xii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Competition and How to Meet it," "Fungoid and Insect Pests," " Land 

 Tenure and Rating Difficulties," "Railway Grievances/' and "the 

 Proposed Establishment of an Experimental Fruit Farm by the Board of 

 Agriculture." The Conference attracted considerable attention and was 

 well attended. The papers read, and a complete illustrated report of the 

 discussion, mil be published as a separate Volume of the Society's 

 JouBNAL early in the spring of 1906. 



29. Special Orchid Classes in 1906.— At the suggestion of the 



Orchid Committee the Council have adopted a scheme which they hope 

 will have the effect during the ensuing year of inducing Orchid growers, 

 both large and small, amateur and professional, to exhibit their already 

 certificated and other choice varieties at the fortnightly Shows of the 

 Society. Without in any way wishing to alter or curtail the Exhibits as 

 at present shown, ivhich they hope will be continued exactly as they are 

 now, they propose to award additional Diplomas to plants of exceptional 

 merit staged in one group. This group will be composed of all the 

 Exhibits duly entered for this special competition in accordance with the 

 schedule. They hope that by this means groups may be brought together 

 representing as far as possible all the varieties of the particular species 

 decided upon for exhibition on each occasion, together with the hybrids 

 having that species as one of their parents. At the same time the 

 Society's paintings of the species, and hybrids therefrom, to which awards 

 have already been given, will be exhibited. They believe that these 

 exhibits will have a great educational value to hybridists, orchidists, and 

 the Fellows generally, and they rely upon all Orchid growers to assist 

 them in making the exhibit as complete as possible. Full particulars will 

 be found in the Book of Arrangements for 1906, pages 57-60. 



30. International Conference on Plant Breeding^. — Very 



successful Conferences on Plant Breeding, whether by hybridisation or 

 by cross-fertilisation, have been held already, one in London under the 

 Society's auspices in 1899, and a second in New York under the auspices 

 of the Horticultural Society of New York, U.S.A., in 1902. A third has 

 now been arranged by the Council to take place in London, commencing 

 on July 30, and concluding on August 3, 1906. 



It is felt that such Conferences afford an unusually good opportunity 

 for scientific and practical men to become acquainted with each other's 

 methods and ideas, and it is hoped that representatives of both classes of 

 students will respond to this invitation to take part in the proceedings. 



The programme, as far as at present arranged, is as follows : — 



Monday, July 30. 



9 P.M. Conversazione in the Society's Great Hall. 



9.30. Address of Welcome by the President of the Society, Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence, Bart., K.C.V.O., Y.M.H., &c. 



10. Lantern slides of various hybrids. The loan of any interesting 

 slides would be greatly esteemed. 



Refreshments will be served during the evening. 



The price of tickets for the Conversazione will be, to Fellows, 2s. Qtd. 



