666 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



COMMONPLACE NOTES. 

 By the Secretary and the Superintendent. 



The New Hall. 



Every Fellow knows by this time that a new hall for the Society to 

 hold its meetings in, with new offices, is now being built in Vincent 

 Square, in a direct line between Westminster Abbey and Victoria Station f 

 and hardly more than a stone's-throw removed from the great main artery 

 of Victoria Street. His Majesty the King has caused a most gracious 

 letter to be sent to the Council, expressing his earnest hope that success 

 may attend our efforts, enclosing therein a cheque for one hundred guineas. 

 His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has most kindly written also, 

 and sent a cheque for fifty guineas. In all, £21,000 has been promised, 

 but £40,000 is required. Surely every Fellow should contribute some- 

 thing ? Would not every Fellow like to feel that he had at least a few 

 bricks of the building to his own individual credit ? One lady who can 

 only afford £1 Is. writes : " I only wish I could promise a larger subscrip- 

 tion. But I venture to make a suggestion. Would not every Fellow 



(1) Give at least one guinea ; 



(2) Get at least one new Fellow for the Society this next year ; and 



(3) Double his or her annual subscription until the New Hall is out 

 of debt ? 



These things I will gladly do, as I can afford no more. Could you not 

 suggest that everyone should do no less ? " 



These words have the true ring of generosity about them, and they 

 certainly ought to stir us all up to do at least as much ; and of course 

 many — very many — if they had but the same spirit, could do more. 



People sometimes make excuse and say they did not send anything 

 because they did not know whom to send to. All cheques or postal orders 

 should be drawn in favour of the Treasurer, Royal Horticultural Society, 

 and the names of new Fellows and the glad announcement of doubling 

 the subscription should be sent to the Secretary, R.H.S. Office, 117 Vic- 

 toria Street, Westminster, S.W. 



Dead Wood in Forest Trees. 



It is frequently said that we have more insect and fungoid pests to 

 contend against now than was the case a comparatively few years ago. 

 How far this is correct is open to question. But, supposing it to be true, 

 there is no doubt about the blame resting on our own shoulders. In every 

 direction, including some of the best managed estates, we see quantities 

 of dead branches and dead trees which are absolutely teeming with fungi, 

 and are therefore a standing menace to all surrounding trees, the fungi on 

 them only waiting for a favourable opportunity to attack fresh subjects, 

 working destruction possibly slowly, but none the less surely. We have 

 pointed this danger out to more than one tree-lover and planter, and the 

 answer is, almost invariably : {* Oh, I think dead trees (or dead branches) 



