104 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE U ARDENER. 
[ February 7, 18t9l 
Birmingham “ Mr. Ritchie ” seems to have gone to Messrs. Sander 
and Co., St. Albans, to whom he represented himself as Mr. Austen 
Chamberlain. He showed an intimate knowledge of the Highbury 
conservatories, and oi dered a small parrel of Orchids on his own 
account. This he paid for with another American bill, getting 
change for his own use. At the same time he said he was instructed 
by Mr. Chamberlain to select for a friend of his in France a large 
number of Orchids to the value of some hundreds of pounds. The 
fraud was discovered recently, when Mr. Sander wrote to Mr. Joseph 
Chamberlain thanking him for the introduction. This aroused Mr. 
Chamberlain’s curiositv, and led to a full investigation of the matter, 
and the discovery of the fraud. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Report of the Council for the Year 1888. 
Whenever the history of the Royal Horticultural Society comes to 
be written, the year 1888 will be recognised as having been one of the 
most critical periods in the Society’s existence. The opening of the 
year found the Society compelled to quit South Kensington at Lady 
Day, and with no idea of where its future lot would be cast. In order 
to give the Fellows at large an unrestricted power of selection, the 
whole of the Council had tendered their resignation, but when at the 
annual meeting the new Council was chosen, it was found that ten of 
the old members had been re-elected, and thus a desirable continuity 
was preserved. The Council wish to express their great regret at the 
loss they experienced in the death of Mr. Woodbridge in the early part 
of the year, into whose place Mr. Douglas was chosen. 
The first work of the Council was, of necessity, to secure a suitable 
home for the Society, and after a great deal of time and attention 
bestowed in examining various sites, they decided on engaging No. 117, 
Victoria Street, Westminster, for the permanent offices, and for the 
Society’s and the Lindley Libraries. They also entered into a tem¬ 
porary agreement for the use of the Drill Hall of the London Scottish 
Volunteers in James Street, Victoria Street, for holding meetings and 
shows. The Council fully recognise the drawbacks attaching to the 
Drill Hall, but they failed to find any other sufficient building in 
London that is not attended with equal, if not with still greater, draw¬ 
backs as regards either light, situation, or cost. 
The Society commenced the year with a debt of £1152, which has 
happily all been discharged chiefly by means of donations received in 
accordance with the list given in the appendix of this report. Expenses 
amounting to £99 16s. incurred in the removal of the offices, and of the 
Lindley Library,* have also been paid, and a balance of £365 16s. 6 d. 
is now lodged in the bank to the credit of the Donation Fund. 
The statement of receipts and payments (other than donations), 
together with the balance sheet and Auditors’ report, will be found in 
the appendix. It 'will be noticed that there is a considerable increase 
as compared with the year 1887 in the amount received from annual 
subscriptions, and for produce sold from the Chiswick Gardens—the 
total sum received in 1888 being £4372 16s. 3d., as against £2894 4s. lOd. 
in 1887. The Council have, therefore, every confidence that the Society 
has now surmounted its financial difficulties ; and, with a regular in¬ 
crease in the number of Fellows joining the Society, there is little 
doubt but that it has a long and honourable career of usefulness 
before it. 
During the year 1888, 657 annual Fellows have been elected, repre¬ 
senting an income of £924 4s. On the other hand, eighty-one Fellows 
resigned and 48 died, representing a loss of £242 11s. The nett in¬ 
crease of Fellows thus being 628, representing a nett increase of in¬ 
come of £685 15s. The total number of Fellows on the Society’s 
books on the 1st of January, 1889, consisted of 556 Life Fellows, 1080 
Annual Fellows, and six Associates. 
A Finance Committee, consisting of Baron Schroder, Mr. T. B. 
Haywood, Mr. H. J. Veitch, and the Treasurer, has devoted consider¬ 
able time and thought to regulating the accounts of the Society. 
Strenuous effort has been made to investigate every item of income and 
expenditure, and while in many cases more economical methods have 
been adopted, the efficiency of the machinery of the Society has been 
greatly increased. 
T he prospects for the current year may be briefly summarised thus :— 
The income, on the basis of the experience of the past 3 ear, is expected 
to be not less than £3000 ; while the expenditure, involving no new or 
extraordinary services, is expected to reach £2950. It is proposed to 
devote any increase in income which may arise specially to improving 
the Chiswick Gardens, and to reviving the publication of the Society's 
Proceedings and Journal, w r hich will contain information having a direct 
bearing upon the science and practice of horticulture. 
The revision of the Society’s Bye-Laws m the sense desired by the 
last annual meeting has occupied a very considerable time, and a great 
deal of attention. The work has been to a great extent done by the 
Honorary Secretary in consultation with the Committee of Fellows (to 
the members of which the Council desire to tender their thanks), and 
the result, after being approved by the Society’s solicitors and by the 
Council, and submitted to two general meetings, was finally adopted on 
the 13th of November. 
• Towards the expenses of moving the Lindley Library the Trustees contributed the 
sum 01 £20, 
The Council think they may fairly congratulate the Fellows on the 
magnificent Show held on 17th and 18th of May, by the kind permission 
of the Treasurer and Benchers in the gardens of the Inner Temple—a 
Show by which amongst other things attention was drawn to the excel¬ 
lent work being done for horticulture by the market growers of the 
London district. The Council beg to record their grateful thanks to the 
Treasurer and Benchers for again allowing the use of their garden, and 
express a hope that the Show this year (1889) may be as great a pecuniary 
success as it undoubtedly was last year horticulturally. Success largely 
depends on the weather, and this last year was the only unpropitious 
element with which the Show had to contend. 
The Conference on Apples and Pears, held at Chiswick from October 
16th to 20 th, attracted a great deal of attention, and will prove very 
helpful to intending planters. The display of fruit was, considering the 
season, magnificent; and the hearty thanks of the Council are due to all 
who so kindly contributed to it, as also to all the readers of papers 
which, with the discussions that followed, excited very great interest. 
The Council are glad to find that the Report of the Conference, which is 
being prepared by the Superintendent and the Honorary Secretary, and 
which is now almost ready for press, is being inquired for from all parts 
of the world. The apparent delay in its publication is due to two 
causes : the enormous amount of statistical work it involves, and the 
great pressure of work which has lately been thrown on Mr. Barron. 
The exhibition of plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables at the 
bi-monthly meetings has been, taken as a whole, all that could be 
desired ; but the Council are sorry to have observed that on some 
occasions the attendance of Fellows has fallen short of their expecta¬ 
tions. This is partly no doubt attributable to the change of locality, the 
ease with which the Drill Hall can be reached from all parts being not 
yet sufficiently known. Fellows, however, can have little idea of the 
loss they sustain by not attending these meetings, where the newest 
plants and greatest improvements in culture are from time to time to be 
seen. 
With a view to popularise the bi-monthly meetings the Council have 
determined to revive the once so popular three o’clock afternoon meet¬ 
ings, with a short lecture and discussion at each on some of the plants, 
&c., exhibited. The Council invite the co-operation of all Fellows and 
lovers of gardens to help make these gatherings instructive, useful, and 
pleasant. A reference to the schedule of arrangements for 1889 win 
show the promises already received. 
The Council have also decided to revive the publication of a periodical 
Journal and Report of the Society’s proceedings, meetings, and work. 
This, it is hoped, will convey useful and interesting information to 
Fellows living at a distance, and to others who, from any cause, may be- 
debarred from attending the meetings or studying the work going on 
always at Chiswick. 
Last, but not least, the Council have resolved to the utmost extent of 
their means to revive the gardens at Chiswick, which have fallen into an 
unsatisfactory state owing chiefly to the hitherto unavoidable expenditure- 
at South Kensington ; and they are glad to report that the work at 
Chiswick already shows healthy signs of revival, owing to the unremitting' 
attention bestowed by the Garden Committee, consisting of Colonel 
Beddome, Dr. Hogg, Mr. George Paul, Mr. Shi Fey Hibbert, and Mr. 
Herbst, with the Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, whose exertions, 
have been loyally seconded by the Superintendent. All available funds 
have been bestowed on the repair of the glass houses, and on the general 
work. 
The several Committees—the Scientific, the Fruit and Vegetable, and 
the Floral—have been unremitting in their exertions during the year, 
and the thanks of the Society are due to all who have so kindly devoted 
their time and ability to them. But whilst the work of the individual' 
members has been beyond praise the Council have felt that the organi¬ 
sation of the Committees themselves called for some re-adjustment. 
They have therefore determined that in future the members of all tbe= 
standing Committees shall be chosen out of the general body of Fellows, 
and that the Fruit and Vegetable, and the Floral Committees shall each 
consist of about forty members, half of whom shall be drawn as far as 
possible from the London district, and half from the country at large. 
It is also thought very desirable to give greater value to the first-class- 
certificate of the Society, and, with this object in view the Council have- 
c instituted another order of commendation, to be called “ The Award of 
Merit,” in the hope that the Committees will be able by its use to- 
discriminate between what is really a first-class introduction or novelty, 
and what is simply a meritorious advance on or variation of some well- 
known and established plant. 
To enable the Council to judge of the relative value of the several 
recommendations of the respective Committees, and to assist them in 
their deliberations as to the expediency or otherwise of confirming these 
recommendations, a list will be in future prepared and laid before them 
of the number of members of Committee present on each occasion, and 
of the number voting for or against each proposed recommendation. 
These numbers will be printed in the Society’s Journal, and will be of 
the utmost assistance to Fellows in estimating the general opinion of tire 
Committees on the subjects under discussion. 
The Council cannot close their report without expressing their deep- 
regret at the cause which compels Mr. John Lee to retire from the 
auditorship of the Society, which office he has so long and so con¬ 
scientiously filled. The Society, in common with all horticulturists, 
owes a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Lee, and will anxiously look for hrs 
restoration to health. Fellows will, however, feel confident that the- 
accounts are in good hands when they learn that Mr. George Deal has 
