64 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 24, 1889. 
branches, cylindrical, about an inch long, an 1 rich golden yellow in 
colour.—G. T. 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The schedule of arrangements for the year 1889, which has just 
been issued, is a very full one, com prising in forty-seven pages particulars 
of the meetings and shows to be held under the auspices of the Society, 
lists of the Committees, and some general information. We have 
already published the dates of the Committee meetings, but the principal 
events of the year will be the following :—• 
The National Auricula Society’s Show on April 23rd at the Drill Hall; 
the great Show in the Inner Temple Gardens, May 30th and 31st, in 
which fifty-seven classes are provided for plants, flowers, vegetables, 
and fruit, with several special prizes, and possibly silver cups for the most 
meritorious exhibits in the respective classes. The National Rose 
Conference at Chiswick on July 2nd and 3rd should be an interesting 
exhibition and meeting. A large Committee has been nominated to 
carry out the arrangements, and seventeen classes are also provided for 
collections of Roses of different types. The National Carnation and 
Picotee Society’s Show will be held in the Drill Hall on July 23rd. A 
Vegetable Conference will take place at Chiswick on September 24th, 
25th, and 26th, for which a special Committee has been elected, and 
a schedule has also been prepared to provide for the representation of 
the leading kinds in collections of varieties. A Chrysanthemum 
Centenary Conference at Chiswick is announced for November 13th 
and 14th, twenty-four classes being enumerated ; but the Committee 
has not yet been formed and no details are determined upon. 
THE CHISWICK GARDEN. 
In reference to the Chiswick Garden the following statement is 
made : — 
“ The Council being desirous of making the Society’s Gardens at 
Chiswick (as far as the funds at their command will allow) a School 
of Practical and Scientific Horticulture, 1 ornamental as well as useful,’ 
and of increased value and interest to the Fellows, have devoted their 
careful attention to the present condition of the Gardens, and to a 
scheme for their future better utilisation. They are of opinion that 
such a garden should be devoted (1) to the cultivation of such fruits, 
vegetables, and decorative plants and flowers as it may seem expedient 
to draw the particular attention of the Fellows to at the moment, and 
varying from time to time ; (2), to the trial of new sorts side by side 
with established varieties ; (3). to such experiments in the culture and 
treatment of plants as have a gardening as distinguished from a merely 
scientific value and interest. To these may be added (4) the trial of 
horticultural appliances and materials. And it is evident that these 
trials and experiments, and the experience gained, are of comparatively 
little general interest, value, or use, unless they can be periodically and 
regularly published for the direct information of the ’’’ellows. With 
this purpose in view, the Council propose to at once recommence the 
publication of the Journal of the Society’s transactions. 
“ The cultivation, trial, &c., of fruits must always be of the utmost 
importance, and happily forms one of the most valuable features of the 
Gardens at present. There is a good collection of the best varieties of 
fruits, and it is intended to maintain this and extend it by the trial of 
such novelties as the raisers may be good enough to bestow on the 
Society. A list of the varieties of the different fruit3 already in the 
Gardens will be published in an early number of the Journal in order 
to avoid duplicates being sent, and to enable Fellows to send fruit for 
comparison and verification of name, &c. 
“The Grapes in the Great Conservatory and in House No. 12 afford 
at all seasons ready examples of, and instruction in, successful Grape 
culture, which might be of service to many of the Fellows. House 
No. 13 is to be planted with Muscats, and wiil be similarly useful and 
instructive. House No. 15 is to be devoted to the high-flavoured but 
greatly neglected Frontignan Grapes, in the hope of directing attention 
to these most delicious though somewhat small-berried fruits. 
“ It is proposed that one of the houses should be furnished with 
fruit trees in pots, as their culture would be extremely interesting to 
many Fellows, and experiments in treatment are more readily carried 
on with pot plants. 
“ The different methods or systems of pruning and training fruit 
trees will be illustrated to the fullest extent, and experiments made in 
grafting on various kinds of stocks, and the results carefully observed. 
“ A collection of standard and typical varieties of different vegetables 
will be grown (as far as space permits) for comparison with new varieties, 
and both to assist the Committee in recommending their awards, and 
for the general information of the Fellows. Besides this general 
collection, specially exhaustive tria's of certain classes of vegetables 
will be made every few years in rotation, and descriptive reports given. 
The special classes proposed for 1889 are Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels 
Sprouts, Broad Beans, and Gourds. The production of winter and early 
salading will also be illustrated as being considered a subject that does 
not at present receive sufficient attention in many English gardens. 
“ The floral department will include all plants and flowers of a 
distinctly decorative garden character, whether for cultivation under 
glass, or out of doors. A few classes only can be illustrated each year. 
For 1889 it is proposed to take Gloxinias, Pelargoniums (show, fancy, 
and decorative), and Chrysanthemums ; the most decorative varieties of 
Ferns, hardy and exotic, with a view to a Fern Conference in 1890 ; 
Dahlias, Cannas, Summer Chrysanthemums ; hardy herbaceous plants ; 
Alpines ; Carnations and Pinks with a view to a Carnation trial in 
1890. A very large collection of herbaceous Paeonies is also in process 
of being made, and will, it is hoped, in 1890-91 be an object of great 
interest and instruction. It is also proposed to show the utility of 
annuals for inexpensive garden decoration, by illustrating with a few 
classes the varied effects of autumn sowing for spring flowering, and 
spring sowing for autumn blooming. 
“ As opportunity offers experiments will be conducted with, and trial 
made of, all sorts of articles and appliances used in the management 
or work of a garden, e.g., manures (see special trial, page 11) ; insecti¬ 
cides, mowing machines, garden tools, systems of glazing, ventilating, 
heating, &c., and reports will be published thereon. 
“ The condition of the glass houses is one which the Council deplore, 
but which the funds at their command give them at present no means 
of remedying ; they hope, however, that a large influx of new Fellows 
may before long enable tnem to make great improvements ; indeed, it 
is evident that without a considerable increase in the Society’s income 
only a comparatively sma’l part of this programme can be accom¬ 
plished. 
“ The officials of the Society wilt give any information and render 
every assistance in their power to all Fellows. Anyone wishing to study 
any particular branch of the gardening operations, or to make any 
special observations of different subjects, should make direct application 
to Mr. Barron, the Society’s Superintendent at Chiswick, or to the 
Honorary Secretary. Gifts of fruit trees, plants, seeds, appliances, &c., 
will at all times be we'comed, and will be duly acknowledged in the 
Society’s Journal.” 
TRIAD OF MANURED 
An experimental trial of manures at Chiswick is also proposed for 
this year on the following conditions :— 
“ A trial of artificial manures having been frequently proposed as 
likely to prove of great public utility, and it appearing that such a trial 
might be suitably instituted in the Society’s Gardens at Chiswick, the 
Couricil have set apart a plot of ground for the purpose in the year 
1889, subject to the following conditions and regulations :—The ground 
selected is in an open situation, the soil is a firm garden loam, quite free 
from recent manure, and has been under Strawberries for the past 
three years. It is of equal texture and quality throughout. For the 
purpose of the manure trial it will be divided by a walk down the 
centre, on one side of which certain selected crops will be grown by 
the aid of the manures entered for trial, and on the other side, crops of 
precisely the same kinds will be grown without manure, for comparison 
of results. For each manure to be tried a breadth of 10 feet, with a 
run of 45 feet (including manured and unmanured plots), will be 
apportioned, and each plot will be treated in precisely the same manner 
as to crops selected, dates of planting and harvesting, and general 
cultivation ; in fact, every detail will be so ordered as to ensure the 
most perfect uniformity of treatment and conditions. 
“ The breadth of 10 feet will be lined out for three rows of plants, to 
consist of one row of one kind of Cabbage, one row of one kind of 
Red Celery, and one row of one kind of Turnips. 
“ The several manures having been distinctly specified in the terms 
of entry, will be purchased for the purpose by the Society’s agent in 
the open market, for and at the expense of the Society. The seeds or 
plants required will also be obtained at the expense of the Society, and 
the same stocks will be employed throughout. On the maturation of 
the several crops a critical examination will be made, and this will be 
completed by a register of the total weights of the produce of each 
row, distinguishing in respect of weight, &c., the produce of the half 
row grown with the manure, and the corresponding half row grown 
without. The results will be made public as soon as possible after the 
completion of the tria's. The entire management of the trials will be 
in the hands of the Society, and will be subject to the supervision of the 
Chiswick Garden Committee. 
“ In order to cover the expenses attending these trials, every entry 
of a manure must be accompanied with a payment to the Society of the 
sum of £10, such payment being requisite to complete the entry. Every 
entry must be accompanied with a statement on the authority of a 
known analytical chemist of the constitution or chemical analysis of 
the manure to be tried. The mode of manufacture and materials 
employed need not be stated, but the chemical composition is a matter 
of importance. No trial will take place unless there be at least six 
entries of different manures. Applications for places in the trial should 
be made without delay to Mr. A. F. Barron at the Society’s Gardens, 
Chiswick. No interference of any kind with any detail of these trials 
will be permitted, except under the advice and sanction of the Chiswick 
Garden Committee.” 
The three leading Committees comprise the following members :— 
Scientific Committee. 
Chairman. —Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, K.C.S.I., M.D., C.B., F.R.S., 
The Camp, Sunningdale. 
Vice-Chairmen. —W. T. Tbiselton Dyer, C.M.G.. F.R.S., Royal 
Gardens, Kew ; Professor M. Foster. Sec. R.S., Great Shelford, 
Cambridge ; Maxwell T. Masters, M.D., F.R.S., V.P.L.S., Mount 
Avenue, Ealing, W. 
lion. Secretary. —Rev. Prof. G. Henslow, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., 
Drayton House, Ealing. 
Baker, J. G., F.R.S., Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Beikeley, Rev. M. J., F.R.S., Sibbertoft, Market Haiborough. 
