10 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



( Jannory 1, 1874. 



rank and file rushing over to the enemy's camp without either 

 the presence or authority of an officer, simply to be caught in 

 a snare prepared for them. 



I read a proposal to build a club house at Chiswick for the 

 convenience of the country gardeners, as a meeting place, &c. 

 This seemed to be in connection with Mr. Wilson's guinea 

 scheme. 



Then there is what is called the Kensingtonian clique, a 

 large and wealthy clique too, and one that contributes largely 

 to the Society's funds, who, it is said, desire that the South 

 Kensington gardens should be kept in first-rate order (at the 

 Society's expense) for themselves and their friends to play 

 croquet in, with frequent flower shows and band-playing for 

 their own, their children's, and their nursemaids' amusement. 



All these cliques are apparently pulling in different direc- 

 tions ; the more they pull and waste their strength, or, in 

 other words, the more they squabble and disgust the subscrib- 

 ing Fellows, and consequently fritter away the Society's means, 

 the better, I guess, it will be liked by the mightiest clique of 

 all — Her Majesty's Commissioners, who, under these circum- 

 stances, will have simply to bide their time and let these 

 cliques go on fighting till, like the Kilkenny cats, there is 

 nothing left but then- tails ; then they will be able to walk 

 quietly in and swallow-up what little remains, and all the 

 cliques had been fighting over. 



This, I fear, will be the upshot of matters connected with 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society if we do not mind. 



I am not aware if any of these cliques has consulted the 

 Council, which is the only body possessing any power to make 

 arrangements with Her Majesty's Commissioners, or anyone 

 else. Whether this body ia unanimous upon a policy or is 

 also divided into cliques I know not ; but it is whispered that 

 they too, either in their corporate or individual (a mode of 

 proceeding as ruinous as the Defence Committee's) capacity, 

 or both, have in some way or other endeavoured to induce 

 Her Majesty's Commissioners to come to some arrangement. 

 If this be so, iu which way, and with what objects in view, it 

 is the duty of every FeUow to make himself acquainted, and 

 the duty also. I take it, of the Council, in a business-like and 

 straightforward manner, to inform us, and not to follow the 

 example of the previous Council of trying to sell us, and then 

 expecting us, without consideration, to vote upon the instant 

 the confirmation of the warrant for our own execution. 



If there are a few independent Fellows who take an interest 

 in the Society's welfare, and who are desirous that it should 

 be preserved intact, and that it should maintain the position 

 which the Eoyal Horticultural Society of England ought to 

 occupy ; moreover, that it should be free to manage its own 

 affairs, financial and otherwise — free, iu fact, from all foreign 

 control, and free to expend its income for the promotion of 

 the science of horticulture — I say, if there are some who have 

 not formed themselves into party cliques, but who are desirous 

 of promoting these views, it is time that they should come 

 forward and sign a requisition also, requesting the Council to 

 call another meeting (or to arrange for the continuation of the 

 one alreadj' called), not to consider an isolated question which 

 can be brought to no issue, but to consider what can best be 

 done to reinstate the Society in an independent and prosperous 

 position ; at the same time soliciting the Council to state 

 plainly their views and policy, and to assist them in solving 

 the problem. 



I cannot bring myself to believe that Her Majesty and the 

 Eoyal Family can really intend to desert the Society, the pro- 

 sperity and maintenance of which at South Kensington formed 

 a part of the late Prince Consort's scheme both for the pro- 

 motion of the science of horticulture iu conjunction with 

 other sciences there, and for the adornment of the Kensington 

 estate. 



There can be no two opinions, I think, as regards the desir- 

 ableness of coming to " satisfactory " arrangements with Her 

 Majesty's Commissioners if possible ; but what those arrange- 

 ments should be requires mature consideration, and I maintain 

 that the whole body of the Fellows should be consulted, and 

 given ample time to consider. We must bear in mind that 

 we possess for nineteen years the control of most valuable 

 property — property, too, that Her Majesty's Commissioners 

 want at once; in fact, bad as our affairs are said to be, I 

 believe we possess the means (if judiciously handled) of in- 

 ducing Her Afajesty's Commissioners to come to us (instead of 

 onr going to them), and with such an offer of terms that 

 would enable the Society to maintain an honourable and inde- 

 pendent position, and at South Kensington too. But if Her 



Majesty's Commissioners will not meet us upon fair and 

 honourable terms, then let us keep them out of every inch of 

 ground that belongs to us, and make no temporary arrange- 

 ments whatever with them. — John Denny, Stoke Nexoington. 



P.S. — The word " clique" is intended to apply iu its classi- 

 cal meaning, not in the now generally accepted one. — J. D. 



As Mr. Wilson proposes to alter my letters I would ask him 

 to be accurate when doing so. "The old Council was " not 

 "caused to retire by a very small number of votes and those 

 mostly local ones." The number on the last — i.e., the thirds 

 occasion of voting was nearly 450, besides which many, I 

 should say one hundred, persons were present who did not 

 vote on either side. Those who have been present at other 

 elections will quite agree with me that at no previous occasion 

 (except in 1864 when about one hundred votes were taken) had 

 there been one-sixth of that number of votes. This remark 

 applies to all the elections at which Mr. Wilson was placed on 

 the Council. I see by a circular that I have just received that 

 Mr. Bateman, and those who are in favour of the proposed 

 proxy bye-law, consider three hundred votes quite sufficient to 

 justify the introduction of that serious innovation. These are 

 the only affirmative answers. How many negative answers 

 they have received they carefully refrain from mentioning. 



Persons pay rent when it becomes due, and not till then [see 

 clause 14 Eoyal Horticultural Society's Charter, E. H. S. " Pro- 

 ceedings," June, 1861, page 5.31]. When the £2400 annual 

 rent becomes due we may be sure the Commissioners will make 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society pay it. 



The Commissioners of Woods and Forests are appointed by 

 the Crown, so also are the Commissioners of 1851, and both 

 are appointed for public purposes. The former by the terms 

 of their appointment are bound to improve the pecuniary 

 value of their trust, while the latter are under no such 

 obligation. If, then, the former can and properly do give 

 great pecuniary advantages to the Zoological and Botanic 

 Societies, so the latter, by their agreements with the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society, do and properly ought to give the same 

 to the latter Society. With regard to the one-guinea sub- 

 scription the country Fellows might say, " We have no chance 

 of enjoying the recreation portion of the gardens, so we will 

 only pay one instead of two guineas." So Mr. Wilson must 

 allow for one new guinea Fellow to make up for the amount ho 

 would lose by each diminished subscription. During the six 

 years I lived entirely in the country I may safely say I could 

 not have entered the gardens as many times for purposes of 

 recreation. I am not a South Kensingtonian, but a staunch 

 horticulturist. I oppose proxies because I have seen how, by 

 artistically-drawn- up circulars which are to be signed " without 

 delay," many are led to give their proxies, and have not the 

 moral courage afterwards to withdraw them when they find 

 how such documents have deceived them. I have seen the 

 effect of proxies in large trading companies as well as in learned 

 societies, and dread it equally in both. 



Mr. Wilson thinks he can shift his responsibilities very 

 easily on to the shoulders of his predecessors. To my mind 

 the man (even if Mr. Wilson's assertions be accurate) who 

 pursues and supports a ruinous course is as responsible for its 

 disastrous effects as the man who initiates it. — A Life Fellow, 

 E. H. S. 



AUEICUL.VS— MK. TRAIL. 



Another veteran florist is gone from amongst us, and in 

 ranks that are thin such gaps fill slowly. Mr. Eobert Trail, 

 born near Montrose in 1706, died at his residence, Aberlady 

 Lodge, Drem, early last November. He was one of the most 

 enthusiastic members of the Edinburgh Botanical Society, 

 sparing no pains to take part in its meetings and discussions. 

 He also showed a very deep and lasting interest in the In- 

 firmary and Lunatic Asylum at Montrose, acting as a director 

 of these institutions for many years. 



As a florist Mr. TraU was best known for his attachment to 

 the Auricula, and his fair success with it. Contemporary with 

 our sadly-missed friend the late George Lightbody, living to 

 the same age, and for the same forty years working patiently 

 lUio him at improving the beauties of a favourite flower, it will 

 rightly be supposed that so long patience has had its reward. 

 This has been so, and Mr. Trail, like his old friend George 

 Lightbody, of Falkirk, has obtained honours in a difficult sub- 

 ject, leaving us some very beautiful varieties of the Auricula. 



What a strange nature has this hardy little favourite ! Not 



