February 11, 1886.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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COMING EVENTS 
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Royal Society at 4.30 p.m. 
Quekett Club at 8 p.m. 
Royal Botanic Society at 8.45 P.M. 
6th Sunday after Epiphany. 
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Society of Arts at 8 p.m. Meteorological Society at 7 P.M. 
THE NURSERY AND SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 
E last week referred to the annual meeting of 
this Association, the particulars of which did 
not reach us in time for insertion. From the 
Annual Report, which was read and adopted, 
it appeared that in 1884 it was proposed to 
wind up the Association, as the principal 
members had withdrawn their support in con¬ 
sequence of the want of energy on the part of 
the executive ; but as several members were of 
opinion that an Association was a necessity to the trades, it 
was decided to resuscitate it, and to amend the Articles of 
Association, enabling members to join in January or July of 
each year, and that the members should give mutual infor¬ 
mation t<y each other through the Secretary concerning the 
stability of persons with whom they had business trans¬ 
actions, and thereby obtain reliable information which could 
not be obtained through the channels of ordinary Trade Pro¬ 
tection Societies; and that the operations of the Association 
since its resuscitation had been very satisfactory, and the 
Association was considered to be on a satisfactory basis, and 
was being energetically worked, and many foreign members 
of the trade who sent goods to the United Kingdom had 
availed themselves of the advantages afforded by the Asso¬ 
ciation. The report also showed that the Secretary and 
Solicitor had received and paid over to the members debts to 
the amount of £1276 6s. 10d., which they had treated as bad, 
but afforded the officers of the Association an opportunity to 
recover, and this amount had been paid to the members 
without costs, excepting a small commission. The balance 
sheet which was read was also very satisfactory, and a balance 
of £48 7s. 5d. was carried forward to the present year. 
No more conclusive evidence of the usefulness of the 
Association could well be afforded than the above record of 
its work during the past year; and it appears to us that it 
would only be a mere matter of prudence for nurserymen and 
seedsmen generally to take advantage of the facilities that the 
Association offers in the conduct of business. The remarks 
of the different speakers at the meeting prove the necessity of 
co-operation on the lines indicated in the satisfactory conduct 
of a great industry ; and it is abundantly evident that there 
has been a lack of enterprise and effort somewhere, or why the 
suggestion to “ wind up” an Association which, under sound 
and energetic management, is calculated to be of wide benefit 
to its members? In the event of a possible failure, or the 
existence of circumstances of an undesirable character, it is 
only natural that an endeavour should be made to find a 
scapegoat. In this instance the horticultural papers have 
“ not stood by the nurserymen as they ought.” In advocating 
the claims of this particular Association the “papers” have 
not perhaps taken a prominent share. But why is this ? We 
can speak for ourselves, and say that we have never hitherto 
had a “ report ” of the Association sent to us for publication, 
and have never been requested to direct attention to the exist 
ence of the organisation ; but, on the contrary, we have had 
the publications of the Association handed to us privately for 
No. 294.— Von. XII., Third Series, 
private perusal alone. It is not in this way the claims of an 
Association can be advanced in the most effectual manner. 
There cannot be a doubt that the interests of trade horticul¬ 
turists may be far more adequately maintained by organisa¬ 
tion than isolated individual action on the various points to 
which reference was made at the meeting, and we shall be a 
little surprised if the Association in question does not become 
more popular, and its influence and usefulness be materially 
increased if more prominent attention is directed to the 
facilities it offers to its supporters. 
As intimated last week, Mr. N. N. Sherwood, the President, took the 
chair at the annual meeting. Mr. Harrison of Leicester, in proposing the 
toast of the officers and Committee, referred in detail to the report, and 
thought the executive had in a short time done wonders. They had 
rescued out of the fire the burning brand and saved the Association from 
collapsing, and the condition in which it had been now brought forward 
was most satisfactory. Mr. A. H. Clarke, the Treasurer, in responding, 
referred to the state in which the Association was allowed to drift, and 
that when the Committee met there was an arriere pensee in their minds 
that it should not be allowed to break up, but should do all in their power 
to resuscitate it and make it a success ; but as a good deal had had to be 
done the Committee had worked very hard to get the Association into its 
present shape. He asked those who were not on the Committee to wake 
the Committee up if necessary, and it would be found that if they fell 
short in any respect they would answer to the whip. 
Mr. William Paul, who also responded on behalf of the Committee, 
thought that too much praise could not be bestowed upon the Solicitor and 
the Secretary for what they had done to resuscitate the Association ; but 
although it had done a great deal in the way of giving status reports and 
collecting debts, that was only a small part of what the Association ought 
to accomplish. He thought more ought to be done for tbe purpose of 
uniting the members of the nursery and seed trades. Singly their power 
was small, but united it would prove for the good of both. There was a 
great number of intelligent people in the trades. Horticultural periodicals 
were now represented by nine weekly papers, besides those issued monthly; 
but these did not exercise the influence they might if tbe nurserymen and 
seedsmen were a more united body, in which case they might retain their 
rights, which they were not then doing. The speaker referred particularly 
to the question of rates and income tax, and stated that nurserymen were 
paying far more than they ought to be called upon to pay, and instanced 
this by what occurred on a re-valuation of his parish being made for the 
purpose of rat ; ng, on which occasion he (the speaker) appealed to the 
Quarter Sessions and succeeded in reducing the amount of rating by one- 
half. If this question had been taken up by such an Association as the 
present one a principle would have been established w hich would have 
affected nurserymen all over the country, but as it was only an isolated 
oase it could not be utilised on behalf of others. He also referred to the 
question of railway rates, which required consideration, and which could 
only be efficiently dealt with by a large body engaged in the nursery and 
seed trades with any hope of bringing the same to a successful issue. 
Speaking as a contributor to the horticultural papers, he was of opinion 
the latter had not stood by the nurserymen as they ought to, but he 
thought if they made their power felt as a body not only they, hut the 
trade itself, would find it to be of great service. He referred to the rules 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, which precluded nurseiymen from 
being on the Council, and thought that if this matter were properly 
represented by an Association of nurserymen such as the present an 
alteration would be effected. 
Mr. Hooper proposed the health of Mr. Butcher, the Solicitor to the 
Association, and in responding that gentleman pointed out that the Articles 
of the Association were sufficiently large to enable the matters referred 
to by Mr. Paul being taken up by the Association, and that if those 
engaged in the production of seeds and flowers thoroughly united them¬ 
selves as a body they would be sufficiently strong to have a voice in the 
Chamber of Commerce upon the matters considered by that body. He 
advocated legislation in the interests of nurserymen, giving them the 
right to demand compensation on expiration of tenancy from their land¬ 
lords or succeeding tenants in respect of buildings and improvements to 
the land. 
Mr. Veitch proposed “ Success to the Nursery and Seed Trade Associa¬ 
tion,” to which Mr. Sherwood, the President, replied in suitable terms. 
Other toasts followed, and a very successful meeting was brought to a 
close. 
Now that our co-operation has been requested we readily 
give prominence to the claims of the Association in question 
to extended support, as we yield to none in our desire to see 
all the branches of trade in connection with horticulture in a 
prosperous condition. 
TREE OR PERPETUAL FLOWERING CARNATIONS. 
In the garden few flowers are more cherished than the Car¬ 
nation ; it is always in request for its charming fragrance, and 
never more than during this dull season. To have them in winter 
requires only a favourable position outdoors during the summer 
No. 1950.— Yol, LXXIY., Old Seriep. 
