Febrtiar/ 13, 1890. ]; 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
135 
A J^ain I cannot see the wisdom of such close pinching as he recom¬ 
mends—“after each pair of leaves.” The plants may be kept very close 
and stocky by that system, but he must pinch the very life out of them 
also. In growing Bouvardias I want large trusses of well developed 
flowers borne on stout stems. Let Mr. Bardney run up a few without 
stopping until they attain a height of 18 inches, which early struck 
■cuttings are not long in doing, then stop at every second or third pair of 
leaves until the end of July, generously treating the while, and he will 
have fine plants, rather spreading perhaps, but the quality and quantity 
of the bloom, and the main stems as thick as a lead pencil, will probably 
astonish him. 
The size of the pots mentioned—inch—does not speak well for 
the corresponding size of his plants. Grown well 7 and 8-inch pots are 
filled with roots long before blooming time, but not if placed out of 
■doors—another detail open to debate. A week’s wet weather plays 
havoc with their delicate feeders. Cool, airy houses or cold frames are 
best in my opinion for summer accommodation. With plenty of air and 
sunshine strength is not obtained at the expense of solidity. No one, 
however, should be in a hurry to remove them from warm quarters until 
they are well advanced in growth.—S. Y. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Report of the Council for the Year 1880. 
The work ^f the Royal Horticultural Society cannot be said to have 
stood still during the year 1889. Three most useful Conferences have 
taken place at Chiswick—viz., on Roses, on July 2nd and 3rd ; on 
Vegetables, on September 24th 25th, and 26th ; and on Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, on November 5th and 6th ; and the excellent results thus 
obtained, together with the most valuable statisties and returns sent in 
by the kindness of correspondents all over the United Kingdom, 
with a few from foreign horticulturists, will, as recorded in the 
■“ Society’s Journal,” form an authoritative standard of reference on the 
smbiects concerned for some years to come. 
Sixteen fruit and floral meetings have been held in the Drill Hall, 
every one of which has been productive of good results to one or other 
■of the different branches of practical horticulture. The number of 
awards has been as follows On the recommendation of the Floral 
Committee fifty-four first-class certificates, eighty-four awards of merit, 
four botanical certificates, three commendations. On the recommenda¬ 
tion of the Fruit and Vegetable Committee seven first-class certificates, 
three awards of merit. On the reeommendation of the Orchid Com¬ 
mittee twenty-seven first-class certificates, seven awards of merit, and 
twelve botanical certificates. 
The Society’s great Show, held (by the renewed kindness of the 
Treasurer and Benehers) in the Inner Temple Gardens, was even more 
magnificent than in the preceding year, the collection of Orchids in 
particular having probably surpassed any collection ever before gathered 
into one place. The best thanks of the Society are due to all those (and 
especially to the amateurs) who so generously lent their plants for 
exhibition. 
Nor has the Scientific Committee been idle, and the notes of their 
meetings, as given in the Society’s Journal, will be found full of 
interesting and valuable information to all horticulturists. 
Meantime, the Society’s general work of scientific experiment and 
investigation, and of the practical trial of various plants, has been going 
on steadily at Chiswick under the superintendence of Mr. Barron. Trial 
has been made of 104 varieties of Potatoes, 50 vars. of Broccoli, 108 vars. 
of Vegetable Marrows, Pumpkins, and Gourds ; 30 vars. of Onions, 
30 vars. of Brussels Sprouts, and 41 vars. of Peas. Amongst flowers 
trial has been made of 270 varieties of garden annuals, 66 vars. of China 
Asters, 20 vars. of Stocks, 190 vars. of Dahlias, besides Zonal and other 
Pelargoniums ; Lemoine’s New Hybrid Gladioli, Pentstemons, Helio¬ 
tropes, Iris, &c. Ivies, of which the Society possesses a very fine 
collection, have been specially examined and classified. Reports on 
these trials will appear in the Journal. Of Chrysanthemums, 800 
varieties were grown, and these not only added very materially to the 
display at the Chrysanthemum Centenary Conference, but from not 
being so severely disbudded, as is usually the case in producing the show 
blooms, the plants themselves, as well as the blossoms, were greatly 
admired. A large sum of money has this year been spent on the 
■gardens. Extensive repairs have been done to the glass houses, and the 
general keeping up of the gardens greatly improved. The breaking 
down of two of the largest boilers threatened a great addition to outlay, 
but the liberal gift from Messrs. Foster & Pearson of one of their patent 
Chilwell boilers greatly reduced the expenditure under this head. A 
new hybrid Tomato, considered to be one of the best in cultivation, has 
been raised by Mr. Barron, and the seed distributed amongst the Fellows. 
The experiment of opening the gardens on Sunday has not met with such 
success as the Council had hoped, but they have decided to continue it— 
at least, for the present year ; and then, if the privilege should not prove 
to be more highly valued, it may have to be abandoned, as, besides the 
additional work thrown on the oflBcers on their one rest day in the week, 
it also entails considerable expense on the Society. The meetings held 
at Chiswick during the year, though successful in all else, have not been 
quite so successful in point of numbers as the Council had hoped; and 
they venture to think that in the year now commencing those Fellows 
who were so strongly in favour of meetings at Chiswick should make it 
their business by every means in their power, privately or through the 
Press, to increase the numbers attending. 
But perhaps the chief event of the year has been the revival of the 
Society’s Journal, by means of which Fellows at a distance are enabled 
to enter more fully into and reap the benefits of the study and work of 
those more actively engaged at the centre. Four volumes, containing 
about 750 pages, have been issued during the twelvemonth, and the 
Council have the gratification of knowing, from numerous letters re¬ 
ceived, that these volumes have been highly appreciated, not only in 
this country, but by correspondents all over the world. 
The invaluable work of 376 pages on “ British Apples,” which Mr. 
Barron was able to produce as the outcome of the Apple Conference, 
1888, is now being re-issued by the Society in a cheap and popular 
edition at the price of Is. 6d. only. It may be as well to point out that 
unless this issue should command a very large circulation it will entail a 
great loss to the Society ; but the Council have felt, in face of the wide- 
spreading interest taken in British fruit culture, and of the fact that 
this book is a standard work upon Apples, that it was their duty to 
encounter this risk, hoping that individual Fellows would endeavour to 
promote its sale amongst their neighbours and friends. 
All these Conferences and meetings, and especially the work and 
maintenance of the Chiswick Gardens and the publication of the 
Journal, have involved the Society in a very large outlay, and the 
Council take this opportunity of endeavouring to impress upon Fellows 
the absolute necessity there is for them all individually (as many as have 
the Society’s welfare at heart) to endeavour to secure new Fellows to 
the Society if its work is not only to be continued at its present 
standard, but still more so if the ever-opening and extending opportuni¬ 
ties of usefulness are to be embraced and accepted. The adoption of 
£1 Is. as one rate of subscription was, no doubt, a popular movement, 
but the Council desire to remind the Fellows that such a low rate of 
Fellowship can only be self-supporting if it draws into the Society a 
very large number (far larger than at present exists) of additional 
Fellows. The Council, therefore, venture to express the hope that every 
P'ellow of the Society will make an endeavour to obtain at least one new 
Fellow during this present year. A statement of the privileges of 
Fellows and of the aims and objects of the Society, together with a 
form of nomination to Fellowship, is for this purpose enclosed with this 
report. 
The revival of lectures at the afternoon meetings has been another 
good feature in the year’s work, and the Council hope that as the fact of 
these lectures and their value become more generally known, through 
their publication in the Journal, that the attendance of Fellows to hear 
them, and to take part in the discussions, will gradually increase. The 
Couneil cannot but think that many of the Fellows are unaware of the 
immense interest and value of these regular bi-monthly meetings and 
the lectures so kindly delivered thereat ; and they beg to express, in 
their own name and in that of all Fellows of the Society, their very best 
thanks to all those gentlemen who have so kindly contributed, either by 
the exhibition of plants, fruits, flowers, or vegetables, or by the reading 
of papers, to the success of these meetings. 
The papers read at these bi-monthly meetings, all of which have been 
published in the Journal, are as follows :— 
March 12 “ On Saxifragas,” by Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. 
„ “ Culture of Saxifragas,” by Mr. Geo. Paul. 
„ “ Saxifragas,” by Mr. Reuthe. 
March 26 “ Dutch Hyacinths,” by Heer A. E. Barnaart. 
„ “ Culture of Hyacinths,” by Heer J. H. Kersten. 
„ “ Hyacinths in England,” by Mr. James Douglas. 
April 9 “ The Narcissus,” by Mr. F. W. Burbidge, M.A., F.L.S. 
M.R.I.A. 
„ “ Seedling Daffodils,” by Rev. G. H. Engleheart, M.A. 
,, “ Portuguese Narcissi,” by Mr. A. W. Tait, F.L.S. 
April 23 '• The Auricula,” by Rev. F. D. Horner, M.A. 
May 14 “ On Irises,” by Professor Michael Foster, Sec.R.S, 
June 11 “ Orchid Culture,” by Mr. H. J. Veitch, F.L.S. 
June 25 “ The Strawberry,” by Mr. A. F. Barron. 
„ “ Strawberry Culture for Market,” by Mr. G. Bunyard. 
July 2 “ Roses,” by the Very Rev. the Dean of Rochester, D.D. 
„ “ Pruning Roses,” by the Rev. A. Foster-Melliar, M.A. 
„ “ Groups of Roses,” by Mr. William Paul, F.L.S. 
„ “ Stocks for Roses,” by Mr. E. Mawley, Sec.N.R.S. 
,, “ Roses since 1860,” by Mr. George Paul. 
„ “ Decorative Roses,” by Mr. T. W, Girdlestone, M.A., 
F.L.S. 
„ “ On Rosa polyantha as a Stock,” by Mons. Viviand Morel. 
July 3 “ The Botany of Roses,” by Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S. 
F.L.S. 
„ “ Rose Hybridisation,” by the Right Hon. Lord Penzance. 
„ “ A New Classification of Roses,” by Profesor E. Crepin. 
July 23 “ The Florist’s Carnation,” by Mr. Shirley Hibberd. 
Augst 13 “ Peaches and Nectarines,” by Mr. Francis Rivers. 
Sept. 25 “ On Vegetables,” by Mr. H. J. Veitch, F.L.S. 
„ “ On Asparagus,” by Mr. Shirley Hibberd. 
„ “ Winter Salads,” by Mr. Norman. 
Sept. 26 “ The Food of Vegetables,” by Mr. J. Wright. 
„ “ Peas since 1860,” by Mr. T. Laxton. 
„ “ Potatoes since 1860,” by Mr. A. Dean. 
„ “ How to have Vegetables all through the Year,” by Mr. 
J. Smith. 
Oct. 8 “ On Conifers,” by Mr. W. Coleman. 
Oct. 22 “ Pears,” by Mr. W. Wildsmith. 
