December 17, 1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



82 1 



Exhibitions and Meetings. 



NATIONAL ROSE SOCIETY, December 8. 



The annual meeting of this flourishing and ably conducted society was held on 

 the 8th inst. at the Hotel Windsor, by kind permission of the Horticultural Club, 

 The chair was taken by C. E. Shea, Esq., who was supported by the Rev. H. H. 

 d'Ombrain, the Rev. G. E. Jeans, the Rev. J. H. Pemberton, Dr. Shackleton, 

 E. Mawley, O. G. Orpen, G. Bunyard, T. B. Haywood, Conway Jones, C. Cant, 

 r! F. Burnside, J. Burrell, G. Moules, F. Cant, Harcourt Landon, Bateman, J. D. 

 Pawle, etc. Dr. Shackleton and Mr, J. Burrell were appointed scrutineeis of the 

 Hot, and then Mr. E. Mawley, one of the hon. secretaries, read the committee's 

 report for 1898; 



Report of the Committee for the Year 1898. 



The past year may be regarded as one of steady progress, whether the point 

 of view taken be that of the society's exhibitions, the increase in the number of 

 members, or the issue of its publications. 



The most complete arrangements had been made by the society's local repre- 

 sentatives—Mr, R. B. Cater, the president of the Bath Floral Fete Committee, 

 and Mr. W. F. Cooling — for the southern exhibition at Bath, but the season un- 

 fortunately proved such a very backward one that only exhibitors from the moBt 

 forward districts were able satisfactorily to compete — in fact, it was, without 

 exception, the smallest show the society has yet held. For the same reason the 

 metropolitan exhibition, which took place at the Crystal Palace a week later, was 

 of rather less than average extent. 



If, however, not so large as many of its predecessors, it was certainly one of 

 the best arranged and most enjoyable of recent years. This was principally due 

 to the whole length of the nave having been placed once more at the disposal of 

 the society, and to the new plan of dividing the exhibits in the amateur and trade 

 classes into distinct sections. The best rose show of the year was undoubtedly 

 that at Halifax, where 4,100 blooms of "exhibition" roses alone were staged, 

 making this the most extensive show — with the exception of that at Birmingham in 

 1890— that has ever been held by the society in the provinces. At all three exhi- 

 bitions the attendance of visitors was unusually large. 



The conferences held in connection with the Bath and Halifax Shows were most 

 successful. Two excellent papers were read, one by Mr W. F. Cooling, and the 

 other by Mr. G. Paul, followed in each case by an interesting and animated discus- 

 sion. To the authors of those papers the thanks of the committee are due, as well 

 as to Mr. R. B. Cater and the Venerable Archdeacon Brooke for presiding at the 

 conferences. 



The sale of the society's publications during the year has been again very satis- 

 factory, and especially that of the " Hints on Planting Roses." The first edition 

 of these "Hints" having become exhausted, a new and revised edition was 

 printed, and has recently been distributed to the members with the report of the 

 two rose conferences. 



It is with deep regret the committee have to record the untimely death of Mr. 

 Rivers H. Langton, one of its members, and a constant exhibitor at the society's 

 exhibitions. A challenge cup, subscribed for to his memory, was offered at the 

 Crystal Palace Show as the first prize in a class in which he himself had so often 

 successfully competed— viz., that for suburban grown roses. 



Finance, 



The committee congratulate the members upon the present satisfactory financial 

 position of the society. The amount in hand at the beginning of the year was 

 &39 18s. 7d., and now at its close there remained ,£86 16s. iod. to carry forward 

 to the next account, the total expenditure having been ^719 17s. 2d., while the 

 aggregate receipts, including last year's balance, amounted to,£8D6 14s. Although 

 more than the usual number of changes have taken place in the personnel of the 

 non-exhibiting members, the amount received in subscriptions has on only three 

 previous occasions been exceeded. This is the more encouraging, as in the Jubilee 

 year of 1897 there was a considerable falling off in this important source of income 

 as compared with the preceding year. 



Arrangements for 1899. 



No application having been received from any northern town for the society to 

 visit it in 1899, there will be only two exhibitions next year — a metropolitan and 

 a . P r °vincial show. This the committee cannot but regard as rather a fortunate 

 circumstance than otherwise, for had three shows been as usual held it would have 

 wen impossible to bring out the new edition of the "Official Catalogue of Exhibi- 

 ion and Garden Roses," v hich it is proposed should be issued next year, without 

 ^sorting to the undesirable practice of calling upon the members to contribute to 

 a Sp £? lal fund ^ defray the cost of its publication. 



r T k e metropolitan exhibition will be held, as usual, at the Crystal Palace on the 

 ■TO Saturday in July, while the provincial show will take place at Colchester, in 

 ^njunction with the Colchester Rose and Horticultural Society, on the following 

 1 0 £ rs , y» J u 'y ^' 1° order that the early-flowering roses be not altogether over- 

 bed, it has been decided to offer, on June 27, a few prizes at the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's Rose Show, which will be held at their Exhibition Hall in James 

 ^eet, Westminster. 



0 fr^ committee will shortly be formed to prepare the new edition of the society's 

 cial catalogue of exhibition and garden roses, which will be issued to members 

 du nng the autumn of 1899. 



Members' Privileges. 



™ * * x a. 1 » . » * — — — 



four eiS su ' )SC "bing £l will, as usual, be entitled to two private view and 

 publ" transfe . ra b ,e tickets, the latter admitting at the same time as the general 

 ferahl^ su ' DSCr ^ ers °f I0S - are entitled to one private view and two trans- 



exhihv tlc ^ ets# Each of these tickets is available for any one of the society's 

 uipitions. Members joining the society for the first tim * ~' " 



^ive copies of the following publications: The "Official C 

 Rn^f^ Garden Roses," the supplement to that catalogue, «' 



&d Garden Roses," the supplement to that catalogue, " Hints on Planting 

 Conf ' " Prize Essa y on the Hybridisation of Roses," the u Report of the 

 ^cki etlCeS ° n Prunin g and Exhibiting Roses," as well as the new edition of the 

 th* .u catal °g u e, as soon as issued. Members alone are allowed to compete at 



C J? 0WS of the society. 

 th e c 6 Co ?\ mitte€ tender their hearty thanks to all the donors of special prizes, 

 the j 011 ?^^ 0115 for which have contributed so much to the interest and extent of 

 1 l , let y s exhibitions, and especially to that at the Crystal Palace. Among 

 fitth t°*, n0r f may menti °ned the Right Hon. Lord Penzance, the Mayor of 

 ^ a *tsa\ J; enera b' e Archdeacon Brooke, Mr. C. J. Grahame, and Captain 



■Mr k y p o hdr thanks 



are also due to their local secretaries, and especially to 



*h05* e • er * of Bath » and Mr - R - Fole y Hobbs » of Worcester, through 

 I* veai* eni ? ns a £ 00( * man y new members were obtained for the society during 



* ; while Mr. G. W. Cook has aaain done excellent service. 



BALANCE SHEET. 



Receipts. 



Balance at bankers December 1, 1897 

 Subscriptions 



Affiliation fees and for medals from Affiliated Societies 

 Received from Bath ... 



• • • 



99 

 99 



9 » 



99 

 99 



Crystal Palace Company 

 Halifax 



for special prizes 

 Sale of publications 

 Advertisements 

 Testing rose soils 



a • • 



• t « 



• ■ * 



« 1 1 



• • * 



• • • 



• ■ 



• • • 



• • • 



« 9 



• • • 



• • t 



• ft • 



ft • • 



ft ft ft 



• • ft 



ft • ft 



t I • 



• • ft 



t ft ft 



• • ft 



ft ft ft 



ft • ft 



• ft ft) 



£39 18 



372 



68 



ft ■ ft 



ft • ft 



50 

 92 



55 



6 

 11 



11 



17 



o 



o 

 o 



II 



7 

 2 



7 



6 

 6 



o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 II 



6 



5 5 o 



• • ■ 



99 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



» • • 



a • • 



• • « 



• • ft 



• • « 



• • • 



Expenditure. 

 Printing, stationery, and advertising... 

 Postage, telegrams, and sundry expenses ... 

 Secretary's travelling expenses to arrange sho ws 

 Expenses Bath Show 



Crystal Palace Show 

 Halifax Show 

 Medals 



,, for affiliated societies... 

 Prizes, Bath Show 



Crystal Palace Show.- 

 Halifax Show ... 

 Purchase of plate for prizes 

 Assistant secretary and accountant . 

 Balance at bankers 



• • « 



• • • 



• • • 



11 

 31 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



• « • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



1 • t 



• • • 



• • • 



» t ■ 



■ * * 



• • « 



• • 4 



• •4 



• ft • 



• t a 



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a • « 



■ aft 



a • a 



• ft a 



■ • ■ 



t 1 • 



• • • 



■ ft ft 



■ ■ • 



ft » • 



^806 14 



0 



• £74 10 



2 



48 0 



2 





2 



7 11 



0 



11 8 



0 



2 9 



6 



29 15 



2 



54 3 



6 



72 0 



0 



204 s 



0 



166 s 



0 



17 16 



6 



30 0 



0 



86 16 



10 



^806 14 



0 



T. B. Haywood, Hon. Treasurer. 

 J. D. Pawle, \ 

 F. T. Wollaston,/ 



Auditors. 



b A resolution to the effect that the report and financial statement be adopted, 

 printed, and circulated was moved by the Chairman, who considered that the 

 report was one upon which they could congratulate themselves, excepting that two 

 of the 1898 shows were rather smaller ones than usual. He thought, however, 

 the lack of display was amply made up for by the conferences ; he was glad to 

 find the society's literature was so much appreciated that the " Hints on Planting " 

 had to go into a further edition. He did not deprecate the lack of one show in 

 1899 — two instead of three — for it enabled the society to be rather more liberal 

 than usual. He was satisfied that the society was ably conducted, and retained 

 the services of its able hon. secretaries, Rev. H. H. d'Ombrain and Mr. E- 

 Mawley. The adoption of the report was seconded by Mr. Frank Cant. The 

 Rev. J. H. Pemberton was sorry that there was to be no northern show in 1899, 

 and considered this somewhat of a misfortune ; he even wondered whether the 

 northern rose growers were becoming lukewarm. He thought the N.R.S. should 

 n >t subsidise other societies. The Rev. H. H. d'Ombrain stated there were only 

 about twenty outstanding subscriptions. With respect to a northern show, he 

 knew of no large amateur rose grower in the north, and that was the reason why 

 no invitation bad been received for a northern provincial exhibition in 1898. 



Mr. A. Foley Hobbs proposed, and Mr, F. W. Campion seconded the pro- 

 position, r< That the thanks of the society be given to the officers and other 

 members of the committee for their services during the year." This was carried, 

 and responded to by the Rev. H. H. d'Ombrain, who eulogised Mr. Mawley's 

 efforts with regard to the conferences. 



Mr. George Paul proposed a new regulation, as follows : In the three trophy 

 classes at the metropolitan exhibition, and in the two trophy classes at the provincial 

 exhibition, the blooms must be staged in boxes of the following dimensions, viz. : 

 Twenty-four blooms in boxes 3 ft. 6 in, long by 1 ft. 6 in. wide, and eighteen 

 blooms in boxes 2 ft. 9 in. long by 1 ft. 6 in, wide, all outside measurements." 

 This regulation, he said, needed little explanation, as it made a provision by which 

 all competitors in trophy classes mentioned should compete on an equality as 

 regards the spacing of the blooms. Mr. Frank Cant seconded the proposition, 

 considering it also enabled the blooms to be staged so that their labels could be 

 distinctly read by visitors. The Rev. J. H. Pemberton could not agree entirely 

 with the proposed new regulation, as he objected to anything that would appear 

 as if the society did not know its own mind with respect to the size of boxes. He 

 therefore proposed as an amendment that Rule 18 should read : M Exhibition 

 stands should be of the regulation size, namely, four inches high in front and 

 not more than eighteen inches wide, and be set out with moss or other suitable 

 material. They should also be of an uniform length, namely : For twenty-four 

 blooms, not less than 3 ft., nor more than 3 ft. 6 in. ; for eighteen blooms, 

 not less than 2 ft. 9 in., nor more than 3 ft. ; for twelve blooms, not less than 

 1 ft. 6 in. , nor more than 2 ft. ; for six or nine blooms, not less than 1 ft. , nor more 

 than 1 ft. 6 in." In addition to this, he proposed that the new regulation should 

 read : " In the three trophy classes at the metropolitan exhibition and in the two 

 trophy classes at the provincial exhibition the blooms must be staged in boxes of 

 the regulation size as set forth in Regulation 18 as amended." Messrs. Mawley, 

 F. Cant, C. Cant, and O. G. Orpen took part in the discussion that followed, 

 Mr. Orpen rather objecting to the mathematical precision proposed for the sizes of 

 Showboxes. Mr. G. Paul thought an error of a quarter of an inch should not 

 disqualify, but an error of an inch he would consider a wilful infringement of the 

 regulation, and deserving of disqualification. The Chairman pointed out that 

 such small deviations from the proposed fixed sizes as one-eighth or one- 

 quarter of an inch would not necessarily be wilful digression, and would 

 doubtless be treated by the judges in a common-sense manner. After a little more 

 discussion the amendment was put, with the result that ten voted for and eighteen 

 against it. Mr. Pemberton was desirous of bringing forward another amendment, 

 but this was not considered convenient. The proposal of Mr. G. Paul was then 

 put to the meeting, and carried by nineteen votes against five. The committee 

 was given power to add a notice that other sizes than those fixed would disqualify 

 a competitor. 



Mr. Landon expressed his dissatisfaction with the new regulation as passed, 

 and proposed that the committee insert a notice in the forthcoming schedule to 

 the effect that the new regulation and fixed sizes for show boxes were experimental, 

 and the experiment was being made with a view to eventually fixing sizes for 

 boxes throughout the competitions of the N.R.S. This suggestion, together with 

 one that the committee shall meet and thoroughly consider the question of 

 uniformity of size in show boxes for roses, was agreed to. 



The scrutineers stated that the house list of officers bad been accepted. Th« 

 Hon. Secretary gave out that the Southern Provincial Show of 1900 would be 



