ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. CCXXiii 



■ Mr. G. G. Hamilton, F.E.C.S., Hon. Secretary and delegate from 

 the Bournemouth Horticultural Society, then gave an exhibition of his 

 remarkable series of photographs in colour of gardens and plants in 

 the neighbourhood of Bournemouth and the New Forest. These were 

 greatly appreciated. A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. 

 Hamilton. 



The next item on the Agenda — viz., ** How to Attract Young Men 

 to Attend Meetings of Mutual Improvement Societies " — produced an 

 interesting discussion. The general idea was that the many counter- 

 attractions, in towns and cities especially, were an opposing influence 

 to attendance at such meetings. Nevertheless, a great many societies 

 had an appreciable number of young men attached to them who 

 were kept interested by being invited to take an active part in the 

 proceedings. Papers were read by them, and prizes awarded according 

 to merit; they were encouraged to express their opinions on subjects 

 discussed ; gardening literature was available for their reading ; head 

 gardeners did their best to interest young men and to benefit them by 

 imparting information ; and generally their identification with the aims 

 and objects of the Society was steadily kept in view. The subscriptians 

 for the younger men were stated to range from Is. to 2s. Qd. per 

 annum. 



The Chairman suggested that wherever public and village libraries 

 existed they might be asked to provide a few standard horticultural 

 works for reference, and that in country places small horticultural 

 libraries might be gradually formed. 



It was stated that the Oroydon Mutual Improvement Society was 

 accustomed to borrow books from the public library on the subject of 

 an evening's lecture for the reference of members on such occasions, 

 and frequently collections of horticultural books were brought together 

 and inspected by members. By such means it was thought the value 

 of mutual improvement societies would be more highly appreciated by 

 young gardeners. 



Mr. Bullen read a short paper on the difficulties met with by the 

 Guildford Society in the matter of admitting women gardeners to 

 membership. The opinion of the Conference was that each society 

 should decide for itself the best course to pursue in the matter. 



Mr. Jay briefly recounted what the Garden Club of the St. Barna- 

 bas, Sutton, Society was doing, and invited information from other 

 districts. He said that the object of the club was to help allotment- 

 holders and others cultivating land to procure manure, seeds, and garden 

 requisites as easily as possible and on the best terms. His society 

 had, three months ago, started a club called the Seed, Manure, and 

 Deposit Club. Members have only to pay ^d. for their entrance fee 

 and card of membership, which contains the rules of the club, &c., 

 and spaces in which the amounts deposited and withdrawn are entered. 

 The Secretary of the club, with assistants, collects any money (fre- 

 quently quite a few pence) the members may have to spare when they 

 get their pay, enters the amount deposited on their cards and in his 



