128 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 13, 18€8. 



mention a few of the points of superiority possessed by the 

 trellis, and then compare it with the other methods. 



I think I shall not do much wrong in mentioning the points 

 of excellence in the trellis, if I begin by speaking of its ap- 

 pearance, for at the present day appearance goes a long way in 

 almost everything. Now, no one can say that a well-wrought 

 trellis neatly fitted and properly fixed to a wall, has other- 

 wise than a neat appearance. For my own part I consider 

 that it tends to improve the look of a wall rather than the 

 contrary; but, independent of my own opinion, let a number 

 of persons compare a well-trained wall of trees on a trellis 

 with a wall of trees trained in either of the other modes, and 

 I venture to state that the majority would be in favour of the 

 trellis. However, as it is a point of taste, I will proceed to 

 speak of the cleanliness of the trellis. 



Every fruit grower makes cleanliness a most important ob- 

 ject ; for we all know that without cleanliness in fruit-growing 

 success cannot be expected. Among fruit-growers it is a 

 well-known fact that the strips of cloth which are required in 

 nailing form excellent harbours for all kinds of vermin, their 

 eggs, nests, and the like, all of which give the fruit-grower 

 who trains his trees in that way continual work in order to 

 keep them from overpowering him, while the trellis aifords 

 not the least shelter for anything of the kind. In this re- 

 spect studs stand on about the same level as the trellis. 



I will say no more about the cleanliness of the trellis, it 

 would be useless after pointing out its excellence in that re- 

 spect, but I will follow- the subject to the next step, which 

 will be the advantage the trellis possesses in assisting the 

 trees to ripen both wood nnd fruit. In the first place I will 

 mention that trellises are fixed about an inch, and sometimes 

 more, from the wall, according to the kind of fruit cultivated. 

 We are all taught that if well-flavoured and well-coloured fruit 

 is expected, a good supply of air and light is es.;ential. Now, 

 by having the trees fixed a short distance from the wall, a 

 good passage is allowed for currents of air to flow, and from 

 the reflection of heat from the wall the air becomes nicely 

 warmed, and this is highly favourable to the fruit and wood. 

 This advantage is entirely lost in both the other methods, and 

 the consequence is we find green, unripe blotches on one side 

 of our fruit, as well as soft unripe wood on the hack of the 

 shoots. 



At the present day economy of time and labour is so much 

 studied, that a few remarks on the subject in connection with 

 the trellis cannot be out of place. The use of the trellis in 

 this respect is admirable. A great many persons, I know, hold 

 as their firm opinion that the trellis is very expensive ; but a 

 well-wrought trellis may now be bought for a trifle, and when 

 bought and fixed it is ever afterwards almost inexpensive ; 

 while in nailing, every year the nails are drawn and a fresh 

 stock is required, as well as cloth, and it takes much time to 

 cut up the cloth to the proper lengths for nailing. I feel sure 

 that our young men could get through much more work in a 

 given time by tying to the trellis than by either of the other 

 modes, so that in this respect it maybe justly said that the 

 trellis is superior. As far as expense goes, the trellis amply 

 repays the outlay in the excellence of the fruit. — Agkestis. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The second Tuesday in February is always an eventful day 

 io the history of the Royal Horticultural Society. Like all 

 mundane things, societies never really stand still, but are 

 either getting better or worse, and unless they be subjected to 

 the process of reparation, there is no permanence or stability in 

 their constitution. In these particulars the Royal Horticul- 

 tural forms no exception. It is, however, to the elements 

 infused in this process on which the healthful and enduring 

 character of reparation depends, and hence this day on which 

 the Society makes choice of the new elements that are to enter 

 into its composition is one fraught with good or with evil for 

 the future. That the choice which has been made is a good 

 one, we believe is generally admitted ; and with a Council so 

 constituted, and with a statement so cheering as was on Tuesday 

 submitted to the Annual Meeting, we look forward very hope- 

 fully to a career of great and lasting usefulness in days to come. 



It must have been apparent to all who have given serious 

 heed to the course the Society has recently been pursuing, that 

 for some time past far more consideration has been given to 

 subjects of a purely horticultural character than had for years 

 previously been the case. Horticulture is in itself, perhaps, 

 the cheapest and the most easDy attainable of all luxuries, and 



does not require a very large income to indulge in its pursuit ; 

 and so long as all superfluous expenditure is strictly watched, 

 and no extravagant accessories indulged iu, horticulture itself 

 will never bring either a society or an individual to beggary. 

 This the Society has found to be the case, for during the past 

 year it has done more to identify itself with its legitimate 

 object, and expended more money on purely horticultural 

 matters, than it has done for years before ; and yet in looldng 

 at the state of the finances as they are presented, to us iu this 

 year's Report, we find that it has actually, taking the assets of 

 the year into account, a balance in hand to begin the world 

 afresh. This is, indeed, a novel state of matters, and indicates 

 the beginning of a new existence. Three years ago — that is, 

 at the close of 1864, there was a balance due to the Treasurer 

 of i;278i lOs. -id., and liabilities amounting to £3000 on the 

 revenue of the year ; or, in other words, the expenditiure 

 exceeded the income by £5784. In that year £1'J84, including 

 rent, rates, taxes, and insurance, was allowed for the main- 

 tenance of the Society's horticultural garden e^ Chiswick, 

 while £3702 was the portion allotted to the keeping of the 

 ornamental garden at Kensington. At the close of 1865, there 

 was a balance in hand of £42 3.s'. '2d., with outstanding lia- 

 bilities of £369 2s. 8(Z. ; and in that year Chiswick received 

 £2230 ; and Kensington £3323. In 18BB, there was due to the 

 Treasurer, £203 17s. Id., with assets to meet it of £375, and in 

 that year Chiswick received £247.'), and Kensington £3238. And 

 now we come to this last .year — 1SG7, in which we find that in 

 addition to the current expenditure, no less than nearly £1000 

 of old debts have been paid off ; and although there is a balance 

 due to the Treasurer of £373, there are assets on the year of 

 £420 to pay it with. In this year £2387 was allotted to Chis- 

 wick, and £2526 to Kensington. 



Nothing can be more cheering to the Fellows and to the 

 lovers of horticulture than to see the old Society emerging 

 from its long-enduring difficulties and again making its 

 influence felt in that direction in which its mission lies. In 

 giving these financial statements, we have done so, not with 

 the view of making any invidious comparisons between the 

 two garden establishments, for we consider that each has 

 its own special object to efiect, and we would not depreciate 

 one at the expense of the other ; but there is no disguising the 

 fact, as wOl be seen from the statements we have made, that in 

 former years the grants that were made to the one were out of 

 all proportion to those of the other ; and when it is considered 

 that Chiswick is in fact tlic garden of the Society where its 

 legitimate operations are to be carried out, and the results of 

 its agency exhibited, where the whole of the plants are pro- 

 pagated and grown for the ornamentation of Kensington, and 

 where so much is derived from the sale of the produce to the 

 Fellows themselves, it did seem strange that a sum so paltry 

 should have been doled out to it, while its more aristocratic 

 sister received so large a portion. These facts show that so 

 long as the Society confines itself to its own legitimate work, 

 and limits its expenditure to those objects which come most 

 within its province, there is no inducement and less tempta- 

 tion to fall into difliculties than when trying experiments on 

 the best methods of amusing a miscellaneous multitude. 



And now, after what passed at the Meeting, it is our duty 

 to refer to the agency by which this new condition of things 

 has been brought about. It would have been a pleasure to 

 have done so even if the question had not been so publicly 

 raised ; but after the observations which Mr. Liggins, for his 

 own sake, so unfortunately made, it is only justice to Colonel 

 Scott that it should be ptibliely known that all this beneficial 

 change in the Society's condition is due entirely to his hard 

 work and skilful administration since he was elected its 

 Honorary Secretary in the spring of 1865 ; and when we have 

 said that, we consider it a sufficient reply toMr.Liggins's inquiry 

 as to Colonel Scott's qualification to hold the office which for 

 the Society's interest he fills so well. If Mr. Liggins has,^ as 

 he says, been " a Fellow for years," and has manifested during 

 all that time the interest in the Society he now professes, it 

 should have been part of his duty to have at least been able to 

 identify Colonel Scott, and to have assured himself of the ser- 

 vices he was rendering, before he made such allusions towards a 

 gentleman who gives so much of his time, and, as we know, 

 sacrifices much of his comfort to serve the Society. 



Mr. Liggins, in his speech, said " they wanted to know if 

 he was skilled in horticulture," and " they wanted a man at the 

 head of the department who was practical." He did not state 

 in what sense he intended his observation to apply, nor what 

 direction the practice should take. If he meant it in a general 



