December 15, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
513 
This has never failed to produce a good crop of fine fruit, thus 
prolonging the season of this favourite Pear quite a month or five 
-weeks. It has surprised many growers to see it so fine at such a 
late date, when probably theirs have been over for a month or more. 
I have exhibited it the last week in November in grand condition, 
and even now, December 3rd, I have several good fruit left. Some 
may wonder how trees in such a sunless position could ever ripen 
wood sufficiently to produce good fruit. I consider the secret is 
in a well prepared border, thoroughly drained, and raised above 
the natural level of the land, with a free mixture of lime rubbish 
and the like well worked about the roots. Among other fruits 
that have also proved very satisfactory are Beurre Ranee Pear ; also 
-Coe’s Golden Drop and Jefferson Plums, if protected with mats, 
will provide choice dessert fruit for weeks after the supplies have 
been consumed from west and east walls. Gooseberries, too, I have 
seen most plentiful under the same conditions, and it is surprising 
how long such fruit will hang if only protected from rain and frost. 
Several others, such as cooking Plums and late dessert Cherries, may 
all find a place on the north wall, and seeing that the season of such 
good fruits may be prolonged, I think it is well worth the time and 
attention in trying to secure thi3 end, but the returns greatly 
depend upon the condition of the roots, and this all depends upon 
Jiow the borders are formed.—R. Parker, Impney. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A special general meeting of the Fellows of this Society was 
held on Tuesday afternoon in the Royal Albert Hall, Sir Trevor Law¬ 
rence, Bart., M.P., in the chair, for the purpose of receiving a report 
from the Council, and to consider the statements and proposals contained 
(therein. 
The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, explained that a ques¬ 
tion had been raised as to the strict legality of that meeting ; but that 
meed not give rise to any difficulty in carrying any resolutions which 
might be passed, as the Council would call a special general meeting 
subsequently to give legal validity to any resolution. He then went on 
to say that in pursuance of the resolutions come to by the Society to 
make the best efforts they could to secure such a site as was pointed out 
by those resolutions, it had been found that any site offering any advan- 
stages would be so extremely costly that it would practically preclude 
-the Society, in its present pecuniary position, from going to such an 
expense. Several sites—among others some on the Embankment—had 
be n examined ; but, having regard to the great cost, the Council thought 
they could not recommend the Society to embark on any of them. The 
result was that they were left in a position to some extent unfavour¬ 
able. Personally he entirely agreed with the remarks made in the Times 
that morning. He did not think the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibi¬ 
tion had dealt either generously or liberally with the Society. (Hear, 
hear.) IV hen it was considered that the Society had expended close upon 
£100,000 in beautifj-ing the gardens and in building arcades, &c., the 
whole of which had been practically swept away by the action of the 
Commissioners, he thought it certainly not too much to say that they 
had not be -n dealt with with very great liberality. (Cheers.) Sir Lyon 
Playfair—there was no disguising the fact—whose was the principal 
-voice in directing the operations of the Commissioners of 1851. had 
never viewed the Society very favourably ; and Sir Lyon Playfair had 
himself told him that the Commissioners felt it necessary to make an 
income out of the Gardens for their own purposes. As they were aware, 
Her Majesty the Queen had expressed a desire that the Society should 
remain in South Kensington, and the Council had felt to a certain extent 
ffiound by the expression of Her Majesty. He did not think the Com¬ 
missioners had felt equally bound ; and, at all events, the only proposal 
which had emanated from the Commissioners had been one that the 
^Society should pay them a rental of £1000 a year for the use of what 
remained of the Gardens, after the requirements of the Imperial Insti¬ 
tute had been attended to. The Council calculated that it would 
involve the Society in an expenditure of at hast £2000, and 
inasmuch as that was more than the total income of the Society, 
they did not see their way to entertain any such proposals. It was 
•the unanimous opinion of the Council, because several gentlemen 
who held opposite views had either sent in their resignations or were 
proposing to do so—that the connection of the Society with South Ken¬ 
sington had been one gravely disadvantageous to the former. (Hear, 
hear.) The question was what were they to do ? The view of the 
Council was that they devote their attention to the maintenance of the 
Chiswick Gardens and the conduct of plant, fruit, and vegetable trials 
■there, and possibly the establishment of a school of gardening, the imme¬ 
diate engagement of such premises in a convenient and central position 
as might suffice for office requirements, the safe housing of the Lindley 
Library, the meetings of the Society’s Committees, and its fortnightly 
shows, to the maintenance of which they attached great importance. 
He might mention that the Society had been in possession of Chiswick 
Gardens for sixty-five years, the results of which would be thrown away 
if they ceased to occupy the Gardens. (Hear, hear.) It was impossible 
to get similar accommodation anywhere else for the purpose which thosj 
Gardens had secured so many years, and he confessed it could not be 
but absolutely destructive to the Society and to any hope of future 
utility, and a serious national loss, were anything to happen to Chiswick 
Gardens. (Cheers.) The Gardens would not cost more than £1500 a 
year, and that was less than they had been costing. He was very glad 
to see that whatever might happen to the Society the Scientific Com¬ 
mittee had no intention of being dissolved, and he understood that the 
Fruit and Floral Committees were animated by a like intention of con¬ 
tinuous vigorous existence. (Hear, hear.) These two circumstances 
were very gratifying. In regard to the past, the work of the Society 
ought not to be forgotten, and one could scarcely go a day’s walk or ride 
into any part of the kingdom without seeing evidence of the past 
activity of the Society in the beautiful introductions by Douglas, by 
Fortune, and many others, and it ought not to be forgotten that it was 
in no small degree that owing to the fact that the Society sent Fortune 
to China, and that he was engaged by the East India Company for the 
purpose of introducing Tea into India. Indian Tea will next year be 
imported in larger quantities than China Tea, the first time in the 
history of this kingdom. (Hear, hear.) Another point was whether 
the publication of the work done by the Society might not be dealt with 
in a more systematic and satisfactory way. Something in the way of 
more detailed reports might be drawn up and periodically published. 
With regard to the financial position of the Society, at the end of the 
year they would probably be as they foresaw in June last—viz., they 
should be in debt about £1000. Speaking for himself, he was not 
alarmed at the sum, as in past years the Society had been more heavily 
in debt. On one occasion it was in debt £17,000, and on another 
£10,000. The fault had been, if they might gather wisdom without 
criticising the past, that when they had had a term of prosperity they 
immediately said the whole savings must be spent, and on one occasion 
a large dinner was given at Chiswick which w-as attended by a large 
number of the fashionable world. When they had s, ent the whole of 
the money they used to get into debt as rapidly as possible again. 
There would be an end of this sort of thing if the Society were to 
devote itself strictly to the advancement of practical and scientific 
horticulture, and they would not then be catering for the fashionable 
world, of which, he thought, they might entertain a legitimate con¬ 
tempt. That fashionable world changed from day to day, and what it 
loved one day it hated the next. If they put their trust in the fashionable 
world they would be depending on a broken reed. The Chairman then 
spoke about the charter, and mentioned that he had received a letter 
from the Society’s solicitors, and it appeared one of the most difficult 
thim-s in the world, having once had the advantage of being under a 
charter, to get rid of it. He was sorry to say it was very much like the 
old man of the sea who got round Sinbad’s neck. [The letter, which 
the Chairman read, stated that it would take from four to six months at 
least to obtain a new charter, and the cost would be about £200. In 
the case of opposition the expenses would he considerably increased. 
The letter concluded, “ On the whole, therefore, it seems that the new 
charter is the only feasible mode of reconstructing the Society.”] The 
Chairman went on to remark that as far as the Council were con¬ 
cerned, they were perfectly prepared to resign their position in view of 
enabling the Fellows to take what course they considered advisable. He 
might add that to carry on the Society the Council, or any modification 
of it, should have sufficient funds, and it had been estimated that 
£3000 a year was not at all too much to ask in view of the great work 
which had been done by that ancient Society. (Cheers). He 
was quite sure that the Society had not flourished and had not 
done as good work latterly, owing to the fact that it had been at 
the beck and call of the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition. 
'(Cheers.) With regard to the debt of the Society, had it not been for 
the loss on the Liverpool Exhibition the accounts would about balance. 
He thought there would be no difficulty in point of time of getting 
premises immediately for the purposes of the Society, in order that the 
fortnightly shows might still be carried on, supposing that they got 
encouragement from the Fellows in that direction. He had received 
promises of donations amounting to about £900 towards establishing the 
Society in its new home, and he had also received encouraging promises 
of healthy support from numerous firms connected with horticultural 
work, while others were anxious to know more of what was proposed to 
be done before they decided whether they would be able to help the 
Society. (Cheers.) 
Replying to some questions, the Chairman said a strong feeling had 
been expressed about the desirability of increasing the numbers of the 
Council. So far as the Council were concerned, they were most willing 
that that should be done, but that could only be done under a supple¬ 
mentary charter and not under the existing one, because the latter dis¬ 
tinctly stated that the Council should consist of fifteen members. 
Mr. Smee asked if every member of the Society was not jointly and 
severally liable for the debts of the IS iciety. 
Dr. Hogg replied that there was no personal liability. 
Mr. Smee said he would be willing to subscribe towards obtaining a 
new charter, and he moved that steps be taken in that direction. 
Major Lendy thought th^re would be no difficulty in raising the 
necessary funds, and seconded the motion. 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd urged that the present Council “ should not 
be allowed to go ” after their experience of 1872. (Laughter.) 
The Chairman said it was not with any idea of showing the white 
feather that the Coun il had made the suggestion. 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd said he did not attribute motives, but he 
wished to come to business. He considered that a great deal more 
might be done at Chiswick than had been the case in the past, and the 
unnamed rubbish which had been grown there should give » ay to things of 
sterling value, and Chiswick should be a place of final proof only. 
