114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE ANT) COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Ftbrtiary C, 
6. Meetings of the Association. 
A. General Meetings. — General meetings shall be held as often 
as the officpps may deem necessary, and such a meeting can also be 
called at any time on a requisition stating the object, and signed by 
twenty members, being placed in the hands of the Hon. Secretary 
at least fourteen days before the date of the intended meeting. The 
general annual meeting shall be held in January. No new rule or 
rules shall be added, or the existing cncsialtered, except at a general 
meeting. 
B. The General Committee shall meet at 
least twice a year, and the Executive Committee as frequently as 
necessary. At all meetings five shall form a quorum. 
C. Conferences and Special Meetings. — Conferences upon fruit 
subjects and special meetings for discussion shall be arranged to be 
held in the metropolis and provincial towns in connection with 
horticultural shows or otherwise, as convenient or desirable. The 
whole of such arrangements will be undertaken by the E.xecutive 
Committee of the Association or in conjunction with the local 
Committee. Papers upon special subjects will be reail, and 
questions submitted for discussion. All papers read by members 
at the meetings shall become the property of the Association, unless 
otherwise arranged, and shall be printed or disposed of as the 
Executive Committee may decide. 
7. Funds, E.xpensei, and Accounts. 
All subscriptions and donations shall be paid to the Secretary, 
who shall forward receipts. At each annual meeting the members 
shall vote a sum of money for the working expenses of the year, 
and thi t shall not be exceeded except by the authority of a 
general meeting. The Hon. Secretary shaT be empowered to retain 
the sum voted for the discharge of the expenses incurred. All 
monies received beyond that amount shall be placed in the 
Treasurer’s hands and will be dealt with as a general meeting of 
members shall direct, in the furtherance of the Assocatiou’s 
objects. The accounts of the Association shall be kept by the 
Hon. Secretary, and audited prior to the annual meeting by two 
members of the Association appointed by the Executive Committee. 
Mr. T. F. Rivers was then elected as Chairman of Committees- 
and Mr. G. Gordon as Vice-Chairman, the following being the completed 
list of Officers and Committee for the year as elected :— 
President : 
Lord Brooke, M.P. 
Vice-Presidents : 
C. (le Laune Faunce de I/aune. Esq. 
Robert Hogg, E>q , LL.D. Charles Whitehead, Esq , F.R.A.S. 
Philip Crowley, Esp, F.R H.S. E. J. Bailie, Esq., F.L.S. 
Treasurer : 
A. II. Smee, Esq. 
Chairman of Committees : 
T. Francis Rivers, Esq. 
Vice-Chairman : 
Mr. George Gordon. 
Honorary Secretary : 
Mr. Lewis Castle. 
General 
Mr. J. Austen 
„ Albert Bath 
„ T.W. B-ach 
,, George Bunyard 
„ E. Butts 
„ J. Cheal 
„ A. Christie 
„ C. E. Clayton 
„ G. W. Cummins 
,, J. Dean 
,, W. Earley 
„ C. .1. Goldsmith* 
,, G. Hammond 
„ W. G. Head 
„ W. Iggulden 
,, A. Wells Ingram 
„ R. M. Ivatt 
„ W. J. Jefferies 
„ John Laing 
„ H. Lister 
Committee : 
Mr. J. Meindoe 
,, J. Miller 
., E. Molyneux 
Rev. A. B. Morris 
Mr. G. Merritt 
,, J. C. Mundell 
,, R. Parker 
„ A. H. Pe.arson 
,, W. Rmpell 
„ 0 Smith 
,, R. S nith 
,, C. Sclater 
„ Brownlow R. 0. Tower 
,, W. Thomson 
„ E. A. Trier, M.A. 
„ J. Udale 
,, J. Watkins 
„ J. Webber 
„ A. C. AVilkin 
,, J. Wright 
Several members were also proposed fur any vacancies that may 
occur during the year. 
The appended report of the Committee was submitted and adopted. 
Report foe the Year 188!). 
In presenting the first report of the British Fruit Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion, the Committee consider it desirable to review the circumstances 
which led to its formation. Early in 1883 it was proposed by Messrs. 
George Gordon and Lewis Castle that a conference of fruit growers 
might be held at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in conjunction with 
the September show of that year. The manager of the Crystal Palace 
cordially entertained the idea, promised to provide a suitable place for 
such a meeting, and to issue tickets to those specially interested in the 
subject. A representative Committee was formed, with Messrs. Castle 
and Earley as Hon. Secretaries, and a programme for a two-days con¬ 
ference was ultimately issued. This took place on September 7th and 8th, 
1888, Mr. T. Francis Rivers presiding. There was an exceptionally large 
attendance, and the meeting proved an unqualified success. At the 
conclusion of the proceedings a resolution was proposed to the effect 
that it was desirable a Society of Fruit Growers should be formed, and 
that the Executive Committee of the Conference be entrusted with the 
preparation of a scheme for carrying this into effect. This was duly 
seconded and unanimously adopted. The Conference was also adjourned 
until October. 
Before the second meeting was held a scheme had been devised for 
the institution of a Society under the title of the British Fruit Growers’" 
Association, and at the adjourned conference in October 1888, this was 
announced and accepted. The first general meeting was held in the 
Crystal Palace, October 18th, 1888, at 6 P.M., Mr. John Laing, in the 
chair, when the Society was duly organised, members, officers, and Com¬ 
mittee elected, and rules adopted. A general meeting was also held in 
the Royal Aquarium, VYestminster, on November 8th, 1888, to discuss 
railway rates in relation to fruit transit, and much important information 
was evoked, but it was subsequently found that the funds of the 
Association would not permit an adequate inquiry in the matter. 
On October 10 h, 1889, a well attended Conference was held in the 
Crystal Palace, when Mr. T. F. Rivers presided, and papers were read 
by Mr. J. AA'^right and Mr. G. Gordon, followed by considerable discussion 
of an instructive character. 
It is gratifying to the Committee to announce that these conferences 
and meetings have been freely reported in the daily and horticultural 
papers, and large numbers of letters have been received from many 
districts in Great Britain expressing hearty approval of the work of the 
Association in diffusing reliable information in fruit culture. The Com¬ 
mittee also have abundant assurance that the conferences have assisted 
greatly in directing attention to fruit culture for profit in this country, 
and in helping to dispel the erroneous ideas, too freely circulated, re¬ 
specting the enormous returns obtainable from a small capital employed 
in fruit cultivation. Much harm has been done by ill-informed advisers, 
for while fruit growing can be made to pay a fair profit for the labour 
required, the land occupied, and the capital expended, this cannot be 
accomplished without practical knowledge of the work, starting with a 
carefully considered scheme, and sound judgment in carrying it out. 
The Associa'ion hopes to extend the sphere of its labours during the 
year 1890, and a programme is now under consideration. To enable 
this to be carried out satisfactorily, however, a material addition to it» 
financial resources will be necessary. Owing to the low rate of sub¬ 
scriptions it is only by a great increase in the number of members and 
by donation^ from those interested in the Association that its object, 
the extension of profitable fruit culture, can be accomplished. During 
the years 1888 and 1889 the total expenditure was £18, leaving a small 
balance in hand. 
The Committee also desire to state that the Association is not 
intended to act in rivalry with any other horticultural society or institu¬ 
tion ensaged in similar work, but rather to co-operate where possible, 
and to this end the support of provincial societies is invited. 
The consideration of a number of letters containing proposition® 
respecting the holding of meetings and conferences in the metropolis 
and the provinces occupied some time, and several members were- 
elected. The working expenses of 1890 were estimated not to exceed 
£30, and this sum was voted in accordance with rule 7. The General 
Committee held a meeting subsequently, at which fifteen members 
were appointed the Executive Committee: — Votes of thanks to 
the Chairman, and to the Horticultural Club for the use of the room,, 
closed the business of the meeting. 
AM I IN IT ? 
Amongst the manifold and great writers of the present day, and the- 
encouragement they are receiving, an ohl fogey like myself, who formerly 
bore the burden and heat of the day for the mere love of the thing, and/ 
who always has been, and is now practically at work, may |)crbaps be- 
excused if he thinks it a little hard to find himself shut out in 
the cold. 
Hall for Horticulture. —I have read that claimants are arising 
as being first to recommend a Horticultural Hall, now, and let me 
add al way’s, so much w-anted. For myself I should have been glad to- 
have seen the structure years ago, and I did advise my best to have the 
Exhibition building of 18-51 retained for the purpose upon the site 
where it then stood ; and I still maintain a structure of the sort, adding 
a Horticultural Club and Hall, and leaving out the manufacturing and 
shop element, is what is wanted. I happened to alight upon an old 
copy of a letter I wrote in 1807, when the present Horticultural Club- 
was very young, and we used to hold our meetings at Anderton’s. I 
pin it to the title page of the Cottage /• for your perusal, t»- 
sho-v how the iilea cannot be claimed now as being original ; and as I 
hope anything likely to be able to push this matter on may be 
useful. 
OuCHALDiNG. —Perhaps you may think it well to reprint the 
orchard parts of the “ Gardener’s Almanac ” entire, and at once, in the: 
Journal of Horticulture, it may help again even now to push the work 
