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v... .x or all reprise received and (lie- cussed at Provincial Boardnona is of more interest than Hint of the Cen- ml War Chari _ nd. This ac» livily has gr _ no“ your 'sIncc its beginning, an . if the committh had any double of thing tho oh active 5m in Novembprfihhgse, vanishe early in the year . hen returns began to cuIW‘ in from‘thb-rlflltltntes through- out the Provina Themeiptc for 1944 a: “united to 56.079288. and for 1945 it wn> rcportod‘tht 'tg flute $6,687.35 lnul been received. Lists of contribuâ€" tim» for January to March 1945 and m .uulitora' statement for 1944 have In... -.ent to everylnstitute secretary. A mmful study of these is urged, be- run w these lists are the only receipts {m money receiv d. It would en- [my mo much’olericnl work and post- n :0 send receipts for each separate mm hution. ‘ 'Inc Board authorized the Central qul Committee to investigate, and to: nation if funds warrant it, to proâ€" \ issistancejor‘ returned men and nn H, especially than in hospitals, mu For the relief of civn ions in liher- n‘ i countries. The President’s Address \ s. Summer-sin her address to the .nl members outlined many possi- ‘ -s for present and future activi- u She urged that a liaison officer 1.. tamed from each Institute to keep l‘ ‘uucb prt news of the \\ Wilma Trude Board. \‘t i won can'doiinuchta fight infiution. U seventy cents worth of goods is o vluble for every dollar to he spent . what each purchaser does mat- m and matters mightily. Com- munity Activities, she stated, are a In.» of Instituteiwork'. Institutes may 4 4st in establishing recreational rv ' urcs, in organizing and conducting public speaking contests and musical 1'. .tivals, in assistance to public li- ltinries and. in welcoming war brides. sh. advocated a course in Simplified l“,\chology designed to develop a bet- 1 i understanding of human behaviour .wl relations; and that more thought b elven to the causes of such social In dilcms as diVorco and juvenile de- l vi-gucncy Advance in Rural Life .\lrs. Birdaall’s message from the Federation of Agriculture meeting showed advance in rural thought and .‘u trvity. Young people, she said, are ukmg a much greater interest in lwlter conditions for rural life than Her before. At Mrs. Birdsall’s rec- ommendation the possibilities of de- wlopmg handcrafts for Ontario as a tourist attraction are being studied M the entire board. Miss Clarke in her address urged that Directors haw a Provincial out- look and .plan for District Annuals the best that can be given, not only in Information but in inspiration. Insti- tutes, she said, have opportunities to advance in the near future as never before. Womanwill want new outlets for their energies and. activities, ivitll Opportunitiei outsidejheir homes for social, recreational, educational and cultural devalo ant. They have '“ |ne§tlmahly’impfi‘r‘thnt plnee in influ- encing public opinion and in holding up high'vidic’als, Women should know conditions in’ their own communities and seek a stt'ei‘d‘h e which need hettemi 5" T 6‘ ' . ME and COUNTRY Published by The Ontario Women’s Institutes at Toronto 2, Ontario SPRING, 1945 MAKE ONTARIO MORE BEAUTIFUL STILL Hall, President Ontario Hortitmltural Association By John B. It is a pleasure to offer the co- operation of this Association to the Women's Institutes of Ontario, hav. mg in mind your extensive organiza» tion and comprehensive programme which has contribuled so much to rural life In all parts of Ontario. The in- terest of farm women in home beauti- fication is evident throughout the I'rovmce and has placed Ontario away nbove‘most other rural nreus of North America in the attention given farm homes by way of planting and general carc. Horticultural Societies have been active since 1830 when grants were first made available by the Legisla- ture of Upper Canada, York, now Toronto, was organized in 11134 and other old Societies include, Hamilton, 1850; Peterborough, 1861; Lindsay, 1369, and Preston, 1878. The Ontario Horticultural Association was or- gamzcd in 1906 and the members are Horticultural Societies recognized by the Horticultural Societies Act and now numbering about 170. The most spectacular feature of the Ontario As. socintion program is the annual convention attended by delegates from all parts of the Province, to exchange views, receive information and inspi ation. A record attendance was regis- tcrcd this year, March 1 and 2, when over 600 attended the annual dinner. Association Activities Members of the Provincial Board include fifteen directors of districts which are such comprised of two or more counties. These districts are quite active in organizing zone meet- ings, district shows, demonstrations and tours; but the most practical work for the amateur gardener is done by the local societies in the promotion of shows, ‘Victory' and other garden competitions, the encouragement to juniors and, particularly, public beau- tification. While it is true that the majority of societies are centred in urban mu- nicipalities, there are many village and township societies and the Asso- ciation always gives a very prominent place to rural beautification in the yearly program. In recent years, rural school ground improvement has been a feature, the effect of which is becoming evident throughout the Province. In 1944, eleven inspectorute competitions were held, with 93 schools computing, the winners of which were eligible to en- ter the Provincial contest for which the J. E. Carter and other trophies are offered. For a county or school inspec- torate competition, a minimum of five schools is required. To broaden the program to permit recognition of schools doing effective work in areas Where there is no organized competi- tion, a new policy became effective this year. In this, the Ontario Horti- cultural Association ofiers a suitable diploma to be awarded to the rural school in each township making the most improvement in grounds during the school year, September, 1944, to June 30, 1945. This Association has long promoted reforestation and this year is sponsoring school forestry competitions. The winning school in each of five zone competitions will be eligible to compete in a Provincial contest for which the first prize is $50.00. ‘ Opportunities Open The extreme shortage of labour, particularly on farms, has postponed the execution of many plans for home improvement. Tired farmers and their wives haven’t much energy to devote to beautification after taking care of first things first in the food produc- tion program. Thanks to our gal- lant soldiers, well supported by home folks in this and other countries, the war appears to be drawing to a close and it is not too soon to consider plans for all those things we would like to do to make our homes more attractive. In the post-war years, many new homes will be built, but a still larger number will be repaired, altered or remodelled. The slogan of the Asso- ciation, “It is not a home until it is planted", has particular application to farms where a house looks so lone- ly without trees and shrubs for shel~ ter and to tie it into the landscape. Space is limited and it would be un- wise for me to attempt definite recom- mendations, as conditions vary so greatly. Perhaps a few suggestions for farm home planting would he in order. Planning is urged as the first step. A plan need not be elaborate, but, if planting is commenced with- out one, there may he much disap- pointment later, when full grown trees District Secretaries: District Conveners: ’â€" vcner? Her name and address is are due now. A REMINDER Have you sent the following report forms to the Department? They are due inlmcdintely after the District Annual Meeting. (1) Form E’s from every Institute. (2) Forms A, A1, 13 and C for the district. Has the report of your committee been sent to the area can All reports should be signed with the name of the convener, her title, the district and her address, e.g. Miss Margaret Cameron, Con» vener of Social Welfare, Addington District, Newburgh, Ontario. on page four and these reports may have to be cut down or remain a source of annoyance for a generation. The purpose of each tree or shrub should be considered carefully and planted accordingly. Windbreaks should be placed so that they can be secn to the best advantage in all their beauty, and where at least some of them provide shade. Such trees should not be placed to obstruct the View or a house, detract from its beauty or to interrupt the vistas from its windows. The purpose of foundaâ€" tion planting is to screen rather uu» sightly house foundations and to blend the house into the ground. Small trees and shrubs for this should be orna- mental and the final growth kept in mind. While deciduous shrubs or trees may be used, the winter efiect is im- portant and for this evergreens are very efi’ective. Reliable nurseries ofier a choice of ornamental trees and shrubs suitable for lawn purposes and the cost is justified, considering the client and satisfaction. But, if it is felt that the cost is too great, there are many native trees and shrubs which may be used effectively. Flowers for Beauty The choice of flowers for farm homes depends greatly on the amount of time available for their care. Peren- nials provide much beauty for little labour and, perhaps, pennies head the list, with iris next. Consideration may also be given to hardy asters, her- baceous spiraeas, bleeding-heart, lil- lies, poppies, phlox, 21ml a few speci» men plants of your choice. If possible, the perennial border should be placed where it can be seen from the house windows, and this applies also to beds of annuals grown for landscape beauty or cut flowers. The scented flowers produced for their fragrance should not be overlooked. A farm home is not confined to a house lot, but should include the en- tire farm. Trees on a distant hare spot will not only provide shade for the cattle, but will add to the view from the home window. Apart from other advantages, a reforested area seen from the house will give much satisfaction. Sources of Information As little detailed information can be given in a short article, it is for- tunate that pamphlets are available from several sources, including The Publication Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa; The Department of Horticulture, O.A.C., Guelph; and the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies Branch, Department of Agri- culture, Toronto. Speakers on horti» cultural subjects may sometimes be provided by the Department of Agri» culture, but, unfortunately, the num- ber is too limited to take care of the increasing demand. This Association has prepared a list of qualified speak» ers and judges for Flower Shows and these are located in all parts of the Province. On behalf of the Association, I ex- tend thanks for the coâ€"operation of Women’s Institute Branches in our program. We hope we may depend upon your continuing assistance in "Making Ontario more beautiful still".