February 25, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
149 
attached to such meetings, that instead of the meetings being held 
monthly they should be held fortnightly. This remark met with much 
applause. The Chairman briefly replied, and the proceedings terminated. 
—E. P. E. 
The National Eose Society, 
It is rather late to comment on the proceedings at the general 
meeting of the N.R.S. on December 9th last, but I must plead a long 
and serious illness as my excuse, as I think there are some matters which 
are still of considerable interest, and worthy of ventilation, it was a 
large and noteworthy meeting, and one or two good speeches were 
delivered ; but for “ the eloquential aspect ” of our Society it was 
desirable to remain to the dinner and hear our President, Dean Hole, 
who is truly a past-master in the art of saying the right thing in the 
best manner, and it was with a painful pleasure, but still with pleasure, 
that one, who felt he had most sadly mangled his own subjects, and 
done injustice to his own cause, listened to him. Besides the usual 
business, there were two subjects for discussion, on each of which there 
was some interest displayed, and a considerable difference of opinion 
apparent; and I think it is long since there have been two such well- 
supported and well-balanced divisions. 
On the question of the date of the Metropolitan Show, I still think 
the report should certainly have been worded as it was amended in 
General Committee ; but there seemed and seems to be a good deal of 
uncertainty as to what are the functions of the General Committee in 
dealing with the matters which come before it from the Executive, and 
whether it may alter them at all; and on the other hand I have lately 
heard a complaint from a member of the Executive that the General 
Committee had left them nothing to do. It seems very desirable that 
the constitution of the Society should be wisely laid and clearly defined, 
and when any alteration is made I would beg that members at a distance 
from London should be allowed some power of voting by proxy or 
letter on any prominent subject like those lately in debate. I did not 
hear what were the numbers in the division on the question of date, the 
show of hands looked pretty equal from where I was ; but a good many 
members had written to me that they preferred the later date, but could 
not come a long distance to vote ; and there is a strong feeling arising 
among the distant country members that if it is to continue to be called 
a “National” and not a “Metropolitan and Home Counties” Eose 
Society, they must not be practically disfranchised in general and 
Committee meetings, _ 
Mr. Grahame spoke temperately on his motion, and he was ably 
supported in a capital speech by Mr. Bateman, but somehow I made 
a terrible hash of mine, quite forgetting one of my principal points, 
and not succeeding in getting my amendment put to the meeting at 
all. I do not know how this was—the substance of the amendment 
was cheered and seemed to meet with the approval of the meeting; 
and, moreover, it was actually, I believe, the decision of the Executive 
Committee upon the subject; but I was induced to accept an assurance 
that the Committee would consider it, and though I did my best to show 
that they could not do so, if Mr. Grahame’s motion was carried, I was 
unable to gain a hearing on that point. The best chairman that ever 
lived will find it difficult to disentangle matters if he arrives in the 
middle of the business. 
I am informed that Mr. Grahame’s motion has been carried out to 
the full in the new schedules without regard to my amendment, and I 
am_ bound to say that, as matters stood, the Committee seem within 
their rights in doing so. These new schedules not having been, I 
believe, actually made public, I do not feel that I have a right to 
comment on their details; but I may say that I have heard from 
several of the leading amateurs that they have given great dis¬ 
satisfaction. It is all very well to conciliate the home county members 
and small growers; but it is worth the Society’s while to inquire 
whether it is also well to alienate the principal men of “ light and 
leading” among the amateurs. _ 
One point, however, in the new schedules has been published in the 
Journal, and I should immediately have commented upon it if I had 
not been laid up. All fourth prizes are abolished in both the National 
schedules—I could hardly believe it—it seemed so entirely retrograde, 
so foreign, I should have thought, to Mr. Grahame’s desires as well as 
mine. Personally, I feel it, because I am a fourth prize man ; fourth 
prizes I look upon as my special game and prey. But surely there are 
other enthusiastic rosarians beside myself who from circumstances are 
obliged to consider the uppermost rungs of the ladders beyond their 
reach, and have looked upon the National schedules as truly national in 
encouraging difficult Eose culture by providing fourth places of honour 
These prizes have, I heartily believe, been a great stimulus to perse¬ 
verance and progress with many an amateur who has been inclined to 
give the whole thing up; yet they are now withdrawn for the formation 
of classes in which the winning will be merely a question of luck as to 
who has chanced to enter in them, so that the old system of encou¬ 
raging improving amateurs by showing them that they have at last 
gained a place in their class, is exchanged for one in which classes are 
provided in which they may perhaps win by having hardly anyone 
against them. _ 
The point that I ought to have mentioned at the general meeting in 
the debate upon Mr. Grahame’s motion is that it will not and cannot, as it 
is meant to do, place exhibitors in each division on an equality. Why 
not ? Because you cannot make them equal in conditions of climate 
and soil. I do not think I ever denied that the motives of the 
promoters were right, but I believe their object to be as unattainable as 
the equality of socialism. Take my own case for example. When I 
came to my present abode seven years ago I was very anxious to know 
what sort of a soil I had for Rose culture. My friend, Mr. B. R. Cant, 
kindly came over to see me, and with a man and a couple of spades we 
went about investigating. It was the same everywhere, a foot or so of 
light sandy soil over pure gravel. At each fresh hole we tried to think, 
“ It is a little better here,” but it was not really, and at last Mr. Cant 
said, “ You cannot do it; if you want to grow Roses you must get another 
bit of land somewhere that is heavier, richer, and better.” It will 
readily be understood that I found this impracticable. So of course the 
only thing to do was to excavate the beds to a certain depth and put in 
made soil. I made some excellent gravel paths by-the-by with what I 
took out. But you cannot under the most favourable circumstances make 
anything but an artificial imitation of real natural Rose soil, and the 
best materials I could get in the neighbourhood in the way of clay and 
loam were hardly of medium quality. And as a result I do not hesitate 
to say that 3000 Rose plants in my beds, when I have done all I know, 
do not put me on an equality in any class with 2000 intelligently grown 
on such soil as Mr. Hall or Mr. Grant used to exhibit from. 
Climate and situation have also to be considered. I again, for 
instance, am in a valley by a river, only 25 feet above sea level; few 
situations could be worse. Naturally, therefore, I tried to prevent my 
being thus handicapped by increasing my stock, feeling, that though I 
could never be first class, I might contend on an equality with second 
class growers. Superiority in H.P.’s was denied me by my scil; in 
Teas by my situation; but Mr. Grahame’s system, meant as I under¬ 
stand, to promote fair and equal contests between exhibitors, has 
prevented it in my case ; and no doubt also in the case of many others. 
I said that I would loyally submit to the decision of the general 
meeting upon the question, and I have no intention of doing otherwise ; 
but I suppose I may now state my grievances, as my opponents 
formerly did theirs ; and I must keep to my opinion that my amend¬ 
ment, which was intended to test the new system, and see how it 
worked before final and complete adoption, would have been carried if 
it had been clearly put to the meeting.—W. R. Raillem. 
BORECOLE, OR KALE. 
Good breadths of this indispensable winter vegetable are annually 
grown in gardens or allotments, as it is the only section of the Brassica 
family, except the Brussels Sprout, that can safely be relied upon for 
yielding a supply during severe winters. Therefore its culture should 
receive that attention which its merits and importance as a winter crop 
undoubtedly entitle it to at the hands of gardeners, amateurs, and 
cottagers alike. 
The most reliable varieties of the Borecole to grow are the Extra 
Curled Scotch, Carter’s Welsh, Cottagers’, and Asparagus Kale. Carter’s 
Welsh Kale is beautifully curled and fringed, being of a rich glaucous 
green colour, and fine in flavour. The leaves of this excellent variety 
are, moreover, very useful for garnishing purposes, either in conjunction 
with the variegated form or by themselves, as a change to the latter. 
A small sowing of the Dwarf Curled Scotch Kale should be made in 
a south border at the end of February, and the main sowing a month 
later, making a small sowing at the end of April or early in May for 
supplying plants for yielding pickings late in spring. The seed must be 
sown thinly, covered lightly, the surface raked level, and then patted 
gently with the back of the spade to compress soil and seed, and covered 
with a piece of garden netting supported by a few short forked sticks as 
a protection from the ravages of birds, the most destructive of which 
are chaffinches. The plants must be treated properly from the beginning 
—that is, they must be pricked out a few inches apart every way in a 
sheltered position out of doors, and finally transplanted before becoming 
crowded in the beds. Thus treated plants of sturdy consolidated growth 
are secured. In pricking out the young plants, and again in transplant¬ 
ing, supply water, in the absence of rain, to settle the soil about the 
roots. However, in each case the work is best done in showery weather, 
as the plants can be lifted better then. _ . - 
Borecole will succeed in any ordinary soil which has been enriched 
with short manure, and in an open situation ; but the most satisfactory 
results are secured from plants growing in a rich loamy soil, which had 
