XIV PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



satisfactory progress. Amongst other arrangements Lady Presidents have 

 kindly undertaken to collect funds in the English Counties, whilst Miss Balfour 

 is acting as Convener for Scotland and the Countess of Bessborough in the 

 same capacity for Ireland, the Lady Northcote, C.I., being the Lady President 

 of the General Committee. The Council tender their very sincere thanks to 

 these ladies for the interest they are taking in the success of the movement. 

 Consultations are being held with the Official Representatives in this country 

 of France, Belgium, Serbia, and Rumania, with a view to ascertaining the 

 most effective methods of dealing with the funds collected. 



The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor of London (Sir Horace Brooks Marshall, 

 LL.D.) very kindly occupied the chair on December 18 at a Meeting at the 

 Mansion House in aid of the Fund, when Sir Harry Veitch, V.M.H., and the 

 Speaker of the House of Commons (the Rt. Hon. J. W. Lowther, P.C., M.P.) 

 eloquently advocated its claims, praising very highly the good object in view. 

 A cordial vote of thanks to the Lord Mavor for his kindness was proposed by 

 our President, Field-Marshal Lord Grenfell, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., seconded by 

 the Lady Northcote, and carried with acclamation. 



20. The Future of Scientific Workers. — It is a welcome sign of the times 

 that gardeners are more and more seeking to advance the interest and utility 

 of their work by accepting the help which the Science of Horticulture can 

 afford them. Towards this point the Society has been working for many 

 long years. It is always hard to break down the prejudice which almost 

 everywhere exists between Practice and Science, and from which practical 

 gardening is by no means exempt, but that this prejudice is preparing to yield 

 is evidenced by the fact that the horticultural scientist is beginning to find 

 a place in the Laboratories of our leading gardening firms. For this purpose 

 the Council were glad to release Mr. J. K. Ramsbottom, one of the Society's 

 Researchers at Wisley, for an engagement with one of our leading horticultural 

 firms, for their scientific work. It is hoped that the day is not far distant 

 when the Society will be in a position to provide from the Laboratory at Wisley 

 all such scientific workers as may from time to time be required by trade firms. 



21. Council. — The President and Council experienced a great disappoint- 

 ment in March, caused by the retirement of one of their most valued Members, 

 Sir David Prain,. C.M.G., F.R.S., V.M.H., the Director of Kew, for though 

 he had been a Member of Council for little more than a twelvemonth his 

 advice and co-operation had not only been of the greatest possible service to 

 the Society, but he had also endeared himself personally to all the members 

 of Council and Staff. He would greatly have liked to continue to act on the 

 Council, but the increase of work falling on him officially at Kew made it 

 imperative, from a medical point of view, that he should give up all external 

 engagements. The Council were, however, greatly rejoiced when Captain 

 Arthur Hill, M.A., Sir David's Assistant-Director at Kew consented to take 

 his chief's place. 



22. Journal. — The President and Council greatly regret the unavoidable 

 delay which has attended the publication of the Society's Journal during the 

 past year — delay due entirely to the threefold cause of (1) depletion of staff, 

 (2) extreme shortage of paper, and (3) the difficulties which have attended 

 the printing trade all over the country. It is confidently hoped that the 

 present year mav see a great improvement in all of these respects and a con- 

 sequent resumption of the Journal's regular publication. 



23. Training of Soldiers. — Negotiations with the Government are now in 

 progress as to the possibility of the Society receiving discharged soldiers at 

 the Wisley Gardens for training in Horticulture. 



24. Obituary. — The Council have to record with deep regret the death 

 of many Fellows, and friends of, and workers in Horticulture, amongst them 

 the following : — The Eari of Suffolk, Lord Abinger, Lord St. Audries, Sir Ratan 

 Tata, Sir H. Weber, the Rev. C. H. Bulmer, and Messrs. E. J. Allard, H. J. 

 Cutbush, G. H. Davidson, J. Harrison Dick, E. Goodvear, J. Leeman, F. H. 

 North, F. Monteith Ogilvie, R. Hooper Pearson, John Pope, T. Rochford, 

 E. J. Stubbs (the architect of the Society's Hall), Monsieur Maurice de Vilmorin, 

 Miss E. C. Talbot, and Miss Ethel Sargant. 



25. V.M.H. and Lawrence Medal. — There being only one vacancy in the 

 Roll of the Victoria Medal of Honour, the Council have had very great pleasure 



