July 26, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
G5 
T WO notifications have been made recently which indicate the 
existence of a desire that the fruit-producing resources of the 
kingdom should be developed, that obstacles to that end should be 
removed, and information on the whole subject elicited and dis¬ 
seminated. The first of these notifications is thit relating to a 
c inference of fruit growers to be held at the Crystal Palace in 
connection with the fruit show that is there held in September ; the 
second the official announcement that an Apple and Pear Congress 
will be held under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society 
in October. There is room for both the projects being cariied out, 
indeed it is questionable if either the one or the other of them 
could of itself do what is needed in discussing the whole subject 
of fruit culture in its commercial aspects and routine matters 
connected therewith, in a manner that would arouse public 
attention. It is quite time for something more than “showing” 
to be done, even at the Crystal Palace, if any substantial benefit is 
to accrue to others besides the winners of prizes ; and it is still 
more incumbent on the part of horticultural societies to render 
their periodical gatherings instructive as well as attractive ; and if 
one more than the other should lead the way in a departure from 
the system of showing, and showing alone, surely it should be the 
Royal Horticultural Society. 
When the proposed conference of growers at the Crystal 
Palace was mooted, a number of persons interested in the subject 
of fruit culture at once gave their adherence to the project. It was 
felt, as if intuitively, that something of the kind was wanted, and 
that an opportunity for free discussion on a matter of great 
public importance had not hitherto been afforded in any systematic 
manner. The Committee appointed to make arrangements for 
carrying out the idea, and for formulating a method of procedure, 
will doubtless devise a programme that will open up a discussion 
of a distinctly beneficial tendency, and -while no possible harm can 
be done by the reading of papers and an interchange of views 
thereon, it is conceivable that substantial good will result from the 
deliberations. It may be well, and is certainly desirable, in a 
reference to the projects indicated to banish all ideas of rivalry or 
opposition between them. Such ideas cannot be entertained by 
men who take a broad view of the subject, and judge it on its 
merits entirely apart from personal preferences and prejudices. 
The Crystal Palace gathering, that will be supported by Fellows 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, members of its Fruit Com¬ 
mittee, and at least one of its Council, cannot pos-ibly weaken 
the movement of the Society, but it may materially strengthen it. 
The first named effort will act as a stimulant, and the experience 
gained will be available for use at the second, if based on the 
same lines, and if not, the world will gain by the two endeavours, 
while the former will bring the latter into greater prominence. A 
good deal may be done in September in arousing public interest 
on a great question, and then the Royal Horticultural Society may 
do a great deal more if the proceedings are conducted on a broad; 
popular, practical basis in October, and onwards as circumstances 
suggest. 
Rightly or wrongly—and the fact is mentioned without suggest¬ 
ing a semblance of reproach—a feeling is growing that the resources 
of the still great Society are not being applied in the best interests 
of the country or of itself. The medals awarded for groups of 
No. 422. —Yol. XVII., Third Series. 
plants may be merited so far as the collections are concerned, and 
if medals were as plentiful as Blackberries there would be some to 
spare to be differently applied, and possibly not to a less useful or 
legitimate purpose. But the number is limited, and the authoiities 
might do worse than consider whether a few of the honours at 
disposal could not be advisedly diverted from the orthodox channels. 
The vast majority of them are given for groups of plants, not for 
new plants possessing striking features entitling them to the dis¬ 
tinction, but to collections of old and new plants on sale, and for 
which the exhibitors gain in other ways. Probably if an investiga¬ 
tion were made it would be found that ten medals are granted for 
plants to one for fruit or vegetables ; or, in other words, the orna¬ 
mental section of gardening is rewarded at the expense of the 
useful. The disproportion is, perhaps, even greater than suggested, 
in which case there is all the greater reason that the lost balance 
should be restored. 
It may be urged that medals would be granted for fruit and 
vegetables if collections of them were exhibited worthy of such 
recognition. Possibly, but not certainly, otherwise a most interest¬ 
ing and instructive collection of Peas recently exhibited by Messrs. 
Veitch & Sons at Westminster would have had something more 
than a vote of thanks and cultural commendation, but consisting of 
Peas only, and not of border flowers or nicknacks, it was passek 
That, however, is not the point. The established principle appears 
to be only to grant medals to something “exhibited,” articles 
grown, or bought or borrowed for the occasion, and which can only 
be staged by a limited number of individuals, who win them yearly 
with duplicate collections, or practically so. Dishes of the finest 
fruits and vegetables are imposing, and give pleasure to persons 
interested who inspect them, while the produce is as creditable to 
the growers, and these deserve recognition equally with exhibitors 
of plants and cut fi owe s ; yet in the case of fruit especially, as a 
good gardener remarked the other day, “ Grand dishes may mislead, 
and have misled, because spectators have been fascinated by them, 
taken the names of the varieties, bought trees the habits and 
bearing capacity of which tiny knew nothing, occupied space with 
them for years profitlessly, the result being that the planters wished 
either they had not seen the tempting specimens, or that inform; - 
tion of the nature suggested had been supplied for their guidance.” 
It would seem that something more is needed than staging so many 
varieties, whether medals are awarded for them or not. The best 
fruit producible, combined with the best knowledge attainable, 
appear to be the desiderata ; and if both cannot be had togethtr 
it is conceivable that the knowledge without the fruit would 
be of greater service than the fruit without the knowledge. 
Might not, therefore, a great good be done and much wider 
interest created in the work of the Royal Horticultural Society 
if a reasonable number of medals were set apart for the best essays 
on prescribed subjects reliting to fruit and profitable land culture ; 
these to be published without delay, and before the interest in the 
work vanished, for the benefit of the community ? 
If the Royal Horticultural Society were to devise something of 
that kind, and offer rewards for knowledge founded on experience 
and observation, a new and wide field woidd be opened, and men of 
ability in distant parts of the country who cannot “ stage ” material 
produce in London, could, and doubtless would, impart information 
that, if disseminated, would be of greater service to the nation 
than bald records of meials awarded for groups of miscellaneous 
plants or what not, thit few are interested in beyond the recipients, 
and which not one person in ten thousand can see. 
The subject now more immediately in hand is fruit, and in view 
of the coming Congress, if, in addition to samples of Apples and 
Pears, also independently of them, medals were offered for essays 
on specified subjects, to be selected by the Fruit Committee for 
consideration and ratification of the Council of the Society, it is 
not unlikely that more solid information would be forthcoming 
than by any other means, and that would command greater atten- 
No. 2073.—Yol. LXXIX., Old Sebie3. 
