REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 191 7. 



ix 



that a Fellow with a right to 10 plants, can, if he please, apply for 8 plants and 

 J pint of beans, or, 6 plants and \ pint of beans, a £ pint being the maximum. 

 A. leaflet with planting instructions, and a comparative analysis of beef, potato, 

 and this bean, will be sent with the seed. 



9. Lectures, &C. — The Society hopes to continue its food campaign un- 

 remittingly throughout 191 8, and would be glad to increase it, if funds and staff 

 permit. In this connexion, almost all the Lectures arranged for 191 8 are more 

 or less directly connected with Food Production. Special attention may be 

 drawn to a series of Lectures to be given by Mr. F. J. Chittenden, F.L.S., V.M.H., 

 and to two highly important ones on Potato Growing which are being organized. 

 By the kind consent of the Lord Mayor the first Potato lecture will be given in 

 London at the Mansion House, at 3 p.m., on February 13, when the Lord Mayor 

 will occupy the chair. The second will be held in Westminster, at the Caxton 

 Hall, at 3 p.m., on Wednesday, June 19, at which the Rt. Hon. R. E. Prothero, 

 President of the Board of Agriculture, has been asked to take the chair. Mr. 

 W. Cuthbertson, V.M.H., J. P., will be the lecturer on both these occasions. 

 His subjects will be : 



February 13. — " Potato Growing : Spring Work in Seed and Planting." 

 June 19. — " Potato Growing : Autumn Work in Lifting and Storing." 



On account of the necessity of knowing how many will be present, the ordinary 

 Fellows' tickets will not admit to these two lectures ; special tickets can be 

 obtained by applying to the Secretary of the Society, Vincent Square, West- 

 minster. 



In order to give these two important Lectures a still wider influence in the 

 country, each of them will be in print with illustrations on the day of its delivery 

 and may be purchased for distribution — Single copy, 4^. ; or, 14s. for 50 ; or 

 26s. a 100. Post free. 



10. Gifts to War Hospitals, Camps, &c. — The Society has sent out very 

 large consignments of bulbs, seeds, and books, during the year, to the Base 

 Hospitals and Camps in France, and to the Prisoners of War Camp at Ruhleben. 

 The thanks of the Society are particularly due to all who assisted by sending 

 gifts for this purpose. The Society also provided the Flower Stall at the Albert 

 Hall Bazaar for St. Dunstan's Hostel in May, over which the Countess of 

 Limerick kindly presided, many of the Fellows sending very large and valuable 

 contributions. 



11. Wisley Gardens. — The work at the Society's Gardens has gone on 

 uninterruptedly, though, of course, it has suffered very great inconvenience 

 by the removal of almost the whole of the regular staff. In face of this fact 

 the existing staff is greatly to be congratulated on the work accomplished. 

 Some most useful trials have been conducted, particularly of Wart-resistant 

 varieties of potatos. Reports on these trials will shortly be issued. A valuable 

 exhibit of wart-resistant potatos, with cooked specimens, with the same variety 

 uncooked, was shown at the Society's Fortnightly Meeting on October 23, when 

 it attracted much attention. 



Experiments on the pruning and pollination of fruit trees are being continued, 

 and numerous new crosses of vines, strawberries, and Rubus are being grown. 



Mr. J. K. Ramsbottom's investigation of the Narcissus disease has shown 

 it to be due to the eelworm Tylenchus devastatrix, and experiments on soil treat- 

 ment &c. for this pest, which attacks a great number of food as well as of orna- 

 mental plants, are in progress. A Report on part of this work will be found in 

 the Journal of the Society, vol. xliii. pt. 1. 



In spite of difficulties of travel, &c, many Fellows have visited the Gardens 

 during the past year, mainly in search of advice on food production. The exhibit 

 of apples grown at Wisley arranged in the Laboratory has attracted considerable 

 attention. 



The Society has made an offer to the Serbian Government to give free training 

 in Gardening to six young Serbians at Wisley, if the cost of their maintenance 

 can be otherwise provided. 



12. University Degree in Horticulture. — The Council wish heartily to thank 

 Sir Albert K. Rollit, Chairman of the Horticultural Education Committee 

 of the Senate of the University of London, for the great interest he has 



