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JOURNAL OF HORTIODLTDRE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



C Febraary 12, 1874. 



tree, and the mass of roots found permeating it in all directions 

 will prove there is something in it which the tree likes. 



Passing now from the consideration of leaf mould as a 

 natural manure I will turn to it in another aspect — as an 

 ingredient in composts. Although I have been for many years 

 opposed to the use of most of the mixtures that have been 

 recommended for special purposes, preferring on almost every 

 occasion to confine myself to some simple material, with, 

 perhaps, the addition of sand, I am aware that most plant- 

 growers have their favourite compost, and in many cases leaf 

 mould forms an important constituent. Mr. Wright has 

 called attention to the excellent growth of Camellias in Bel- 

 gium where the soil employed is considered to be leaf mould 

 alone, and the question naturally arises, Cannot the same 

 result be attained in this country ? It has for many years been 

 known, or at least supposed, that the dark-coloured material 

 in which are grown the healtliy little Camellias sent over from 

 Belgium is more of a leaf mould than a peat. Nothing can 

 look better than they do in Belgium, but as Mr. Wright has 

 justly put it, how few of them present the same appearance 

 after twelve months in England ! and occasionally a hint is 

 thrown out that the growth is by no means prolonged in such 

 a way as to exhaust the soil in which they are grown, and that 

 they begin to go back immediately they are put into other 

 hands. Certainly they very often do go back, but whether to 

 blame our continental friends or ourselves is one of the matters 

 we have now to consider. 



For my own part I may say that I neither give the soil 

 they are grown in abroad the whole of the credit of their 

 looking so well, nor do I altogether blame the altered material 

 in which we are obhged to pot the plants when we receive 

 them as being the cause of their doing so badly ; the change 

 may be only partly due to this cause, the other and by far the 

 more important one I have no hesitation in saying is water. 

 I only wish some of your scientific readers would investigate its 

 effects ; it would be of far more service than minute details as 

 to the mixing of soils and the like, for to plants in pots water 

 is of much greater consequence than soil. A friend of mine 

 having access to the best peat that it was possible to pro- 

 cure was unable to grow Heaths well, and ultimately gave up 

 the attempt, as he had no means of supplying them with 

 water except that which was drawn from a deep chalk well, 

 which was slow poison to the Heaths. There are plenty of 

 country places where the water is of this kind, and there is 

 no alternative but to use it. In most cases suburban residents 

 are supplied from waterworks with water better suited to vege- 

 tation ; indeed, I know that the water furnished to more than 

 one large town is better for plants than that from wells in the 

 neighbourhood. Now, in the culture of a plant requiring so 

 much water as the Camellia, it is of the utmost importance 

 that it should be of the description best suited to it, and such, 

 probably, is that furnished to the great Belgian estabUshmente, 

 hence the success. Though the same conditions do not exactly 

 apply to vegetable as to animal life, still there is a certain 

 analogy between the two, and just as bad water may be de- 

 structive to the latter, so it may be in a greater or less degree 

 to the former ; and till we can by some simple process purify 

 water containing matters injurious to plants we must submit 

 to seeing them languish under the poison. 



While referring to leaf soil for the Camellia, I may remark 

 that some years ago I had a few plants from Belgium which, 

 like all others I have seen from there, appeared to be grown 

 in that material, and desirous of trying the effects of our own 

 leaf mould, I took the most decayed portion from the outside 

 of a heap of considerable ago and size. Thinking it might 

 not be firm enough in texture, I mixed with it a little mud 

 that had been taken from a pond receiving a large amount of 

 house sewage, and a quantity of leaves also. This was a rich 

 manure in its way, as its effects on grass land and other crops 

 indicated, and I concluded it would not injure the leaf mould 

 by anything it might contain. A little drift sand was also 

 added, the whole being fine, and in a fitting condition. The 

 result, however, was not satisfactory ; whether owing to the 

 character of the mixture or from the quality of the water I 

 am unable to say, but I should be strongly incUned to blame 

 the latter, as some plants subsequently turned out of doors 

 in the same material, and which had no water except from the 

 heavens, succeeded pretty weU. I should say that a good, 

 firm, sandy loam, such as is often met with overlying the red 

 sandstone, will do better for Camellias than any mixture I 

 know, and for mixtures I am no advocate, especially that of 

 peat and loam, so often recommended. 



But to return to leaf mould. I cannot perceive how it is 

 likely to be hurtful to anything ; true, its want of solidity would 

 seem to unfit it when used alone for pot-culture, as it cannot 

 be expected to furnish so lasting a source of food, unless, as I 

 imagine is the case with our Belgian friends, its defects are 

 compensated for by the water. As an addition to stiff soils 

 its uses seem to be too well recognised to allow of anything 

 serious being said against it. At the same time when it has 

 been so much extolled for the effects it produces, it would be 

 well to ask what share water had in the result. When our 

 knowledge shall have been more extended in this direction, we 

 shall probably find out that many plants for which particular 

 soils or mixtures were necessary can be better managed by sup- 

 plying them with the kind of water they require. — J. Eobson. 



THE KOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 



Februabt 10th. 



This was held on Tuesday in the Council-room, South Ken- 

 sington, Viscount Bury (the President), in the chair. Amongst 

 those present were Lord A. Churchill, Sir Alfred Slade, Bart., 

 (Council), Sir Coutts Lindsay (Council). Mr. Hardcastle, Mr. 

 Godson, Eev. C. P. Peach, Mr. Dobree (Council), Mr. Liggins, 

 Mr. Cole, C.B., Major-General Scott, Mr. Qailter, Mr. Godson, 

 Mr. Bowring, Mr. Bateman, Mr. Shirley Hibberd, Mr. Haughton, 

 Mr. W. A. Lindsay (Hon. Sec), &c. 



The Secret-vry read the advertisement calling the meeting, 

 and then the minutes of the last General Meeting, which were 

 confirmed. 



The CH.irRMAN said the first business — the first formal business 

 — they had to transact was to appoint scrutineers for the purpose 

 of deciding upon the result of the ballot for the extraordinary 

 vacancies in the Council. The ballot hst, he supposed, was in 

 the hands of the members, and he need not read the names. He 

 wished, however, to say that there were no ordinary vacancies 

 in the CouncU. The Council supposed that as three members of 

 the late Council decUned to accede to the wishes of the Society 

 expressed on the -Ith of April that they would retain their offices, 

 it was not necessary to do anything more than to flU up the 

 vacancies so created. However, the matter was investigated. 

 It was referred to the legal adviser of the Council, and they bad 

 been advised that three members of the Council ought to resign, 

 or ought to have resigned. Their legal adviser said it was too 

 late to do it now. However, he would read the opinion for the 

 meeting. The Council wished to act in accordance with the 

 wishes of the Fellows, and would be very happy to remedy the 

 mistake, which, however, they were informed, was of no real 

 importance. The question submitted to counsel was this — 

 " What the Council can now do, and what they should do at the 

 General Meeting on the 10th of February as regards the ballot- 

 ing list, &c. 1 " Now, the opinion of counsel was as follows— 



" I am of opiuion that a vacancy by resignation is not equivalent to a 

 vacancy by death or incapacity within the meanintj of the lUth clause of the 

 Charter or the 8Gth bye-law, and that a mistalie has been made by the Council 

 in stating that there are no ordinary vacancies and in niakinf^ no provision 

 for filling Buch vacancies. This mistake does not, however, in my opinion, 

 affect the validity of what the Council has done and proposes to do. The 

 ballot list for Council is valid and may be acted upon. The objection to it is 

 that it does not go far enough, and nothing is done to rectify the mistake 

 which has been made. The Hth clause of the Charter and the 115th bye-law 

 prevent the mistake from causing serious consequences, and notwithstand- 

 ing the mistake the acts of the 'new Council will be perfectly valid. Under 

 these circumstances I advise the Council to proceed with (heir list, but to 

 admit the mistake which has been made as to the ordinai*y vacancies, and to 

 explain to the meeting that it was impossible to rectify the mistake in time, 

 and to say that the Council is adnsed that the mistake is of no real conse- 

 quence, and need not be rectified at all, but that if the Fellows wish it three 

 members of the Council will retire and a special meeting will be called to elect 

 successors to them. If they desire this to be done, the Council, having made 

 a mistake, ought, 1 think, to comply with such desire. 



" With respect to Mr. Haughton's second letter, it proceeds upon the 

 erroneous assumption that the appointment of the present Council wag 

 invalid, and his proposals, as contained in that letter, shoold be opposed. 

 As regards the debentures of the old Society, I am of opinion that they are 

 as binding on the present Society as they were on the old Society. 

 (Signed) "NiTHANrEL Lindley, 



" 6, Stone Buildings, Linrohi's Inn, 



Now, continued his lordship, that was the opinion of counsel, 

 which he had read to the meeting. 



Mr. Haughton said his objection was founded upon the 110th 

 bye-law, which required that if any Fellow desired to substitute 

 the name of any other Fellow for that of any one recommended 

 by the Council, such Fellow must, seven days after the cir- 

 culation of the list, leave notice on the Society of the proposed 

 substitution. Now, that was to say that the present meeting 

 would be deprived of its undoubted right to put in three other 

 members if the list was framed in the proper way. He could 

 not nominate the gentlemen he wished to have elected. That 

 being so, it appeared to him that although Mr.Lindley's opinion 

 was quite correct, there was no inconvenience or danger to the 



