of the London Horticultural Society. 14? 7 



society in England. I have a deal to say on the subject of 

 the society, and I hope that I shall have, the good fortune 

 from time to time to be permitted to occupy a spare page or 

 two in your Magazine. The society has done and will do 

 much good ; but, like most of these companies and societies 

 it has the seeds of its own corruption within it — " there is 

 something rotten in the state of Denmark." I trust that 

 notwithstanding you are a member, you will hear both sides, 

 and freely admit the remarks of each. 



The greatest benefit and the greatest evil to the concern is 

 the secretary; benefit, because he is indefatigable in the establish- 

 ment and management ; his whole time, care, and attention is 

 devoted to the furtherance of it ; but then comes the evil — the 

 society receives the benefit of his care, time, and attention for 

 nothing — and this to me is a great evil. Shall we not fall into 

 the same error as other societies who have been patronized 

 by honorary secretaries ? Is not the society accepting too 

 much ? Seeing how rich, it is, would it not be much wiser if 

 all its officers, except those whose services are professedly of 

 an honorary nature, were paid ? The objection to the con- 

 trary is, that when this is not done, the individual has claims 

 on it, which, from being undefined, are always dangerous. 

 How can the different members with any grace gainsay the 

 wishes of one who has done so much for them ? How can 

 the distribution of this patronage, or the donation of that 

 packet of seeds, or that plant, be denied to him who has been 

 such a benefactor? As far as I am convinced, and as my 

 knowledge goes, I should say, that though Mr. Knight was the 

 king, the secretary must, to all who dabble in the arrangement 

 of the interior, be considered as the " viceroy over him." Is he 

 not omnipotent in the council — in the committee of drawings 

 — in the garden committee — and in short, in every thing? 

 Suppose him to give offence to any member, to whom is that 

 member to complain ? Will the council venture to decide 

 against the secretary ? 



Now you must not fancy for a moment that I am disin- 

 clined towards our secretary, or the society, — far from it. I 

 only mention these things for the benefit of the former, and 

 the well being of the latter. At present it is going on swim- 

 mingly. Government, it is said, has, or is about to bestow, a 

 large sum of money for the furtherance of its objects ; and, as 

 this is the case, the concern belongs to the public in some 

 measure; and as such, all difficulty or delicacy as to observ- 

 ation is removed. It has been a matter of as much surprise 

 as regret to find, that with such a vast annual subscription — 

 and a subscription of some thousands of pounds for the 



