Xii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



13. R.H.S. Gardening Charts. — The growing demand from all parts of 

 the country for instruction in gardening, and the emphasis which the new 

 Education Act will give to the subject, throws upon the Society the respon- 

 sibility for providing such authoritative material as will assist teachers and 

 instructors in their work. One step the President and Council have already 

 taken is to provide a series of Wall Charts illustrating garden subjects, such 

 as insect pests, fungus pests, garden operations, fruit-growing operations, 

 etc. These charts are now well in hand, and some have already been issued. 

 A full list of those in preparation and of those now available can be obtained 

 from the Secretary at the Offices, Vincent Square. 



14. Examinations. — With the view of further encouraging and extending 

 the general range of horticultural knowledge throughout the country, not only 

 amongst working and professional gardeners, but also amongst horticultural 

 instructors and teachers of all grades, the Society's Examinations have been 

 considerably revised in the direction of making them a more practical test 

 of horticultural knowledge and experience. A Board of Examiners has been 

 set up (see page 43, Book of Arrangements), which first dealt with the syllabus 

 and regulations for both the General and School Teachers' Examinations, so 

 that not only has their standard been raised, but the practical experience and 

 knowledge required of candidates in future will be increased. The School 

 Teachers' Examination particularly has been revised, and now consists of both 

 an Elementary and an Honours Examination, in both of which evidence of 

 actual practical work will be required of all candidates. In the Honours 

 section practical work will form an actual part of the Examination itself. 



The Degrees in Horticulture of the University of London have now come 

 into operation, inasmuch as five Candidates have entered for the Bachelor's 

 Degree this year, a result due largely to the action of the Society and the 

 Resolution for the conferment of such Degrees moved by Sir Albert K. 

 Rollit, V.M.H. (a Member of Council), in the Senate of the University. 



The Series of Examinations which have now been set up for workers in 

 horticulture, ranging fron the Society's Junior Examination to the Senior 

 School Teachers', the National Diploma, and finally the University Degree 

 in Science, represent several links in a chain which is now educationally 

 complete. 



15. Deputations &c— The President and Council have kept careful watch 

 on such various interests of Horticulture as have from time to time been 

 affected by war conditions. 



The last General Meeting of the Fellows passed unanimously the following 

 resolution on the motion of Charles E. Shea, Esq., seconded by the Rev. G. H. 

 Engleheart, M.A., V.M.H. :— 



" That the Fellows of the ' Royal Horticultural Society,' in Annual Meeting 

 assembled, record an emphatic protest against the decision of the Food 

 Controller that, notwithstanding that there is an officially admitted 

 greater quantity of sugar now in this country than was available last 

 year, no sugar is this year to be allowed for home-made jam, or pre- 

 serves, to the private growers of fruit, entailing the loss of an immense 

 amount of valuable national food ; and this Meeting further records 

 its entire approval of the Memorandum of Protest addressed by the 

 President and Council of the Society to the Director of Sugar Distribu- 

 tion on the 31st January last." 



This question touched the interests of the great majority of our Fellows, 

 and was at the same time consistent with the economic interests of the com- 

 munity in that it enabled private fruit-growers to save their fruit and so to have 

 no (or less) need of buying jam in the open market in competition with the 

 general public. Approving this resolution, the Council at once took steps 

 to carry it out by obtaining an appointment which was readily given by Lord 

 Bledisloe (then Sir Charles Bathurst), the Director of Sugar Supplies, who 

 courteously listened to the Deputation which waited upon him, consisting of 

 the Rt. Hon. Lord Lambourne, Sir Albert Rollit, and Messrs. W. A. Bilney, 

 J. Cheal, James Hudson, C. E. Shea, A. W. Oke, W. H. Page, Owen Thomas, 

 and the Rev. W. Wilks. The Deputation was introduced by Sir Albert, and 

 several members addressed Sir Charles, who ultimately promised an allow- 

 ance of sugar for preserving (and though, according to correspondence in the 

 newspapers, some growers did not receive their full quantity, this, it is under- 

 stood, was due to faulty distribution, for which the Department was not 

 responsible) ; so that the result of the Deputation was successful and private 



