CXC PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



also acted as a sort of clearing-house for the supply of cabbage 

 and such like plants. Thus we caused more ground to be culti- 

 vated, and we aroused a very great interest among people who 

 had hitherto little interest in their gardens. However, I appeal 

 to you to endeavour through the medium of your societies to see to 

 it that every possible piece of vacant ground that can be secured is 

 put under cultivation, and in cases of difficulty in securing land appeal 

 should be made to your local Council or to some local gentleman of 

 influence. I would appeal to you to do that throughout the coming 

 year. There is no evidence that we shall be freed from the night- 

 mare of this war just yet. I would particularly point out to you, 

 first, the advantages of growing potatos on poor land with the aid of 

 a little artificial manure ; and second, that a very large number of 

 people do not arrange their gardens on the most remunerative plan. 

 I was astonished to notice last winter how much ground remained 

 vacant. Far more might be done by clearing the ground from the early 

 crops and cultivating onions, turnip, beet, cabbages, carrots, &c. What 

 is essentially wanted is local initiative and effort. The R.H.S. has done 

 much and is willing to do more, if it can be done, to benefit the country 

 at large, but without local organization its powers are limited. It 

 is a great mistake to leave it to the enthusiastic amateur who knows 

 nothing of gardening. It is not that sort of man whom we want to 

 take the lead in this local initiative. Yours, gentlemen, is the duty 

 of forming local plans for the increase of ground under small culti- 

 vation. I would point out to you that it is all very well to leave the 

 responsibility with the farmer ; he at best gets crops from his land 

 which compare but modestly with those of the garden in productiveness. 



A delegate of the Croydon Society explained how this subject had 

 been taken in hand in his neighbourhood by the Croydon Guild 

 of Help, with which the members of his society had co-operated. 

 With the assistance of the Corporation and local gentlemen, over 100 

 plots of land were now under cultivation. There was great local 

 interest in the subject. 



The Secretary of the R.H. Society, in referring to this same move- 

 ment, said that whilst we are thus busily engaged in promoting the 

 production of food supplies do not let us quite forget the flowers. They, 

 too, have their place in the mental economy and the healthy spirit 

 of the country. He himself was growing twice the quantity of 

 vegetables he had done formerly. Cabbages were planted in the 

 rose beds, but not to the exclusion of the roses, which had given to 

 him and to many others their usual measure of pleasure and happiness 

 this year. 



The Secretary of the Hale End Society read a paper from which 

 the following are extracts : — 



" We invited those who desired to take up additional land for 

 the purpose of vegetable-growing to forward their names to the society. 

 One thousand circulars were distributed ; the immediate response 



