The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-09-29
uor.,cul,ur., SHOW. a, montreal.


1t was our own good fortune last week
to be able to attend the exhibition Of the
Montreal Horticultural Society. The show
was held In the Vicluria Skating Rink, a
building 224 feet long and 100 feet wide.
We were hardly prepared for the large
exhibit which greeted our sight as We en-
tered the large room, having been inclined
to suppose that the cold Northern climate
of Canada were unfavorable to the best de-
velopment of fruits, vegetables, and flow
ers, but this idea has been completely dis
PEELED. Tables extending the whole length
of the building were crowded full Of choice
flowers seemingly, Ito the Impractical eye
of every variety. The glowing mass of
color which greeted the view ON every side
was bewildering.
TO name everything, we have not the
space, even if we pretended to have the
requisite knowledge.
OF the flowers most often seen IN the gar
dens of this section, the geraniums,
phlox, verbenas, pansies, balsams, asters,
petunias, zinnias, dahlias, etc., were there
in full force. or ferns there were nearly
as many varieties, about sixty in all, AS can
be found among the brakes of the OLD
pastures of this county. The historic fig
tree in which we all take an interest was
there bearing fruit.
But 1t was in the fruit department, es-
pecially among the apples that we felt most
at home; of these there was fine display.
The Southern Vermonter is forcibly i'm
pressed by the absence of those varieties
which he sees most abundantly at home.
Such varieties as the Rhode Island Green
ing, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Spitzenburg,
Porters, Twenty ounce and others, were
conspicuous by their entire absence. Only
two entries OF Baldwins were made and
these were inferior specimens. In place OF
the above named varieties were the Farm
euse, Alexander, Duchess, st. Lawrence,
Strawberry of Montreal, Peach of Montreal,
Wealthy, etc. The trees of these varieties
being perfectly hardy and able to endure
extreme cold. Grab apples were well rep
resented, but why any one wishes to ex-
tensively cultivate any of the varieties OF
the crab in localities where the better vari-
cites of apples will flourish is one of the
mysteries which we cannot explain. A
crab apple craze passed over the country a
few years ago, the voluble tree agent
making the honest farmer believe that a
ton, but the result has been disappoint-
ment and most of the trees have been re-
grated. If any one feels inclined to invest
much money Or ground to crab apple trees
we would say, don't. While our friends
over the line have plenty of summer, fall
and early winter varieties of apples that are
perfectly hardy, they lack prolific, late
keeping, hardy variety of good quality. A
great desideratum is to find an apple which
will occupy the place with them that the
Baldwin does with us, or that will take the
same rank as late keeper that the Farm
euse does as an early winter variety.
But few pears and peaches were on ex-
hibition. The show of outdoor grapes was
not up to the average, the season having
been unfavorable, but of the best house va
rieties the show though not extensive was
in quality the best.
The exhibition of vegetables was fully
equal to that of the fruits and in some Sec
tions was very fine indeed; this was true of
cabbages which seems to be speciality
among Canadian gardeners. The onions
were enough to bring tears from the hard
est heart. Sweet corn was abundant and
of the best quality. Beets, turnips, car
rots, parsnips, all in their several varieties
were hard to excel. The same can be said
of the watermelon and muskmelons. The
potatoes though good were not quite up to
the high excellence of some of the other ex-
hibits. Two squashes weighing 116 and
III lbs. respectively attracted good deal of
attention. One basket of vegetables en-
bracing all the varieties usually cultivated
deserves passing notice.
There were none of those clap-trap side
shows in or about the building which serve
to catch the money and divert the attention
of visitors.
The exhibition was one of these which
every person and especially every farmer
ought to visit, the educating influences of
which can hardly be overestimated.