120 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDBNEB. 



[ Febraary 16, 1871. 



the Fellows of the Society the exclusive use of Buch portions of l 

 annexes as are not required by Her Majesty's Commissioners, I 



: the 

 annexes as are not required by Her Majesty's Commissioners, I am 

 directed to inform you that the development of the Exhibition will neces- 

 sitate the occupation of the whole, or nearly the whole, of the annexes, 

 and that, consequently, the Commissioners would be unable to leave to 

 the Fellows, to any substantial extent, the privilege contemplated by the 

 article. On the other hand. Her Majesty's Commissioners propose (bnt, 

 without binding themselves to a course which might prove very detri- 

 mental to the success of the Exhibitions) to make the experimei^t of 

 curtailing that free use of the Gardens by visitors to the Exhibition, 

 which was provided for in the original arrangement, by making an extra 

 charge for admission thereto. The effect of this measure would obviously 

 be to secure to tho Fellows of the Society a much greater degree of the 

 quiet which tl^e^' have hitherto enjoyed "than they would retain if the 

 Gardens were to be thrown open to every visitor to the Exhibition. 

 I have the honour to be, Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 

 HENEY Y. D. SCOTT, Lieut.-Colonel, E.E. 

 The Assistant Secretary of the Secretary. 



Royal Horticultural Society. 

 15. The Council tlesii-e, in conclusion, to record their satisfaction at 

 the snccessful completion of the Kojal Albert Hall, in which a large 

 number of the 3?ellows of the Society are shareholders. They are 

 informed that Eer Majesty has announced her intention of opening it 

 on the 29th March next. 



Extracts from the Eepoets of the Hokticultueai, Directoes. 

 SciEKTmc CoM^nTTEE. ■ — Numerous matters of greater or less 

 interest have come before the Scientific Committee during the past 

 year, which are fecorded in the Society's journal. Amongst these the 

 most prominent are Mr. Glaisher's observations on the meteorological 

 records which have been carried on for so many years at Chiswick. 

 It is a great satisfaction to the Society that the doubts as to their 

 accuracy since 1860 have been quite cleared up, and a comparison of 

 them with cotemporaneous observations at Greenwich has enabled him 

 to attain many useful results which will be published in an appendix 

 to the journal. 



The experiments on the effect of different manures on the com- 

 parative development of a certain number of plants have been carried 

 on very carefully at Chiswick, and the results which, notwithstanding 

 the unfavourable season, have been of much interest, and are already 

 published. 



Mr. Anderson-Henry has sent some valuable observations on hybridi- 

 sation, and Mr. Andrew Murray has lately read an interesting paper 

 on that subject, as illustrated by the phenomenon of mimetic insects. 



Amongst minor matters the occurrence of a manna-like substance on 

 Peach leaves and twigs at Chiswick, but which really appeared to be 

 more allied to stearine, deserves especial notice, as also Mr. Laxton's 

 observations, accompanied by specimens, on ths effect of crossing in 

 Peas on the colour of the seed. 



PomologicjIX Department. — In consequence of the contemplated 

 changes that were decided upon at the beginning of last year, in the 

 garden at Chiswick, it was considered impolitic to cultivate that portion 

 of it which has hitherto been occupied as the orchard and kitchen 

 garden, and consequently no experiments were last year undertaken 

 in the open ground. But the great success that has attended the 

 cnltivation of the more tender Irinds of fruits in the new orchard house 

 has resulted in securing very copious notes on Peaches, Nectarines, 

 and Apricots, which will serve in the preparation of future reports on 

 these subjects, for some seasons past considerable attention has been 

 given to the investigation of the numerous varieties of Figs, hitherto 

 in a sad state of contusion as to nomenclature, and a correct knowledge 

 of their merits and characteristics ; and again this season great addi- 

 tions have been made to the observations already obtained. 



The inside border of the great viueiy (formerly the conservatory) 

 has been entirely removed, as well as the Vines which it contained, 

 and the house is now furnished entirely by Vines growing in the out- 

 side border, which has been considerably enlarged. 



Notwithstanding the abandonment of the old orchard, the whole of 

 the valuable collection of fruit trees has been preserved, only dupli- 

 cates, and some varieties which had been proved essentially worthless, 

 having been destroyed ; yet some of these, which had acquired a 

 Bymmetrical habit of growth, were successfully re-gi'afted with superior 

 varieties, and will preserve their place in the collection. An entire re- 

 arrangement of the whole collection, both of Apples and Pears, has 

 been made, and will occupy compartments on the new ground which 

 has been broken up and laid out for the special purpose. 



The crops of fruit have, during the past season, been generally 

 abundant, with tho exception of those on the Pyramid Cheiries and 

 Plums, which were almost a total failure. 



By the new arrangements that are being made in the garden there 

 wiU be ample space at command for carrying out all experimental 

 operations which the Society can desire ; and the more compact state 

 of the garden will admit of a concentration of labour which could not 

 formerly be obtained, and thereby conduce to greater ease and elEciency 

 in the conducting of experiments and the preparation of reports. 



As has been tho case in former years, so in the past, the Fellows of 

 the Society have largely availed themselves of their privilege of obtain- 

 ing scions, cuttings, plants, and seeds from the garden ; and nursery- 

 men especially, who are Fellows, appear to estimate at the proper value 

 the privilege of renewing and correcting their collections of fruit trees 

 from tho trees at Chiswick. Dui-ing tho past year 62,000 packets of 

 seeds have been distributed; 2250 sorts of cuttings of fruit trees, 

 including many collections of Figs, Vines, and Gooseberries. 



Flohal Depaeijiext. — The floral department at Chiswick has 

 rendered the Society good service during the past year. First, as 

 regards supply. Th^, number of plants distributed to the Fellows, by 

 ballot or otherwise, has been 13,700, and the number of packets of 

 flower seeds, 60,000 ; while the contribution to the garden at South 

 Kensington, though less than usual as regards numbers, owing to th6 

 reduction of the bedding-out there, has extended to 28,144 plants. 



Though it was found impracticable, under the circumstances in 

 which the Superintendent was placed, to carry out the usual trials of 

 new varieties of Bedding Pelargoniums, Szc, yet a successful effort has 

 been made to retain the extensive collection of sorts which had been 

 got together, with the view to resume these useful critical comparisons 

 as soon as practicable. 



The collection of Hardy Perennials, which it is hoped may be further 

 extended from year to year, has also been preserved, and removed from 

 that part of the garden which has to be given up. Some new borders 

 flanking the great conservatory have been devoted to them, and further 

 contributions to the collection are solicited from any of the Fellows, 

 or others, who take interest in herbaceous plants — a class which has 

 latterly been far too much neglected. 



The cultivation of stove plants — one of the least useful and most 

 expensive branches of the floral department — was relinquished when 

 the necessity for curtailment became evident, the houses being devoted 

 to the gi-owth of less tender plants for the conservatory at South 

 Kensington. 



Amongst the subjects provided for ballot during 1871, will be found 

 some novel and extremely interesting fringed-flowered Petunias, both 

 double and single, which have been raised at Chiswick. They are very 

 handsome plants, and will form a pleasing variety amongst Petunias. 

 Other novelties raised at Chiswick, and which will be distributed in 

 the course of the season, are a fine new Dieffenhachia ; Tacsonia 

 speciosa, a handsome Passion-Flower ; some of the golden-leaved 

 Caladiums referred to last year; and variegated zonal Pelargonium 

 Amy Richards, which is considered to be one of the best bedding 

 varieties yet obtained. 



Abundant facilities will be afforded in the new garden for cariying 

 on the useful work of the floral department, it being intended to form 

 beds for the experimental trials of flowers on a strip of grotmd between 

 the Council-room and tho conservatory — a situation which is in every 

 way well adapted for the purpose. 



Statement of Accoints from 1st of January to Slst of December, 1870 

 receipts. 



£ s. d. £ s. d. 



To Life Compositions 546 



„ Admission Fees 365 S 



„ 'Annual Subscriptions 7177 



,, tGarden Produce and Charges 578 5 11 



„ Daily Admissions and Promenades.. 463 6 9 



,, Kent of space in Arcades 424 



„ Exhibition and Fetes 1277 7 



„ Miscellaneous 39 19 8 



„ Interest on Davis Bequest 4 15 7 



" 10,876 2 11 



„ Balance 1,313 9S 



ie i2,lS9 12 5 



* Assets. Subscriptions rmpaid £lSo 



tGarden Produce, due but unpaid. 173 



910 



EXPENnlTCTEK. 



£ s. d. £ s. d. 



By Balance from 1869 .' 1331 IS 11 



By ChisKicli Garden Exfcmes—viz. :— 



Kent, Kates, and Taxes 224 4 7 



Labour 003 4 11 



Implements, Manure, Coke, &c 12b 5 3 



Repairs 48 12 4 



Trees, Plants, and Shrubs ^ ? 



Miscellaneous 24 3 6 



Alterations in Garden 31 14 S 



By Expenses of Hanagement— viz.:— 



Salaries ^I io J 



Journal v;,',-"; ^^^^ ® 



Horticultural Directors, Fruit,and Floral 



Committees, &c 401 2 6 



Foreign Importations 11 9 6 



Examination of Gardeners SO 1 4 



Postages 'i'J " 



Distribution of Seeds, Plants, and Cut- 



tings 591013 



Reading Room 20 b 6 



Gas So 19 6 



Wages 224 



Miscellaneous ■"- '■^ " Bl S 



By Expenses of ExkHitions—-ciz. :— 



Advertising and Posting „?? J„ X 



Frizes and Medals SOo 13 



Bands <12« 



Police C <) 10 



Labour, Judges' Fees, Luncheons, and 



Sundries 128 4 



Expenses of Permanent Exhibition 0^ " ^ „ , _ _ 



