308 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 16, 1886. 
May next, to postpone the exhibition till 1887, in 
order to avoid clashing with the Indian and Colonial 
Exhibition at South Kensington. 
The Floral Committee —The name of Maxwell 
T. Masters, M.D., F.R.S., Mount Avenue, Ealing, W., 
was inadvertently omitted in the list of members of the 
Floral Committee for 1886 sent us last week, and 
published on p. 301. 
The Earliest Daffodil. —From Mr. W. Baylor 
Hartland, of Cork, we have received some blooms of 
Narcissus pallidus praecox, the earliest of all the 
Daffodils, and apparently earlier than usual this season. 
Mr. Hartland also informs us that N. spurius, an early 
Irish form, is “ neck and neck ” with the Italian straw- 
coloured Daffodils, and that with him the variety 
“princeps ” will be much later than “spurius.” We 
agree with Mr. Hartland that it is a pity such a name 
as the latter was ever given to such a fine Daffodil ; it 
has a bad signification. 
The Manor Park Railway Accident.— 
We regret to learn that in the railway accident at 
Manor Park, last week, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Fred. 
Horsman, of Colchester, were among the unfortunate 
occupants of the last carriage which was run into. Mr. 
Wallace had one of the small bones in his ankle broken, 
but Mr. Horsman, who was badly knocked about, had 
no bones broken, find both are progressing favourably. 
The Annual Dinner to the heads of depart¬ 
ments and managers in the establishment of Messrs. 
Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, was given on Thursday 
evening, the 7th inst., at “ Simpson’s” in the Strand. 
Mr. C. A. Hooper presided, and the loyal toast and 
that of “the Employes” were given from the chair, to 
the latter of which Mr. Fuller replied. Mr. Harting 
then gave “ the Firm,” after which some other friendly 
toasts were drank and a very pleasant evening was 
spent. Covers were laid for twelve. 
The Rainfall in East Norfolk during the 
past year, writes “ T. W.,” was 31 "04 ins. ; the fall for 
1884 was 20'40 ins. ; that for 1883 29‘03 ins. ; and for 
1882, the first year I registered it, 28’89 ins. Thus the 
last year was the wettest of the four. It was the heavy 
fall in October that helped to swell the figures, for we 
had 7'41 ins. in that month, following a wet Sep¬ 
tember, when we had 5'13 ins. The other months are 
as follows January, 2"20 ins. ; February, 2'll ins. ; 
March, 1'33 ; April, 1 "57 ins. ; May, 3 ‘13 ins. ; June, 
1T3 ins. ; July, 1'29 ins. ; August, 0’83 ins. ; No¬ 
vember, 3'53 ins. ; December, 1 ’38 ins. The three 
summer months were very dry, and we still feel the 
effects of the drought in the small and stunted growth 
of all winter greens. 
The Reading Horticultural Society’s 
Exhibitions for the present year are fixed for June 
2nd and August 26th. 
The Floral Committee Meetings of the 
Royal Horticultural Society. —Mr. De B. 
Crawshay writes :—The suggestion of “ S. H. A.” in 
your last issue p. 291, I am glad to see, is another 
echo to my letter thereon a long time ago. I hope 
the Council will not think it too late to alter their rule 
of having the committee meetings once a month only 
during the winter. This makes the third year that I 
have been prevented sending up two plants for certifi¬ 
cates, owing to frost and the long interval between the 
meetings ; I have as a last resort sent cut spikes, 
■with the result that 1 do not get Ltelia Craws- 
hayana, the original plant, certificated. If the 
Council cannot alter its ways this winter, it is to 
be earnestly hoped it will do so for the next. There is 
one thing which looks bright for Orchid-growers, and 
that is the proposed society, which, if floated, will save 
the R. H. S. holding their committee meetings oftener 
for the sake of Orchids, as I take it that this society 
would hold meetings for certifying Orchids, as many 
Orchid-growers would doubtless value a certificate of the 
committee of the Orchid Society (consisting, of course, 
entirely of Orchid-growers) at a higher rate than the 
certificate given by the R. H. S. “mixed” committee. 
The Lambeth Amateur Chrysanthemum 
Society. —The annual general meeting of this society 
was held at “The Albion,” Union Road, S.E., on 
Saturday last, and was fairly well attended. After the 
general business had been gone through, the meeting 
proceeded to the election of officers for the present year. 
The president, Mr. C. Harman Payne, was re-elected, 
with Mr. Harry Ellis to support him as vice-president; 
treasurer, Mr. Alfred Ball; lion, sec., Mr. T. Dawson. 
The following gentlemen were elected to form the 
general committee :—Mr. Thos. Child, Mr. Wm. 
Clarke, Mr. C. T. Fill, Mr. T. Hadden, Mr. John Hole. 
Mr. T. Howett, and Mr. F. R. 'William. We regret to 
hear that Mr. Geo. S. Addison has retired from the 
post of hon. sec. He has been an enthusiastic worker 
in the society since 1876, and has for the past three 
seasons held the office of secretary. During this period 
the society has made great progress in the locality in 
which it is situated, and many of the improvements 
are due to his energy. 
-■—>A<-- 
AN ORCHID SOCIETY. 
This matter, mentioned by Mr. F. W. Burbidge, 
has often been discussed among the Orchid members of 
the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, who only await a more fitting opportunity to 
put the idea into definite form, with the aid of the 
council of that society, provided the council see fit to. 
take the matter up. Mr. Burbidge’s remarks will no 
doubt give place to others to say what they think on 
the subject, and will thus assist in bringing it to that 
definite issue to which it has long been moving—the 
Orchid Conference, under the guidance of their re¬ 
spected president, Sir Trevor Lawrence, being the first 
good move.— J. O'B. 
-- 
THE “R. H. S.” 
The suggestive letter of Mr. F. W. Burbidge in your 
last number, anent the formation of an Orchid Society, 
has set me thinking again, and this time writing too, 
on a subject that has often crossed my mind when 
visiting South Kensington—viz., the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society : what it is, and what it might be. 
What it is at present I need not say, its humiliating 
position at South Kensington being too well known to 
need recapitulation. As to what it might be, and in¬ 
deed what it ought to be, there is room of course for 
much difference of opinion, but there can be none, I 
think, as to the desirability of the council being urged 
to drop the “ waiting for something to turn up ” sort 
of policy that they have too long followed, and to make 
a vigorous effort to raise the society from its present 
low state into a position of power and utility worthy 
of its title and its past —a Royal Horticultural Society 
under whose banner all sections of horticulturists can 
unite themselves for the common good of horticulture 
and horticulturists—a thriving and powerful institu¬ 
tion, instead of as at present a mere plaything in the 
hands of Her Majesty’s Commissioners. 
What I should like to see is the Royal Horticultural 
Society out of its present quarters at South Kensington 
and established in a house of its own in some con¬ 
veniently situated part of the West End. The house 
should contain a large room or hall, in which the 
meetings of the Fruit and Floral Committees and the 
ordinary meetings of the fellows can be held, and 
which, when not in use for these purposes, can be 
turned into a reading room or general room, where the 
meetings of all the small special societies that ought to 
be affiliatedjto the Royal Horticultural Society can be 
held. Under the same roof the Lindley Library should 
be located, in the care of a librarian, who should be 
regularly present during stated hours of the day. The 
present position of the library is not creditable to the 
trustees or the society, and is of little use to the general 
body of horticulturists, because on those days when it 
ought to be available—the committee meeting days — 
it is frequently infuse By the council or by the 
Scientific Committee, and inaccessible to anyone 
wishing to use it. 
Under the same roof also I should like to see the 
offices of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, 
and of the United Horticultural Benefit Society ; and 
the annual and committee meetings of both these 
societies might with advantage be held in the hall, 
instead of as at present at hotels. There should also be a 
room set apart for the use of town or country nurserymen 
and gardeners, in which they can, if need be, write a 
letter or keep an appointment. I should like to see the 
bye-laws of the society altered in several particulars, 
for instance as regards subscription of membership or 
fellowship, if you like. I should like to see the 
present exclusive rates abolished in favour of Mr. 
Wilson’s, or some similar scheme of guinea membership. 
I should like to see thousands of members, and from all 
parts of the country, where there are now only 
hundreds on the roll. 
From the regular members or Fellows I should like to 
see the council elected, and among the members of this 
body there should be a fair proportion of nurserymen 
and practical gardeners. The present method of electing 
a man a fellow 7 one week, and pitch-forking him into the 
council the next, savours too much of exclusiveness not 
to use a stronger term. There are plenty of Fellows who 
have paid their subscription for years and are quite 
capable of conducting the business of the society, with¬ 
out other people being called in to do it for them. The 
management of the society is not such a gigantic 
undertaking as the present system would lead one to 
infer. 
Again, I should like to see the Society abolish the 
plan necessitated by force of circumstances during the 
last year or two of holding small flower shows in 
London. The day has gone by for this sort of work, 
and it might now well be left to societies of less 
importance. At the committee meetings, new or rare 
plants, or specially well cultivated individual speci¬ 
mens only should be exhibited ; the former should 
be awarded certificates of merit, as at present, and 
the latter, medals that should be worth gaining. 
Instead of the small shows, vffiich are held now, 
I should like to see the society hold one grand 
exhibition every year in the country, as it has done 
before, but w’orked somewhat on the lines of the Royal 
Agricultural Society. I have pleasant recollections of 
most of the country shows, I know that they did good 
in the districts visited, and I know that country nursery¬ 
men and gardeners in all parts looked forward to them 
as a pleasant and instructive outing, and I know that 
the establishment of these annual shows, again, would 
be welcomed in the country, and if managed by capable 
practical men, would undoubtedly pay. 
There are many other things in connection with the 
society and its management which I should like to see 
altered, but concerning which I will write you again, 
supposing, of course, the subject is one you care to 
admit into your columns. There is, however, another 
point I must touch upon now—the question of finance. 
Where are the funds to come from ? Well, I believe, 
if a strong effort were made to put the society in its 
proper position, the difficulty of raising the funds 
would not be insuperable, and one way of making a 
start would be by means of an International Horti¬ 
cultural [Exhibition. Let the subject be taken up 
vigorously—the council show us that they mean to set 
their house in order, and re-organise the society on a 
popular basis—and there will be no difficulty in raising 
a guarantee fund for carrying out such an exhibition, 
the profits of which shall be applied to purchasing a 
suitable house. There must, however, be no connection 
with Her Majesty’s Commissioners ; that gordian knot 
must be cut for ever. But where can such an exhi¬ 
bition be held if not at South Kensington Gardens, 
and when should it be held ? Well, as to the first 
question, there is a building in course of erection near 
Addison Road Station that will be finished ere long, 
and doubtless the company who have promoted its 
erection would be glad to let it for such a purpose. As 
to when the exhibition should be held, the sooner the 
better, but I do not think it can'be done well before the 
summer of 1887. 
There is, of course, a proposition still before the 
horticultural body for holding an International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition at South Kensington, but it does 
not seem probable that we shall hear much more of 
that project just yet, for you are no doubt aware that 
the American exhibition is not to be held this year; 
and perhaps’you have seen the paragraph that has 
been going the round of the papers during the last few 
days. There is evidence, I think, in that paragraph 
that the American exhibition is not unlikely to be 
held in the Gardens at South Kensington, instead of at 
Earl’s Court, so that the council will have a grand 
opportunity of throwing off the yoke of the Commis- 
missioners, and, in so doing, they will have, I am sure, 
the support of the entire horticultural community.— 
A Fellow. 
-->£<-»- 
Odoxtoglossum bictoxiexse WITH FOLIACEOl’S 
Bracts. —At the meeting of the scientific committee 
on Tuesday, Mr. O’Brien showed a peduncle about 5 ft. 
in length, with the upper bracts leafy. He attributed 
it to a check upon the productive energy which the 
plant had received, in consequence of which the vege¬ 
tative system had been encouraged, as seen in the 
lengthened stem and leafy bracts. 
