Febraary 1. 1877. ) 



JOURNAL 0? HORTICDLTURB AND COTTAGE aARDENER. 



79 



wonld call the Currant and Gooseberry Show, which should 

 take in the earlier Potatoos, Roses, and the fruits most grown 

 by cottaaers ; the other I would call the Apple and Pear Show, 

 to be held at the end of September or beginning of October, 

 by which time all the second early and late Potatoes should 

 have been dug and stored. 



An inexppnaive show could not be held al fresco, but it 

 should be held in a covered market or large public room. It 

 would b) visited by all the real gardeuers of the neighbour- 

 hood, and the receipts at the doors (for gate money is a neces- 

 sary evil) should go to cover the expense of the visit which 

 our cottagers would pay to our neighbours' triennial gala; for 

 I propose that each of the three societies whose union I con- 

 template should hold once in three years a hortioaltural ft-te, 

 when the gentlemen in the neighbourhood would turn out the 

 contenti of their conservatories, and when bands, and flags, 

 and dancing, and other attractions might be hung out to their 

 heart's content. And in order that our cottagers may not 

 think that they are the only people who can grow Potatoes, 

 and that they may gain wisdom by the sight of what their 

 neighbours can do, and that they may have a real good outing 

 (which to them means a day's pleasure), part of the funds of 

 the society should be each year set apart to pay the travelling 

 expenses only of all cottage exhibitors who have taken prizes 

 or whose produce has not been condemned by the judges as 

 inferior and unfit for exhibition. I should expect that under 

 this arrangement a very large number of the members of the 

 united societies and their friends would be induced by fellow 

 Reeling or curiosity, or perhaps even by cheap railway fares, 

 to support the triennial fete held by their neighbours from 

 year to year. 



Thus, I imagine, might be established what I began with— 

 union, competition, economy, and perhaps permanence. — 

 Sen'ex Cobyc^us. 



Maides-hair Feens IN' Wateb. — It is often a matter of 

 annoyance in arranging cut flowers in glasses that the Maiden- 

 hair F<;rns do not last well. I find that the fronds stand well 

 if a greater or less quantity of the pinna; are submerged in 

 the water. Duubtless the slender rachis in this family of Ft-rns 

 does not supply a sufficiency of moisture to the pinnffi, but 

 when somo of these are also placed so as to absorb water, the 

 lasting qualities of the fronds in a cut state are much en- 

 hanced. The plants used for cutting from are wintered in a 

 temperature ranging generally from 45' to 50°, the plants being 

 kept pretty dry all through the autumn and winter. — R. P. 

 Beothskstok (in The Gardem-r). 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to the editor of the times. 



Sir, — I fear that the letter from the Secretary of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society in your paper of Friday will cause some 

 disappointment to horticalturists, especially in the cnuntry. 

 Haviut^ been lately ia c jmmuuicatioa with very mauy of them, 

 I believe it to be tbeir feeling that horticulture is the most 

 popular of all sciences in this country, and that horlicnlturists 

 are perfectly able and willing to snpport a society for its promo- 

 tion. Avery phort time back the leading London horticulturists 

 were anxious to free the Society from the incubus of both South 

 Kensington Garden and of the Commission of 1851, and to let 

 it stand on its own bottom. Now, it seems we are to go back to 

 the old story, " to make the gardens attractive to the residents 

 in their neighbourhood and of London generally," and " the 

 residents and owners of property in the neighbourhood " are 

 again to be the backbone of the Society. London is a large 

 place; there i< plenty of room for two societies ; might it not be 

 well lo organise a national society for the promotion of horti- 

 culture, the funds of which would be applied to strictly horti- 

 cultural purposes? Dr. Hogg's letter speaks of a tenancy of 

 the gardens up to 1892. The old saying, " Where there is a 

 wrong there is a remedy," may not always be correct; but it 

 does seem a wrring that land variously estimated in value at 

 "from e:iOi(,0(|ij to half a million, bought mainly with the shillings 

 of visit jrs to the 18jl Exhibition, sUould be exclusively used as 

 a square fur the neighbourhood and for our Committee meetings 

 and shows, fer which, though it ia the most convenient situa- 

 tion, this convenience could not by any process of valuation be 

 stretched to .i'500 a-year. 



There are many horticulturists through the country now col- 

 lecting names of those who desire to become Fellows of the 

 Society or of a society free from encumbrance, paying subscrip- 

 tions of a guinea annually. Will yon allow me to beg them to 

 continue their exertions ? I cannot and will not work except 

 as aa amateur, and shall ba most glad to be freed from even this 



work; but let us only coUsct asufScient number of good would-be 

 Fellows, and all the rest will follow. There must be plenty of 

 competent and energetic men, who, partly for the love of horti- 

 culture and partly for occupatiou and a post, would undertake 

 to collect and cement together the material which is so abun- 

 dantly scattered through the country. I do not speak without 

 book, being about to print in a report to the Committee for 

 collecting guinea Fellows a long list of names, including the 

 best-known horticulturists in all parts of England, Scotland, 

 Wales, and Ireland, who are most anxious to nave a really re- 

 presentative societv to promote their well-loved art. 



Tour obedient servant, Geobqe F. Wilson. 

 Heathcrlank, Weybridge Heath. 



TO THE editor OF THE TIMES. 



Sir, — I regret that Mr. G. F. Wilson should have written his 

 letter to The Times of the 23rd inst. without consulting hia 

 friends on the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, among 

 whom there are some who share his views as to the taking steps 

 to sever the connection of the Sjciety with the South Kensington 

 Gardens. However desirous the Council or the Society might 

 be of such a severance, the fact is that it is simply impossible 

 without the conseut of the debenture-holders, and this consent 

 they have refused. Is Mr. Wilson, then, prepared to run the 

 risk of attempting to establish a rival society? The chances of 

 his failing to do so are many, and he may injure mora or less 

 the Royal Horticultural Society and the advancement ©f the art 

 which he really wishes to forward. 



It is not generally knswn that the Society does something 

 more than make flower shows and supply a recreation ground to 

 South Kensington. The Scientific, the Fruit, and the Floral 

 Committees meet every fortnight. Toe first ia composed of 

 some of the most eminent men in various branches of science, 

 and the other two of leading scientific and practical horticul- 

 turists, and that they are efficiently doiug work that is highly 

 valued at home and abroad is evident from the published reports 

 of their proceedings. The important experiments in practical 

 horticulture that are conducted at Chiswick are, as Mr. Wilson 

 knows, well done. What prospect, then, has he that a rival 

 society without the appliances that the Royal Horticultural has 

 would do the work as well or better ? He must be prepared 

 with an annual income of at least £5000, besides the capital 

 expenditure; and I ask if Mr. Wilson is prepared to find that 

 sum. If not, it would be much better to support the existing 

 Society. 



Mr. Wilson's ideas as to the more extended support of the 

 Society which would ensue if the subscription were one guinea 

 have already been considered by the Council, and, subject to 

 the decision of the annual meeting on the 13th of next month, 

 adopted in substance; the only points of difference being as to 

 the title of the subscriber, fellow, or member, the right of voting, 

 and whether or not the privilege should "be confined to those 

 residing beyond a certain distance from London. 



As to the value of the gardens at South Kensington, it is only 

 fair to the Society to bear in mind that it has expended on them 

 the sum of .t73,00O, and that it is principally owing to them that 

 the land in tbeir neighbourhood now realises the high prices 

 which it brings. The value of the gardens is estimated at that 

 of building laud, but this is to forget; the fact that to build over 

 them would destroy the value which they as gardens created, 

 and sericudy depreciate the value of all property near them. 

 What, for instance, would be the effect on the value of house 

 property in Belgrave Square if the square itself were to be built 

 over ? 



The dealings of Her Majesty's Commissioners with the Society 

 I have no right to enter upon further than to say that if questioned 

 by proper authority I believe they will be found to have been 

 justifiable in every respect. 



I am. Sir, your obedient servant, Robert Hogg. 



Itoyal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, Jan. 25(/i. 



The following commentary on Mr. Wilson's letter is from 

 the " Gardeners' Magazine :" — • 



" Mii. Wilson has published in the Times and other papers a 

 letter, in which he proposes the formation of a national society. 

 The letter is ill timed, and its publication so extremely inju- 

 dicious that we cannot trust ourselves to say all we feel. In the 

 first place, it suggests to the world at large that there is another 

 split amongst the horticulturists when there is indeed no such 

 thing ; and, in truth, there has been no split at any time, how- 

 ever to the general public it may have appeared so. To make 

 it appear that the house is divided against itself is bad enough ; 

 but, us Mr. Wilson has been figuring lately as a horticulturist 

 witu a bran new scheme of federation in his pocket, we should 

 have preferred to see him show some steadfastness of character, 

 and not display, ae he has done, the shiftiness of character that 

 unfits a man for leadership. Mr. Wilson professes to have 

 formed a Commit tee. He has never called the Committee to- 

 gether, and his rash letter was written without the cognisance 



