THE society's WELCOME TO JAPANESE HORTICULTURISTS. 421 



country in the entrancing delights of horticulture which we all so 

 widely share. 



Lieut. -Colonel Sir Albert Eollit, LL.D., proposed "The Pre- 

 sident." He said: 



His Excellency the Japanese Ambassador has helped me by his 

 allusions to the President, and, indeed, the toast requires no advocacy, 

 and might well be submitted as a toast without words. I heartily 

 appreciate the very kind expressions of his Excellency towards 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society and its President, and, recipro- 

 cally, I wish every success for the Japan-British Exhibition, It 

 is most splendid in its display of the artistic products of Japan, and 

 owes much to the exertions and interest of his Excellency, as 

 also of Count Mutsui, whose absence we all deeply regret and to 

 whose return in good health and strength we look forward most 

 hopefully. Baron Oura, too, we most cordially welcome as a Minister 

 of Japan and the President of the Japanese Section of the Exhibition. 

 The presentation of Japanese art is resplendent, and gives a blow to a 

 report of a Japanese commission, which was said to have declared that 

 art is asleep in Japan and dead in Europe. The Exhibition shows 

 that the highest art is very much alive, and in this it is typical of 

 the British-Japan Alliance, which sealed the comity of the two island 

 peoples of East and West, and contributed to the peace and progress of 

 the old world. May the Alliance flourish for ever, to speak horticul- 

 turally, root and branches. We owe much in the art of landscape 

 gardening and in culture to Old Japan. Some seem to suppose that 

 Japanese culture had suddenly sprung into life in the last quarter of a 

 century. But Japan flourished under the same dynasty as to-day when 

 Ancient Greece was in the plenitude of her power ; when Eomulus and 

 Eemus werp jumping over the rising walls of Eome ; and when we were 

 very Ancient Britons bedaubed with many colours both on our bodies and 

 our characters — indeed, Japan is as ancient as Nebuchadnezzar and as 

 the Garden of Eden, and perhaps more so. In gardens and gardening 

 she has given us artistic ideas and exquisite plants, examples of which 

 may be seen in the Japanese Exhibition, in the Holland House Grounds 

 (for the use of which we are all so indebted to Lady Ilphester), at 

 Gunnersbury and elsewhere. 



The Eoyal Horticultural Society has had varying fortunes, but now, 

 by exhibitions, teaching, and research, it is most prosperous, and this 

 is, in a very great measure, due to organization by the President. His 

 labours have contributed profoundly to the present love of gardening, 

 and I ask you to drink his health, and sound the alliance between the 

 two Empires by joining British cheers with Japanese banzais. (Banzais 

 and cheers.) 



The President, acknowledging the toast, said: I am much obliged 

 for the very kind way Sir Albert Eollit has proposed my health. You 

 know Sir Albert makeg admirable speeches, but he has one defect — 



