sisters of the Rye Club for all trouble they had taken and the fatigue 
they had undergone for our pleasure but most of all for their gracious 
cordiaHty and friendly ways. 
This experiment of having a Hospitality Committee for the New 
York meeting has been hailed by all who experienced its open arms 
as a most unquahfied success. There were many more beds and autos 
offered than were used; but those who visited and those who enter- 
tained, thoroughly enjoyed themselves and many deUghtful garden 
friendships will be dated from this meeting. A. G. H. 
Our First International Alliance 
It was my great pleasure last summer, while in England, to repre- 
sent the Garden Club or America and thus have the opportunity 
to meet both the former Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
the Reverend Mr. Wilkes, and the present incumbent of that impor- 
tant oflSce, Mr. Dykes. The former developed the Royal Horti- 
cultural Society from a small organization to its present importance 
and usefulness. 
It is to Mr. Wilkes that we are indebted for the Shirley Poppy. 
Mr. Dykes is constantly broadening the influence and scope of 
the Royal Horticultural Society's work; his achievement has been 
the successful experimentation with and development of the Iris, his 
knowledge of which is authoritative. This work he has now given up 
in order to devote his entire time to his duties as Secretary of the 
Royal Horticultural Society. 
Both Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Dykes were most cordial and appeared 
much interested in the suggested co-operation with the Garden 
Club of America, and have proffered their aid and experience 
in promoting mutual understandings and friendly relations between 
English and American garden lovers. 
In the report of the Annual Meeting you will read the minutes 
passed by their Board at its November meeting, welcoming the sug- 
gested co-operation and cordially inviting us to attend the exhibitions 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, which are held frequently and at 
which are to be seen all the new things brought out by English com- 
mercial growers. These Shows are held for the mutual benefit of the 
members of the Society and are intended, among other things, to 
encourage the development of new varieties which may there be 
inspected and studied before they are put on the market. They also 
invite us to visit at any time their gardens at Wisley, and will try to 
arrange visits to some of the private gardens of England by means of 
applications made to them through your Committee on International 
Relations. We do not wish to tax their courtesy too greatly, but all 
of us who can avail ourselves of it will, I know, dehght in an op- 
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