February 11, 1886 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
115 
Annual Report for 1885. 
The accounts and balance sheet are submitted to the Fellows in the 
usual form. 
The Cjuneil have engaged in protract 'd negotiations with the Royal 
Commissioners of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition with the view of 
obtaining the same terms of admission as were enjoyed by the Fellows 
during previous exhibitions. Tney regret to state that the Royal Com¬ 
missioners, having finally referred the matter to their Finance Committee, 
have felt themselves unable to grant these terms. The terms finally agreed 
upon with the Royal Commissioners are the following, viz.:— 
40 Guineas Life and 4 Guineas Annual Fellows receive Two Non- 
transferable Tickets each, an 1 One Book of 40 Orders; 20 Guineas 
Life and 2 Guineas Annual Fellows receive One Non-transferable 
Ticket each, and One Book of 20 Orders. The tickets will admit 
to the Exhibition fre i of charge whenever open to the public, 
except on the opening day. the closing day, and on any special 
occasions which the Royal Commissioners may wish to reserve ; 
on which occasions the holders of these tickets will be able to 
enter the Exhioition on payment of half the admission for the 
day. 10 Guineas Life Fellows and 1 Guinea Members receive 
_ One Non-transferable Ticket each. 
The above terms differ from those of previous years in the fact that the 
tickets are not transferable. 
The Council have had under consideration the practicability of holding 
a Great International Horticultural Exhibition and Conference in 1837. 
After two meetings, larg-ly attended by prominent horticulturists, they 
entered into communication with the Royal Commissioners of the Exhi¬ 
bition of 1851. They regret to stite that the encouragement the Com¬ 
missioners felt able to hold out to them was not sufficient to justify them in 
undertaking so large a responsibility, especially in view of the very serious 
financial obligations such an exhibition would necessarily entail. The 
Council are unanimously of opinion that the time has come for such an 
International Exhibition, which would, they have reason to believe, be 
supported by amateur and professional horticulturists in all parts of the 
kingdom, and tney are anxious that the subject should not be lost sight of 
by the Royal Horticultural Society. 
The Council propose to resume the provincial shows which have, in past 
years, been of use in stimulating local interest in horticulture, in several 
important c rntres of populat on. They hope shortly to conclude arrange¬ 
ments for holding a show in the summer at Liverpool. 
Major Mason vacates the office of Secretary under the provisions of the 
Charter, and does not ofibr himself for re-election. The Council wish to 
record their sense of the great service which he has, at much personal 
inconvenience, rendered to th Society during the time he has held his 
office. They recommend Mr. William Lee of Downside as his successor. 
The thanks of the Society are due to Sir Henry W. Peek, Bart., for his 
liberal donation of £20 for prizes for Marguerites. 
The Council regret to record that Dr. Maxwell Masters, F.R.S., has 
resigned the post of Foreign Secreta y, the duties of which he has discharged 
for some years with signal success, and to the eminent advantage of the 
Society. 
The Orchid Conference held in May last, at South Kensington, fully 
realised the expectations of the Council. The plants exhibited were 
numerous, and many of them of great rarity and beauty. Several papers 
of great interest, including three communications from Professor Reichen- 
bach, and a valuable memoir on the Hybridisation of Orchids by Mr. H. 
Yeitch, based on original observations, were read, and important discussions 
took place. A general report of the Conference, with special horticultural 
and botanical reports on tne plants shown, by Mr. Burbidge and Mr. Ridley 
respectively, is in the hands of the printer, and will shortly be obtainable 
by Fellows on application to the Secretary. 
A Pear Conference was held in the Chiswick Gardens, from the 21st 
October to the 4ch November. About 7000 disbes of fruit, sent from nearly 
every part of England, were shown, and opportunities were afforded for 
comparison, correction of nomenclature, and the mutual exchange of infor¬ 
mation between the growers and others especially interested. The 
unfavourable weather interfered considerably with the attendance of the 
general public, but in no way impaired the usefulness of the Conference. A 
full report, with the result of the labours of the Conference Committee, is 
being prepared by Mr. Barron. 
A Primula Conference will be held on the 20th and 21st April. This has 
already attracted the attention of Primula growers abroad and at home, and 
will form an interesting feature in the Society’s work. 
The Scientific, Fruit, and Floral Committees at South Kensington 
carried on their labours as usual during the year. The Society is indebted 
to them for much valuable work. The number of first-class certificates 
awarded was 238, of which 59 were for Orchids, which seem to be rapidly 
increasing in popularity. 
A most interesting exhibition of Daffodils was held on April 14tli, when 
further discussion on questions relating to Narcissus took place, and the 
report of the Committee of the Conference held in 1884 was adopted. 
The exhibitions in the conservatory during the Inventions Exhibition 
were of a very high class, especially those of fruits and vegetables, and 
proved a great attraction to the visitors. 
The Council have to thank many of the Fellows for their exhibition of 
valuable plants at the various meetings ; especially Mr. Ware of Tottenham, 
for his continuous and attractive display of cut hardy flowers during the 
entire season. 
The practical work of the Society at Chiswick has been satisfactorily 
conducted, and the Gardens maintained in their usual high state of 
efficiency. 
The trials by the several Committees have given good results. Those 
of the Fruit Committee comprised Potatoes, 200 varieties ; Peas, 72 varieties ; 
Cauliflowers and Strawberries ; in each of which classes several certificates 
were awarded. Those of the Floral Committee embraced Fuchsias, 180 
varieties; new Pelargoniums, Single Dahlias, Begonias, Carnations and 
Picotees (of which the Society possesses a large collection), and Ivies, of 
which 80 varieties are now planted against the walls of the Gardens. 
Facilities were again afforded to the International Potato Exhibition 
Committee for testing new varieties of Potatoes. 
The experiments instituted by the Scientific Committal for the preven¬ 
tion of the Potato disease, by whit is termed the Jensenian system, were 
continued, and an interesting report has been prepare! by Dr. Mastery. 
Experiments have been instituted at Chiswick by the Narcissus 
Committee on the doubling of common Narcissus (pseudo Narcissus), and 
for the purpose of determining points of nomenclature. 
It is proposed during the present season to continue trials by the Fruit 
and Vegetable Committee of the newer varieties of Peas, Potatoes, 
Cabbages, and Strawberries; and by the Floral Committee, of Fuchsias, 
Ivy-leaved and Zonal Pelargoniums, Carnations and Hardy Annuals. The 
making of a complete collection of the different varieties of Holly is under 
con-ideration. 
The crops of Grapes and other Fruits were generally good. The Council 
hope that in future Fellows will avail themselves more extensively of their 
privilege of purchasing first-class Grapes at prices far below those of the 
market. 
The collection of Apples and Pears in the Gardens having now been 
proved and their merits recorded, worthless varieties have been discarded. 
Applications from Fellows for plants, seeds, and cuttings continue to 
increase. During the year, 1110 Fellows were supplied with 22,180 plants, 
40,000 packets of seeds, and nearly 10,000 cuttings of Vines and other 
fruit trees. 
At the request of various Colonial Governments the Society has received 
and taken charge of large consignments of Tree Ferns and other plants 
from Victoria, South Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, and the West Indies, 
intended to be shown at the forthcoming Exhibition. These plants occupy 
a considerable space in the Chiswick Gardens, and have necessitated the 
heating of the large Rose house for their accommodation. As many of 
them may not be sufficiently established to be exhibited, Fellows of the 
Society who may have large spare plants representative of the Flora of any 
of these countries, are invited to place them at the disposal of the Society 
for the purposes of the Exhibition. 
An exhibition of flowers held by the Chiswick Horticultural Society in 
the Gardens on July 16th, proved very attractive and a source of interest 
to the Fellows in the district. 
Donations of plants and seeds have been received, amongst others, from 
the Royal Gardens, Kew; Colonel R. Trevor Clarke; Sir Ferdinand Von 
Muller, Melbourne ; Dr. Schotnburgk, Adelaide ; Dr. Masters, Messrs. Veitch 
and Sons, Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Messrs. Barr & Son, Mr. C. Turner, and 
Mr, John Fraser, to whom the thanks of the Society are due. 
The thanks of the Society are due to the Auditors, Messrs. John Lee, 
Jas. F. West, and W. Richards, who have discharged, gratuitously and with 
efficiency and dispatch, the arduous duty of auditing their accounts. 
During the year twenty-nine Life Fellows and twenty-nine Annual 
Fellows died; sixty-three Fellows retired from the Society, and 239 new 
Fellows were elected. 
Auditors’ Report. 
To the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
Gentlemen,—We beg to report our having audited the accounts of the 
Society for the past year, and we have compared the vouchers with the 
books, and found them correct. 
We regret to announce that the revenue of the year shows a deficiency 
of £120. 
The Auditors take the opportunity of calling especial attention to the 
accurate manner in which the books are kept by Mr. J. Douglas Diok. 
We have the honour to remain, 
Gentlemen, 
Your most obedient Servants, 
JOHN LEE, I 
JAS. F. WEST, Y Auditors. 
January 27th, 1886. W. RICHARDS,J 
DR. 
BALANCE SHEET, 31ST DECEMBER, 1883. 
To Sundry Creditors . 
„ General Revenue Account—Balance carried forward 
£ s. d, 
695 1 7 
2,602 15 3 
£3,257 10 10 
CR. £ s. d 
By Debtors, viz. :— 
J 1884. 1885. 
£ s. d. £ s. d. 
Annual Subscriptions outstanding . 75 12 o 
National Apple Congress Report.21 12 0 11 17 7 
Garden Produce. 3 4 0 19 12 0 
Orchid Conference Advertisements . 17 18 o 
Schedule Advertisements. 39 11 o 
164 11 7 
Victoria Commission. 218 15 10 
New Zealand ditto.. . 10 5 6 
Ceylon ditto.. . 15 o 3 
24 16 0 408 13 2 4'13 8 2 
„ investments—3 per cent. Consols.1>892 11 3 
„ Cash at London and County Bank . ” J 
„ Petty Cash in Hand .. . ° 11 
£3,257 16 10 
We have examined the above Account with the Books and Vouchers, and we find the 
same correct- WEST, l Auditor,. 
27th January,I860. W. RICHARDS, J 
ANNUAL REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 3IST DECENBER, 1885. 
EXPENDITURE. 
To Establishment Expenses:— 
Salaries. 
Wages. 
Bruiting and Stationery 
Bostage .. .. 
Gas . 
Miscellaneous ., 
Cash paid. 
Debts payable. 
d. 
£ s. 
d. 
£ s. 
a. 
£ S. 
. 322 0 
2 
25 0 
u 
347 0 
2 
. 61 6 
0 
61 6 
» 
. 112 15 
8 
29 16 
0 
142 11 
8 
. 73 13 
y 
14 14 
0 
88 7 
9 
. 13 1 
9 
r» 11 
7 
IS 13 
4 
. 144 15 
2 
17 18 
8 
162 IS 
5 
Totals. 
£ 
d. 
820 12 4 
