CCXxii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPOET OF THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF AFFILIATED 

 SOCIETIES AND OF THE UNION OF MUTUAL IMPROVE- 

 MENT SOCIETIES. 



OCTOBEE 11, 1912. 



Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., V.M.H., in the Chair. 



The Chairman welcomed the 124 delegates in the name of the 

 Council, and expressed the Secretary's regret that he was unable to be 

 present; whereupon the delegates requested that their appreciation 

 be conveyed to him for the work done for the R.H.S. and kindred 

 societies in the past, and their hope that he would long be able bo 

 continue his valuable services to horticulture. 



Sir Daniel called attention to the new series of printed lectures 

 drawn up for the use of af&liated societies. These were as follows : 

 (1) Knowledge and Work in Gardening; (2) Tuberous-rooted Crops, 

 mainly Potatos; (3) Tap- and Bulbous-rooted Crops; (4) Hearting, 

 Leaf, and Salad Vegetables; (5) Stem-crop Vegetables, Herbs, &c. ; 

 (6) Pod-bearing and Edible- fruited Crops; (7) Fruit for Cottagers; 

 (8) Plants and Flowers for Cottagers ; (9) The Flora of the Chatham 

 Islands, by Captain A. Dorrien-Smith ; (10) Plants for a Warm Corner, 

 by Mr. R. I. Lynch, M.A. Nos. 9 and 10 have accompanying lantern 

 slides. 



Attention was also drawn to the sets of printed cards for use 

 at shows held under the auspices of affiliated societies, indicating 

 points of excellence in exhibits of vegetables, the intention being that 

 the cards should be put up conspicuously at every show amongst the 

 exhibits referred to, so that visitors, instead of viewing exhibits with 

 little or no idea of what constitutes excellence, will have before them 

 the ** points " from a judge's standard. Thus they will see for them- 

 selves where an exhibit has succeeded or failed, and in what direction 

 their own efforts should be turned if they are to become prize-winners. 

 These cards are issued at Is. the set of 25. 



It was hoped that the offer of a silver cup for exhibits by affiliated 

 societies, consisting of groups of hardy herbaceous flowers, at the 

 Summer Shows at Holland Park would bring forward keen com- 

 petition. Full particulars are to be found in the R.H.S. " Book of 

 Arrangements " for 1912, page 68. 



The following results of the 1912 Competition for the Affiliated 

 Societies' Challenge Cup for Apples and Pears were announced: — 



First: Ipswich and District Society. Having won the cup in 1911, 

 under the regulations a smaller cup was awarded. 



Second : East AngHan Society. Having won the cup in 1910, under 

 the regulations the Society was ineligible for the Challenge 

 Cup, and was awarded the 2nd Prize (Silver-gilt Banksian 

 Medal). 



Third: Colchester Society. Awarded the Affiliated Societies' Cup. 



