THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE. 



February 3, 1912, 



Liverpool Horticultural 



Association. 



The annual meeting of this society was 

 held on Saturday at Hackins Hey, Liverpool, 

 Mr. W. Mercer in the chair. 



The report stated that the spring, rose 

 and sweet pea, and autumn shows had been 

 much better attended than those of the pre- 

 vious years, while the exhibits and competi- 

 tion was above the average. The statement of 

 accounted showed subscriptions amounting to 

 ^273 6s. 6d., admissions ^144 15s. 4d., and 

 prize money ^217 96. 6d., leaving a credit 

 balance of i^l52 9s. 9d., or loss on the year's 

 working of about ^20, chiefly in subscrip- 

 tions. Arrangements are in hand for again 

 holding three exhibitions during the ensuing 

 year in the Corn Exchange. 



A vote of thanks was tendered to the 

 officers and committee for tlieir excellent ser- 

 vices during th© past year. The election of 

 officers resulted as follows : President, the 

 Eight Hon. the Earl of Derby; treasurer, Mr. 

 W. F. Rogers; sub-treasurer, Mr. G. Black- 

 more (re-elected for the twenty-fifth time); 

 secretary, Mr. Harold Sadler, 31, North John 

 Street, Liverpool (re-elected). A cordial vote 

 of thanks to the chairman terminated the 

 proceedings. 



Southampton Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society. 



The forty-ninth annual meeting of the 

 Southampton Royal Horticultural Society 

 wae held at the Audit House, Southampton, 

 on Monday afternoon, when Mr. A. J. Day, 

 J. P., presided, in the absence of the Mayor. 



Tlie Chairman briefly expressed his interest 

 in horticulture, and observed that it was not 

 altogether satisfactory that such a society, 

 which had been in existence for nearly fifty 

 years, did not receive more general support. 

 Speaking of the summer shows, he said he 

 felt that the visit of the National Rose 

 Society would be a very great attraction, 

 and he hoped they would have good atten- 

 dances, 



Tlie annual report stated, iter alia, that 

 the financial position of the society had im- 

 proved since the last account was issued. 

 Although a small sum was due to the trea- 

 surer» the council had been able to meet all 

 liabilities. Although many new members 

 had been added during the past year, a 

 larger number of former subscribers had un- 

 fortunately been lost. The society was for- 

 tunate in having secured the present Lord 

 Sw^aythling to the vacant office of president, 

 who is taking great interest in the jubi- 

 lee of the society. The rose show was a de- 

 cided success financially, and the exhibits, 

 although showing a falling off in some classes, 

 were generally of the highest order of merit. 

 The carnation show was seriously affected by 

 the exceptionally dry season, which caused 

 the absence of many usual exhibitors. Tlie 

 autumn show was undoubtedly the best of 

 the season, but unfortunately the attend- 

 ance was very disappointing. The council 

 are much encouraged by the support it is 

 receiving in its endeavours to arrange an at- 

 tractive programme for the society's fiftieth 

 anniversary. The proposed visit of the 

 National Rose Society w;ould be received with 

 much satisfaction, as it would ensure the 

 largest and mowt interesting exhibition of 

 roses seen in the county. A liberal and com- 

 prehensive schedule of prizes was being pre- 

 pared for the great Jubilee Show, to be held 

 in July, and it was hoped that the above ex- 

 hibitions will attract not only the best ex- 

 hibitors in the kingdom, but also many visi- 

 tors to the town. 



Mr.^ E. Kemp Toogood, in proposing the 

 adoption of the annual report, impressed 

 upon the members and his fellow townsmen 

 the necessity of increased support to enable 

 the council to make the society's fiftieth anni- 

 versary a notable event in an eventful his- 

 tory. 



On the proposition of the Chairman, 

 seconded by Mr. Ebborn, Lord Swaythling 

 wa^ unanimously elected president. The 

 ^V^rPr^sidents were also re-elected, with the 

 addition of several patrons. Messrs. Green, 



Moberly, and Green were also ro-elected as 

 hon. solicitors. Mr. Toogood was enthusia^- 

 ticallv re-elected chairman of the council. 

 Mr. A. Doggrell was re-elected vice-chairman, 

 and Mr. A. G. Thompson was again chosen 

 as hon. treasurer. 



Another popular re-election was that of 

 Mr. C, S. Fuidge as secretary for the fortieth 

 year, which was on the proposition of Mr. 

 Glasspool, who observed that Mr. Fuidge's 

 experience wasprobably unique in the history 

 of secretarial work in Southampton. Mr. 

 F. Chandler seconded, and the Chairman sup- 

 ported, remarking that his own father-in-law. 

 General Lacy, who was instrumental in 

 founding the society, was very appreciative 

 of Mr. Fuidge's services. 



Mr. S. D. Bartlett was re-elected members' 



auditor, and the retiring members of the 



council were re-elected as follows: Messrs. 



F. G. Bealing, T. Hall, W. Valentine, F. 



Chandler, and F. Green, with the addition of 



Mr. H. E. Molyneux. 



The meeting closed with the usual votes 

 of thanks. 



Bickley Horticultural Society. 



At the recently held annual meeting of this 

 society, Mr, Whitelegge, of Cliislehurst, gave 

 a lecture on " Orchitis," which proved most 

 interesting and useiuL Before dealing with 

 methods of cultivation and kinds, species, 

 variet.es, and hybrids to grow, Mr. White- 

 legge pointed out that the orchid family con- 

 tamed some 9,(J(X) species, of which from 40 

 to 50 were British, while from 5,000 to 6,000 

 hybrids had been obtained during recent 

 years. The order had wide distribution, ex- 

 amples being found in every country except- 

 ing those situated within the arctic '^and ant- 

 arctic zones, where, up to now, they had not 

 been d'scovered, and the presumption was 

 against their existence there, as orchids 

 seemed to congregate as near the equator as 

 they could. Burma, InHia, Brazil, Central 

 America, and East India, Java, etc., were 

 particularly rich in orchids, lliough they 

 grew in the warmer regions of the earth, it 

 d-d not necessarily foliow that orchids re- 

 quired intense heat. The majority of orchids 

 loved fresh air, and in the desire for that, or 

 in their struggle for existence against other 

 plants, they had ascended the hills and moun- 

 tains, and for the most part were found at 

 considerable altitudes, often approaching and 

 even intruding on the frost line, a fact that 

 lihould be remembered by those who culti- 

 vated them. 



The order was divided into three sections, 

 epiphytal, terrestrial, and saprophytal. The 

 last named lived on decayed wood chiefly, and 

 had but little floral beauty. It was practi- 

 cally impossible to keep them alive under cul- 

 tivation, and he only mentioned them in 

 order to show that no orchid yet discovered 

 was parasitical, as tliey were popularly but 

 erroneously considered. 



Ep phytal orchids grew on trees and large 

 shrubs, moist rocks, or in any favourable 

 position where they could fix themselves and 

 obtain sufficient nouiisliment from any de- 

 cayed debris and moisture. Terrestrial or- 

 ( liids had usually a more or less tuber-like 

 root stock. Most of the British species be- 

 longed to this section, of which the common 

 orchid. Orchis maculata, was a good example. 

 The d'vision between the last named sections 

 was not by any means well marked, for the 

 two often merged into one another. Botani- 

 cally the nearest allies of orchids were the 

 lilies and iris, from which they were distin- 

 guished chiefly by the curious formation of 

 the pollen, which, instead of being granular 

 and dust like, as in most plants, Avas formed 

 into wax-like balls, in twos or multiples of 

 twos. 



With the exception of cypripediums, mas- 

 devailias, and a few minor genera, the growth 

 Oi- an orchid was analagous to that of a 

 bulb. Cattleyas were perhaps the extreme 

 example among epiphytes, one or more bulbs 

 be'ng frctshly made each year, the older 

 ones, up to a certain age, acting as food 

 reservoirs, from which they derived their 

 name of |)seudo» or false bulbs. In terres- 

 trial orchids the same role held good, but 



the pseudo bulb was often entirely under- 

 ground. In fact, if some of the British or- 

 chids were dug up in late autumn it would 

 be seen that the last year's bulb had almost 

 vanished, having supported the plant dur- 

 ing the formation of the present season's 

 tubers, which in turn would wither. In 

 nearly every case orchids seemed adapted to 

 exist for considerable periods without rain, 

 as, in fact, many of them did, the seasons 

 in their original surroundings having well 

 defined periods of heavy rain, alternating 

 with long, dry summer seasons. Very few 

 orcliids were difhcult to grow. 



irmin 



am Horticultural 

 Society. 



At a meeting held at Fletcher's Eestau- 

 rant, Birmingham, on January 22, the old 

 Handsworth Horticultural Society ceased to 

 exist, and the new Birmingham Horticul- 

 tural Society came into being. Mr. E. H. 

 Weaver presided, and there was a good at- 

 tendance. 



Mr. Silver, treasurer of the Handsworth 

 Society, explained the situation, and showed 

 that there was a desire for a society and 

 exhibition worthy of the great Midland city. 

 They had ^237 in hand, and properties 

 worth £100, but to enable the new society 

 to compete ^vith Wolvierhampton, etc., a 

 larger income was necessary. Promises of 

 prizes to the extent of about i^lOO had been 

 received, but this was by no means sufficient. 

 He suggested a guarantee fund, and said 

 that if Birmingham was to rival Wolver- 

 hampton and Leamington there must be a 



larger financial backing. 



The Lord Mayor of Birmingham (Alder- 

 man W. A. Bowater) was elected president, 

 Mr. W. G. Griffith, deputy president, 

 and Mr. E. H. Weaver chairman. Tlie ex- 

 hibition for 1912 is fixed for July 19 and 20, 

 and it will be held in Handsworth Park. 



Brighton Horticultural Society. 



At the annual meeting of this society, held 

 in the Pavilion, Brighton, Mr. W. Balchin 

 presided. Tlie annual report showed that the 

 net loss on the Eose and Sweet Pea Show was 

 ^95 lis. 3d. To meet the desire for economy, 

 this show was held in the Dome and Corn 

 Exchange, the lawns and promenade being 

 dispensed with, but the exceptional heat 

 proved the futility of the experiment. The 

 Chrysanthemum Show was held at a net loss 

 of £51 9s. Id. This show was acknowledged 

 to be a successful achievement otherwise 

 than financially, and in connection with 

 the success the committee expressed their 

 gratitude to the firms who so materially en- 

 hanced the show by their magnificent non- 

 competitive exhibits. The loss on the year's 

 working amounted to £43 2s. 4d., compared 

 with £ol 15s. 3d. in 1910, ^76 19s. lid. in 

 1909, and ^64 18s. 3d. in 1908. With regard 

 to the financial aspect of the society, the com- 

 mittee was at first prepared to advise what 

 seemed to be the only solution of the diffi- 

 culty, viz., the " winding up" of the affairs 

 of the society. However, the President sug- 

 gested the formation of a guarantee fund of 

 about £30, as an experiment for next year, 

 himself offering ^10, and promising to appeal 

 to his friends who were interested in horti- 

 culture. In addition, he suggested the elec- 

 tion of a smaller committee, willing to be- 

 come guarantors for £2 individually. The 

 balance-sheet stated that the cash at the 

 bank on January 1, 1911, was ^1 Is. lid., the 

 deposit account £oO, and the cash in hand 

 £2 19s. 6cl. The subscriptions amounted alto- 

 gether to .£194 18s. 6d. The gate receipts at 

 the Rose and Sweet Pea Sliow were £56 3s. 

 (first day), and £37 5s. (second day); ana 

 at the Chrysanthemum Show, ^50 10s. (>d. 

 (first day), and £QS los. 5d. (second day). Tlie 

 receipts at the Eose and Sweet Pea Show 

 were £112 15s., and at the Chrvsanthemum 

 Show £l8o Is, 2d. Tlie expenditure on the 

 >h<nyr^ was respectively o£2()8 6s. 3d. and £23Ci 

 Ids. ;!tl. Tlie cash at the bank on December 

 31, 1911, was .£11 19s. lOd. The rules were 

 slightly altered in accordance with the find- 

 ings of the report, and then the officers 

 were elected as follows : President, Alder- 



