Domestic Notices : — Ireland. 107 



' Horticultural Societies in Ireland, — Sir, Viewing with gratitude your 

 anxious endeavours to improve the condition of gardeners, as well as to' 

 aLJvance or promote the science of horticulture, and as in no part of the 

 globe are both these objects so much neglected as in Ireland, a few ob- 

 sei-vations to your Irish readers will not be uninteresting, particularly if 

 accompanied by your opinion on two societies here in existence, both of 

 which pretend to embrace the above objects in some measure. 



One of these societies is termed the Horticultural Society of Ireland, 

 and the other the Practical Horticultural Society for Ireland. The former 

 had been established in the year 1816, on good principles, but, like most 

 societies in this country soon became a job ; and never was jobbing, in 

 Ireland or any other country, carried on so shamefully, which can be well 

 understood from their never having published in a satisfactory manner theu" 

 proceedings. From 1820 to 1830 its members, ordinary (which consisted 

 of gardeners) as well as honorary (which consisted of amateurs), dropped 

 off by degrees, and at the commencement of the last-mentioned period 

 (1830) not more than from twenty-five to thirty members were found 

 firmly attached to it : nor would that number, if each did not consider he 

 had sufficient influence, independently of his merit, to obtain in turn a 

 portion of the petty prizes awarded at each exhibition ; which could in- 

 deed be but trifling, having scarcely any funds to support them, save what 

 they could collect on days of exhibition from visitors. It was up to April 

 last conducted by a committee of gardeners, who acted in that capacity 

 from the commencement, without a single change, except in case of a mor- 

 tality, or that one of them left his situation and had gone to a remote part 

 of the country ; although it v/as intended at the formation of the Society, 

 and published in their prospectus, that the committee should be annually 

 elected. 



In April last, from their poverty, together with the repeated attacks of 

 the new Society, then becoming formidable, the committee feeling unable 

 to bear up against both, and to guard as it were against the latter, gave the 

 full management of the Society into the hands of a few self-styled ama- 

 teurs that then belonged to the Society; who no sooner got such pre- 

 rogative than they ousted the gardeners totally, allowing them no part in 

 the proceedings but to exhibit their productions for prizes as usual. They 

 elected a secretary, to be paid some trifling salary, who could not conduct 

 the business of the Society without the aid of gardeners, but when this was 

 understood by the then committee (whose objects were to keep the gar- 

 deners in the dark) they immediately discharged him, determined that they 

 would act as such themselves, one or other in turn. The further object 

 in view by these gentlemen of the committee was, that in a little time each 

 would act as his own gardener ; and, with the exception of one or tvi^Oj 

 none of them paid a gardener more wages than eight or ten shillings a 

 week, with potatoes and buttermilk, and a trifle of coals, half a ton or so ; 

 and, if an unfortunate Scotchman (as unfortunate, indeed, he would be) 

 happened to meet with one of them, he might get half-a-guinea a week, with 

 a little oatmeal. 



Now, Sir, you will not be surprised to hear that most of these horti- 

 cultural planets are members of the Dublin Society, and some of them on 

 the committee of botany there. They have not attached to their com- 

 mittee a man of science or intelligence in point of horticultural knowledge. 

 They, indeed, use the name of James Townsend. Mackay, Esq., who, as a 

 man of candour, of the first-rate and most enlightened abilities, and of 

 a judgment superior to most men of the present age, must abhor their 

 intended proceedings as much as any man, whether English, Scotch, or 

 Ii'ish. 



The other, or Practical Horticultural Society, as it is termed, Lam not 

 so much acquainted with, being in existence only since March last. It is 

 composed of the gardeners who from time to time fell off from the other 



