96 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[June, 
many and long, but they have had their origin, have 
been continued, and have ended solely in love. If 
the meeting desires to have proof of this I speak of 
as a fact, I will gladly supply it to any one deputed 
to make the necessary investigation, and seeing 
that we have the advantage of the presence amongst 
us of Mr. Welton, one of the partners of the eminent 
firm of accountants, Messrs. Quilter, Ball & Co., I 
remark, if this proof be required, that I will willingly 
place the needful documents in his hands.” 
The Chairman (Mr. J. T. D. Llewelyn) thought 
Mr. Dodwell felt this matter most acutely from the 
point of view suggested, that he had abused his posi¬ 
tion in the Society for his personal advantage ; and 
speaking for himself, he declared his perfect confi¬ 
dence in Mr. Dodwell, and his sense that in every 
way, whether as an exhibitor or as Secretary, or as a 
distributor of new varieties of his own raising, he 
was in the fairest and fullest sense of the term an 
amateur; and further, so far as he knew and could 
judge, and he had followed his course with most 
watchful care, he had carried himself with perfect 
honour, and in every way justified their high appre¬ 
ciation of him. As regards the Societies there could 
be no question they had derived the greatest advan¬ 
tage from his labours, which would scarcely have 
been the case had Mr. Dodwell been sailing under 
false colours. One thing he had done as an amateur 
for amateurs. He had distributed seeds of carnation 
and picotees of such a quality as was never obtainable 
before, and he (the Chairman) had found inexpres¬ 
sible enjoyment in raising plants from Mr. Dodwell’s 
seed, and regarding it as the product of a genuine 
and distinguished amateur. So far his own opinion 
on the personal question before them. (Hear, hear.) 
As regarded the general question as to the distinction 
between amateur and dealer, he was not quite pre¬ 
pared to advise what should be done. Should they 
go to the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 
for an opinion?—(“No, no”)—or should the 
matter be brought before a general meeting of the 
Societies ?—Mr. Hibberd, after indulging in a little 
humorous paradox, said the argument from the point 
of view of profit w'as a weak one, because a nursery¬ 
man might say the same thing ; and, as a matter of 
fact, nurserymen were often losers by floriculture as 
amateurs were. The difference between them lay in 
the motive much more than in the result. As 
regarded the distinction between an amateur and 
nurseryman, it would be well, doubtless, to act on 
the admirable suggestion of Mr. Llewelyn, and 
discuss the subject at a general meeting. In the 
meantime he had a proposition to make to bring this 
matter to a very practical issue—he requested the 
meeting to join him in drinking Mr. Dodwell’s jolly 
good health. The proposal was received with en¬ 
thusiasm. Mr. Dodwell’s health was drunk with 
musical honours, and the charge made by the anony¬ 
mous writer referred to was set down as unfounded. 
— '(irHE Hull Botanic Gardens will be 
the centre of a grand Horticultural Exhibition 
to be opened on July 2 and continued to 
July 4. A very comprehensive schedule has been 
issued extending to 105 classes. The limit of time 
for making entries is fixed for June 26. 
— ®ne of the troublesome enemies of 
THE Carnation, especially in the early spring 
when it is putting forth its young leaves, is 
the house sparrow, which in town gardens and 
no doubt in country ones also, feeds on the tender 
foliage as it pushes up, to the great injury of the 
plant. The only remedy seems to be that of 
frightening the birds, if possible, but that is rather 
difficult. On this point the Rev. R. Markham Hill 
writes : “The black thread is splendidly triumphant 
over the sparrows. The plants look splendid, all 
signs of their mutilation having disappeared.” 
Black thread seems to be more efficient than white, 
as the birds do not see it till they come close upon 
it, when they are all the more startled from the 
suddenness of discovery or contact. It is, moreover, 
less unsightly in the garden. 
— ai’O glad to learn that the case of 
the children of the late Mr. George Rudd 
has been taken up by influential residents at 
Bradford, who are working to place them in an 
orphanage. Under these circumstances there ap¬ 
pears to be no further necessity for the subscription 
suggested in our last number by Mr. Dodwell. 
fEemoriam. 
— i®lR. Alexander Moore, Superin¬ 
tendent of the State Nursery, and formerly 
of the Dublin, Chelsea, and Kew Botanic 
Gardens, died at Campbelltown, New South 
Wales, of consumption, on March 14, aged 29 
years. He was a very estimable young man, 
and had won the respect and esteem of all those 
among whom he had been living. The Government 
or State Nursery, over which he presided, was 
established some lour years ago, principally for pro¬ 
viding young stock of the best kinds of trees for 
the purpose of re-afforesting the country. 
— JH. Jean Verschaffelt, of Ghent, died 
on April 20, after a long and painful illness, 
in his 74th year. M. Jean Verschaffelt re¬ 
tired from the business after the death of his 
adopted son, Jean Nuytens-Verschaffelt, who died a 
few years ago. The deceased gentleman was highly 
respected, not only in his own country, but abroad, 
as is testified by the various titles of honour be¬ 
stowed on him by foreign Governments. 
— ira. Alphonse Lavallee, the President 
of the National Horticultural Society of France, 
died on May 3, at Segrez. At this .place 
M. Lavallee had been accumulating since 1857 a 
collection of Trees which for extent and careful no¬ 
menclature was without a rival, and his Arboretum 
Segrezianum and the accompanying leones is one 
of the most carefully elaborated recent catalogues 
of trees and shrubs which we possess. His most 
recent publication consisted of illustrations and de¬ 
scriptions of large-flowered species of Clematis; 
in reference to this work, it is to be regretted that 
the strictures published on his unfounded assertion 
that Clematis Jackmanni was an introduced plant 
and not a hybrid, have not, as far as we know, been 
answered. 
— ilBiR. Alexander J. Maule, of the 
Stapleton Nurseries, Bristol, died recently at 
the age of 63 years. He succeeded his father 
in carrying on the business, and in early life was an 
introducer of new Conifers, . Orchids, &c. The 
charmingly brilliant Pyrus Maulei, one of the 
Japanese Quince family, was introduced by him and 
commemorates his name. “ He was a peculiarly 
quaint, original, loveable man, rich in humour, and 
inexhaustible in kindness.” 
