i«r 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULT0EE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. C Fcbrnary 21. 1866. 



the public into the gardens having been answered, the 

 Scrutineers reported that Sir Joseph Paxton, Sir Arthur 

 BuUer. M.P., G. F.Wilson, Esq., B.T. Brandreth Gibbs, Esq., 

 and Mr. Andrew Mun-ay. were elected new members of 

 Council ; that the Duke of Buecleuch was re-elected Presi- 

 dent, John Kclk, Esq., Treasurer, and W. Wilson Saunders, 

 Esq., Secretary. 



This closed the business of the meeting. On the motion 

 of Mr. Godson, sen., seconded by Sh- A. Scott Waugh, a 

 ■vote of thanks was accorded to the Chaii-man ; and on the 

 motion of Mr. Godson, jun.. seconded by Mi-. Bowring, a 

 similar.compliment was paid to the Scrutineers. 



Inner Temple, Feb. 17, 18C5. 

 Sir — As some misunderstanding has arisen from Mr. Edgar 

 Bowring's comi>laint that I did not include the sum of iilO-iS 

 (the receipts in the South Kensington Gardens on the non- 

 exhibition days) in the sum derived from the exhibitions, I 

 am desirous of offei-ing an explanation. In my criticism of 

 the accounts I followed the divisions given by the Council, 

 dividing the v.-hole year into exhibition days and non-exhibi- 

 tion days. Tl-.e attention of the meeting was drawn by me 

 to the former only, as I considej-ed the Council had the 

 greatest control over those? As the expenses at South Ken- 

 sington are necessarily very heavy (indeed our subscriptions 

 go to meet the extra expenses there and at Chiswiek), no 

 criticism on this point was made of them. Should Mr. Bow- 

 ring wish to bring the receipts on the non-exhibition days 

 to balance the loss on the exhibition days, surely he must also 

 hrrng in the sums expended by the Society to procure those 

 receipts. Should this be done the deficit becomes greater. 

 In my analysis the account stood thus — 

 Zxhibitium Receipts, £14S3 ... Expenses, £2454 ... Deficit, £971 



Mr. Bowring would put it thus — 



Keeeipts. 

 Jton-Exhibition days £1045 



Expenses 



Eihib'.tionB 1483 £2451 



2628 



2454 



■but adding the expenses of the non-exhibition days we have 



the fall account. 



Receipts. Exnenpes. 



Non-exblhition daj-B £1015 £3692 



Exhlbllions 1483 2451 



2528 6146 



thus leaving a deficit of JS3618. There is only one other 

 point I pray your permission to answer. The noble Chair- 

 man, in his reply on my observations, seemed to think that 

 I complained of the system of accounts as fixed by some 

 ommitteo on the establishment of the South Kensington 

 Gardens. My complaint, on the contrary (in which I did 

 not stand alone), was that there was no fixed system of 

 accounts. In the course of the debate on my amendment 

 it was proved that the form of the accounts had been altered 

 more than three times in less than five years. Surely this 

 could not happen on a "fixed" system. 



I remain, yours truly, A. F. Godson. 



SFBIKG MEETINGS. 

 We are requested to state that, in consequence of the 

 Spring Meetings of the Eoyal Horticultural and Royal 

 Botanic Societies having been fixed for the same dates, the 

 Council of the Eoyal Horticultural Society have ai-ranged 

 that the South Kensington Meetings of March 18th and 

 April 8th shall be altered respectively to March :i5lh and 

 April loth, or one week later in each instance. 



WEEKLY SHOW. 

 The weekly Show on Saturday, the 18th inst., was more 

 interesting than any of its predecessors, though, like tliem, 

 very deficient in the speciality set foitli in the programme, 

 there being only two small collections of Heaths in small 

 pots shown by Messrs. Lee, of nanimersmilh, and Mr. J. 

 Frascr, of Lea Bridge. The latter al»o exhibited Hovea 

 pungens, with beautiful deep V>Iue flowers. McBsrs. Leo 

 had, in addition, a nine double Chinese Primrose, called 

 crecta florc pleno; Dendrobium Cftrulcscens, with seven 

 fine spikes of flowers, and the white-and-yellow-flowered 

 Calogync cristata, in fine condjtipn. Mr. Hall, gardener to 



Her Serene Highness the Princess Edward of Saxe Weimar, 

 contributed three baskets filled with Winter Aconites and 

 Snowdrops, interspersed with Ferns ; also Violets ; and Mr. 

 Bull an interesting collection of new Japanese plants, 

 including Euryas, Euonymus, the female Aucuba, &c. 

 From the same exhibitor came Imantophyllum cyrtanthi- 

 florum, and eight very good standard Orange trees, in fruit. 

 Major Trevor Clarke sent cut llowers of forced Chrysanthe- 

 mums; Mr. Batley, Eugby, bouquets for sale, and cut 

 Camellias. Grapes were represented by three excellent 

 bunches of Muscats, and West's St. Peter's, in good pre- 

 servation, from Mr. TiUyard, gardener to J. Kelk, Esq., 

 Stanmore Priory. As it was " aU prizes and no blanks," it 

 is merely necessary to say that the above objects received 

 first and second-class certificates. 



THE EXHIBITOES MEMOKIAL TO THE COUNCIL OF THE 

 EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



I DID not, though invited, attend the exhibitors' meeting 

 in London. As regards flowers in general, I have no interest 

 in them. In allowing my name to be attached to a re- 

 monstrance, I desired it to be confined to the Saturdays' 

 National Rose Show. The National Rose Show is in a great 

 measure national property. It stands, therefore, in a different 

 position from all other exhibitions. In my friendly letter 

 in a contemporary, whilst pointing out the inconvenience 

 of Saturday as an exhibition day, I expressed a hope that 

 the Society would reconsider the matter as regai'ds the 

 national flower. Unfortunately, as I think, they did not do 

 so. The powerful names attached to the remonstrance in 

 no way represent the number of nurserymen, gardeners, 

 and amateurs, who object to Saturday shows ; and who, 

 though they have not signed the memorial, will not think of 

 attending Saturday shows. 



Saturday in most of the towns of England is either a; 

 market day or a day of greater business than any other day. 

 On Monday, the higher orders drive into the country town, 

 on Saturday the iniddle and lower classes go. Tradesmen 

 do not like to be absent from home on eitlier of these two 

 days. Both days must encroach upon the Sabbath day ; 

 and glad am I to see that the trade and gardeners will not 

 have their Sunday encroached upon for greed or glory. 

 Even " F. E. H. S." allows it is a " mistake." I pointed it 

 out to them through the medium of the press. Why did 

 tliej' not do what sensible meu in ordinary life do, " correct 

 their mistake ? " Talleyrand said a " blunder is worse than 

 a crime." This arrangement, being a great blunder, must 

 be a great crime. The crime is committed against the 

 Society itself. It would have been something in mitigation 

 of the blunder if the Society, when remonstrated with, 

 had said distinctly, " We will alter it another j'car to some 

 more convenient day." It would have been still wiser had 

 they said, " We will .alter it at once." What is the issue ? 

 I have received a letter from the Crystal Palace Company, 

 saying that they will adopt all the suggestions of the Exhi- 

 bitors' Society. Can their suggestions then be inordinate ? 



I do not think the Eoyal Horticultural Society have a 

 right to hold the National Rose Show on a Saturday. I 

 admit they have a right to hold all other shows on that day, 

 but the sequel, I think, will not endorse the appointment. 

 AVhy, oven the London nurserymen, and gardeners living 

 close to London, have signed the remonstrance! Had a. 

 petition been sent round the kingdom for signature I believe 

 it would liave been universally signed. I should really be 

 sorry unjustly to injure the Society. I would much rather 

 read of its prosperity. Its prosjicrity greatly rests upon the 

 good will and assistance of the nurserymen, gardeners, and 

 amateurs of the kingdom. It is to see their commodities 

 that people go in greater numbers to the Society's garden 

 tlian they would otherwise do. There is still one thing 

 they rould do — put the great shows on a Wednesday, and 

 hold the other shows on a Saturday and Wednesday alter- 

 nately for one year. " F. If. 11. S." appeals to the generosity 

 of exliibitors to go this year on tlio Saturdays. Such would 

 be a very \inwise act ; for it is plain that if success attended 

 the Saturday shows they would not be altered to another 

 day. 'J'lio argument tlien would be, "Sec how well they 

 succeed ! " I do not like I'moutes myself, btit there is alwoys 

 something wrong v.-hcre they OTOWi 



