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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ December 11, 1876. 



mossy yet free growth bare spaces under trees. Amateurs are 

 often puzzled how to dress such spots, yet here is a plant most 

 common in the greenhouse and conservatory, yet it is perfectly 

 hardy, thriving best in drip and shade, and is certainly no 

 unworthy rival of the Ivy which is almost always used in shady 

 places. 



Turning now to the thought which induced me to write this 

 article — the want of space for a border of perennials, I am led 

 to the conclusion that if I have a fernery behind shrubs I can 

 just as readily have bright flowers in front of them. Not all 

 along the front, our space is perchance too restricted for that ; 

 but can we not gain space for clumps and patches by cutting 

 back or re-arranging the shrubs at one point and removing a 

 strip or two of turi at another ? Most certainly we can ; and 

 if we cannot have many varieties we can surely have a few of 

 the very best ; and by devoting especial attention to their 

 culture we may derive as much or even more pleasure from 

 them than is often had from an extensive collection left very 

 much to take its chance. And this leads me to a subject of 

 especial importance to amateurs, and to which I will allude on 

 a future occasion. — Edwaed Luckhuest. 



NATIONAL EOSE SOCIETY. 



CONFERENCE OF ROSARIANS AT THE HORTICULTURAL CLUB. 



What may be termed " the power of the Rose " was never 

 more f ally exemplified than by the gathering together of pro- 

 fessional and amateur cultivators on Thursday last the 7th inst. 

 One cannot conceive it possible that any other flower, native or 

 foreign, could have commanded a response so numerous and 

 influential as the assemblage in question. The summons con- 

 vening the meeting stood on its own merits, and was not backed 

 with a list of influential names. It was an invitation for de- 

 vising some satisfactory arrangements as to the future of Eose 

 shows, and to discuss the question as to the formation of a 

 National Eose Society. That was a sufficiently tempting pro- 

 gramme, and the large room was crowded with representative 

 growers from various parts of the country. Neither was it a 

 social gathering wholly — a pleasant opportunity for an inter- 

 change of greetings by the members of the great Rose fraternity. 

 It was that of course, but much more than that, for the tone of 

 the meeting was decidedly of an earnest business charaoter ; and 

 the excellent Chairman had little difficulty in concentrating the 

 discussion to a few practical matters of a fundamental nature 

 relative to the establishment of a Society on a sound basis, 

 and making sufficient provision for its successful management. 

 Everyone assembled was, as Mr. Camm put it, " tremendously 

 loyal " to the queen — the Rose, and the one object of the meet- 

 ing was to extend, improve, and encourage its superior culti- 

 vation. Amongst tbe company we noticed Revs. Canon Hole, 

 J. T. Boscawen, H. H. Dombrain, C.H. Bulmer, J.B. M. Camm; 

 Capt. Christy, Cranston, G. Paul, Dr. Hogg, Dr. Masters; Messrs. 

 Macintosh, Noble, Cant, Laing, Turner, W. Paul, Adams, Baker, 

 Prince, Cutbush, Curtis of Chatteris, Rivers, Cator, Mayor, 

 Dickson of Covent Garden, Killick of Maidstone, Scott, Robinson, 

 Mayos, Tootell, Mawley, Roberts, Ball, Maurice, Young, Bensted, 

 and A. Paul. 



The meeting was convened for two o'clock, but after waiting 

 for some time for the arrival of the Rev. Canon Hole, who by 

 general assent was chosen to preside over the proceedings, the 

 Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen was requested to occupy the 

 chair, and assented on the condition that he was a provisional 

 chairman pending Mr. Hole's arrival. Dr. Hogg was placed in 

 the vice-chair. The Chairman proceeded at once to business 

 by requesting the Secretary to explain the origin of the meeting 

 and to state the objects of its promoters. 



The Rev. H. H. Dombrain, who was warmly received, stated 

 that few, on considering the past and reflecting on the present 

 circumstances influencing Rose Bhows, also in thinking over the 

 future, could consider the prospects as otherwise than gloomy. 

 The Alexandra Palace for the present might be regarded as dead ; 

 the Westminster Aquarium as dying — that is, so far as regarded 

 horticultural exhibitions, none of which he believed would be 

 held in the building next year. The Royal Horticultural Society 

 was in a doubtful position ; and the Crystal Palace shows were 

 not what they once were, inasmuch as the time of the shows 

 had been extended to two days, while the prizes had been re- 

 stricted. Neither of theBe changes could be countenanced by 

 growers and exhibitors, for both of them had a discouraging 

 tendency. The position, therefore, of RoBe-growers was gloomy, 

 and hence he communicated with some of them, suggesting the 

 desirability of taking matters into their own hands by way of 

 effecting some substantial improvement. He had had many 

 replies, one from Mr. Baker stating that the formation of a 

 National Rose Society had been already proposed at the festive 



board of Mr. Cranston at Hereford, and to which proposal Mr. 

 George Paul had promised his assistance and support. He had 

 received letters also from Mr. Hole, Mr. Turner, Mr. Prince, and 

 many others. The favourable views of his many correspondents, 

 and the suggestions he had gathered from their letters, led him 

 to decide that the time was opportune for the holding of a Rose 

 conference in London to decide on such resolutions wfiich might 

 be deemed necessary for furthering the object in view. He 

 therefore by circular and through the gardening press invited 

 the presence of rosarians at the Horticultural Club. He had 

 received many letters of apology from friends unable to attend 

 the conference, but an encouraging unanimity was expressed by 

 the writers as to the desirability of forming a National Rose 

 Society, and an equal unanimity as to the objectionable nature 

 of two-days shows. Mr. Dombrain then earnestly expressed his 

 thanks for the confidence reposed in him, was deeply gratified 

 with the splendid response of the present meeting, and was 

 sanguine that the deliberations of a body so earnest and influ- 

 ential would result in placing the Rose in a more worthy position 

 than before. The speaker was loudly cheered. 



Rev. Canon Hole now entered the room, and met with hearty 

 expressions of welcome, and he occupied the chair, which was 

 promptly vacated by Mr. Boscawen. The Chairman thanked 

 the meeting for the proud position in which they had placed 

 him, and the more so as the honour of presiding over them was 

 on his part quite unexpected. He thanked especially his es- 

 teemed friend Mr. Dombrain for taking the initiative in a matter 

 which was bo interesting to all who were present and to many 

 who were absent. He felt the present to be the most auspicious 

 event that had happened in his Rose career since his connection 

 with the " old Society." He had always thought the giving-up 

 of the old National Rose Society was a mistake. That Sooiety 

 was well established, and successful shows were held. Most 

 people were satisfied, but a few were, perhaps, overworked and 

 became languid, and their Society was handed over to the Royal 

 Horticultural Society. That was not a happy alliance, for the 

 Rose Society became a mere postscript to the R.H.S. — a posi- 

 tion which he and many others were not satisfied with, as being 

 too humiliating for the flower which they all cherished so highly. 

 He was happy, therefore, in the fresh start now made to place the 

 Rose in a better position, and he now had great hopes of a really 

 strong representative society being established, and grand shows 

 and general encouragement would follow as the result of their 

 united efforts. He regarded the meeting, however, as one of 

 work rather than words, and would at once call on Rev. C. H. 

 Bulmer of Credenhill, Hereford, to propose the first resolution. 



Mr. Bulmer, who met with a gratifying reception, said that it 

 would ill become him in taking up the time of horticulturists by 

 theorising, or still more dogmatising, on the subject before 

 them ; he would simply narrate his experience, and throw out 

 an idea which he thought was deduced from past transactions 

 and past failures. He had the privilege of following the lead of 

 the Chairman in the campaign of 1S58 in connection with the 

 National Society, which held its great Show in St. James's Hall. 

 That Society had failed. He had for ten years been the Hono- 

 rary Secretary of the West of England RoBe Show — a Show 

 which had become widely popular, and which was connected 

 with a generally good and strong Society ; but in that Society 

 defects existed which occasionally gave the managers much 

 trouble. He did not feel it neoessary to particularise these 

 defects, for he believed that they and all shortcomings might be 

 averted by establishing or reviving the National Rose Society as 

 a high central and administrative authority, the influence of 

 which would be far-reaching and generally beneficial. He 

 believed that a strong, practical, and influential society, such aa 

 the present meeting was competent to establish, would be a 

 society of which the country would be proud, a society at once 

 authoritative and permanent, and of the utmost importance in 

 the Rose- loving world. To this end he moved the first resolu- 

 tion, " That the National Rose Society be revived." This was 

 seconded by Mr. Turner of Slough. 



The Chairman, before putting it to the meeting, suggested 

 that the wording of tbe resolution should be altered by substitut- 

 ing the word " Show " for Society, but 



Dr. Hogg thought the Society Bhould be established firBt, and 

 a national show would follow as its moat important expression, 

 which being generally assented to, the resolution as first pro- 

 posed was passed unanimously. 



The Chairman then requested Mr. Dombrain to give a sketoh 

 of the ideas of the promoters, from which the meeting might be 

 able to frame and adopt further resolutions. . 



Mr. Dombrain stated briefly, the idea was that a National 

 Rose Society should be formed, and that local societies should 

 be affiliated with it, London being the Rose centre. That 

 the first Show of the Society should be held in London, after- 

 wards having Shows in other placeB as might be determined on, 

 but wherever the Society's Show is held it mast be considered 

 as the Show — the Rose Derby of the year. That the Show 

 should be a Rose. Show wholly, no plants being in connection 

 with it, and no music. That the first Show should be held in 



