488 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 10, 1888. 
the fashionable if even disastrous sphere of 
South Kensington to a common, cold, cheerless 
drill hall in a back street of Pimlico. Well 
may the outer world exclaim, “ How are the 
mighty fallen ! ” To have retired to Chiswick 
would have been to have taken a course which 
would have saved the society’s prestige, and 
inflicted no dishonour. It is now only too 
obvious that whilst the Drill Hall is a some¬ 
what bitter pill even for the chief agents of 
its tenancy to swallow, the selection of offices 
has been made subservient to the housing of 
the Lindley Library, the trustees of which, 
saddled with a White Elephant in the form 
of a doubtless most valuable collection of 
Botanical and Horticultural books, yet have not 
sufficient means to secure for it a home other 
than through the society’s agency, and to that 
end more than any other this very considerable 
rental for offices has to be paid. 
It would be of exceeding interest to learn 
what use is made of this library, by whom, 
and for what purpose 1 Such a return would 
enable the Fellows of the society to. decide 
whether it was sufficiently valued for horti¬ 
culture as to make its housing a proper 
burden on the society’s-meagre funds. Pos¬ 
sibly, now that it is brought nearer to 
Charing Cross it will be more useful to our¬ 
selves and others connected with the horti¬ 
cultural press, more or less; but its general 
value to horticulturists at present seems to 
be quite problematical. Could the society 
afford to possess offices and rooms worthy of 
its reputation and objects, then the disposal 
of the library in them would be a small 
matter indeed. 
When we remember the fine gardens, offices, 
exhibition and plant houses which the Man¬ 
chester Botanical and Horticultural Society 
possesses, we cannot but deplore the lack of 
such associations with our old London society. 
The provincial society has not only prestige 
and popularity, but has unquestionably high 
patronage. Old Trafford may not be further 
from the centre of Manchester than is Chis¬ 
wick from Charing Cross, but, relative to the 
size of the town it is; and it should have 
been a matter of special satisfaction to the 
Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 
that, evicted from South Kensington, it had 
such admirable gardens to fall back upon, 
and further, should have taken special pride, 
even in its misfortune, to have endeavoured 
to make Chiswick worthy of the society and 
of British horticulture. So far from that 
being the case, however, the new ventures 
and obligations will but hang like millstones 
upon Chiswick, and we fear that the old 
gardens—dearer even than ever now, with 
the prospect of their loss looming in the not 
remote distance—will be but more and more 
starved until they collapse of inanition. 
Personally, we have more than one reason 
to be pleased that the Society’s meetings are 
to be brought nearer to Covent Garden, but 
having broader sympathies and higher aspira¬ 
tions than appertain to self, we fear the doing 
so is a mistake. If it be successful and the 
Society should reach prosperity from the move¬ 
ment, no one will more heartily rejoice than 
Ourselves, and beyond this warning we will 
do nothing to impair the effect of the Council’s 
action. Should the reverse happen, at least 
we shall be free from blame. We earnestly 
hope for prosperity, and if that fail, the 
sooner the end comes the better. 
-- 
The Grassmoor Floral and Horticultural Society’s 
second annual exhibition will take place on Monday, 
August 6th, in the Recreation Grounds at Grassmoor. 
Prizes for Orchids and Roses.—A cup or money 
value £10 is offered for the best group of Orchids (open), 
and a cup or money value £5 for the best box of Tea 
and Noisette Roses, shown by amateurs and nurserymen 
respectively, are offered for competition at the Bath and 
West of England Society's show, to he held at Newport, 
Mon., on June 6th. 
Liverpool Horticultural Association. — Intending 
exhibitors at the spring show of this society should 
make a note of the fact that since the publication of our 
last number, the date has been changed from March 
21st to March 28th. 
Lawns, Lawn Tennis, and Cricket Grounds.— 
Messrs. James Carter & Co. have just issued the sixth 
edition of their most useful little guide on the subject 
of the formation and management of lawns, &e. Its 
appearance at this time is most seasonable, and we 
recommend its perusal to all who may be seeking 
practical advice on this subject. 
Ealing, Acton and Hanwell Horticultural Society. 
—The annual meeting of this society has recently taken 
place, and the accounts showed a balance of £37 10s. 
carried forward to the current year. Two exhibitions 
will he held in 188S, the Summer Show in the grounds 
of the Royal India Asylum, on July 11th, on which 
occasion H. R. H. Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck, has 
graciously promised to attend and distribute the prizes, 
and the Autumn Show of Chrysanthemums, &c., on 
November 14th, which it is hoped will take place in 
the New Jubilee Public Hall now in course of erection. 
Jensen's Guano.—We have before us a small pamphlet 
in which this manure is described as the best substitute 
for Peruvian Guano. Dr. Yoelcker’s report, and a 
number of other testimonials speak in its favour. The 
percentage of phosphate of lime, ammonia, and some 
other ingredients are given. Directions are also given as 
to its use, and the quantity per acre for a large number 
of different crops, including farm and garden crops, 
both cereals and roots ; also the various members of the 
Brassica tribe, Asparagus, Celery, Cucumbers, Melons, 
Apples, Pears, Peaches, Yines, garden fruits in general, 
pasture grass, lawns, &c. The methods of application 
are also described. 
The late Mr. Frank Miles.—The following is 
taken from an evening paper:—“The late Mr. Frank 
Miles was the means of introducing more new varieties 
of Lilies to the authorities at Kew than any of the 
regular collectors. His method was novel. He would 
attend the sales of Japanese importations at the docks 
or sale rooms in Mincing Lane, and buy up the small 
lots of fans. The Japanese artist is scrupulously faith¬ 
ful in his details, and when Miles found a new colour 
or form among the Lilies drawn on the fan he would 
carefully preserve it. Then he would find out from 
what district the fan came, and send it back again to 
the care of the English missionary or Government 
official, who would make due inquiries and then almost 
to a certainty forward a bulb of the variety drawn on 
the fan. By this means new species came to light, 
probably more successfully than had a collector him¬ 
self proceeded to Japan.” 
Grand National Horticultural Exhibition at Man¬ 
chester.—We have received a copy of the schedule of 
prizes offered for competition at this annual exhibition, 
and which amount to a total of over £1,100 distributed 
in very liberal sums among seventy-two classes. There 
are six classes for Orchids confined to amateurs, and 
three open to nurserymen ; stove and greenhouse plants 
are also liberally provided for. The exhibition, which 
opens on the 18th of May, will be a “ coming of age ” 
celebration, and the council are naturally anxious that 
the display shall be worthy of the occasion. The 
society is now in possession of buildings for exhibition 
purposes not surpassed in Europe. They have what 
was known as the “ Grand Avenue,” in connection 
with the recent Royal Jubilee Exhibition, also with the 
entire structure of the building forming the continuation 
thereof, up to the southerly boundary of the gardens, 
a total length of 600 ft. 
A New Begonia (Begonia Lubbersii).—A figure of 
a plant under the above name is given in the Revue de 
l Horticulture Beige. It is a native of Brazil, and was 
imported on the stem of a tree Fern (Alsophila elegans) 
from that country, and is named after M. Louis Lubbers, 
curator of the State Botanic Garden at Brussels. The 
foliage is showy, being of a deep green, irregularly 
blotched all over with white, while the underside is 
bronzy red. At first sight this species bears some 
resemblance to B. maculata, but is abundantly distinct, 
in that the leaves are obliquely oblong and pellate, 
while the blotches are larger and more irregular in 
shape than in the latter. The length of the leaves also 
recalls that of B. angularis. Its greatest value will 
depend on the foliage, although the flowers are white, 
and of good average size for a species of this habit and 
class. After eight years’ trial the continental growers 
describe it as vigorous, easy of culture, and deserving 
of extended cultivation as an ornamental-foliaged 
plant. 
The Chrysanthemum Annual."*—Encouraged by the 
satisfactory measure of support which was accorded to 
his “Annual on its appearance last year, Mr. Lewis 
Castle has just brought out an edition for the current 
year, and which is not only quite different from its pre¬ 
decessor as regards the nature of its contents, but 
greatly its superior in the matter of quality. It is but bare 
justice to Mr. Castle to say that notwithstanding the great 
amount and varied character of the Chrysanthemum 
lore published by the gardening papers, he has been 
singularly fortunate in gathering within the covers of 
his little book a number of articles by various writers, 
which are at once readable and instructive, 'and in which 
there is much to interest all shades of “ Mum ” growers. 
In the introductory chapter on “Chrysanthemum 
Topics, ’ Mr. Castle calls attention to a matter which 
deserves the serious attention of all who take part in 
the management of societies, i. e., the proportion between 
the prize-money offered and the expense of distribution. 
It is not possible in all cases to properly estimate the 
local circumstances which show managers have to deal 
with, but in too many instances the expenses do appear 
to be greatly out of proportion to the amount paid as 
prizes. 
Birmingham Gardeners Mutual Improvement 
Association.—This thriving society still continues to 
increase in point of numbers, about thirty new members 
having been added since the commencement of the year, 
while the library and other property has increased so 
rapidly that it has been thought advisable to appoint 
trustees, consequently a summoned meeting of members 
was held on Tuesday evening, February 28th, at the 
Midland Institute, when the following were elected 
unanimously for a period of six years. Sir Thomas 
Martineau, Kt., H. F. Osier, Esq., Mr. W. B. Lathom, 
Mr. W. Jones, Mr. J. Pope and Mr. J. Crook, the 
whole of them being members of the association. 
The new book-case too, which it was thought would 
furnish sufficient accommodation for several years, has 
been found sadly too small; it was therefore resolved 
that a much larger one should be ordered at once, in 
order that several kind offers of books may be accepted 
before the close of the spring session. Mr. T. F. Rivers 
will give a paper on the cultivation of fruit trees in 
orchard houses at the next meeting, on Tuesday 
March 13th. 
-- 
“ R H. S.” AND THE HEW 
OFFICIALS. 
I AM rather surprised that the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society the other day passed off without 
any serious opposition to the election of Mr. Morris, 
assistant director at Kew Gardens, as the new treasurer. 
The gardening fraternity—not usually an unduly ex¬ 
citable class—have beeh of late, I understand, not a 
little exercised on this question, their fear being that 
with Mr. Thiselton Dyer, the director of Kew Gardens, 
on the council, and his second in command as treasurer, 
the Horticultural Society will become a mere appanage 
of the Kew establishment. That is obviously a most 
undesirable condition for a body like the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, which can never occupy the position it 
ought, as the corporate representative of the gardening 
world, if it is to be under the thumb of a Government 
Department. As the society has at last shaken itself 
free from the blighting associations of South Kensington, 
it is the more to be hoped that it will escape the scarcely 
more benignant influence of Kew. 
What strikes me in the matter, however, speaking as 
a British taxpayer, is the singularity of a gentleman in 
Mr. Morris’s position having the spare time to devote 
to such a post as that of treasurer to the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society. The society has pretty up-hill work 
before it. It has sunk nearly £S0,000 in the South 
Kensington quicksands, and its financial position is now 
such that it feels obliged to limit its horticultural 
operations at present to the drill-hall of the London 
Scottish. I see that his proposer recommended Mr. 
Morris to the society as a gentleman whose horticultural 
performances have always been successful from a business 
point of view, and, no doubt, that is the sort of man for 
the place. But, I repeat, what about Kew ? The 
management of Kew Gardens is far from being above 
criticism. Mr. Dyer and his assistants have been 
reproached more than once with not giving the public 
by any means the full amount of information and in¬ 
struction which it has a right to expect for the money 
it pays them. Mr. Morris may be a very clever 
gentleman, but no man can serve two masters.— 
Truth. 
■The Chrysanthemum Annual. Edited by Lewis Castle, 171, 
Fleet Street, London, E.C. 
