?8 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f Jjiinary 16, 1891. 
the disposal of each speaker to ten or fifteen minutes, but it is 
seldom that these periods are exceeded in an ordinary discussion, 
and it is perhaps better to leave the matter in the hands of the 
Chairman, who will be able to judge when the speaker is keeping to 
the subject under consideration, and contributing useful informa¬ 
tion. 
Some minor matters need a little attention. For example, the 
room or building in which the Conference is held should not be too 
large ; a moderate sized room well filled is far better than a spacious 
hall with a scattering of auditors. The necessary means of ventila¬ 
tion must, however, be provided, as a hot close atmosphere is not 
likely to have a very inspiriting effect upon those present. The 
time and place chosen for the meeting must of course depend upon 
a variety of circumstances, but it may be stated in a general way 
that a conference upon any special horticultural subject should be 
arranged whenever possible in connection with an exhibition which 
would serve in some degree as an illustration of the topics dealt 
with. More interest would also be added to shows of all kinds, 
and their practical usefulness increased by such gatherings, whether 
for conferences or lectures. I remember well some years since 
when the National Rose Society held a provincial Show in the 
Sheffield Botanic Gardens, what a large company assembled in the 
afternoon to hear a lecture by Dean (then Canon) Hole, and how 
much more interest was imparted than the mere exhibition would 
have afforded. A lecture from a well known and recognised 
authority on a subject, or a conference of amateur and professional 
gardeners, might be arranged for nearly every one of the larger 
shows in the kingdom with little difficulty, and at an insignificant 
expense. With a good band nothing further should be needed 
to render really horticultural shows successful; country fetes and 
galas, in which horticulture only plays a secondary part, are not 
included in this category. 
The Royal Horticultural Society has done valuable work in 
instituting conferences and similar meetings, their record of the 
past seven or eight years being a varied one. In October, 1883, the 
National Apple Congress was held at Chiswick, but no papers were 
read, and there was no arrangement for public discussion. At the 
Orchid Conference, however, in May, 1885, several excellent papers 
were read, followed by a most interesting discussion. The National 
Pear Conference was held in October, 1885, but again no papers 
were read, though at the Primula Conference in April, 1886, 
several were submitted. The Orchid Nomenclature Conference at 
Liverpool, in June, 1886, was opened with a few remarks, and one 
paper was read ; the discussion also was fairly good on this occasion. 
An Apple and Pear Conference took place at Chiswick in October, 
1888, when a series of exhaustive papers was contributed, and the 
discussion also was spirited. The year 1889 was an exceptionally 
busy one in regard to Conferences, for the Society named arranged 
no less than three, one devoted to Roses in June, to vegetables in 
October (a remarkably successful meeting), and to Chrysanthemums 
in November, all being conducted on the same lines—namely, 
providing pajiers on special subjects, followed by discussion. 
For the present year Conferences on Daffodils, Carnations, and 
Ferns are also announced, so that the Council has evidently 
recognised the importance of this form of meeting, and may 
fairly claim to have done good work in their promotion. 
The Fruit Conferences at the Crystal Palace in September and 
October, 1888, which led to the formation of the British Fruit 
Growers’ Association, also attracted much attention, as did the meet¬ 
ing held in the same place in October, 1889, and a series of similar 
Conferences now being arranged for the present year, may be 
expected to yield similar results. The National Chrysanthemum 
Society has held several Conferences, that last week being in some 
respects the most satisfactory of all. Besides these various meet¬ 
ings of a similar character have been arranged at provincial towns, 
as at Sheffield, Leicester, and Hull, but these have been chiefly 
devoted to Chrysanthemums, and there is plenty of room for 
ethers. 
Another and important form of mutual improvement which in* 
recent years has been much extended consists in the institution of 
gardeners’ societies in provincial towns, the principal object being 
to hold meetings for discussions on various subjects connected with 
practical gardening. The Paxton Societies in the north of England,, 
notably at Leeds and Wakefield, have done good work in this way. 
There is also a Society in Nottingham which holds very interesting 
meetings. At Birmingham and Reading frequent gatherings occur 
during the winter at which papers are read. The Chiswick 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association holds its meetings 
weekly from October to March in the Council Chamber of the 
Chiswick gardens, and an admirably diversified programme is pro-- 
vided every year. The rules of this Association are also brief and 
suitable for societies of a similar kind. After providing for the- 
election of officers, &c., three or four rules referring to the regula¬ 
tion of business are so admirably adapted for their purpose tliat 
they are here reproduced for the guidance of any concerned in the 
formation of improvement associations. They are as follows — 
“ That members wishing to read a paper shall submit the title of 
the same to the Secretary at least a month previous to the night on 
which it is to be read, so that it may be announced and members 
have an opportunity of preparing for it. That the time allowed to- 
the reader or opening speaker do not exceed half an hour. Any 
extension of time may, however, be granted at the discretion of 
those present. That succeeding members be allowed ten minutes 
to speak, and that no member be allowed to speak twice until the 
others present have had an opportunity of speaking. That no dis¬ 
cussion be allowed between two or more members, but that eacb 
shall address the chair and the meeting generally.” 
These combinations for mutual advantage merit every 
encouragement. They promote an advance in knowledge and> 
increase a social friendliness amongst those engaged in the same 
calling. We are occasionally told that this is not an age for 
sentiment, but if it is intended by that expression that the rush- 
and rivalry of securing a living are to exclude all kindly feelings 
and generous rec-agnition of other competitors, it can only be- 
regarded as a pernicious doctrine emanating from grossly selfish 
minds. If civilisation and society offer any benefit to mankind it 
must consist mainly in mutual assistance, and this applies as much 
to societies of all kinds as to families and the state generally.— 
Lewis Castle. 
BRITISH APPLE CULTURE. 
Knowing, as I do, the interest the Journal of Horticultur& 
has taken in the cultivation of such fruits as are eligible for the 
supply of our home market, at the head of which I feel disposed 
to class Apples, I ask for space in your valuable columns for the- 
following remarks. 
I purchase what Apples we require for family use, and if I 
could get them conveniently I would only buy British grown ones. 
I get what I do buy from Jas. Lindsay & Son, the great fruit 
importers of Market Street, Edinburgh, and when I asked then> 
why they did not deal in English and Scotch Apples, their reply 
was, “ If the English and Scotch growers ivould pack them as the 
foreigners do we would do so. As they do pack them we can put a 
thousand barrels of foreign Apples through our hands quicker than 
we could put a tenth of the quantity of British.” Surely our home 
growers are not so destitute of resource as not to be able to meet a 
case like this. Machinery could make barrels as cheaply in Britain 
as in America or Germany, and they might copy the way the 
foreigner packs the Apples. To my taste there are no foreign 
Apples equal to good English ones for cooking. They are dry and 
lack the fine brisk acid taste of, say, Lord Suffield, Ecklinville 
Seedling, Hawthornden, Cellini, and others that might be named, 
and keeping off the true “ Newton Pippin ” from America, there 
are no foreign Apples for table use equal to Ribston Pippin and 
Cox’s Orange Pippin. Many of the so-called dessert Apples from 
the Continent are dry, as in the case of Russets, and full of worm 
holes. 
If the growers of Apples in such counties as Kent, Hereford, 
Gloucester, and some of the other best Apple-growing counties, 
would place their fruit packed as the Americans do theirs on 
rail, I could guarantee them a large sale in Scotland alone. Surely 
if the Americans, with their more expensive labour, can make 
