87 



^ The subject of Mr. Williams's letter was discussed, and it was eventuaUy 

 decided to adopt his suggestion, but -as the time between the August meeting 

 and the end of the year would be somewhat short-to begin the prize-system 

 with next year, and not the present, each prize to be not less than one guinea. 



The President announced that the ecUtorial committee was reldy to 

 arrange for incorporating the papers and addresses of the year 1872 in the 

 volume to be pubUshed by them for the year 1873. He also announced the 

 promise of papers for the Club's transactions from Dr. McCullough and Dr. 

 Chapman, and^others. 



The detaUs of the Brecon meeting, on the 20th of August, were afterwards 

 discussed, and it was arranged that Mr. John Lloyd, Mr. West, and one or 

 two others acquainted with the district should be requested to consider the 

 best programme to adopt. Hopes were entertained of the feasibility of an 

 excursion to the Brecon Beacon. By the time the explorers of the Hi-h 

 Vinnals had returned the ladies had enjoyed a delicious " afternoon tea," pro- 

 vided for them by Mr. Broadwood, in the Haye Park House. A very fine 

 sycamore, a variety of the Acer pseudoplatanus, with abundant double samaras 

 of a rich reddish-brown, contrasting beautifully with the deep green foHage 

 had been inspected, and the secretary's whistle or buglenote had announc°ed 

 that the carriages were ready for the return to Ludlow. Before responding to 

 the announcement we satisfied ourselves that the tree measured 15 feet 4 

 inches in girth at 5 feet from the ground, and that its shade reached some 30 

 feet m diameter. The precise variety (for that a variety it was, is evident 

 from the colom- of the samaras), we had not the means of ascertaining. 



A beautiful drive, at first through acres of woodland richly digdit with 

 luxuriant foxglove, then by a sharpish incline of private road through the 

 park, brought the carriages out into the highroad near the Lodge, and thence 

 It was an easy and quickly performed passage to Ludlow. A section of the 

 members walked thither from the Haye Park by way of Mary-KnoU, and a 

 large propo.tion visited the castle and the church, whose features are too well 

 known to need any record or commemoration here. Not a few members 

 availed themselves of the kind hospitality of their Ludlow friends and allies, 

 and at 6.28, on the platform of the station, when the Shrewsbury train for 

 Hereford arrived, a very pleasant party had to break up into carriages and 

 compartments, and to hope that there next meetmg might be half as pleasant, 

 successful, and unalloyed by drawbacks or contretemps. 



Amongst those present at the meeting were the President, Mr. J. H. Davies, 

 Mr. H. P. Da vies, Miss Mary and Miss Alice Davies, Mrs. Phillips (Ludlow), the 

 Rev. H. Cooper Key, Mrs. Key and party, Rev. S. Clark, Mr. W. Clark,'w 

 Svvinbfu-ne, Esq., V.P., and Mrs. Swinburne, Rev. G. H. Clay, Mr. George 

 Cocking, Mr. Edward H. Greenly, Mr. P. W. Herbert, Mr. Richard Here^ 

 ford. Rev. H. C. Key, Mr. James W. Lloyd, Mr. John Lloyd, Rev. H. B. 

 D. Marshall, Mr. J. E. Norris, Mr. J. Clifton Paris, Rev. Thomas Phillipps," 

 Mr. Alfred Purchas, Mr. Humphrey Salwey, Rev. Eric J. S. Rudd, Lieut.- 



