618 T^o Articles of the Dunfermline Florists' Society. 



you consider a comparative estimate of its probable value as an article of 

 culture, in lieu of oats, barley, or peas, in our general system, desirable, I 

 think I could, with some attention, furnish it to you G. C. Sept. 9. 1 829 . 



Art. XI. Two Articles in the Constitution of the Dunfermline 

 Florists' Society. 



Sir, a society for the cultivation of fine flowers, &c., was formed at Dun- 

 fermline in 1827, called " The Dunfermline Florists' Society." As the prin- 

 ciples upon which it is formed have given universal satisfaction, a wish has 

 often been expressed that a short outline of them might be sent to you. 

 Being secretary of that Society, and now in London for a week or two, I 

 herewith give you two of the leading articles, which probably may be of 

 some use to such of your readers as are about to form similar institutions. 



Article 1. — That there shall be six prizes awarded at each competition ; 

 the first to be entered No. 6 in the prize-book, the second 5, the third 4, 

 and so on down to 1 : that, at the end of the season, each gainer's num- 

 bers shall be summed up, and the person whose numbers are greatest shall 

 receive the greatest prize, in the ratio of six to one. For example, suppose 

 A. B. to have got a first (6), a third (4), a sixth (l), and a second (5), 

 making in all 16. ; C. D. has got three seconds and a first, making 21 ; J. D. 

 has got numbers to the amount of 18, W. M. to the amount of 20, D. J. 12, 

 and J. A. 21_(those gainers whose numbers are below twelve get nothing, 

 the six highest being only taken). Now add A B. 16, C. D. 21, J. D. 18, 

 W. M. 20, D. J. 12, and J. A. 21, making a total of 108. Let the sum to 

 be shared, 8/. 2^., be divided by 108, when the quotient will be Is. 6d. Now 

 each person will be entitled to as many 108th parts as his number amounts to ; 

 therefore, A. B. gets 16 times Is. 6d., or 1/, 4s. ; C. D. 21 times, or 1/. 1 Is. 6d. ; 

 J. D. ]/. 7s. ; W, M. 1/. 10s. ; D. J. 18s. ; and J. A. 1^. lis. 6d. ; making a 

 total of 8/. 2s., the sum to be divided. — The members pay 2s. each 

 annually. 



The next Article that we reckon most encouraging to such members as 

 have not a large stock of flowers is, " That when more than one sort of 

 flower is to be competed for at the same time (for example, at the spring 

 show, the auricula, polyanthus, and hyacinth form but one competition), 

 the judges shall first go over all the different parcels sent in, and select the 

 best one from each" (for example, A. B. sends in auriculas, polyanthuses, and 

 hyacinths ; his auricula is reckoned the best of his parcels, it is brought 

 forward, and the others are set aside: another member may send in only 

 two varieties ; the best is taken, and the other set aside : another may send 

 in only one, it is taken, and brought forward for the second selection ; and 

 so on), " and setting the rest aside, they shall then go over the first selection 

 again, and say which is the best one of all these : " so that the member 

 who has only four good auriculas, or four polyanthuses, or four hyacinths, 

 has as good a chance as the one who has all the twelve. 



These are the two main articles ; the others, I presume, are common to 

 all societies of the kind. — D. Inglis. Sept. 1. 



Art. XII. Provincial Horticultural Societies. 



Sussex. 



Chichester Horticultural Society. — The Annual Meeting of this Society 

 was held on August 3. ; and it afforded us much pleasure to witness the 



