iv PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
' of Cardiff and the neighbourhood greatly appreciated the efforts the Society 
made by holding its Summer Meeting in that city. Those Members of the 
Council who attended the Meeting are not likely to forget the kindly welcome and 
great hospitality extended to them by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff and by the 
Committee of the local Horticultural Society. 
6. Deputations. — Deputations from the Council were sent to York and to Lich- 
field. The Gala at the former was as well organized as usual, and provided a mag- 
nificent display of flowers and fruit, while at Lichfield the Deputation was able to 
be present at the Centenary of the local Society. On both occasions the Deputa- 
tions were most hospitably entertained by the local officials. 
7. Next Year's Meetings. — For some time it has been increasingly evident 
that every effort must be made to obviate the overcrowding which now occurs 
in the Hall at certain times of the year. It is with this object that the Council 
has decided to extend the Meetings held during April, May, and June to a second 
day, in order to give those Fellows who wish to examine the exhibits at their 
leisure an opportunity of coming at the time when the Hall will not be crowded. 
8. Show Vegetables. — The experience of this year's Vegetable Meeting and 
knowledge of the awards made at provincial shows have convinced the Council 
that the time has come to make an effort to reform the system of judging at 
Vegetable Shows. Vegetables are primarily grown to be eaten and not to be 
shown, and it has, therefore, been decided to encourage at all future Shows the 
exhibition of those tender, shapely specimens of moderate size which chefs and 
cooks rightly prefer to the monstrosities which often appear on the show table. 
9. Lectures. — Owing to the fact that many Fellows are prevented by their 
business engagements from coming to the Hall at 3 p.m., it has been decided to 
try the experiment of postponing the lectures to 5 p.m., from April to September, 
an arrangement which it is hoped will give such Fellows an opportunity of 
attending. 
It is also proposed to substitute occasionally for the formal lecture an informal 
conference on plants in flower or fruit at the time. Fellows are invited to bring 
to these meetings any interesting plants from their gardens and to explain to 
those present their peculiarities and the best methods of cultivating them. For 
instance, at an October Meeting there will be a small conference of this kind on 
Berberis, at which an effort will be made to have a display of all the best species 
in fruit at that season, together with any forms as to which there is doubt. The 
help of the Fellows of the Society is cordially invited in this attempt to make its 
meetings more interesting and profitable. 
10. Hall Renovation. — During the year the long-delayed cleaning and re- 
painting of the Hall has been carried out. The building has also been for the 
most part restored to the condition in which it was handed over to the Australian 
Imperial Force. No compensation for that occupation has yet been received 
from the War Office authorities, but it is hoped that before long the Society's 
claim will be satisfied. 
11. Railway Rates for Horticultural Produce. — During this year the Society 
made a determined effort, both by holding a Meeting at Vincent Square, and by 
sending its representatives to other meetings, to induce the Railways to adopt a 
more reasonable attitude than that which they at first assumed with regard to 
the carriage of plants in pots. The Council is glad to say that in the end an 
arrangement was reached at a final meeting at the Railway Clearing House at 
which the Railways made concessions and at which rates were agreed upon which, 
even if they represented a considerable advance on those formerly enforced, were 
at any rate far less onerous than those which the Railways at first sought^to 
impose. 
12. New Cups. — Two new Challenge Cups have been presented to the Society, 
the Sherwood Cup by the Sherwood family in memory of N. N. Sherwood and a 
silver-gilt model of the " Warwick Vase " by Mrs. L. Jones Bateman of Abergele. 
13. New Plants. — At each Meeting during the year an attempt has been made 
to bring together in one place all the new plants, fruits, and vegetables which 
have received on that occasion an Award of Merit or a First Class Certificate. 
It was felt that Fellows would appreciate the opportunity of finding all the 
novelties grouped together instead of having to search for them among the 
