514 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 15, 1887. 
Every person sending to Chiswick should be charged, thereby making an 
honest income for the Society. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Pearson said it appeared necessary that a new charter should 
be obtained, and they should take steps to form a new Committee, 
partly of the members of the Council and partly of the general Fellows, 
to draw up the draft of a new charter. 
Mr. J. J. Watts seconded the motion. 
Mr. Haughton thought that the Society could be governed under its 
existing charter. The minority on the Council, of which minority he 
was one, looked upon the question as a financial one. Funds should be 
obtained, and these could not- be obtained from the purely scientific 
class of the community. (Hear, hear.) The Society had once a sub¬ 
scription income of £10,000. In 1874 it was £8000, and in three years 
it was reduced by half by the taking away of privileges of the Fellows 
of the Society. If the horticultural world meant to have a purely 
scientific Society they must put their hands in their pockets. That was 
the plain issue between the two sections, and unless the pure horticul¬ 
turists were prepared to supply the money it was useless discussing the 
question. The Society must go forward on one of those two lines or fall 
between them. (Cheers.) 
The Chairman pointed out that when the Council were catering for 
amusing the fashionable Fellows enough money was not taken at 
the doors to pay for the bands (hear, hear), therefore Mr. Haughton 
was labouring und r a delusion. (Hear, hear.) Anything more hopeless 
than endeavouring to get money out of the South Kensington people 
for the Horticultural Society never entered into the mind of man. 
(Laughter.) 
Mr. Veitch said he should like to pay a tribute to the memory of 
the late Mr. Geo. Eyles, a pupil of Sir Joseph Paxton, who had done so 
much for horticulture. (ILar, hear.) He was sure the majority of 
those present agreed to cordially thank Sir Trevor Lawrence and the 
other members of the Council who had conducted the affairs of the 
Society under all difficulties. (Hear, hear.) They, however, wanted to 
s e the Council enlarged if the Society were to go on. They should 
also have a paid secretary, who would be called upon to devote the 
whole of his time and knowledge to the Society. (Hear, hear.) If they 
could have committees for various purposes, and were to act more on 
the lines of the Royal Agricultural Society there was still a future 
before them. It was no use endeavouring to get the Society to work 
under rules made in 1809 (hear, hear), and unless there was a remodel¬ 
ling, he did not think they would have any future. (Hear, hear.) 
The Rev. W. Wilks considered that fifteen members of Council were quite 
sufficient, and that “ too many cooks would spoil the broth.” All that 
was needed was that the Council should alter its rules and regulations 
to suit the popular and democratic sympathies of the present day. 
Professor M. Foster thought that some reconstitution of the 
Council should take place in order that its members might be in closer 
touch with the Fellows. 
Mr. Thiselton Dyer said they wanted something more than money* 
and that was a horticultural policy, and he did not think they could look 
for assistance from the public, unless they had a very different programme. 
They had catered for the fashionable world and had had skating rinks, 
fashionable gardens, and the like, but it was not horticulture. (Hear, 
hear). To speak plainly, the game was up—(Cheers)—and they must 
stick to their last and try to impress upon the public their earnestness 
by doing good work in the future. (Cheers). 
After 6ome further discussion the foregoing resolutions were embodied 
in a resolution moved by Dr. Masters, to the effect that the Council 
carry out the suggestions in pars. 6 and 8 of the “ Appeal ” below issued, 
and “ That this meeting requests the Council to consider the desirability of 
obtaining a supplemental charter, and meanwhile requests them to vary 
the byelaws in such a manner as to insure the full control of the 
Fellows over the election of officers and Council of the Society at the 
annual general meeting.” The following gentlemen were also nominated 
by the same resolution as a Committee :—Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., 
M.P., Baron Schroder, G. F. Wilson, Prof. Foster, A. Smee, H. J. Pear¬ 
son, H. J. Veitch. Shirley Hibberd, George Paul, and Dr. Masters. 
Mr. Pearson seconded the motion, which was carried with four 
dissentients. 
The following statement issued by the Council to the Fellows 
of the Society shortly before the meeting, was sent to us last week, with 
a request that we should not publish it till after the meeting :— 
The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society request the 
horticulturists of the United Kingdom to read and consider the 
following statement and appeal :— 
1, The grounds at South Kensington, known as the Gardens of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, having been devoted to the 
Imperial Institute, the Council endeavoured, in obedience to the 
wishes so graciously expressed by Her Majesty the Queen, the 
Patron of the Society, to obtain from the Royal Commissioners of 
the 1851 Exhibition such a site as would justify them in advising 
the Fellows to remain at South Kensington. 
2, The Royal Commissioners were, however, unable to offer 
any adequate site, and gave the Council distinctly to understand 
that the erection of offices, committee rooms, &c., on their land 
would not be held to confer any claim whatever, either legal or 
moral, to ihe use of the conservatory and Gardens for the purposes 
of the Scciely. The negotiations consequently came to an end. An | 
informal offer has since been made by the Royal Commissioners to> 
let a portion of the Gardens and the conservatory to the Society at 
a guaranteed rent of £1000 a year, which with rates, taxes, and 
maintenance would involve an expenditure of £2000 a year at 
least, a sum far beyond the resources of the Society. IS™*] 
3, The Society has been in existence for eighty-three years, 
having been founded in 1804, and incorporated by Royal Charter in. 
1809. It has done much to advance the interests of practical and. 
scientific horticulture, and it is the recognised authority on all 
horticultural questions. In addition to the valuable work of the 
Scientific Committee, presided over by Sir J. D. Hooker, K.C.S.I., 
C.B., F.R.S., new and rare plants, fruits and vegetables, collected 
abroad or raised at home, have been continually submitted, in 
large and increasing numbers, to the judgment of the Fruit and 
Floral Committees, whose verdicts are accepted without question- 
The Society has also continuously carried on valuable trials of 
plants, fruits, and vegetables at Chiswick. It has published during 
the last three years the following—viz., 
“ Report of the National Apple Congress held at Chiswick,. 
October, 1883.” 
“ Report of the Orchid Conference held at South Kensington, 
May, 1885.” 
“ Report of the National Pear Conference held at Chiswick - ,. 
October, 1885.” 
“ Report of the Primula Conference held at South Kensington, 
April, 1886, and of the Orchid Conference held at Liverpool, June 
30th, 1886.” 
“ Report on the Effects of Frost on Vegetation during the. 
Severe Winters, 1879-80, 1880-81—published in 1887.” 
4, The Council are of opinion that the connection of the Society 
with South Kensington, however promising at first, has proved 
adverse to its true interests and permanent welfare. They 
recognise that altered circumstances require a complete reorganisa¬ 
tion of the Society on a more popular basis. They believe that, 
while local horticultural societies attract local support, a central 
metropolitan society (to which local societies may be affiliated) is,, 
in the interests of horticulture, indispensable. Under analogous 
circumstances the Royal Agricultural Society prospers, although 
there are local societies in every county of the kingdom. 
5, The Council do not believe that the Society can be carried on 
any longer under the trammels of the existing charter, which was. 
granted in 1860 in view of a wholly different state of things ; nor 
do they think a charter will be requisite for its future working. 
They believe that the numbers of the Council should be con¬ 
siderably increased and their mode of election modified and made- 
popular, and that the ordinary work of the Society should be- 
carried on by committees under powers delegated to them by the 
Council. They hold that the Society should henceforth devote 
itself strictly to the advancement of practical and scientific horticul¬ 
ture. 
6, The view of the Council is that the expenditure of the 
Society should be reduced as much as possible, and its resources 
devoted to the following objects :— 
(1) 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. 
(2) The immediate engagement of such premises in a. 
convenient and central situation as may 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 attach great, 
importance. 
(3) The publication of periodical reports of the work 
done at Chiswick, and by the Society’s Committees, and on 
horticultural subjects generally, 
7, For many years the nature of the accommodation which the. 
Society has been able to obtain at South Kensington has virtually 
prevented meetings being held for the discussion by the Fellows 
of points of interest in the practice of horticulture. It is essential 
that these meetings should be resumed, and it is believed that they 
will be of great value in bringing together those who take an active 
part in British horticulture. It is also hoped that such meetings- 
would give an opportunity for the consideration of the numerous- 
directions in which the rural economy of the country seems likely 
to be modified by the substitution of horticultural for agricultural' 
methods. 
8, The Council would recommend that the subscription should 
be in future £2 2s. for Fellows, and that a grade of Member or 
Associate, at £1 Is., should be created for professional and practical 
gardeners, who have rarely hitherto belonged to the Society. They 
calculate that the maintenance of Chiswick will cost £1500 a year, 
and that for the other purposes of the Society a further sum of 
not less than £1500 a year will be required. During 1887, 150 
