45« 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Fig. 2674, Thomas Andrew Knight. 



doms, and we have been surprised and 

 pleased on many occasions recently to dis- 

 cover Fellows of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society in places whose positions could not 

 in the least have brought them into direct 

 touch with the society or its management. 



The Royal Horticultural Society was es- 

 tablished in 1804, and measures were adopt- 

 ed in the spring of the present year where- 

 by the Centenary in 1904 may be celebrated 

 in a manner worthy of the Mother Society 

 of English Horticulture. How satisfac- 

 tory and commendable this proposal to build 

 in London a great hall and offices for the 

 society was, 'has been overwhelmingly de- 

 monstrated at the special general meeting 

 held on March 21. 



The society in these later days is indebt- 

 ed for its popularity, its advertisement, and 

 its success, almost entirely to the frequent 

 exhibitions and annual conferences, and 

 secondly to the issue of an invaluable jour- 

 nal of the transactions of the society, and 

 the secretarial vigilance. In the early days 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society, before 

 the exhibitions had become a feature of the 

 yearly program, the society's greatest work 

 and usefulness centralised at and radiated 



from the experimental garden at Chiswick. 

 This has now altered. " All is change, woe 

 or weal." When, in a few years, a power- 

 ful and consolidated fellowship have accom- 

 plished the magnificent task now lying be- 

 fore them, a new garden, fruitful in possi- 

 bilities, will be assured, from the best of 

 all reasons, that it is a necessity. 



The most valuable worker and chief in- 

 stigator in the formation of the society was 

 Thomas Andrew Knight, F. R. S., whose 

 name is associated with the horticultural 

 society during a long course of years, and 

 ever regarded, says Sir Trevor Lawrence, 

 " with the highest honor by all connected 

 with it." He then proceeds : " Mr. 

 Knight, whose name and virtues are com- 

 memorated by the Knightian Medal of the 

 Society, had devoted much attention tO 

 scientific horticulture and vegetable physio- 

 logjj on which subjects he had communi- 

 cated several papers to the Royal Society. 

 He lived in Herefordshire, in the midst of 

 a cider and perry country, and had been 

 struck by the unskilful and unscientific 

 management of the surrounding orchards. 

 The idea of founding a society to bring to- 

 gether British horticulturists occurred to 

 him in 1804. He put himself into com- 

 munication with Sir Joseph Banks, P.R.S.,* 

 and others ; the result being that on March 

 7, 1804, the new society was founded. Its 

 objects were defined to be "to collect infor- 

 mation respecting the culture and treatment 

 of all plants and trees, as well culinary as 

 ornamental ; to foster and encourage every 

 branch of horticulture and all the arts con- 

 nected with it, and to give premiums for 

 improvements in horticulture whenever it 

 shall be judged expedient to do so." 



In 1809 a royal charter of incorporation 



♦ Sir Joseph Banks, Bart., was President of the Royal Society 

 for forty-one years. He died in 1820. A new edition of his Jour- 

 nals, during his voyage with Captain Cook, has lately been pub- 

 lished, edited by Sir Joseph Hooker. 



