156 



JOCBNAL OP HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Febrnary 20, 187S. 



and very seldom produces fertile fronds. The fronds are 

 similar to those of the species, except that the ends are singu- 

 larly tasselled. 



It would fill many pages to describe half what ought to be 

 grown in collections, and would occupy too much space. A 

 few more remarks on culture may be added. Except Maiden- 

 hairs, most stove Ferus thrive in turfy peat, with a rerj' little 

 loam added to it, and when the pots are well filled with roots, a 

 good supply of water is required. Too much water before the 

 pots are tolerably well filled with roots, and overpotting, will 

 cause the soil in the pots to become sour, after whiclr the 

 plant will not thrive. During winter a high night temperature 

 is not desirable, 55' will be quite sufiicieut ; nor should they be 

 syringed overhead at this season, although the atmosphere 

 should be pretty well charged with moisture derived from 

 water scattered about the floors and stages. If the weather is 

 fine, after the first week of March the plants may be syringed 

 overhead (always excepting the Gymnogrammas, which are 

 disfigured by the syringe being used upon them), and as young 

 fronds will now freely be produced with increased warmth, 

 the house will require to be shaded during hot weather. Ven- 

 tilation requires, perhaps, more attention during this than any 

 other month of tlie year. Unless great care be taken vegeta- 

 tion suffers from the drying winds which we have, often ac- 

 companied by frost. Admit very little air at such a time, as it 

 will be better to shade to keep down the temperature. 



Ferns are subject to be attacked by various insect enemies. 

 Where bug is plentiful it gets upon the fronds of some of the 

 species, and can seldom be dislodged without injury to the 

 plant. Others are attacked by thrips, which can be destroyed 

 by two or three applications of tobacco smoke. Green fly will 

 also attack the young fronds of Lomarias and cheek their 

 growth. These may be destroyed by the same means. — • 

 J. Douglas. 



SUPPOETS FOE HYACINTHS 

 IN GLASSES. 

 Having often been troubled to find 

 a really good and efficient support for 

 Hyacinths in glasses, I have this year 

 had some made on a plan of my own, 

 and they have answered thoroughly 

 in all respects. They have the addi- 

 tional advantages of being simple 

 and easily made by any ordinary car- 

 penter, and are also light in appear- 

 ance. I have a circular flat piece of 

 wood about 4 inches in diameter for 

 the glass to stand on ; into this is 

 inserted a piece of iron wire, which is 

 carried upright until about 4 inches 

 above the top of the glass, and is 

 then bent round and round like a 

 corkscrew, each circle being about 

 3 inches in diameter. Your readers 

 will perhaps better understand what 

 I mean by the accompanying rough 

 sketch.— E. C, Oakham. 



EOYAL HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ADJOURNED GENERAL MEETING. 



February 18th. 



The adjourned Meeting of the Fellows of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society was held ou Tuesday afternoon in the Council- 

 room, South Kensington, W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., 

 in the chair. There was a very full attendance, the room being 

 filled to the doors ; aud the proceedings excited great inlerest, 

 amounting in several instances to evidences of strong feeliuf^s on 

 the part of the supporters aud opponents of the Council's policy 

 respectively. 



The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said he regretted 

 that the post of Chairman had devolved upon him, but, as he 

 was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society, it became neces- 

 sary for him to accept the position that day, as Lord Henry 

 Lennox, 11. P., who presided at the Meeting that day week, had 

 written to say he had been summoned to the Court of Common 

 Pleas, in an action in which he was plaintiff, and that must be 

 his excuse for non-attendance at the Meeting. Now, the Meeting 

 had been summoned that day for the discussion — he would not 

 Bay of propositions — but of something which had been proposed 

 to the Council. The letter of the Commissioners of the Exhibi- 

 tion of 1851 had been read to the last Meeting, and everyone in 



the Meeting probably had certain propositions in their possession 

 which he held in his hand. This letter* had never come other- 

 wise to the Commissioners except by report ; but as soon as that 

 letter ai)parently reached the ears of the Commissioners they had 

 a raeeting. He should now call tipon the Assistant Secretary to 

 read a very important letter dated 18th of February, 1873 (that 

 morning). A meeting of the Council was called that day at two 

 o'clock, and the letter placed in their hands, and the Fellows 

 x-ould well conceive that the Council had really no time to con- 

 sider the letter, which he would himself read to the Meeting. It 

 was as follows ; — 



" The attention of the Committee of Management has been called to a diaft 

 letter dated 12th Februai-y, 1873, which has been circtilated amongst the- 

 Fellows of the Royal Horticultural society, as the intended reply of the 

 Council to the Comiuissioners' letter of the Sth of Februaij. They under- 

 stand this letter contains the alterations of the conditions the Council ar© 

 prepared to recommend to the Fellows for acceptance, as terms of agreement 

 between the Eoyal Horticultural t:ociety aud Her Majesty's Commissioners. 

 "While the Committee of Management are desirous of coming to an amicable 

 arrangement between theKoyal Horticultural society and the Commissioners, 

 by which the rights of both may be preserved, the Committee are not pre- 

 pared to recommend to the Commissioners the modifications which have been 

 proposed [cries of hear aud loud laughter]. The Council may, therefore, Ihink 

 it unnecessary to submit these modified proposals for the acceptance of the 

 Fellows to-day [renewed laughter]. AVhile reverting to the subsisting agree- 

 ment, the Committee of Management express their desire to co-operate with 

 the Council in effecting arrangements which will xJromote the convenience 

 aud comfort of the public who may visit the Horticultural Gardens and the 

 Eihibition. " I have the honour, Ac, 



(Signed) " T. A. "Wkight, Secretary to the Executive." 



Now, gentlemen, contiuued the Chairman, you will see that 

 we are by this letter entirely thrown back upon our agreement, 

 and that is really our position. There is nothing before the 

 Meeting as regartls the docttmeut which has been sent to you, 

 or any previous document [laughter and ironical cheers]. 



Several Fellows rose to points of order, a good deal of con- 

 fusion being the consequence. 



The Chairman. — One at a time, gentlemen, if you please. If 

 I am out of order I will sit down promptly, but if I am in order 

 you will allow me to state that the Council thought it necessary 

 for me to read — 



Several Fellows. — We have not heard a word of the letter 

 [hear, hear]. 



The Chairman. — Well, I will ask Mr. Richards, the Assistant 

 Secretary, to read it to you [hear, hear.] 



A Member. — What is the date of the letter? 



Mr. Richards. — To-day. 



The Chairman. — If you have not all heard the letter I will 

 have it read to you again, but I assure yoir I did the best I 

 could with my poor voice [hear, hear]. 



A Fellow. — Who are the Committee of Management? I 

 thought we had only to deal with Her Majesty's Commissioners. 



The Chairman. — They are the Committee of Management of 

 Her Majesty's Commissioners [hear and a laugh]. 



Another Fellow. — We do not recognise them. Who is the 

 letter signed by ? 



* The letter referred to is as follows : — 



" Hoyal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, Feb. 12th, 1873. 



"Sir, — The Council of the Boyal Horticultural Society having bad under 

 their consideration the letter of Her Majesty's Commissioners of the Sth inst., 

 are prepared to recommend to their Fellows the acceptance of the terms for 

 an agreement, as herein set forth. 



" 1. The Society to admit to the Gardens, conservatory, and arcades, and te 

 the flower shows at Kensington, all the visitors to the Exhibition, excepting 

 on Sundays. 



" 2. The Fellows of the Society to be entitled to one non-transferable ticket 

 of admission to the Exhibition and Gardens for each guinea t bat they pay to the 

 Society. Life Fellows now on the books to have corresponding pri\-ileges. 

 Debenture holders to have one season ticket for the Exhibition for each de- 

 benture. 



"3. The annual subscription to the Society and for Exhibition season tickets 

 to be the same, and only to be altered by mutual consent. 



" 1. The receipts from the Exhibition and Gardens on every Wednesday 

 during the Exhibition to bo equally divided between the Commissioners and 

 the >ociety. On the other days of "the week the receipts from the Exhibition 

 and Gardens to be the property of the Commissioners. 



'* 5. The Society to have the use of the north-east and north-west entrances 

 on Sundays and during the period when the Exhibitions are not open. 



" G. When the Society receives in any one year a sum in excess of £8000 for 

 yearly paying Fellows' Tickets, they shall pay to the Commissioners one-half 

 of such excess, and the Commissioners to pay to the Society one-half of their 

 total receipts for season tickets, so long as the total amount received by the 

 Commissioners on account of Exhibition season tickets does not exceed i'4000. 



" 7. The Commissioners to pay to the Society annually the sum of £4400. 



" 8. Of this sum £'2000 is to be appropriated to the formation of an ac- 

 cumulating redemption fund, for the extinction of the dobontuio debt, and 

 the remainder towards the payment to the Commissioners of the rental re- 

 served to them under the lease to the >ociety. 



" 9. In settling the annual accounts of the Society, the Society shall not be 

 choTRcd with the onc-tifteenth part of the existing life compositions. 



" itt, Xo more life members to bo accepted during the continuance of this 

 agreement with Her Majesty's Commissioners. 



" 11. These an-augcments to be tor the whole term of the Society s lease, 

 unless the Exhibitions cease. 



" I have the honoui- to be, Sir, your obedient servant, 

 " James Richards, 



" Ma,ioi>-Gen. H. Y. D. Scott, C.B. " Assistant-Secretary." 



" Secretary to Her Majesty's CommiBBionerB." 



