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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM CONFERENCE. 



Chiswick. 



November 5th and 6th. 



President— Mr. T. B. Haywood, F.E.H.S. 



The President, who was suffering from a severe cold and sore 

 throat, requested the Secretary, the Rev. W. Wilks, to be kind 

 enough to read the Opening Address in his stead. 



OPENING ADDRESS. 



So great is the inconsistency of human nature — and, whatever 

 tender-hearted young ladies may say of us regarding our 

 barbaric treatment of slugs and snails, of mealy-bug and scale 

 and aphis, we gardeners after all arc human — so great is the 

 inconsistency of human nature, that if I give you what is called 

 an " Opening Address," you will probably be muttering inwardly, 

 " Bother the old fellow ! I wish he'd let us get on to something 

 interesting and practical " ; and if I do not give such an opening, 

 some of you will be saying, " Well, I think he might have given 

 us an address." I shall therefore endeavour, if possible, to hit 

 off the happy medium, and say a few words to you, but they 

 shall be but few. 



We have met together to-day to celebrate the Centenary of 

 the introduction of the Chrysanthemum to Europe and this 

 country. 



A hundred years ! If measured by the life-history of man, a 

 hundred years is indeed a long space of time. A hundred years 

 ago, and Wellington and Bonaparte were young fellows of twenty 

 and one-and- twenty only ; Nelson was but just married to Mrs. 

 Nesbitt, and had not yet seen Lady Hamilton ; and Byron was 

 still in long clothes. A hundred years ago to-day, and I 

 suppose my grandfather and yours were little toddling fellows just 

 beginning to walk, or lads of eight or ten years at most ; and 

 since that time, our fathers have come and gone, and we are fast 

 following in their steps. 



But a hundred years, measured by the life -history of a plant in 



