201 



■Westrop, Wormbridge ; Messrs. Blashill, Hereford ; Watkin Old, Monmouth ; 

 Alfred Purchas ami Heiuy Southall, Ross; and the treasurer and assistant 

 secretary, Mr. Arthur Thompson. 



The gentlemen and ladies had scarcely had time to admire the view from 

 the coffee-room windows when the dinner was announced. The tables were 

 beautifully decoi-ated, and, as had been airanged, a very elegant bouquet 

 marked the place of each lady. A very handsome dessert ornamented the 

 tables, and it is sufficient to say that the dinner itself was worthy of the 

 occasion. 



The President rose immediately after dinner, and said that it was his 

 first pleasant duty, in the name of the Club, to thank those ladies who had 

 done them the honour to attend the present meeting. They had shown such 

 enthusiasm in the iJeld that he began to think if there was not a gentlemen's 

 field club there might perhaps be one for ladies. They were very glad to 

 •welcome them as "fair graduates in science" for the day (laughter). He 

 must tell them, however, that the Woolhope Club did not always put on so 

 festive an appearance. They generally did rather more work in the field and 

 fared rather less well at the table. It was in honour of their presence that the 

 handsome dessert before them had been sent. The fiae Queen piue, the figs, 

 and many other fruits, came from Whitiield, the Kev. Archer Clive ; and 

 Mr. George Clive, of Perrystone, had most kindly sent them a basket of fine 

 grapes. Mr, Armitage had been most generous in sending for us grapes, 

 apricots, melons, and other fruit. Mr, Hereford never fails to do what he 

 can for the interest of the club, as the fruit he kindly brought with him 

 testifies today. And many other of our members had also most readily met 

 the wishes of the committee in this matter, and he was sure they would wish 

 him to give the thanks of the club to all those gentlemen (applause). He 

 would also take the opportunity to thank Mr. Alfred Purchas and Mr. 

 Henry Southall for the kind way in which they had done everything in their 

 power to help the committee in their arrangements (hear, hear). For the very 

 elegant bouquets, which had been arranged so tastefully as to surprise himself 

 very much and to gratify all the ladies present, they were indebted to Mrs. 

 Southall and Mrs. Purchas, and he hoped their thanks would be conveyed to 

 them. They had thus given a brilliant finish to all the other preparations. 

 It was too late in the year for them to see many of the rare plants of the 

 district they had visited that d.ay, but Mr. Southall, at his request, had brought 

 specimens of them for their examination, and he would now kindly read 

 to them a paper on the subject. 



