TENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF BEITISH- GROWN FRUIT. CXXVii 



the Show, whilst recognising the skill with which Mr. Wright had done 

 his best to keep the Gardens up to the mark, also fully sympathised with 

 him in the excessive and increasing difficulties with which he has had to 

 contend, and congratulated him on the prospect of before long possessing 

 a garden in a really country situation and with genuine soil and abundance 

 of light and wholesome air from heaven, uninterrupted by the pall of 

 London smoke-fog which so continuously hangs over Chiswick in the 

 damp days of autumn and early winter. 



There is no year on record inwhich the scarcity of hardy fruit — par- 

 ticularly Apples, Pears, and Plums — has been so universal and widespread 

 as in 1903. Everybody, therefore, had expected a very mediocre show, as 

 far as these fruits were concerned ; but, contrary to expectation, though 

 the quantity was not quite so great as in some previous years, it was by no 

 means a small show — 4,500 dishes of fruit and more than 9,000 dishes of 

 vegetables being staged — and the quality was excellent. 



Of vegetables great things had been expected, and still greater things 

 were performed. They were simply astounding — not only fine, but so 

 perfectly clean and even, so much so as to fully substantiate the remark, 

 " Such vegetables have never been seen since the Creation " ; or, as the 

 Journal of Horticulture expressed it, "Proud indeed must those in- 

 dividuals have felt who were mainly responsible for the introduction of 

 the vegetable division, because of the magnificent display of useful produce 

 shown ; proud also must the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 have felt of the last Chiswick Show, and proud also everyone present who 

 has any pride in British horticulture." 



At one o'clock the President and Council entertained the judges of the 

 Show and the five Standing Committees (the Scientific, the Fruit and 

 Vegetable, the Floral, the Orchid, and the Narcissus and Tulip) at luncheon, 

 about 200 guests in all being present. 



During the subsequent proceedings Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 

 President, amidst the greatest applause, presented the Victoria Medal 

 of Honour in Horticulture to Sir Thomas Hanbury, K.C.V.O , whose 

 munificent gift to the Society of the late Mr. Wilson's garden at Wisley 

 had been announced a few weeks previously (fig. 169). 



Sir Thomas, in accepting the Medal, thanked Sir Trevor Lawrence for 

 the kind words he had uttered, and described himself as unworthy of 

 them and of the applause that had accompanied the gift. In regard to 

 the gift of the garden, he had done little more than transfer a certain sum 

 of money from one book to another, except that he had saved the beauti- 

 ful garden of his friend, the late Mr. Wilson, from coming into the hands 

 of the builder. It was now safe, and he hoped that it would remain for 

 an indeterminable period in the hands of the Society, and that it might 

 serve a useful purpose. " Though living in Italy," said Sir Thomas, " I am 

 an Englishman, and in visiting England each year I rejoice to see that 

 among those who cultivate plants a love of Nature is rapidly increasing. 

 Such a love was possessed by Mr. Wilson in an uncommon degree." 



After the presentation of the Medal to Sir Thomas the President 

 said that, this being in all probability the last occasion on which the Society 

 would hold a meeting at Chiswick, he might appropriately make a few- 

 remarks on the connection of the Society with its Chiswick Gardens. 



