258 SPRING MEETING. 



flowered very early, for which, they were largely indebted to the 

 late Mr. Shilson, who took considerable interest in his work. 

 But the work he did was only the work of one lifetime, and if 

 they got a certain amount of pleasure out of them they owed 

 something to posterity. It was very unwholesome to enjoy 

 anything and not exhibit a sense of gratitude in some direction, 

 and as their predecessors had done much, it remained for them 

 to do something for their successors. Mr. Shilson did a great 

 deal in that direction, and they might do a great deal more. 

 Another collection of plants with which very little had been done 

 in the way of hybridising and improvement was that of the 

 irises, which flowered through November, December, and 

 January. There was no reason, except their own laziness, why 

 that plant should not be improved by seedling raising and 

 hybridising. 



Mr. Thuestan C. Petee. moved a vote of thanks to the 

 President for his address, and Archdeacon Cornish, in seconding, 

 said that Mr. Williams spoke as an authority on the subject, and 

 the value of his speech was not merely in the actual facts brought 

 before them, but in showing how much pleasure might be got 

 out of simple things. At the present there was a movement to 

 teach the children in schools something more about the country 

 in which they lived, and it was a great encouragement to feel 

 that one like their President, who had seen so much of the world, 

 could come and tell them what an immense amount of pleasure 

 could be derived from watching the growth of flowers. Such a 

 speech was a great encouragement to them to try to get the 

 people to take more interest in simpler things. It had been said 

 that English people took their pleasure sadly, and did not know 

 what to do with a holiday, and it would be of great value if they 

 were taught to cultivate hobbies and home pleasures, and take 

 an interest in something besides the actual work they had to do. 

 The motion was heartily carried. 



Mr. C. U. Tripp, of Altarnum, wrote suggesting that the 

 County Council should be petitioned to take the ancient 

 naonuments of the county under its charge. Sir Greorge Smith 

 and the Pev. W. lago suggested that the various landowners 

 should be appealed to, and Mr. Thurstan Peter said that in Devon 



