December 20, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTIGUL'FURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
571 
landscape in the springtime. In the present depressed condition of 
aericulture land is not so valuable that orchards are made to give place 
to cereals, and if there are to be orchards, surely it is better that they 
should be of the newest and most efficient type for combating the foreign 
growers rather than of the prevailing effete sort. 
It seems to me that the advice of Mr. Blackmore is not only mistaken 
but unpatriotic. Clearly one characteristic of foreign fruit is that it 
comes from newly settled countries where everything is young. These 
young communities, being unlike us disembarrassed of the ddbris of past 
ideas and of past things, appropriate our best knowledge and apply it 
practically and promptly while we stand still thinking. The love of 
preserving old ruins and picturesque old orchards is all very well when 
no object is to be gained by their removal. When, however, they become 
mere ornamental encumbrances it is better that they should be out of 
the way, like the barren Fig tree, and their place occupied by some 
more useful successors,— Spes in Futuro. 
Alas ! that the logic of “ F. R. H. S.” (page 533) is not equal to his 
goodwill and eloquence ! He argues that I am a traitor to my western 
friends because I warn them against such a tilt at the windmills as I 
have long pursued. Convinced by the evidence of forty years, and the 
loss of half as many thousand pounds, that fruit-growing was a very 
poor investment, am I cruel for telling the truth, and would it be 
kinder to conceal it 1 But in lieu of these personal reflections, oh I 
worthy fruit-chanters, why not grapple with my facts? Because it is 
easier to gird at me. Well, gird away ! When you have sunk your 
fortunes, and spent all the best years of your lives in the service of 
Pomona, as I have done, may you have better reward for your faith 1 
All I would beg is, just do it yourselves, instead of tickling others with 
the long pen, and a pen that brings gold to the ungalled palm. But 
when a man has done the very reverse, when he has cast away by 
the spade all the produce of his pen, at least permit him to raise a 
friendly voice to others in like danger. If your correspondent will refer 
to my article, “ Orchard,” in the last edition of Chambers’ “ Cyclopsedia,” 
he will find that I have done, under limitations, as nearly as may be 
what he suggests.—R. D. Blackmore. 
THE DEVON AND EXETER HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY: ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT. 
[Abridged from a Paper read by Mr, P. W. Parkeh at a meeting of the Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Society held in the Guildhall, Exeter.] 
I BELIEVE it is generally known that the Devon and Exeter 
Horticultural Society was first started in the year 1829, and has held 
an unbroken series of exhibitions up to the present day, a position held 
by very few societies in the United Kingdom. Regarding the standing 
of the Society in comparison with others who are older, I have been 
able to obtain some information which I know will be of interest. I 
was until now under the impression that we were the second in regard 
to age in England, of course I speak of existing societies, but thanks 
to Mr. Wm. Dean of Birmingham, who is well known in gardening 
circles, and to whom I was advised to apply to by a gentleman 
connected with the Journal of Horticulture, I find I have been 
labouring under an error, and I am now enabled to let some light on 
the scene in this respect. Mr. Dean tells me that the oldest existing 
society is that of the Ancient Society of York Florists, established in 
17G0 ; then comes the Horticultural Society of London in 1801, and 
which was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1809, and now known as the 
Royal Horticultural Society ; the Caledonian Society dates from 1809, and 
is now known as the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, incorporated 
in 1824, the latter Society hold the exhibitions in Edinburgh ; 
Aylesbury Horticultural Society in 1822, Newcastle-on-Tyne 1824, and 
then comes the Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society in 1829, and 
the same year Buckingham Horticultural Society is said to have been 
started together with the Birmingham Horticultural and Botanical 
Society. Mr. Dean also tells me that he knows that the Bath 
Horticultural Society was existing in 1830, whether it was founded 
then he is unable to say, but I hardly think this is correct, as I see 
from their schedule they say “ established in 1855.” Taunton Society 
was founded in 18G4, so as far as I have been able to gather we rank in 
conjunction with the other two Societies I named as the sixth oldest 
in the United Kingdom. Such a record I feel all will agree with 
me in saying is something to be proud of. Old institutions in these 
days are very much decried, but I think we all have a little weakness 
when we can point to anything with which we are connected with 
or have an interest in, to say with an air of pride how long standing it 
has had. We can, however, say truthfully, I think, that we are at 
any rate the oldest Society in the West of England. I should, perhaps, 
say that there was a Society called the Royal Horticultural Society in 
Cornwall, formulated in 1821, but as far as I know of it is not in 
existence at the present time. 
I will now turn to a branch of the work of this Society, and speak 
on some of the various exhibitions which have been held under its 
auspices. It has, of course, had a varied, and also, we may say, a 
chequered career since its formation, and it has not only held shows for 
matters purely of an horticultural kind, but has also indulged in shows 
for dogs, poultry, and other things. For a great part of what I am now 
going to speak of I have taken from the old reports and the various 
books which are the property of the Society. Through the thoughtful¬ 
ness of some of the past officials, the Society has in its possession a 
complete list of reports from 1830 until the year 18G1, but from that 
date up to 1887 I am sorry to say they have not been preserved, and I 
therefore been obliged to pick up what information I could from various 
means for the remainder of the time. 
I have been unable to find how the Society was originally started, 
nor have I any particulars of the first year’s exhibitions ; but in the 
second year (1830) I am enabled to inform all there were four exhibi¬ 
tions held in May, July, September, and November, the latter being for 
fruit only ; but the receipts for admission to all four shows amounted 
to only £82 2s. 6d.—not a very encouraging sum I should say ; but I 
observe that they finished with a balance on the right side of over 
£15 that year. In 1831 I notice the subscriptions received were over 
£300, nearly £100 more than that of the previous year. 
With the commencement of the Society considerable attention seems 
to have been paid to form a library in connection thereto, and they 
appear to have had a good number of books on various subjects relating 
to gardening and botany, but in the majority of the reports of which I 
have read there did not seem to be much demand for the use of them. 
I believe some of the books were very valuable. The Society eventually 
being in financial difficulties, sold what books that were left for £30, as 
I understand they had been lying idle for many years. The books 
were stored in the early days with a Mr. Spreat, a name some of 
the older members may remember. 
In the year 1832 the shows were still held, notwithstanding that 
cholera was very prevalent at that time. In their report mention is 
made of that dreadful scourge, and their reason for holding the shows 
was they considered that if they were discontinued it would increase the 
alarm then felt, but of course they suffered as regards the receipts. In 
that year a Mr. Thos. Jackson was appointed joint Secretary with 
Mr. Gidley. I also notice in an early report mention is made of the 
desirability of landowners granting allotments. I mention this fact, 
not that I presume the question of allotments has been more generally 
granted through the instrumentality of this Soeiety, but as a witness 
that cottagers were then represented at the exhibitions. 
Among many remarks I have come across there is one, in which, 
speaking of the state of the finances it says “ the balance was of no 
great amount, nor did the Committee think it ought to be, as they 
thought if there was a big balance in hand the Society could not be 
doing its duty in providing for the objects it was meant for,” and I 
could not help thinking that that was rather a novel way to explain 
away an unfavourable balance sheet. I also gather that the awards 
made by judges even in those primitive days did not always give satis¬ 
faction. We all know some competitors occasionally grumble, and it 
would therefore seem it is not a novelty, as fifty years ago it would 
appear that everyone could not obtain prizes ; there are in every stage 
of life men who cannot take a defeating comfortably, and I have in my 
mind’s eye a certain gentleman who stands in the first rank as an 
exhibitor who was very angry at not getting the first prize for which he 
made up his mind he was sure to win. I remember he was very wroth, 
and intimated that the judges did not know their business. 
Prizes were offered by the Society for essays on horticultural 
matters or “ dissertations,” as they were called, and I observe two of the 
suggested essays were on “insects in j urious and destructive to fruits, flowers, 
and vegetables, with the best means of preventing and destroying them,” 
and also “for the best original plan for the formation of a flower garden,” 
two very good subjects I should think even for its members to take up 
now ; but so far as I can gather did not meet with any success. 
It is a pleasing feature to see your flourishing Society and to think that 
you have met with so much success in this way, and I cannot help 
thinking that you have attained that what the members of the Devon 
and Exeter Horticultural Society were anxious to do fifty years 
ago. But after writing this, a friend of mine, who has had a long 
connection with gardening, tells me that Mr. Gray did for several years 
have gardeners to meet him in his office to read papers on various sub¬ 
jects, and he has told me he has heard some excellent essays read then. 
I also learnt that these meetings were held once a month, and as a part 
of the programme refreshments in the form of tea and coffee were 
supplied by the Hon. Secretary. These meetings were always held in the 
evening when there was a full moon. This latter remark rather puzzled 
meat first, as I hardly saw the connection between a full moon and these 
meetings ; but I was soon enlightened on this point when he informed me 
that the object of holding the meetings when the moon was at full was for 
those who had to walk home to any distance, such as my informant had to 
do. The time I am referring to must be about thirty years ago. This is 
only one of the many valuable services rendered by the then secretary. 
Up to 1842 the exhibitions were held in the Subscription Rooms, now, 
I believe, the Royal Public Rooms. I am afraid some little difficulty 
would be found to find the necessary space for the exhibits if we had 
to revert to them now. 
I was much astonished in going through the reports in early history 
to notice how admirably they were written. One could easily see that 
for many years they were drawn up by one who had a great love of 
flowers and other horticultural subjects. The first exhibition held on 
Northernhay was in the year 184G, and two tents were purchased for 
£140, the sizes being 100 feet by 30 feet, and the other a bell tent 
20 feet in diameter. In the year following another tent was bought, 
for which they paid £58 10s., and I believe these tents are the same as 
what we at present possess, at any rate I have been unable to find any 
mention to the contrary; and the Committee in speaking of the first 
show held there say that Northernhay had never been seen to such an 
advantage, not only as regards a horticultural point of view, and 
