CCVi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



affiliated (wHich it is not necessary I should enumerate), plus, and free 

 gratis, enrolment and membership in the Union of Horticultural Mutual 

 Improvement Societies. Beckenham, therefore, has no grievance; 

 and I wish it to be thoroughly understood that anything I may say is 

 in no captious spirit. 



The President and Council of the Eoyal Horticultural Society have 

 been good enough to acknowledge the good work done by Mutual 

 Improvement Societies, with an expression of the desire to promote 

 and assist them in every reasonable way. 



They have also drawn up a code of regulations, published in the 

 Book of Arrangements for the current year, which include a register 

 of societies and a register of lecturers, with copies of the rules and 

 syllabus of each society in union, which are kept open for inspection 

 by the secretary of any society in union on application to the Secre- 

 tary. Printed lectures are also offered on hire, at fees ranging from 

 3s. to 7s. 6i. each lecture, with or without lantern slides. 



To sum up, union as at present constituted means : that each 

 individual society shall separately join itself, on defined conditions — 

 viz., affiliation or union — with the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 



Association in any degree with a Society holding, as it does, such 

 a supreme position in the horticultural world cannot be over-estimated, 

 yet I venture to think union should mean even something more than 

 that. 



The Beckenham and Croydon Societies are each affiliated, and they 

 are therefore enrolled in the Union of Horticultural Mutual Improve- 

 ment Societies. Each holds meetings regularly for lectures and | 

 discussion. I believe Croydon meets on Tuesday evenings, and Becken- j 

 ham on Fridays. The places of meeting are only four miles apart, j 

 Visits have occasionally been made, when some special subject has | 

 been introduced, and then by direct, or special invitation. Since the 

 mtroduction of "Union," I have never heard any suggestion for 

 freer intercommunication. 



The question I should particularly like to raise is : Why should not 

 every member of any society in the Union have the privilege of attend- 

 ing any lectures or discussions of any society similarly enrolled? 

 Personally I think this is the least union should mean. 



Under the regulations — page 93, Book of Arrangements — No. I. 

 reads : ' ' That a register of Horticultural Mutual Improvement Societies 

 shall be kept at Vincent Square "; and No. III. : " That a copy of 

 the Eules and Eegulations and of the current season's Arrangements 

 or Syllabus of each Mutual Improvement Society shall be kept at 

 Vincent Square." Quite right; but why, I should hke to ask, at 

 Vincent Square only ? 



There are now eight societies in union. If each society posted its 

 complete rules and regulations, with current season's arrangements, 

 to the other seven societies — the sole cost need not be more than 7d. 

 for postage — a mutual interest would at once be created, and the fusion 

 of the aims and interests of eight societies who are now possibly 



