THE BANQUET. 49 
the same time the elements were most unpropitious, and the 
Chiswick Shows came to an end. If the Royal Horticultural Society 
during recent years has had the advantage of greater prosperity, 
it has not been due, allow me to say, as I have been President for several 
years—it has not been due to the exertions either of the President or 
Council. It has been due to the fact that the President and Council of 
late years have adopted the only true policy, which is—to stick to 
horticulture. As long as any society, for which there is really any 
public demand—as long as it sticks to the subject which it is created to 
develop, so long will that society succeed. Our success, then, has been due, 
not to individuals, but to the policy inaugurated some twelve years ago, 
viz. that the Royal Horticultural Society existed, and should be con- 
sidered to exist, wholly and solely for the promotion of scientific and 
practical horticulture. There is one thing with regard to the Congress 
we have been lately holding which I think has hardly perhaps been suf- 
ficiently recognised—that is the enormous obligation which the public owe 
to the hybridist and the horticulturist. There is scarcely a flower which 
grows in our gardens which has not been created, or which has not been 
enormously improved, by the work of hybridisation and selection. There 
is scarcely a fruit on our tables which we do not owe to the successes of 
the hybridist. Do you want early Strawberries? You get them. Do 
you want late Strawberries? Yougetthem. All the result of hybridisa- 
tion! If you want early or late Peaches you get them, the result of 
hybridisation. With Grapes it is the same ; and so it is with vegetables, 
Peas, French Beans, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, Lettuces, you get them early 
and late—all the result of skilful hybridisation or of careful selection. I 
venture to think the public at large owe a great debt of gratitude to the 
horticultural profession for the enormous amount of work done in that 
direction. Well now, I do not wish to detain you any longer; but there 
is one thing I want to say before sitting down. The Royal Horticultural 
Society has no doubt been progressing of late years by leaps and bounds. 
We are now not far short of five thousand Fellows, a number which has 
never been approached in former times, but a number which, so far as 
I can see, will be by no means the limit of the popularity of the Society. 
We are not wealthy, but we are at all events in fair water. But we want 
two things. The Royal Horticultural Society wants a hall in London. If I 
had the good fortune to be addressing an audience not of my fellow-Lon- 
doners, but of the people of Manchester, or Liverpool, or one of our great 
northern cities, I believe in all probability some one would get up and say, 
“Twill build you that hall.”’ Now, is it impossible in this enormously rich 
metropolis that some gentleman who has had the greatest possible plea- 
sure and delight from horticulture will come forward with some few 
thousands of his many millions and build us that hall? I cannot but 
believe that such a man will shortly appear. We want another thing—a 
new garden. Chiswick is too small,and too near London smoke. We 
want a garden which will be called, I hope, the New Chiswick ; we cannot 
abandon the old name. We want a new garden, and for that we want 
money. I am thankful to say that the only card that has gone round 
the tables to-night is on behalf of the photographer. We are not going 
to send round the card to invite ladies and gentlemen to subscribe on 
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