372 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 13, 1886. 
be a success, and greatly help the Society in 
recovering its position. The next paragraph in 
the report on which we think some comment 
is necessary, because it shows once more the 
utter want of sympathy on the part of the 
council with the practical men who ungrudgingly 
support the society, is that which claims that 
“ The thanks of the Society are due to Sir 
Henry W. Peek, Bart., for his liberal donation 
of £20 for prizes for Marguerites.” After this 
we read on expecting to see due acknowledg¬ 
ment of the services rendered to the Society by 
the members of the various Committees, and 
by those members of the seed trade, who for 
several years past have supplemented the scanty 
prizes given by the Society for vegetables, by 
offering substantial amounts for competition at 
the autumn shows, and which have resulted in 
such displays of useful garden products as have 
seldom been excelled anywhere. Well, we re¬ 
gret to say, that the committees are polished off 
in one line, and for the Carters, the Suttons, the 
Webbs, the Hoopers, and others, there is not 
one single word of acknowledgment. Even 
Mr. Webber, who for several years has given 
10 guineas for the fruit packing competition, a 
most valuable and eminently useful aid to hor¬ 
ticulture, is silently ignored ; yet this £20 to 
be offered for the aesthetic Marguerites, of all 
things in the world, deserves the thanks of the 
Society ! 
The limit on our space precludes any reference 
to other sins of commission and omission in this 
most unsatisfactory document; but in con¬ 
nection with the balance sheet we note ah 
increase in the amount paid for salaries in 
connection with the office, and a deficiency in the 
revenue of £120. Coming now to the meeting 
we may say that the attendance was small, 
owing, probably, to the severity of the weather; 
but we must do the president the justice to say 
that in reviewing the society’s position he 
acquitted himself admirably in what he must 
have felt was a very difficult position. He 
made the most of what could be said in favour 
of the council’s management, and judiciously 
dealt with those subjects which required deli¬ 
cate handling. Mr. Liggins, who seconded the 
adoption of the report, asked for an explanation 
with regard to the appointment of an assistant 
secretary in the face of statements made at 
the previous annual meeting, and received an 
answer which we fail to reconcile with the 
auditor’s report, the balance sheet, and the 
eulogium subsequently passed on Mr. Douglas 
Dick by the retiring secretary, Major Mason. 
The president said that this time last year, 
owing to financial difficulties, the council hesi¬ 
tated to make any appointment of the kind, 
but a few weeks later they discovered that 
such an accumulation of work fell on the 
honorary secretary, that they had to engage an 
assistant, and several members of the council 
had provided funds to meet the case. As a 
matter of fact, a gentleman from the Board of 
Trade was appointed, who knew nothing what¬ 
ever of horticulture, and who, moreover, 
suddenly disappeared—let us hope on the con¬ 
scientious grounds that he was unequal to the 
occasion. In his stead a military gentleman, 
equally deficient in his knowledge of horticul¬ 
tural matters, was appointed—the third military 
assistant secretary the society has had—and we 
have yet to see how he will acquit himself. 
Old Fellows of the society do not need to be 
told that Mr. Dick has been in the office some 
thirty years, that he keeps his books in a most 
admirable manner—the auditors testify to the 
fact in their report, and Major Mason bore 
testimony to his faithful, loyal service; then 
what did the labour consist of that demanded 
the services of an assistant secretary 1 and as no 
additional clerks have been employed, how are 
we to reconcile the statement that members of 
the council have paid the salary of the assistant 
secretary, with the revenue account which 
shows an advance of £75 on last year’s ex¬ 
penditure 1 To our mind this old and well-tried 
officer of the society has been anything but 
handsomely treated. 
The compliment paid by the President to 
Mr. Barron was well deserved. He is emphati¬ 
cally the right man in the right place; it is 
impossible to exaggerate the importance of the 
work he does for the society, and it would be 
fortunate for the society if lie had a little more 
power. As to the future, we may remark, that 
both Major Lendy and Mr. Smee urged the 
desirability of getting clear of the commissioners 
at as early a date as possible, and the former 
gentleman suggested the formation of a com¬ 
mittee to co-operate with the council in the 
reorganisation of the society which must soon 
take place, but the President thought it would 
be better to leave the matter in the hands of 
the council, who would discuss the question, 
and call a meeting of the Fellows later on. As 
to the dinner, from which such great things 
were expected, we shall content ourselves with 
observing that only thirty-seven persons were 
present, that the trade was represented only by 
Mr. Harry Yeitcli, Mr. G. Bunyard, and Mr. 
Peter Barr, and that, with the exception of 
Mr. Loney, of Gothenberg, there was not a 
single gardener amongst the company; and, 
with the exception of Dr. Hogg, a member of 
the council, not an editor of any of the gar¬ 
dening papers put in an appearance. 
-—>s<-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Mr. George Dickson, Mayor of Chester, and 
one of the partners in the firm of Messrs. James 
Dickson & Sons, the well-known seed merchants and 
nurserymen of that city, has just been placed on the 
roll of magistrates. 
A New Yellow Fern. —Mr. James X ay lor, of 
St. Hilda's Xursery, Roxetli, Harrow, has succeeded in 
perpetuating a pretty form of Aspidium (Cyrtomium) 
falcatum by raising a little batch from a sported yellow 
portion of a frond of the old dark green variety. The 
foliage of the new kind differs in being yellow with 
dark green veining. As this fern is good either as a 
plant for in-door decoration, or for the greenhouse, it 
will prove a welcome acquisition. 
The Turner Memorial.— We understand that 
at a meeting of the committee held on Tuesday, it was 
decided that the amount, collected should be invested 
in Home or Indian government securities, in the 
names of Mr. Harry Yeitch, Mr. H. SI. Pollett, and 
Mr. Harry Turner. The amount already received is 
£175, but the subscription list is still open, and it is 
greatly to be desired that the total should be raised 
to £200. 
Mr. W. J. Ireland, who for several years has had 
charge of Headfort Gardens, Kells, Co. Meath, is, we 
regret to hear, about to leave Lord Headfort’s service, 
owing to a reduction in the establishment. Mr. Ireland 
is a young man of great ability, and has maintained his 
charge with great credit to himself, and to his employer’s 
entire satisfaction. He is, we understand, seeking a situ¬ 
ation on this side of the Channel, and should not be long 
in obtaining a post worthy of his skill and experience. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society 
will hold three shows, instead of two, during the en¬ 
suing season, one for Early Chrysanthemums and 
Dahlias in September, the usual Great Show in Xovem- 
ber, and the third for Late Chrysanthemums in January 
next. Further information on the subject will be 
found on p. 381. 
Mr. John Potten, son of Mr. Potten, of the 
Camden Xursery, Sissiughurst, and formerly with 
Messrs. Hurst and Son, has opened a new establish¬ 
ment for the sale of seeds, cut flowers, and general 
nursery stock, in the old market town of Cranbrook, 
Kent. This is, we believe, the first shop of the kind 
that has ever been opened in that part of ‘ 1 the Garden 
of England,” and we sincerely hope the venture will 
prove a successful one. Mr. Potten, who has taken 
over his father’s seed business, and will also be able to 
draw upon the resources of the well-known Camden 
Xursery, is endowed with first-rate business qualities, 
and with his well-known energy should enjoy a pros¬ 
perous career. 
New Plants Certificated in Ghent.—At a 
meeting of the Belgian Chamber of Horticulture, held 
at Ghent, on the 10th inst., Certificates of Merit were 
awarded to Mr. Ad. D’Haene, for .Echmea spectabilis ; 
to Messrs. Jacob Makoy and Co., for Anthurium 
leodiense ; to Mr. Ed. Pymert, for Cvpripedium mar- 
moraphyllum ; and to Mr. Aug. Van Geert, for 
Begonia Gloire de Sceaux. 
A Gardeners’ Society for Birmingham.— 
In this respect Birmingham is following the lead of 
Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and other great centres 
of industry, not but that Birmingham has always been 
foremost in encouraging institutions of this kind. As 
we write there is lying before us a copy of “The Rules 
and Regulations of the Botanical and Floral Book 
Society,” established by the practical gardeners residing 
in the neighbourhood of Birmingham in the month of 
January, 1837—just half a century ago. The society 
was started with “the view of placing within the reach 
of practical gardeners the periodical magazines as they 
are published on botany, floriculture, and horticulture,” 
and on many occasions since Birmingham has done 
good work in this direction. In 1851-52, The Bir¬ 
mingham, and Midland Gardeners' Magazine, an ex¬ 
cellent illustrated monthly, ran for a considerable time. 
Xow t the horticultural element is being stirred again, 
for on Thursday, the 4thinst., an aggregate meeting of 
gardeners, employes of the nursery and seed trades, 
amateurs, &c., took place in the theatre of the Literary 
Institute, the Mayor in the chair, the meeting arising 
out of a suggestion thrown out at the annual dinner of 
the Birmingham Chrysanthemum Society, that it was 
desirable to form in Birmingham a society for the 
purpose of imparting mutual information by reading 
papers, essays, &c. After a genial speech from the 
chairman, it was proposed by Mi’. William Dean, of 
Walsall, seconded by Mr. G. Latham, of the Birmingham 
Botanical Gardens, and carried by acclamation, that 
such a society be at once formed, and something like 
150 persons gave in their names as members. A pro¬ 
visional committee was appointed to draw up rules, 
regulations, &c., and the annual subscription will be 
fixed at as moderate a rate as possible. It was sug¬ 
gested that meetings should be held fortnightly in 
early spring and during the autumn and winter months. 
Plants, flowers, &c., for nomenclature and other pur¬ 
poses will be invited, and it is proposed to form a good 
library of gardening books. What Birmingham under¬ 
takes it invariably does well, and such a good com¬ 
mencement for a gardeners’ society ought to result— as 
it is believed it will—in a great and gratifying success. 
Fatal Acciderrt at the Priory, Warwick. 
—On January 27th, an accident resulting in the death 
of one man, and serious injury to another occurred iu 
the garden of Thomas Lloyd, Esq., The Priory, War¬ 
wick. It appears that in the lower part of the garden, 
and adjoining'the Priory Road, there is an old boundary 
wall some 13 ft. 6 in. high, behind which is a high 
embankment of rock and earth. Underneath the wall 
are four greenhouses of large dimensions, and passing 
the spot on the morning of the above date, the gardener, 
Mr. Greenfield noticed a large crack in the embankment, 
and at once pointed out its possible dangerous condition 
to his employer. Instructions were given to a builder 
to make an examination, the result of which, that 
measures were at once taken to shore up the wall. As 
the work was proceeding in the afternoon, Mr. Lloyd 
and his gardener had barely left the spot, when about 
30 yds. of the wall fell with a crash, almost entirely 
demolishing the greenhouses, and burying two men 
before their eyes. Both Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Greenfield 
escaped as if by a miracle, and assistance was promptly 
obtained to rescue the men, one of whom was found 
dead, and the other seriously bruised on various parts 
of the body, though no bones were broken. At the 
inquest which was subsequently held, a verdict ot 
“ accidental death ’’ was returned. 
The East Anglian Handbook and Agri¬ 
cultural Annual for the present year contains a 
mass of information of a useful character to residents in 
the eastern counties, and a number of readable articles 
on subjects of wider interest. It is published at the 
Argus office, Norwich, and is well worth the sixpence 
charged for it. 
Mr. J. Bodman, of Iwerne Minster Gardens, 
Shaftesbury, has been appointed gardener to The Hon. 
and Rev. F. Cai’r Glynn, Kensington. 
