CCviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of affiliation. Whilst agreeing with much that Mr. Webster had said, 

 he could not help feeling that he had rather mixed up the two very 

 distinct subjects of affiliation with the R.H.S., and the Union of and 

 between Mutual Improvement Societies. He thought it was impos- 

 sible for thcR.H.S. to make a rule admitting members of one Society 

 to the meetings of another Society to which they did not subscribe. 

 That was a question entirely for the societies themselves. The R.H.S. 

 Library is open for members of allied ' societies to consult the books 

 therein, under the rules of the Library; a circulating library was a 

 question which he must bring before the Council. 



[Extract from the Minutes of the Council; meeting held on 

 October 24, 1911: — 



" The Secretary reported that the Affiliated Societies' Conference 

 " had been quite satisfactory. The Conference requested the Council 

 ' ' to establish a circulating library for their use. The Council 

 * ' thought that over three hundred societies applying for the volumes 

 " would lead to a demand which it would be difficult to deal with. 

 " They therefore regretted to be unable to comply with this 

 ''request."] 



The names and addresses of the lecturers appearing in the official 

 list had been furnished by the affiliated societies themselves, in response 

 to a circular issued by the E.H.S. asking that " only the names of 

 GOOD LECTUREES should be given." As regards the limitation of the 

 benefits afforded to " societies in union," as compared with those in 

 " affiliation," it must be remembered that the privileges held by the 

 former were framed and accepted at the first Conference held in 1907, 

 and were added to the privileges of societies ' ' affiliated ' ' at the express 

 request of the Conference. He promised to reconsider the prices for 

 the hire of lantern slides, although he had not any very sanguine hope 

 that a revision would create any greater demand. I 



The Chairman being compelled to leave, Mr. James Douglas, [ 

 V.M.H., here took the chair. i 



4. County Flower Shows. — ^Mr. Cawte, introducing this subject, I 

 thought that it would be very helpful to horticulture in the provinces 

 if occasionally the summer show in London were forgone in favour 

 of a show at important provincial centres, and outlined a scheme 

 for the formation of committees composed of members of the horti- 

 cultural societies in the areas concerned, the finances to be drawn 

 from residents in such areas, the R.H.S. to extend its support and 

 award its medals. Discussion following showed (1) the difficulty 

 of arranging meetings of committees in wide-spreading districts; 

 (2) the confusion arising in all quarters from the interruption at 

 midsummer of the Society's regular fortnightly sequence of shows; 

 and (3) the discouraging effect of the ever-increasing demands upon the j , 

 pockets of landowners and other plant-loving people. II 



The Chairman replied that the R.H.S. entertained most favourable 1 

 feelings towards flower shows in the provinces, and frequently (when jlfi 



