259 
with the completion of Mr. Rankin’s valuable and useful paper on the “‘ Forma- 
tion of Soils,” which he read after dinner, but which we shall have in full in our 
“Transactions.” An entomological note of my own was taken as read. 
I have already referred to the fungus meeting as having been eminently 
successful. Its records are fully and pleasantly written by Mr. Worthington G. 
Smith in the pages of the “‘ Gardeners’ Magazine,” and if you transfer this to the 
pages of our transactions, it is mere surplusage for me to give you a meagre 
resumé of the proceedings. I may take this opportunity of acknowledging the 
liberality of the ‘‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle” and of Mr. W. G. Smith, in providing 
us with numerous illustrations for our forthcoming volume of transactions; 
chiefly bearing on the papers which Mr. W. G. Smith has read at our meetings, 
with several others from his sketches in Herefordshire. There will also adorn 
the volume some plates of Herefordshire fungi from Dr. Bull’s drawings. There 
has been considerable delay in getting the earlier part of the volume into the 
printer’s hands, but the remainder of the book should progress rapidly. The fruit 
department of our fungus meeting has been, I need not say ably, reported on by 
Dr. Hogg in the pages of the “ Journal of Horticulture,” whence an account of it 
may be transferred to our columns, so that a detailed account of it now is un- 
necessary. 
The exhibitions of apples and pears show a marked advance on the very 
successful show of the previous year, and may now be accepted as an established 
part of the annual programme of the Club, with every indication of increasing in 
force and usefulness. A further step has however now been taken in the appoint- 
ment of a Pomological Committee who are to publish a Herefordshire Pomona. 
As usual, Dr. Bull is the leading intelligence and active power in this new move- 
ment. The active co-operation of Dr. Hogg, who is, I presume, the first 
pomologist in this country, has been secured, so that there can be no doubt of the 
success of the forthcoming work. The one thing by which individual members of 
the Club may promote this success, is by securing as many subscribers as possible ; 
the larger the number of copies ordered the less will be the actual cost of each ; 
and the difference will enable the Committee to materially increase the size of 
each number. No papers on any pomological subject were communicated to the 
club, though not a little valuable material cropped up in various conversational 
discussions. Much was said on the question of the dying out of old varieties, 
though I fear the question was not materially advanced in any way. The subject 
is one of great interest both practically and scientifically, and I sincerely hope that 
the Pomological Committee will carefully collect all the facts they can bearing on 
the subjéct. Let us know what old sorts have disappeared ; how and why they 
disappeared. What old sorts still exist, and the precise condition in which they 
are to be found. Let them also, for the benefit of future inquirers, fully describe 
the present state of fully established varieties that are supposed to be at present 
at their best. Nor let them omit to leave a trustworthy record of those new sorts, 
of the date and circumstances of whose origin it may hereafter prove very desirable 
to have clear evidence. The great want on this subject is not opinions—opinions 
rj 
