xviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Society's lectures and shows in the new Hall and elsewhere. A small 

 horticultural library is attached to the Gardens for their use. Every 

 opportunity and encouragement is given to students who use application, 

 to master the whole of the general subject of practical horticulture, and as 

 soon as a scientific department can be established elementary science as 

 it affects horticulture will be added to the curriculum. More than 90 per 

 cent, of the old garden-students are doing well. The Council are quite 

 unable to meet the applications for energetic, trustworthy young men, but 

 they must all he luorhers. During the past year applications were received 

 for thirty-four head gardeners, seven single-handed gardeners, twelve fore- 

 men, nine journeymen, and for many miscellaneous men, such as nursery 

 foreinen, landscape gardeners, propagators, &c. In the great majority of 

 cases the applicants were supplied with suitable men. 



33. Distribution of Plants.— The Council wdsh to draw the atten- 

 tion of Fellows to the way in which the annual distribution of surplus 

 plants has arisen. In a large garden there must always be a great deal of 

 surplus stock which must either be given away or go to the waste heap. 

 A few Fellows noticing this, asked for plants which would otherwise be 

 discarded ; and they valued what was so obtained. Others hearing of it 

 asked for a share, until the Council felt they must either systematise this 

 haphazard distribution or else put a stop to it altogether. To take the 

 latter step seemed undesirable. Why should not such Fellows have them 

 as cared to receive such surplus plants ? It was therefore decided to keep 

 all plants till the early spring, and then give all Fellows alike the option 

 of claiming a share of them by ballot. The following points should there- 

 fore be borne in mind : — (1) It is only surplus plants which are available. 

 (2) There is no pretence made of their being either valuable or rare, 

 though undoubtedly some are not usually met with. (3) As a general 

 rule they are only small plants. 



Fellows travelling or having correspondents abroad are requested to 

 forward to the Society any rare or curious seeds, cuttings, or plants they 

 may have to spare. 



34. The Meteorolog'ical Station, — The meteorological observations 

 which w^ere initiated in 1825 at the Chiswick Gardens, and are therefore 

 the oldest series in the metropolitan area, are now^ being carried on at 

 Wisley wdth a station which is regarded as one of the finest in the 

 Kingdom as regards both its situation and its equipment. The annual 

 records are published in the Society's Journal. 



35. Gifts to the Garden. — Besides the microscopes already men- 

 tioned, Mr. J. Willing has given a most useful waggonette ; and in 

 addition to the presentation by the leading nurserymen of the selections 

 of fruit-trees mentioned in the last Annual Report, the Society has also 

 received fine collections of flowering shrubs from the Director of the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, and from the following firms :— Messrs. Bunyard, Cripps, 

 Jackman, Notcutt, R. Smith, Jas. Veitch, Anthony Waterer, and John 

 Waterer. Representative Collections of Roses have been presented by 

 Messrs. Bunyard, B. Cant, Frank Cant, Dickson's (Chester), A. Dickson, 

 Mount, Paul (Cheshunt), Wm. Paul (Waltham Cross), Prince, and 



