February 19,18S1. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
139 
B efore referring to an incident in which the Journal of Horti¬ 
culture figured somewhat prominently at the annual meeting 
last week we wish to express our satisfaction at the distinctly 
Improved condition of the Society as represented in the Report 
and Revenue account that were presented for adoption, as well as 
in the President’s address. Earnestly desirous of seeing the Society 
well supported, well managed, and prosperous, we rejoice in the 
-success that has been achieved by the Council and officials, and at 
"the same time cordially wish that even a greater measure of 
success will be the reward of their endeavours during the ensuing 
year. 
The improvement appears to be general. In finance a deficit 
at the beginning of the year has been changed into a surplus at 
its close. That is a distinct gain. There has been a substantial 
increase in the number of Fellows, but at the popular guinea rate 
it is desirable that the increase be considerably greater, and we 
shall be glad if, as the Council suggests, each Fellow can obtain 
at least one more for adding to the roll as the season advances. 
The improvement of the Society’s “Journal” is very decided, 
and we take some little credit to ourselves in having pointed out 
■the way, and the Editors have by their work proved the justifica¬ 
tion of our references. That is so far satisfactory, but we 
-should like to see future issues produced at less cost without being 
less acceptable to the Fellows, and think this might be done. We 
pass on, however, to note the improvements referred to, and which 
are apparent, at Chiswick. The structures are gradually being put 
into better order, and the garden no longer presents an aspect of 
semi-neglect. The trials of flowers and vegetables conducted 
there and the conferences held are of wide public interest, and 
give a stability to the Society that it could not otherwise enjoy. 
We are pleased to observe that the Council will be glad to give 
still further support to Chiswick when the increase of Fellows 
permits this to be done, and we trust the necessary means will be 
forthcoming. The Committee meetings in London have been 
better attended than in previous years, and on many occasions the 
Hall has been most attractively and interestingly furnished. We 
are not alone by a very long way in having no love for the place, 
but it seems as if the public mind in time becomes accustomed to 
incongruities, and perhaps in a measure reconciled to them. 
The Society is providing special encouragement for amateur 
•exhibitors at the shows and meetings announced to be held during 
fhe current year, and we are reminded that it may assist the 
'Society if special attention be called to the fact. In addition to 
money prizes at nearly every meeting silver-gilt, silver, and bronze 
Flora medals are offered on March 24th, April 14th, May 12th, 
June 9th, July 7th, August 11th, August 25th, September 8th, 
October 6 th, and November 10th ; silver Banksian and silvet 
Knightian medals being provided for October 6th and December 
'■8th. Silver challenge cups for amateurs are include! in the 
schedule June 9th, June 23rd (Pmonies), and September 8th 
(British Ferns). The Veitch Memorial medal with £5 is also offered 
on October 6th for a collection of fresh cones and branches with 
foliage. Besides these the following firms are contributing attrac- 
stions to the meetings named by medal prizes. 
Messrs. Barr & Son, King Street, Covent Garden, offer a silver- 
gilt medal for the best new English raised seedling Daffodil, to b^ 
No, 656.—YoL. XXII., Third Series, 
competed for at any meeting up to May 12th. They also offer 
silver and bronze medals for collections of Daffodils on'March lOtb, 
March 24th, April 14th, April 21st, and May 12th, all the classes 
being confine! to amateurs, and Polyanthus Narcissi are excluded, 
Mr. James Kelway (Messrs. Kelway & Sons, Langport, Somerset) 
is again presenting the silver Gladiolus medal, and Mr. William 
Kelway is offering four “ Kelway medals ” in order to extend the 
cultivation of improved forms of the most beautiful flowers that 
can be grown in the gardens of the United Kingdom, One of 
these medals (a silver-gilt) is to be awarded for herbaceous 
Paeonies, the other three (silver) for Pyrethrums, Delphinium?, 
and Gaillardias. 
The dates upon which these medals wdll be offered are May 
28th and 29 th (the Temple Show) for Pyrethrums, June 23rd for 
Pajonies and Delphiniums, and July 7th (Chiswick) for Gaillardiap^ 
We have pleasure in giving prominence to these prizes, as we think 
the experiment well worthy of being tested, for non-competitive 
exhibiting is more or less tame, and Britishers have such a natural 
love for real contests that they would even rush to a drill hall to 
see a good fight. 
We are now going to enter into our little contest with the 
Council over the validity of some recent elections. We intend to 
defend our position in the most friendly way, but firmly. This is 
no question of opposition to individuals, and a gentleman at the 
meeting who was bold enough to ask a question in that way 
suggestive was met with a burst of laughter. We can quite 
understand the Council desiring to retain the services of Mr. D. 
Morris on the Board. The Society never had a better Treasurer, 
and can never hope to have, than in Mr. Morris, and a gentleman 
who possesses the requisite qualifications for that position must of 
necessity be a competent administrator. We can also well under¬ 
stand Mr. Morris desiring to be relieved from the duties that he 
discharged so well, while at the same time being willing to serve 
on the Council. Nothing would have been more easy than the 
attainment of both objects within the charter. He had simply 
to resign the treasurership in the prescribed form, and also in 
prescribed form have had his resignation accepted at the annual 
meeting, and he would have been free, and he would have remained 
on the Council, if he was not one of the three recommended to 
retire. As neither of these vital conditions was fulfilled he does, 
in fact, remain on the Council, and what is more he is the 
Treasurer still. His re-election on the Board at the meeting 
last week was superfluous, and Mr. Crowley’s election as Treasurer 
invalid. 
Notwithstanding the criticism and explanations made by the 
Secretary at the meeting upon the remarks we published on 
page 111 of our issue of February the 5th, we feel compelled to 
reiterate what we then stated as being absolutely correct. We said 
that Mr. Morris, who was nominated for election on the Council 
(on the form provided for that purpose), was already a member of 
that body, and would remain so till after his resignation was 
accepted by the annual meeting. This is set forth in by-law 66, 
where it is stated, “Any member of the Council may resign his 
seat in the Council, but his resignation shall not be deemed com¬ 
plete until it has been accepted by a resolution passed at the next 
ensuing annual meeting,” &c. That is explicit. A member “may” 
resign, but his resignation “ shall not ” be accepted otherwise than 
in the manner prescribed. Was the law complied with? Certainly 
not, for no resolution either accepting or rejecting Mr. Morris’s 
resignation was passed at the meeting, and consequently he remains 
a member of Council and Treasurer of the Society, not by virtue 
of the informal election that took place at the annual meeting, but 
by virtue of his resignation not having been accepted. So 
important is the act of acceptance or non-acceptance of the resig¬ 
nation of a member of Council that by-law 74 provides that it 
shall be taken at the meeting (after the appointment of scrutineers) 
“ before all other business.” 
No. 2212.— VoL. LXXXIY., Old Series. 
