WE 
England—the Royal Horticultural Society, with its more than 
27,000 members, as of Nov. 12, 1929, 2437 elected in 1929, its 
ample buildings, its endowment of over £38,900, assets of over 
£256,000, and its annual budget for 1929 of over £53,000—with the 
condition at home, where, for example, the New York Horticul- 
tural Society has only 2200 members, annual budget of $126,000 
(1929), an endowment fund of $20,000 (1929), and has available 
only rented quarters for its offices, meetings, lectures, and exhibits. 
This contrast is due, in part, to the fact that the Royal Horticul- 
tural Society was established 120 years ago (1804), in a country 
whose civilization was old before America was discovered, and is 
the only horticultural society in Great Britain; whereas the New 
York Horticultural Society was established only twenty-eight years 
ago (in 1902), in a country of new civilization, where there are 
also several other similar organizations in adjacent states. But, 
—_— 
notwithstanding, America makes a poorer showing than England 
in proportion to total and per capita wealth and total population. 
Fortunately, the situation is steadily improving in America, where 
interest in ornamental gardening and all aspects of horticulture is 
constantly increasing. 
The Congress was held by the invitation of the Royal Hort- 
cultural Society and under the auspices of the International Com- 
mittee for Horticultural Congresses, with H. R. H. The Duke of 
Connaught and Strathearn, K.G., as ake The president of the 
Horticultural Society is Mr. G. W. E. Lowder, F.L.S., and the 
success of the Congress was due in ae measure to the efficient 
work of the secretary of the Society, Mr. F. R. Durham, C.B.E., 
M.C., and his able assistant secretary, Mr. A. Simmonds, N.D.H. 
The honorary secretary was Dr. M. J. Sirks, of Wageningen, Hol- 
land. 
The scientific programs on August 8-13, were devoted largely 
to practical matters, and were grouped under the three general 
headings of Propagation, Pomology, and Tropical and Sub-Tropi- 
cal Horticulture. It was interesting to note that many (perhaps a 
majority) of the papers might with equal propriety have been 
given on the program of a botanical convention. The centrifugal 
tendency among the plant sciences during the past twenty-five years 
has, in the opinion of the writer, been unfortunate and inimicable 
