlay, but the investment would, in the end, prove profitable in the result. Let there be introduced at first, in your agricultural schools and your colleges, in- struction in Sylviculture ; and at the first, and till something better could be provided, let each graduating class have the opportunity of hearing at least a few lectures upon the first principles of forest management and of tree planting — and the profits that result from judicious planting upon private estates. With a proper study of the methods by which the public timber lands should be managed, I am convinced that a judicious and practical system could be devised for bringing these lands up to the standard of greatest possible production, and that it could be sustained for a long period of time. But aside from this management of public woodlands by the Government, there are other, and vastly greater objects to be attained, in the way of planting, by the owners of land. We have already noticed the fact that throughout all the older States of the American Union, and in most of the settled portions of the newer States and the Terri- tories, as well as in the settled portions of Canada, the title to the lands has been passed to private owners, without reservation as to their cultivation or their clearing, and that neither a general nor a local government can interfere in their management, so long as they do no injury to the public. It is these owners of lands that must do all the planting ever done upon them — at least from our present stand-point we can foresee no prospect that any such improvement would be undertaken at the public cost, or by compulsion of law. But men do not incur expenses unless they can expect returns, either in advanced values, or in saleable products, and they must be made to realize that money is to be gained or saved, before they will be willing to incur expense. It is the main business of Forestry to teach how this can best be done in tree plant- ing, in places best suited for their growth, it implies a knowledge of the climatic condi- tions, of the capabilities of the soil, the requirements of particular species, and the best methods of management. In undertaking this cultivation, it is of the first importance that we should under- stand, not only the limits of possible endurance, but especially those within which we may secure the most favorable growth. In a region that was covered with timber when its settlement began, we have generally an evidence of what might be secured by plant- 174 ing, in the remnants of the native growth still remaining, or in the plantations that may have been formed for ornamental purposes or other use. Dr. Plough concluded his address by recommending experimental cultivations with the view to ascertaining what varieties of forest trees are best adapted to different sec- tions, especially in the prairie regions. Mr. D. W. Beadle, of St. Catharines, one of your delegation, was next called upon to speak, but owing to the late hour, it being then after ten o'clock, contented himself with moving the adjournment of the meeting, saying that he would improve some other opportunity of addressing the citizens on the subject of Forestry. Tuesday, August 22nd. There was a large attendance at this, the second day's proceedings of the Forestry Congress. Among the distinguished representatives of Forestry from theUnited States were the Hon. George B. Loring, United States Commissioner of Agriculture, and President of the Congress ; Dr. John, a Warder of North Bend, Ohio ; Dr. Chas. A. Mohr, of Mobile, Alabama ; Prof. Franklin B. Hough, Chief of the Bureau of Forestry in the Department of Agriculture, Washington ; B. E. Fernow, of Slatington, Pa.; J. W. Manning, of Reading, Mass.; J. H. Hicks, of Roslyn, N. Y.; Byron D. Halsted, of New York City, and General Eaton, Commissioner of Education for the United States. The Hon. George B. Loring, President of the Congress, took the chair and addressed the meeting as follows : He had come here with considerable difficulty, and in the midst of a great deal of hard work of a certain kind, not because he was officially connected with the Congress, but because of the high estimation in which he held the object for which they were met together — the object of preserving, protecting and restoring the forests of -this country (by this country he meant Canada and the United States, and as far south of the States as any ambitious gentleman was desirous of going), and of indicating to the world as far as they could what was the value of the great forest growth of this Province. Another reason for his coming here was that he was glad to know that there was one pursuit in which Canada and the United States had a common interest, and on which they can in no way be divided. It was a good thing to join all our nationalities in one common interest, at any rate. For a long time the question of Forestry had been so to speak aesthetic, but it had been followed up so persistently that trees had reached the position which they had a right to claim. Every man knew how to adorn his farm ; in fact our ancestors, 200 years ago, built up what might almost be termed forests round their farms, which were standing to-day as an example of American industry, American taste and American determination to make the American home what it should be for the intelli- gent man, woman or child. What he meant by America was not only the United States, but the whole North American Continent, with a total disregard for political differences, and a total disregard for social, civil and religious differences. He had begun on his own farm 25 years ago and planted evergreens and other trees, adorning a bleak hill, in order that he might have a nice home, and he grew just as familiar with the peculiarties of these trees as he was with his Ayrshires, his Black Hawks or his Merino sheep. He had been particularly unfortunate with his Black Hawks, not one out of 500 was a trotter, and he could not keep sheep in a State where boys would shoot everything else except another boy, and that accidentally. After an absence from that farm for three years, he still remembered the evergreens, the spruce, the hemlock and the white pine — the noblest tree grown on this great North American Continent — and other trees that were upon it. The student of Forestry is really a botanist, because he feels the same interest in a tree that a botanist feels in a rare plant. We have been shown, not only the habits of trees, but their origin and their peculiarities, and also the climate and soil to which each is adapted. We owe our knowledge in this direction to such scientific investigators as Michaud, George B. Emerson, and others. The scientific part of this matter had been thoroughly discussed, and there was not a man in the room interested in Forestry who did not know where to go to get the peculiarities of any tree which he desires to cultivate. 175 We are greatly indebted, therefore, to the scientists who have spent so much time in investigating this subject. All thanks to the Scientists who told us where the pine tree and the walnut tree would best grow, where we could most profitably plant the maple, the birch and the willow, and where the eucalyptus and the catalpa would best grow and do the most good. To these men, therefore, who have laid the foundation of this great work that we are just entering upon, all honor and praise are due. He expressed aston- ishment at the timber wealth of Canada. He said they had done well in having a paper read to them by a practical lumberman, giving a practical view of the great timber wealth of this country, and also some practical hints as to how this great wealth could be preserved. There were great wheat fields in the North-West ; he had visited the great cotton plantations of the South, and the great cattle ranches of the West. But alongside of wheat and cotton and cattle there stood in the forests of this country a greater mine of wealth than the wealth of cotton, wheat and cattle combined. Why had this great mine of wealth been forgotten 1 The great trouble had been hitherto that every man had felt that he had a perfect right to go on to Government lands and cut his own wood and do as he pleased with the lumber thereon. The law of possession had not been as strictly applied to them as it had to agricultural lands. This was a great mistake ; we must bring the public forest lands under the supervision of law as closely as are the farms of individuals. The invasion of timber lands or forests was just as much an invasion as was the trespass upon private property. The value of the lumber industry in Canada had been referred to, but he would tell them, as he told an audience at a meeting in Massachusetts some time ago that the products of the lumber industry alone in the United States annually amounted to $250,000,000. It had grown to enormous proportions. There were other industries which had grown wonderfully too. The product of the leather trade in the United States to-day amounts to $150,000,000 annually, and when he told the merchants and manufacturers of Massachusetts that that industry had grown up within his time they were perfectly astonished. But he could remember when it took a peripatetic cobbler one week to make him a pair of boots and it took him three years to grow out of them. Now a man could, with the machinery of Lynn manufacture 1,200 pairs of shoes a day. The silk industry had also increased within the last ten years from an annual product of $10,000,000 up to more than $35,000,000, and the American silk to-day found a ready sale, although many ladies thought that the sheen of the French silk was a little better than the American. The United States learned to take care of her silk industry just as England did after the Anglo-French treaty had expired. The lumber industry in the United States amounted to $233,000,000 annually, and the number of persons employed in it was about 141,000 besides about 500 children and 2,000 or 3,000 women, enough to make a very respectable sized city. The amount of money paid in wages to these persons for the support of their families and the education of their children was nearly $36,000,000 a year. Was he wrong then, in claiming that the foundation of this industry should be as sacredly protected by law as the cotton, the boot and shoe, or any other industry 1 The question had passed out of the sphere of individual tree planting for ornamentation, had passed out of the sphere of scientific in- vestigation, and they were engaged to-day in developing, preserving and protecting our forests, among other things, in the interest of our lumber industry, one of the three great fundamental industries of this world. This industry was certainly entitled to some consideration, and the question naturally arises what consideration was it to receive % In the United States, as they all know, there was a great variety of Governments, why they had more than 15,000 law makers in the United States, and they managed to get out of them a pretty good lot of laws. They had their Congress and Legislatures and Municipal organizations, all engaged in making laws, statutes and ordinances, and they could find, if they were to number them, that there were nearly 15,000 of them engaged profitably at it. He said it was pretty hard to tell what was to be done. The Federal Government had no right to go into any of the States, but it had special privileges, and could set the different States a good example, at any rate. One thing they wished to know, was how to protect the forests from the settlers themselves, who look upon a pine tree three or four feet thick with profound contempt, but who regarded a stalk of wheat a sixteenth 176 of an inch thick with the most profound respect. He did not know what they did in Canada, but he thought none of those lands which are unfit for the cultivation of anything else except trees should be occupied, and the Government should protect them just as well as they protect the most valuable agricultural lands. Let the Government declare, that all forest lands unfit for cultivation shall remain the property of the Government, who shall derive only such a revenue from them as shall not exhaust them. Then with regard to forest fires. He had studied the matter with great care, and the first thing we should do is to create a right of forest lands, and then infuse such an inpouring of opinion, that the settler will understand the value of forests, and understand that bush heaps or dead grass should be properly cleared up before setting fire to. It was only the other day that a man in one of the Eastern States with a farm valued at $60,000 or $70,000, and with a house upon it fully equal to an English manor-house, had it nearly destroyed by fire. Two little boys started the fire in fun and swam across the stream to get out of the way, and if it had not been for the courage and energy displayed by that man's wife, his place would have been completely destroyed. Yet, this was what settlers were doing every day, but, let him understand that a piece of land that is burnt over is more than half killed, and he will be more careful and preserve it. Nature was always rastoring forests, and would do her share of the work if we would give her an opportunity. He had seen abandoned farms in the Eastern States which were growing up fine trees, and these would render them more valuable than they were before. From the official reports of the department at Washington, he took the following statement, showing the number of feet of pine at present in the undermentioned States, and the number of years it would last, at the rate they were now cutting it : — STATE. Texas Florida Alabama . . . Mississippi Minnesota | 6,100,000,000 Michigan Wisconsin North Carolina Louisiana , Georgia Pennsylvania pine hemlock Arkansas California , South Carolina Maine, pine and spruce rsumDer oi ieei of pine. No. of years. 21,508,000,000 300 6,615,000,000 30 18,885,000,000 70 17,200,000,000 150 6,100,000,000 10 29,000,000,000 7 41,000,000,000 20 5,229,000,000 50 48,213,000,000 540 16,778,000,000 75 1,800,000,000 5 4,500,000,000 15 41,325,000,000 320 25,825,000,000 100 3,316,000,000 27 5,000,000,000 16 New Hampshire does not return a pine tree of any kind, but returned 1,500,000,000 feet of black spruce, which will all be gone in ten years at the present rate of cutting. 177 This shows what we can rely upon in this section of the country, and, hence it was evi- dent, that in about one generation the supply of timber in the United States would be almost completely exhausted unless means were taken to protect it, and prevent the present frightful waste. At the close of President Loring's address, Mr. B. E. Fernow, of Slatington, Penn- sylvania, asked whether the special Committee appointed at the Meeting in Cincinnati to consider the subject of Forest Fires was prepared to report. Dr. Charles Mohr said, that, in absence of the Chairman of the Committee, he had himself prepared a report on forest fires, and the injuries caused to the forests by inroads of cattle, which he would read. The following is an abstract of his report so far as the points considered bear upon the conditions affecting the forests of Canada : — I find myself not prepared to present a formal report, the result of joint deliberations, but venture to lay before the meeting simply a statement of the facts arrived at by the limited inquiries and observations made in regard to it in the great lumbering districts of the pine regions. Of these, like other forests regions, it can be said, that the fires raging season after season through their forest have caused a greater and more irreparable de- struction, inflicting a deeper harm than all the devastation brought about by the combined lumber industries of the past and the present day. The practice of setting fire to the woods existed among the Indians before the arrival of the whites. The white settler to meet the necessities of his existence, had to spend the energies of his life in the destruction of its forest growth, engendering a habit of destruction and a disregard for the forest, which, under vastly altered circumstances still comes into active play, leading to a needless devastation and neglect of the preservation of the forest, detrimental to private interests as well as to the public wefare. Many of the forest fires are the consequence of careless- ness, neglect, and utter indifference to their consequences, as frequently they are wilfully started to serve some purpose. The first effect of these fires is the total destruction of the pine seedlings, which, to- gether with the younger growth, are not strong enough to resist the effect of the scorching to which they were exposed. Another effect leading pecuniarly to enormous losses, is the arrest of the growth in the trees exposed to these conflagrations. This is most remarkable, and no doubt due to the injurious effects of the heat. Another most pernicious effect resulting from the recurring fires is the total destruc- tion of every particle of organic matter in the surface soil, reducing it to a state of arid, barren sand of absolute sterility. All efforts of single individuals are of no avail in abating this crying evil, they must be persisted in by the community, and it is only by judicious legislation that its correction can be reached. Injuries by Cattle. The injuries resulting to the forest from the inroads of live stock are, direct and in- direct, scarcely less detrimental to its preservation than those sustained by fire. The unrestricted pasturing of cattle leads more slowly, but not less surely, to its final destruc- tion. The direct injuries result from the browsing and eating of the tender plants in their youngest state, and of the young shoots ; the tearing, breaking, and tramping down of the small growth, leading to its mutilation and premature decay, or to their being killed out- right ; in short, to the impossibility of the rejuvenation of the forest by its natural seed- ing. In the pine lands these injuries are less apparent, and less fatal to the progeny of the pine, the young trees being not eaten by st)ck, and the chief injuries to them result from tramping. The running at large of live stock is indirectly injurious to the forests by reason of the enormous draft upon its resources of timber to build fences for the pro- tection of the crops from the cattle. The enormous sacrifices of timber and labour required in the fencing of tilled lands are a great drawback to the tiller of the soil, which 12 (f. g.) 178 makes itself in the older settled and more densely populated districts severely felt, and the necessity of the abolition of the old ways has led in several of the States to the adoption of a stocklaw, general or optional with the various sections of the State. In South Carolina the stocklaw was first optional with the counties, and after a short while its benefits became so apparent that it was applied to the whole State. The violent opposi- tion with which it was met by the poorer population of the low country has gradually disappeared, the people becoming reconciled by its benefits, and its introduction is to be regarded as a great impetus to the prosperity of the farming community. The reading of this report was followed by a very interesting discussion on the sub- ject of forest fires. Mr. Peter White, M.P., of Pembroke, said he had given the ques- tion close attention for over ten years, especially as affecting the Upper Ottawa region, where he had no hesitation in saying quite as much timber was swept away by fire as fell beneath the blows of the lumberman's axe. What the latter cleared might be put at between twenty and thirty millions, while that destroyed by fire at certainly not less. His own conviction was that the greater part of the waste was attributable to the care- lessness of the sportsman and fisherman, and a very small portion of it only to those en- gaged in lumbering. New settlers were also responsible for a good deal of the mischief. He did not doubt[that the employees of lumbering firms were not always free from blame, but it was absolutely to the interest of their employers to take every possible precaution to save the wood in their limits. What could be done better to prevent this loss of valuable property from this cause 1 He understood that while in Quebec the burning of refuse on timber limits in July and August was prohibited, in Ontario the time of restriction was between April and November. Experience showed that the forest fires along the Upper Ottawa occur between May and August, those months inclusive, and his sugges- tion was to prohibit the starting of fires for clearing or other purposes within those four months. He would also suggest the division of the timber lands into districts, each under the guardianship of a policeman resident within it ; one duty of such functionary being to visit every settler towards the close of winter, say some time in March, to give him all necessary information and caution as to the requirements of the law in regard to this matter. He believed there was very little incendiarism in the lumbering regions, and that the bulk of the fires that occurred originated in ignorance and carelessness. Officials, such as he had suggested, ought to keep a careful watch at all the principal avenues of districts liable to be laid waste by fire. He thought that the estimate offered of the loss by this cause, as compared with the product the lumbermen secured, was far too moderate ; he believed it would be nearer the mark to say it was ten to one, than to represent the two as approximately equal. As to precaution it might be urged that as the lumbermen had so large an interest at stake, they might be looked to to provide the necessary precautions. That was true in a sense, and he had no doubt that those con- cerned would willingly submit to the imposition of a small tax, if necessary, for the pur- pose of securing the required protection. The firm with which he himself was associated had for years looked after their own interests in this matter, but it was obvious to every one that it was out of the power of private individuals or business firms to act with the authority and force which the Government could command. Mr. Wright, Mass., related his experience of the ravages of fire in the vicinity of Duluth. His recommendation was that the debris which attended lumbering should be cleared away, or at any rate not let lay scattered but piled up in considerable heaps. He did not believe that lumbermen set fire to the forests ; they knew better than to do that, but there was a certain amount of carelessness which worked a good deal of harm. The Hon. George Bryson, Coulonge, said : "For the last few years the majority of fires in his district had occurred in May and June, and in September and October, and much good might attend the adoption of the suggestion to appoint officials for patrol duty through lumbering districts during these months." He agreed with what had been said as to the estimate of value taken out and value destroyed being glaringly inaccurate. Years ago he had stated before a committee of the House that the proportion of the latter to the former was fully ten to one. Mr. John Dougall, of New York, said the month of May was the first month in the year for forest fires, owing to the fact that at that time the ground was covered with 179 dead leaves and grass as dry as tinder, which took fire from a spark. Hence the month should be included in the time during which settlers should be forbidden to burn bush. Mr. Thistle, Ottawa, speaking as a lumberman of fifteen years standing, and also as a land surveyor, referred to the difficulty of disposing of the debris, owing to the circum- stances under which lumbering operations are carried on in this country — the extent of the limits, the widely scattered shanties, &c. He was favorable to the idea of inducing Gov- ernments to co-operate with the lumbermen by the appointment of police for this special duty, who would act conjointly with their own men. The speaker went on to give a graphic description of the burnt lands of the Upper Ottawa and to the north of that region, and concluded by remarking that there was no doubt in his own mind that ten times as much lumber was burned as was cut. Mr. Wright suggested that it might be well to consider whether it would be possi- ble and profitable to convert the lumber refuse into potash or charcoal or convert it to use in some other way. Mr. J. R. Martin, Cayuga, said it was an undoubted fact tha^ many forest fires were started by shantymen to make work for themselves when things were getting slack. The idea of appointing policemen to patrol the forest lands was a good one ; every constable so acting would be at once a conservator of the trees and of the peace. He had heard of gangs being systematically formed in Wisconsin and Michigan for the pnrpose of firing the woods. He regarded favorably the suggestion, if practicable, of converting the lum- bering debris to use. Mr. Ward confirmed what has been said as to the wanton destruction of valuable forest trees — the yellow birch for instance which was sometimes set on fire for the very pleasure of seeing its instantaneous and brilliant blaze. There should be a heavy punish- ment inflicted in the case of every conviction of such atrocious conduct. The Chairman, in a few words, expressed his satisfaction at the practical tone of the discussion, and his opinion that there should be provision made for the severe punishment of men who would destroy a forest but not think of burning a barn. Hon. Mr. Joly moved — That it is the duty of this Congress to draw the attention of Governments to the necessity of better precautions against forest fires. He thought re- spectful representations on the subject would receive due attention from the Governments of the United States and Canada. Mr. Joly's motion was carried, and, on motion, it was resolved that the Committee should consist of Mr. P. White, M.P., Mr. J. K. Ward, Dr. Mohr, Hon. Mr. Bryson, Dr. Hough, Mr. B. C. Fernow, Hon. Mr. Joly, Mr. William Little, Mr. Charles H. Sargent and Mr. E. D. Baker. The remainder of the day was taken up with the reading of papers, many of them of very great value, to which fuller reference will be made in a subsequent part of our report. The evening session was of a more popular character. It was held in the Queen's Hall, and was well attended by a large gathering of ladies and gentlemen. The Hon. Mr. Joly introduced the Hon. Gen. Eaton, Commissioner of Education for the United States, who had kindly consented to address the meeting. Hon. Gen. Eaton said that, having had opportunity to observe most of the forests in the United States, he was able to appreciate the importance of this meeting. But he was here in his capacity of education. Forestry was a subject on which the general public must first be informed before they can take the remedial measures called for by the needs of our forests. Man should not be the enemy of the tree when God had placed them side by side to react upon each other for man's better health and greater happiness. The tree was man's friend, and he should be so taught to consider it. We must have text- books for the schools and scientific magazines, to set forth the importance of forestry. Since Dr. Hough had been appointed a commissioner to investigate the whole subject on this continent and in Europe, a great advance had been made in the education of the public mind. What was specially needed now was a scientific journal such as was pro- jected by Dr. Hough. A text-book had already been prepared, and it was desired to introduce the subject into the two hundred normal schools of the United States, that thence tfie knowledge might descend to the children that God made the tree, and that it was their friend. 180 The Hon. Geo. B. Loring having come in, took the chair, and addressed the meeting at some length, in general terms, upon the importance of forestry to the American and Canadian peoples and its bearing upon the interests of agriculture, the great industry of both countries. Mr. Joly said Canadians ought to be grateful to our American friends for holding their Congress in this city. He must confess that the address of the Hon. Mr. Loring had completely dispelled any false notions he had hitherto entertained concerning our American neighbours. We were accustomed to look upon them as a people devoted to the pursuit of the almighty dollar, but we had just had abundant evidence that in no country was the worship and love of nature, of country and of home more general and more intense than among our American friends. We could grasp them by the hand and rejoice to labour with them in the promotion of the interests of forestry and kindred objects. Although not a citizen of Montreal, the people of this city had deputed him to speak in their name, and in this capacity he now bid our American friends God speed, and thanking them again for their visit, hoped to see them often hereafter on the same noble, patriotic and humanitarian errand. The meeting then dispersed. August 23d. The Forestry Congress met at their rooms on St. James' Street at half-past nine o'clock, the Hon. Mr. Joly in the chair. Preventing Forest Fires. The Hon. Mr. Biryson presented the report of the Committee appointed to memorialize the Government wit x reference to preventing forest fires. The report recommended, first, the reservation of all pine and spruce lands, unfit for settlement, for lumbering purposes exclusively ; second, prohibition of the burning of brush by settlers in the vicinity of fir trees during the months of May, June, September and October ; third, the division of the timber country into districts, and the appointment of police under a superintendent with magisterial powers, whose duty it shall be to detect and punish offenders, and provide for the extinguishment of fires ; fourth, the cost of maintenance of this protective force might partially be met by the imposition of a moderate tax on the parties owning or leasing timber lands. The report was adopted. Election of Officers. The Congress then proceeded to the election of officers, as follows : — Hon. Mr. Loring, President ; Hon. H. G. Joly, 1st Vice-President ; Dr. J. A. Warder, 2nd Yice- President ; W. S. Little, Montreal, Secretary ; John S. Fay, Massachusetts, Treasurer. Prof. Hough suggested St. Paul as the place of next meeting of Congress. It was generally thought desirable to have the meeting at or about the same time and place as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and it was the general opinion that its next meeting would be in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was resolved that the fixing of time and place of next meeting be left to the Executive Committee. Mr. Hicks moved that the Executive Committee appoint referees to prepare papers on legislation with regard to forest fires, prevention and control of forest fires, distribution, technology and forest management of the white pine. The motion was carried. Votes of Thanks. Votes of thanks were then tendered to the Governments of Ontario and Quebec for the interest taken by them in sending delegates to the Congress ; to the Mayor of Montreal and citizens generally for the interest taken by them on this occasion ; to the press for 181 reporting proceedings and papers ; to the various railway, steamboat and telegraph com- panies who have afforded facilities to gentlemen attending this Congress. Dr. Warder moved that the thanks of the Congress are to the Geological Survey, Ottawa, for a set of reports ; to the Commissioner of Crown Lands of the Province of Quebec, for specimens of Canadian woods ; to the Hon. Mr. Joly for presiding at the meetings ; to the citizens of Ottawa for their invitation to visit that city ; to the American Association for the Advancement of Science for an invitation to accompany them to Quebec ; to the ladies of America for their interest and assistance in the promotion of forestry ; to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association for an invitation to use their library ; to gentlemen who have sent valuable papers to the Congress ; to Mr. James Little, Montreal, the Nestor of American Forestry, for his long continued efforts on behalf of American Forestry. Motion agreed to. This closed the Sessions of the American Forestry Congress in Montreal. Respectfully submitted, D. W. Beadle. Wm. Saunders. P. C. Dempsey. Thos. Beall. GENERAL REPORT ON FORESTRY. Your several committees, having submitted such particulars as we deem of interest in connection with the recent meetings of the Forestry Congress in Cincinnati and Montreal, propose now to take up in a fuller manner the important subject of Forestry and dwell at greater length on the more practical points connected with this momentous subject as developed and presented in the valuable papers read at the meetings referred to. It is essential at the outset, to show as far as practicable, the present actual condition of the forests of Ontario, where they are chiefly located and the proportion they bear to the arable land of the Province — a paper read by Prof. Brown at the Forestry Congress in Cincinnati, entitled " Forest and Rainfall in Ontario," contains so much useful information upon this subject as well as upon others, which will be touched upon hereafter, that we present it entire : — FOREST AND RAINFALL IN ONTARIO. The first time I had to do with any purely scientific view of trees and climate was in 1867, when I secured the practical recognition of Arboriculture as a science, before the " British Association for the Advancement of Science," when also, with two others, we obtained a sum of money to begin experiments in order to ascertain the real or supposed influence of trees upon rainfall. A very great deal has been said and written on this subject since, yet I am not aware of much that is new, or any clear light through exact reported facts on the American continent, where, of course, conditions are very different, and must be sought for independently of any others throughout the world. We cannot take European conclusions and use them here with any measure of trust, because physical conditions are just the extreme, so to speak, of those averaging in the eastern hemisphere. Hence the necessity of independent experimental action — should experimental work be thought of any value. From 1855 to 1869 my profession gave me the direct superintendence of planting 21,000,000 trees on two extensive estates in Scotland, along with the regular thinning and clearing of woods according to the system laid down in the work called The Forester, of 182 which my father is author. I mention this principally to show that the aims of this Association ought to have my support, and that the subject of conserving and re-planting in America comes home very warmly. It needs but a glance at the map of North America to feel that such an immense body of land must possess physical conditions that have both the working and the regula- tion of its own climate. The older part of Ontario, wedging west as it does into the States, and bounded south and west by great bodies of water is a very peculiar portion of this great block of land under discussion ; it is indeed perfectly unique, and hence I beg the particular attention of the convention to some phazes of its forest and rainfall. I submit first, that there are five active over-ruling agents in the construction of climate thus far inland on a large continent : 1. Geographical position. 2. Configuration of surface — such as altitude. 3. Large bodies of water. 4. Vegetation. 5. Storms from distances. What, and how much, each does, is not evident, and maybe never will be ascertained. On the accompanying map I have drafted and indicated some facts with reference to proportions of forest still existing and with reference to the average annual rainfall throughout Ontario proper. From Detroit to Quebec Province boundary is about 500 miles, and from Lake Ontario to Lake Nipissing, 200 miles. The configuration of this triangle is pretty uniform as regards non-possession of any mountains or prairie, but with a marked table land, as shown, immediately south of Lake Huron, nearly butting on the lake fifty miles broad and running south-east for one hundred miles — two-thirds of the distance to Lake Erie. This high land averages 800 feet above Lake Ontario and 500 above Huron. The fine parallel lines represent where over 50 per cent, of the original forest still remains, and the broad stripes where less than 50 per cent, exists. Rainfall from thirty-five to forty inches per annum is shown by the chequered lines ; the dotting indicates where less than thirty inches fall, and the remainder of the land receives from thirty to thirty-five inches of rain and snow per annum on an average. The path, or direction of the great storms having their origin outside of the Province, and which bring rain, is indicated by the long arrow which has a bearing of N. 65° E. It appears, therefore, that two-thirds of Ontario is still in possession of from 50 to 75 per cent, of her natural forest, and, let me add, none of it has less than 20 per cent.,, so that possibly about one-half over the whole, still stands. Now, with all these data on hand, allow me to ask some questions — knowing it is easier to ask than to answer questions : — (1.) How is it that so little rain falls on the 75 miles of highly wooded neck of land between Lakes Erie and Huron along the River St. Clair 1 (2.) Why, immediately thereafter, does heavy rainfall occur all along the shore of Lakes Erie and Ontario up to and a little past Toronto, where tree surface is least 1 (3.) Why is rainfall heavy over most of the table land formerly referred to, the greater part of which is well wooded 1 (4.) Why is rainfall so small between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay, over a district embracing Lake Simcoe — part well covered with trees and part having the least pro- portion 1 (5.) Why are all the backwoods north to Lake Nipissing in annual receipt of heavy rain 1 (6.) Why is there no heavy annual rainfall on the lake shore or midland counties, east of Toronto 1 Permit the following solution : — (1.) Lakes Erie and Huron are stronger attractions for moisture than a river, small lake and a comparatively flat belt of heavy wooded country. Even an outside storm will be drawn south or north of Detroit by these large bodies of water. (2.) The well- watered north shore of Lakes Erie and Ontario as far as Toronto, is clearly large lake influence. b ~H £ - j c§ $ <, ^ i ■ 1 11 ? 183 (3.) Three things go to make the heavy rainfall on the table land : altitude, lake contiguity, and tree surface. (4.) The fourth question is not so evident : The district of low rainfall is partly on the water-shed, and therefore not low lying. Locally otherwise it has a variety of attrac- tive power, and all around rainfall is more plentiful with similar agencies. I am inclined to ascribe this peculiar feature of Ontario rainfall to the agency of the table land, both locally and in breaking outside storms. Take the arrow as a centre path of outside storms that bring rain with them ; if it strikes south of Detroit, Lake Erie appropriates it ; if north, of Detroit the storm is drawn both by Lake Huron and the table land, is sucked into the Georgian Bay and thus clears Lake Simcoe district. The fifth question requires no answer other than that of a comparatively unbroken forest, attracting more rain with additions from outside storms through Georgian Bay as just indicated. I cannot see how all north of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River there is only a moderate rainfall, considering the size of the lake and the large proportion of heavily timbered country adjoining. I have thus endeavoured to show some of the physical conditions of our Province, and their intimate connection with tree surface. Of course I do not presume to pronounce decidedly any conclusions on such an open field of our profession, yet it needs no deep scientist to see that trees have a very great deal to do with the climate of a country, so that, in pressing the claims of this^ Association upon any of our Legislatures and country- men, facts are not wanting. It is gratifying to learn from the foregoing paper that in two-thirds of the Province of Ontario from fifty to seventy-five per cent, of the natural forest is still standing, and that in none of it is there less than twenty per cent., and that, taking the Province as a whole, there is probably one-half of the natural forest yet remaining. It is then not too late to adopt a system of forest management which shall secure this source of wealth in perpetuity, by preventing reckless cutting, guarding against losses by fires and the trampling and browsing of cattle, and by encouraging the planting of trees where such planting would be profitable. The rate at which our forests are being consumed for lumber may be approximately gathered from the following paper, read at the Montreal meeting, by Mr. G. L. Marler, of Montreal, who said that he had an experience of twenty years on the south side of the St. Lawrence, and might, therefore, speak with some authority on the subject of his paper. THE DENUDATION OF OUR FORESTS. The subject of this paper — The Denudation of our Forest Trees — has been one which has often presented itself to my mind, and I shall lay before this meeting the most salient points, and endeavour to be brief in my remarks, but at the same time bring before you the most important points. The Province of Quebec is the principal territory from whence the mercantile lumber is drawn. When I say mercantile lumber I speak of those trees which make up the lumber trade, and are taken from the following lists : — 1st Division — Canadian Trees, Leaf-Bearing. Quercus Oak Ulmus campestris Elm Fraxinus Ash Betula Birch Juglans Walnut Juglans cinerea Butternut 184 Carya Hickory Sideroxylon Ironwood Acer Maple Tilia Americana Basswood Betula White Birch Fagus Beech Populus Poplar Cerasus Cherry Balsamodendron Balm of Gilead Acer pseudo-platanus Plain tree Salix Willow 2nd Division — Evergreens. Pinus strobus Pine Picea • Spruce Larix Larch Cedrus Cedar Picea balsarnifera Balsam Tsuga Hemlock There are two large belts of timber land in the Province of Quebec, one on the south side of the St. Lawrence, the other and greater on the north side. The first extending from Gaspe to the Bay des Chaleurs, which divides it from New Brunswick, thence along the highlands on the boundary line until it strikes the head waters of the Connecticut river, thence along the line of 45 degrees of North Latitude to the St. Lawrence, by which it is bounded in front. This belt consists of about 30,000 square miles. The other from below the Saguenay to the Ottawa and thence 200 miles north of the St. Lawrence, and consists of about 120,000 square miles. Until a few years back these great belts of timber land were reached only by the streams running through them, and could only be devastated by the lumberman a few miles each side of these rivers, leaving large spaces untouched by the woodman's axe. But since twenty years this great belt has been intersected by some dozen railroads, cutting up the land like a checker board, and by this means we must look forward that by another ten years this belt will be entirely denuded of all kinds of timber. The Northern belt is now passing into the same phase as the sister belt — the rivers on the north side are not so numerous as on the south side of the St. Lawrence, but they are of more magnitude and extend farther into the interior — and, like the other belt, is now being also cut across by railways. If we open the Government statistics book we find that the gross returns of the forests for the year 1881 amounts to the neat little sum of $24,802,064, and, as compared with the total exports of the Dominion of Canada, is equal to one-fourth of the total amount, $92,000,826. In the returns of the Government for the year 1871, the exports for timber were $22,872,591. Now comparing the year 1881 with the year 1871 there is an increase of $2,000,000. I have found that in 1871 the cut of timber, as reported to the Government, was: — Feet. Feet. WMtepine VaX) \ 26,191,192 Bed pine 1,954,371 J Oak . 3,302,043 Tamarac 5,695,963 Birch 1,939,357 Elm 1,832,624 " ; "lifA 220,570 Butternut 102,981 J Hickory 197,827 185 Other kinds 26,290,264 Pine logs 12,416,408 Other logs 9,314,557 Masts 121,685 Feet. Staves 34,706 M. Lath wood 25,706 Cords. Tan-bark 162,521 Cords. Firewood 8,713,083 Cords. Now, reducing these several quantities to trees, we have an aggregate of 22,271,384 trees. If you say 50 trees to the acre, we have a total of acres denuded in one year of 445,428 acres — equal to three townships. Now there has expired since this return was made 10 years, which gives no less than 30 townships — equal to 3,240 square miles, or three whole counties, supposing each county to consist of ten townships. Having ascertained the total amount of merchantable or exportable timber, we must not forget the home consumption, which exceeds that exported. Now what have we done in the way of preservation, very little indeed. (1) The Quebec Legislature, by an Act of 1882, Chap. XIII, offers a bonus of $12 per acre to any one who will plant an acre of ground with trees, and keep it well preserved. (2) They have passed an Act, 1882, Chap. XI, "no person shall burn or set fire to any timber for the purpose of clearing land, from 1st July to 1st Sept." The Government, in making their yearly estimates, generally say, amongst the items of revenue, that they will get so and so from forests. Now, when they make or prepare their estimates, they should carefully ponder on this item. Because it is not an annual revenue, it is absolutely taken from capital, which capital is being so rapidly reduced that ere many years the balance must be considered as nil, they are killing the goose that is laying the golden egg, in fact they have nearly reached the backbone. I have now to stop and consider our present position, and ask what must be done for the salvation of our trees — is there any means to replace some of the millions of trees that are cut down annually % I reply in the affirmative ; everyone has the power and capacity in aiding in this great work. Does not every tree bear its own seed 1 and sow- ing or planting seed is no harder than sowing grain ; in so doing you reproduce their kind, and you alter even the temperature of the country ; you draw down moisture from the clouds, the trees throw out a certain quantity of carbon, and by the vicinity of trees the health of the surrounding country is benefited in a very large degree. I have made a calculation that 200 acres (lots such as the present divisions of our townships) planted with a double row of trees, say maple, we will have a belt of trees nearly three miles long and a plantation of 300 sugar or other trees. Experience has shown that from 100 ft. square of well- prepared land, sown with ash and transplanted, you can cover 100 acres from this 100 square Jeet, and have a return after three years, using the smaller plants for hoops, poles, etc., and thinning again and again, until the residue will leave you a fine plantation, and so on with other trees. Oak, walnut, and butternut can be intermixed, as they require longer time to mature. If your soil is well prepared, your farm will begin to give a return after three years at the rate of $10 per acre, increasing year by year to $40, and then the residue will be your park. I have heretofore, through the columns of your newspapers, advocated to the Manitoba emigrants the necessity of taking up a box of our tree seeds. Trees planted in the open ground thrive better and spread out their roots to a greater distance than in the forest, and they have more hold and resistence to the elements, — and I am persuaded that no better invest- ment could be found for the Manitoba farmer, because such a plantation would break the heavy winds that sweep the prairies, and guard his home and crops, and shelter his farm, and give him in return exactly what he has the most need of — timber for all purposes. 1-6 Still further light is thrown on this subject by the following paper contributed by Mr. James Little, of Montreal, and read at the Cincinnati meeting : — THE WHITE PINE FORESTS OF CANADA. By James Little, of Montreal. The devastating effects of freshets, the barrenness of sections of the country deprived of timber, and the failure of supplies of water to streams during the summer months (which years ago were well supplied), and which I believe to be mainly due to the destructive habit that has obtained of clearing off too much of the forest land — these questions, however, I leave to others who have given them more thought, and confine my remarks to the condition of our own White Pine forests, arid the serious commercial effects which would arise from a total loss of our woodlands, a condition likely soon to reach us unless we immediately adopt measures for their protection, and begin, by tree-planting, to supply the waste. Labouring, as I may say, almost single handed for a long time to bring our own people, as well as yours, to a proper knowledge of this subject, it is most gratifying to me now to find the papers of your country so generally taking up the question of Forestry, and, when I say that I wish your association the greatest success, it but faintly expresses my feelings, and I hope that the eminent men, who are now giving their minds to this great question, having the valuable statistical information that Professor Sargent has obtained to aid them, will keep it before the people till a proper appreciation of its im- portance is generally acknowledged. I may remark that, while my efforts have been mainly directed towards the protec- tion from destruction of the forests of White Pine, it has been painful to me to witness that our other commercial woods, such as walnut, once so abundant in certain sections that farmers used it for fence rails, and oak and ash, which were for long a great source of revenue to the country, are nearly all gone, and our pine, spruce, birch, and tamarac are following so fast that we will soon have nothing left of commercial value ; and the same process of denudation has gone on in your own limited area of woodland, as is so plainly shown in Professor Brewer's excellent map, published in connection with the census of 1870, where the area of treeless territory, as compared with woodlands, gives your country the appearance of a large, cleared farm with patches of woodland on its outer edges. I know that the idea prevails, on your side, that the area of timber land in Canada is so great that the supplies are practically exhaustless, but this idea, I regret to say, is not borne out by the facts. With the view of arriving at some definite knowledge of the quantity, I have consulted with the best authorities we have, and am fully persuaded that 10,000 millions of feet, board measure, will comprise all the merchantable pine of the Provinces of Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and, as we are drawing from these points over one thousand millions annually, less than ten years at our present rate of cutting will use up our whole stock. It may also be as well to remark, as frequent mention is made of the pine of Newfound- land and the Hudson' Bay country, that, as regards Newfoundland, it is only near the streams, ponds, and bodies of water that the white pine is found, and it was never abund- ant or to any great extent of a large size or good quality — the best of it has, moreover, been shipped from this country principally to Nova Scotia. The White Pine spoken of near Hudson's Bay evidently refers to the spruce, which is miscalled Pine and White Pine in some of the British markets. The only pine found near there is the Banksian pine, an inferior timber tree, seldom large enough for sawing, and its nothern limit is south of both James' and Hudson's Bays, as may be seen on Prof. Bell's map showing the northern limit of Canadian trees. To give anything like a correct estimate of the remaining stock of standing pine timber is most difficult, as the Governments seem to know little or nothing on the subject, and the owners of such property have private reasons for withholding what knowledge 187 they possess, but the following statistics, which I prepared at the request of Prof. Sargent, gives the result of my investigations. For the Province of Quebec, we may consider the country south of the St. Lawrence as still having 250 million feet, the principal streams being the St. Francis, Nicolet, and Chaudiere ; the country on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, east of the city of Quebec, 250 millions, the principal river being the Saguenay ; the district north of the St. Lawrence, between Quebec and Montreal, 750 millions, the chief source of supply being the St. Maurice ; that on the north shore of the Ottawa, between Montreal and Ottawa city, 1,250 millions, the principal streams being the Gatineau, Lievre, Nation, and Rouge • and from Ottawa to the headwaters of the Ottawa river, on the same side, 2,500 millions, the main sources of supply being the rivers Coulonge, Black, Dumoine, Bear, Maganacippi, and Keepowa, and lakes Temiscaming and Des Quinze, with the lakes and rivers forming the head waters of the Ottawa — making a total for the Province of Quebec of 5,000 millions. For Ontario we may estimate the streams flowing into the Ottawa as still having 1,250 millions, the chief supplies coming from the Madawaska, Mississippi, Bonnechere, Petawawa, • Matawan, and Montreal rivers, the country drained by the waters of the Trent and Moira, 750 millions ; the streams entering into G-eorgian Bay, 750 millions ; and supplies from other portions of the Province, 750 millions — making a total for Ontario of 3,500 millions. The pine still remaining in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will probably not exceed 1,500 millions. Thus making a total for the four provinces of 10,000 millions — an amount less than one year's consumption of your country. But, whether the amount may exceed this estimate, which I have made from the best sources of information attainable, or not, there is one thing sure that our hitherto magnificent forests of pine are about gone, and the remark of Mr. Charles Gibb that " our native White Pine may yet be peddled in some parts of our country as a rare exotic, so scarce has it become, " is certain to be realized in the near future. The remainder of this interesting paper appeared in our report of the Cincinnati meeting. Another and very potent cause of denudation, and one which produces far more dis- astrous results than the lumberman's axe is FOREST FIRES. Previous to the discussion on this important subject, already referred to at some length in our report on the Montreal meeting, Mr. J. K. Ward, of Montreal, read the following very practical paper : — In appearing before you to-day as a practical lumberman, anything I may say will be based on my experience as such, and should I succeed in contributing ever so little in shaping a policy that will promote the industry we are engaged in, and at the same time do something that will preserve for years to come the material on which that industry depends, we will no doubt get our reward. It is a common saying that cotton is king ; this may be a truism in some places, but it will not hold good in Canada, as king lumber reigns over us. In support of this assertion, I will resort to a few figures to show its im- portance to us as a nation. There is manufactured in Canada approximating to two thousand million feet of lumber and timber B.M. per annum, using up say twelve million saw logs, 18 in. x 12 ft. for pine, and 14 in. x 12 ft. for spruce. Nine-tenths of this lumber is exported, for which we get in return some $25,000,000. To produce the above quantity of timber and lumber it would require 3,000,000 acres of land to be cut over, averaging say 2,000 feet per acre, which I think is a liberal allowance. But it is a diffi- cult question as to how much of our country would yield the quantity above named. There can be no question as to the necessity of taking all the means at our command to make the best use of what standing timber we have, in utilization and protection of it ; first, in greater economy in manufacturing, both in the mill and in the woods, turning to better account the slabs, etc., in the former, and discouraging the making of square 188 timber as much as possible in the latter ; second, that on Government lands the law as now applied to pine should extend to spruce and tamarac, i. e., no tree less than twelve inches at the stump should be cut down for commercial purposes j third, the greatest dread of the lumberman, fire, should be more closely watched. In my thirty years of experience, I have come to the conclusion, that the most of the bush fires has been the work of fishermen and hunters, who not only destroy valuable timber the property of the public, but also the shanty and material of the lumbermen ; in view of this being the case, I would suggest that the Government who is most interested in the preservation of forests, employ as many men as are thought necessary in each agency, to look after and trace the origin of fires on the public domain, giving them the power to take evidence so as to bring to punishment those who either wantonly or carlessly set fire to or cause the destruction of such valuable property. I would also suggest that no lands unfit for settlement should be offered for sale j from what I have seen in my travels on the rivers running into the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa from the north, a very large proportion of such territory is of this character. In selling lands to settlers I would make it a condition of sale, that twenty acres in every hundred should be given free, and that it should be forever kept as woodland. I would say in conclusion that the lumberman is not the vandal some would have him appear to be ; he is usually the forerunner of settlement ; on most of our rivers he makes the first roads into the woods ; his deserted shanties and stables often become the home of the pioneer farmer, furnishing employment for the young men and their teams, and giving the best market in Canada for his hay and oats, for which he usually gets twice as much at his door as he would down at the front. Neither does he look on trees as enemies, nor cut them down for sport. To the uninitiated travelling through the woods, after the shantymen have taken all they think worth taking, he would hardly notice that the chopper had been there, except for seeing an occasional stump, a few chips or a top of a tree, the great bulk of the timber remaining to attract the rain, hold back the water in its natural beds, and to prevent sudden rises and falls in the rivers, which oftentimes cause serious damage by overflowing the banks or becoming so low that they refuse to do the work they once performed with ease, and the miller sighs for the friend that so fully helped him. To avoid these troubles and have our country remain well wooded for many years, it is but necessary to give the trees indigenous to our country leave to grow, and there will be no necessity to plant. I have no doubt but that much of the land that has been denuded of its timber, would in a few years be covered with a spontaneous growth of wood and so prevent our country from becoming an arid waste, utilizing only that portion of it that can be profitably worked. While we have not yet experienced the full climatic effects, which eventually arise from denudation carried too far, we may draw lessons of warning from other countries and amend our course before it is too late. In our report on the Cincinnati meeting is embodied a paper setting forth in a very forcible manner the results of extreme denudation in other countries. The following abstract of a paper read at the Cincinnati meeting by the Hon. David H. Bailey, late Consul-General of the United States for China, resident at Shangai, sets forth the droughts, famines, and floods of that country resulting from deforestation. DROUGHTS, FLOODS, AND FAMINE IN CHINA, By Hon. David H. Bailey. It is generally admitted, he said, by foreigners who have travelled or resided in China, that the ignorance of the people and the apathy of their rulers have resulted in the denudation of their forests over vast tracts of country in many provinces of that exten- sive empire. To removal of the trees and that herbage which should retain the moisture necessary for the constant fertilization of the soil may be traced, in a large degree, the many appalling droughts and devastating floods which have decimated the people and in- undated the country. The tables accompany ing^this paper, of the droughts and floods 189 which have occurred in China from the commencement of the T'ing to the end of the Ming dynasty (620-1643), demonstrate the disastrous effects of this deforestation. These droughts not infrequently lead to cannibalism, especially in the latter part of the period named, when, it may be persumed, deforestation had reached its fullest development. Perhaps famine has never attained such fearful proportions as recently, 1876 to 1880, in the five great northern provinces of China, where, out of a population of one hundred millions, in an area of something over three hundred thousand square miles, from ten millions to thirteen millions of people — in some districts six-tenths, in others nine-tenths of the population — perished of starvation. The details of these sufferings furnished by the Committee of Relief, as stated in this paper, are harrowing in the extreme. Human flesh was sold openly in the markets. From eating those who died of starvation, they came to killing the living for food — according to the memorial of the Governor of Honan to the throne ; not the poor alone but the wealthy suffered most horribly, and finally fell upon, killed and devoured their own wives, children and parents. The Committee of Relief, composed of foreigners, long resident in China, attributed this calamity entirely to the extreme denudation of forests, and consequent desiccation of the soil. This deforestation was remarked by the Jesuits a century and a half ago, Shansi, formerly opulent and prosperous, the favourite abode of the princes of the Ming dynasty, has, through four centuries of neglect, deforestation and famine lost its wealth, fertility and prominence. This deforested region has for centuries been subject to the scourage of drought and famine. The southern portion of the province of Chihli is an enormous plain, once celebrated for its fertility, now a treeless, poverty-stricken waste. Some streams have disappeared to develope in other directions, and the large lake of Pei-hu, noted in the Jesuit maps, has disappeared. The ground becomes covered with a white saline exudation fatal to fruitfulness. Great sand-storms frequently arise from and sweep over its surface, filling the air with sand, which penetrates as far south as Shanghai. For forty miles around Tientsin the soil is desiccated to the depth of seven feet, and below there is nothing but salt earth, abounding in nitrate of soda. It is a singular commentary on the inconsistency of the Chinese character, to say that they have a superstitious veneration for trees, and yet, in many districts and pro- vinces, they destroy their forests. There is scarcely a village in treeless Shansi without its old sacred tree covered with inscriptions. Yet it seems from this paper of Dr. Bailey's, that China is wealthy in coal fields, such as make the use of wood for fuel unnecessary. Each of these devastated provinces will average more square miles than the state of Ohio. These tables before mentioned, record 627 droughts within a little more than one thousand years, and in the years from 1328 to 1640, nineteen occasions are recorded where the people in their dire distress resorted to cannibalism. Within one thousand years four of these provinces have on an average been visited by tremendous rains and floods every 21.7 years. The description of the floods of the Hoang Ho,