i6o 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[May, 



plants, flowers, and garden ornaments of every de- 

 scription are received, exhibited and the meritori- 

 ous encouraged. Just why a body like this should 

 not be called a horticultural society it is difficult to 

 imagine, except that a large number of horticul- 

 tural societies have degenerated to mere fruit-grow- 

 ers' meetings, and have abandoned all endeavors 

 to foster a spirit of true horticultural improvement 

 in the community. The Brooklyn folks, evidently 

 ashamed of the degeneracy, have thought it best 

 to select some other name. 



Limiting the Size of Pots in Competition. — 

 We read in a Boston paper that the prizes for the 

 best six Inc.ian azaleas, the best two, the first and 

 second prizes lor four pla' m not exceeding ten- 

 inch pots, and the first and second prizes for a 

 single plant in not exceeding an eight-inch pot, 

 were all taken by Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. Some 

 years ago the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 

 introduced this plan of competition, and, we be- 

 lieve, was the first horticultural society to do so. 

 For some reason this was subsequently abandoned. 

 We are glad that the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society is continuing the plan of limiting the sizes 

 of pots. Competition is to encourage good gar- 

 dening; and the highest test of skill is to grow 

 plants well in limited space. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Horticultural Societies. — Mrs. S., High- 

 lands, N. C, writes: "The ladies here have 

 formed themselves into a society, having for its 

 object the laying out and decoration of some 

 grounds which shall be held for pubhc use — 

 planting trees, shrubs, flowers, &c. They first 

 called themselves the ' Floral Society,' but some 

 of them, thinking that name did not convey quite 

 the idea of the work they propose to do, urged a 

 change to that of the ' Horticultural Society.' Now 

 other members and the local press object to this, 

 maintaining that it means only a society intending 

 to plant orchards. Webster says. Horticulture 

 means the care of gardens. Has the word lost its 

 original signification? And is the society mis- 

 named ?" 



[The Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, 

 Maryland or other "horticultural societies" would 

 not feel comphmented if told they had only to do 

 with planting orchards. The ladies have correctly 

 named their society a horticultural one, and can 

 afford to laugh at the local c»itics. 



Those bodies which consider orchards and fruit 



growing only, are pomological, not horticultural 

 societies, and their line is rather with agriculture 

 than horticulture. 



The ladies, however, have excuse for mystifica- 

 tion. It is not uncommon to find departments of 

 agricultural papers headed " Horticulture," in 

 which nothing but fruit culture and market gar- 

 dening are treated of, and even some societies 

 called "horticultural," wherein little else is talked 

 about than how to squeeze out the last penny on a 

 basket of "berries," or the last dollar on a ton of 

 grapes. These are exactly the questions for pomo- 

 logical societies or departments, but they come in 

 only for a secondary place at least in a pure "hor- 

 ticultural society." 



Texas Horticultural Society. — A corres- 

 pondent says : " March 3d, our North Texas Hor- 

 ticultural Society held its annual election of officers. 

 The election resulted as follows : For President, 

 T. V. Munson; Vice President, Edward Perry ; 

 Secretary, James. Nimon ; Treasurer, Willard 

 Robison. Executive Board, the President and 

 Vice President, and three other members chosen 

 by ballot, viz : G. Alkire, A. R. CoUins, J. Nimon. 

 Appointment by the President of standing com- 

 mittees for the year was laid over to the next reg- 

 ular meeting, the first Saturday in April. 



" The aim of the society is to be a working, 

 educative organization, and our exhibitions are 

 arranged specially with this view. We hope to 

 make our annual exhibition about the middle of 

 July, and are beginning to plan its arrangements, 

 which we hope will lead to a grand instructive 

 entertainment for all who may attend." 



Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 

 — Of the recent meeting at New Orleans a corres- 

 pondent says : "We had a splendid and valuable 

 meeting of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural 

 Society in New Orleans, February 21-24. Not the 

 poorest feature in it was the complete and enthu- 

 siastic fraternizing spirit which pervaded the whole, 

 and was especially observed to freely pass back 

 and forth from Northern and Southern members. 

 ' We are one and inseparable,' was beautifully 

 illustrated." 



American Pomological Society. — We have 

 several letters from friends referring to the coming 

 meeting of this distinguished body in September. 

 Col. Wilder expects to be present in person, and is 

 full of enthusiasm at the prospect of again 

 meeting his many friends. The circulars giving 

 details have recently been issued. 



