REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS. 79 
President of the Royal Horticultural Society—that the membership of 
that Society to-day runs, if I mistake not, into five figures, and that its 
income, I believe, is envied by nearly every other learned Society in this 
and in every other country to-day. 
I hope—I am perfectly certam—that Sir Trevor will forgive me if I 
may be allowed to say in proposing this toast how delightful it is to see 
the whole of the triumvirate who were instrumental in bringing about the 
revivification of the Society gathered here to-night. I need scarcely refer 
to the presence of Sir Daniel Morris, the Hon. Treasurer of the reform 
movement of twenty years ago, and of Mr. Wilks, the perpetual and 
energetic Secretary. But to-night I am particularly glad in being allowed 
to propose this toast, because on this occasion the members of the Royal 
Horticultural Society have an opportunity of seeing the portrait of our 
President, which has been painted by Prof. von Herkomer, and presented 
to the Society in honour of your President’s twenty-first anniversary of the 
occupation of the presidential chair. I feel that, in full sight of that 
portrait which looks down upon us with so vivid and so clear a re- 
presentation of its original, I need say nothing further; for I am perfectly 
certain that it will prove sufficient for the expression of your heartiest 
goodwill and for your most cordial acceptance of the toast I now give you 
—the toast of your President, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, 
The President, who rose to respond amid constantly renewed bursts of 
cheering, said :—Lord Mountmorres, Ladies, and Gentlemen,—It has 
unfortunately been necessary for me during the sitting of the Congress 
to inflict something in the nature of a speech upon several previous 
occasions, and therefore I think you will probably forgive me for being 
very brief now. In the first place I must venture to disclaim that very 
large amount of merit for the resuscitation of the Society which Lord 
Mountmorres has been kind enough to ascribe to me. The fact of the 
matter is this. The love of the British race, both in the Home Country 
and the Colonies, for flowers and for gardens has of recent years grown 
very largely. Wherever you go—I do not mind where, it may be in 
town or country districts—you will find clear and distinct evidence 
that the British people are really heart and soul devoted to the innocent, 
delightful, and charming pursuit of gardening; and really to that is 
due very much of the success of the Society, which long, long ago gave up 
such matters as Badminton, bowls, and lawn tennis, healthful to body 
and mind as they may be, and devoted itself entirely, to do all that 
it could, to advance horticulture, both scientific and practical. 
Well now, I think you will all agree that we owe a very great debt of 
gratitude to the foreign visitors who have come here, many of them at 
great inconvenience, to accept our invitation and to take part in the 
Conference ; and all I can say is that more pleasant, more capable, or 
more charming guests in every way no Society could possibly have to 
entertain. And when M. de Vilmorin was kind enough to suggest that 
in the future our friends and neighbours across the Channel might be 
disposed to reciprocate the reception that we have been able to give them 
here, I am quite sure every one of us hopes he may be able to accept 
the kindness which the National Society of Horticulture of France would 
be certain to extend to us. 
