368 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 9, 1889. 
of doubt and distrust. It is so hard to com¬ 
pete with such places when enormously 
handicapped by rents, rates, taxes, labour, 
tithes—indeed, by endless burdens which are 
so hard to endure, that every new competitor 
for favour in the field comes not as a straw, 
but as a beam wherewith to help break the 
backs of the legitimate grower. The rvealthy 
banker or broker, or the millionaire trader may 
now, if he chooses so to display the power of 
the almighty dollar, offer to his guests, for 
their delectation, choice Pines from the gardens 
of the Duke of Bumpshire; the finest of 
Grapes from those of the Marquis of Sandown; 
soft, rich-cheeked Peaches from the Earl of 
Weston’s gardens, and Pears from Lord 
Hardup’s. In the face of such brilliant trading 
titles, what chance, even if their fruits be of 
the finest, have such bond fide growers as plain 
Jones or Smith ? 
^che National Chrysanthemum Society.— 
Much interest was felt among members 
of this society in the recent annual general 
meeting—the proceedings of which we briefly re¬ 
port elsewhere —because of the known fact that 
a sub-committee had been appointed to revise 
the rules of the society, and submit a report 
in respect of such revision. The revised rules 
submitted, after being well discussed by the 
general committee, were also dealt with fully 
by the general body of members, and although 
in some respects the confining of the discussion 
to just two or three persons was to be deplored, 
yet it was evident that every point was followed 
with interest by all present. 
The most important of the alterations made 
relates to the introduction of the offices of 
chairman and vice-chairman of the committees 
-—posts which were very admirably filled up, 
but which leaves open the filling of the offices 
of president and of vice-presidents by gentle¬ 
men of position and influence, who it is hoped 
will bring to bear on the society much that 
is desirable to make it into that national 
society which it aspires to become. That 
under the circumstances it was found desirable 
to adjourn the selection of president and vice- 
presidents for yet a month later was not to be 
wondered at, and whilst the sub-committee 
wdiich prepared the revised rules is engaged 
in obtaining the names of gentlemen worthy 
as well as willing to occupy the positions 
named, it is equally open to any member of the 
society to suggest names also, and to make 
propositions at the adjourned meeting. 
All the same it would be more satisfactory 
if any suggestions of the kind indicated were 
made immediately to the sub-committee, so 
as to enable that body to weigh the suggestions 
thoroughly, and ascertain the Avisk.es of the 
persons named. The officials should be rvidely 
representative, and we trust that the eventful 
election will show that national rather than 
local aspirations have dominated. 
he National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
Floral Committee. —Beyond the desire 
expressed at the annual general meeting held 
last week, that the Floral Committee should 
not be strictly bound by the words in the nerv 
ninth rule — “ Plants or cut-flowers ” — to 
limit its powers to such things alone, but 
should have a rvider range given to it, Ave 
have evidence that some such extension of 
powers would be Avidely appreciated. A cor¬ 
respondent, in referring both to the limit the 
words above quoted give, as Avell as the appel¬ 
lation of “ Floral ” to the committee, suggests 
that some consideration should be slioAvn to 
the fact that whilst the society is essentially 
one for popularising the Chrysanthemum, yet 
that it offers considerable encouragement to 
other things even beyond plants and flowers, 
for its fruit and vegetable shorv in November 
is the finest of its kind now held in London. 
But beyond that, the society, since it has taken 
the appellation of “National,” has also secured 
not merely a remarkable expansion of its 
members, but has also obtained a large amount 
of public confidence. That confidence and 
support Avill increase just in proportion as the 
society broadens its aims, and open its doors 
to gardeners generally, as Avell as to Chrysan¬ 
themum growers in particular. Then, as there 
is no divine right given to any one body of 
horticultural experts more than to another to 
adjudicate upon the merits of horticultural 
subjects, new or old, our correspondent thinks 
that the decision of the committee of experts 
of the National Chrysanthemum Society Avill 
in time be held in as high esteem as those of 
any other body, and therefore he hopes “ that 
at the deferred general meeting it will be agreed 
to alter the restricting term of ‘ Floral,’ as 
applied to that committee, to that of ‘ Certifi¬ 
cating ’ Committee; and in the place of the 
Avords ‘Plants or cut-floAvers,” to substitute 
‘ Plants, floAvers, fruits, vegetables, and allied 
subjects,’ and thus enable the committee to 
deal with all garden subjects. To this end the 
committee might meet someAA T hat oftener during 
the year—say once a month at least.” We 
are afraid it is too late to make the suggested 
alterations, and the necessarily fresh arrange¬ 
ments that such alterations Avould involve, for 
the coming season, but the committee of 
management Avould do well to carefully con¬ 
sider the matter before another annual meeting 
comes round. 
T^he Gardening of Story Writers. —When 
w authors and story Avriters diverge into 
gardening, they display an amount of ignorance 
of common things Avhich is as absurd as it is 
deplorable. An instance of the slovenly allu¬ 
sions of which some Avriters are guilty is seen 
in a tale of some pretentions norv running 
through that excellent serial, Cassell’s Saturday 
Journal , in Aihich the novelist tells of a man 
who, training some bloodhounds, buried bones 
in his garden beneath the prickly branches of 
an “Auricula.” That Avas amusing enough, 
and might very well have passed for a printer’s 
error, as it Avas obvious that an Araucaria was 
the tree referred to. Later in the story, how¬ 
ever, the error Avas several times repeated, the 
dogs, in their efforts to unearth the bones, 
pricking themselves with the branches of the 
“ Auricula,” so that they howled savagely. 
Such absurd blunders as this one, on the part 
of intelligent authors, are quite inexcusable. 
‘TDailway Rates. — A fresh complaint as to 
-*»< the increase of rates for the transit of 
farm produce by one of our great railway com¬ 
panies has just been made. The levelling-up 
here has been done Avith a vengeance, so that 
all affected by the alterations are crying out 
against this new stab in the dark for agricul- 
ture. The Board of Trade, evidently aroused 
to the injury likely to be done to the internal 
trade of the country, and especially to the 
interests of land cultivators, by the adoption of 
such tactics on the part of railway companies, 
has issued a notice to the effect that in the 
case of increase of rates by such companies, the 
same must be not only advertised in a local 
paper largely circulating in the district affected, 
at least fourteen days before the increase takes 
effect, but it must also be fully placarded for 
a period of tAventy-eight days at all the affected 
stations of the company’s railway. That order, 
of course, only commands the granting of full 
notice to the public; but the public all the 
same remain, just as before, at the mercy of the 
railway authorities. 
(sJounty Councils. —Mr. Page, the Avell-known 
market florist of Teddington, was last 
Aveek elected on the Middlesex County Council 
after a stiff contest Avith a felloAV-townsman. 
Horticulture seems to fliave given so feAv mem¬ 
bers to the County Councils that we must 
make the most of those Ave have to represent 
garden interests where necessity arises. It 
has been quite Avonderful to see the intense 
anxiety shown on the part of the “ upper ten ” 
to haA r e charge of our main roads, to supervise 
lunatic asylums, deal with allotments and 
sanitary matters, and other diverse but not 
very heroic functions. We prefer to believe 
that all these A-ery mundane matters would 
have been better dealt with by plain, practical, 
business men rather than the aristocracy. Pro¬ 
bably there is at the bottom of all this desire 
on their part to serve, some fear that the 
Councils may deal too liberally with questions 
relating to the land, the incidence of rating, 
&c., in the interests of the occupiers. 
$khe Fruiterers Company. — A reference 
^ AA’hich we made not so long since to the 
Fruiterers Company—its someAvhat Avanton 
extravagance in sending a rich present of 
fruit to the Lord Mayor (of all persons) 
annually, and its apparent utter incompetence 
to assist in promoting fruit culture nationally 
—seems to have had some effect in the right 
quarter, judging from an announcement recently 
made in the City Press. The company pleads 
poverty as an excuse for inactivity. That 
Avould have been a good reason for refraining 
from making costly presents, but some good 
influence might long since have been exerted 
in the right direction. The present Lord 
Mayor is desirous of helping the company to 
do something for hardy fruit culture. We 
expected so much from Lord Mayor White¬ 
head, ayIio is something more than a city 
alderman. All the same we shall wait Avith 
interest the development of this neAv-born 
zeal on the part of the company to assist in 
fruit culture. 
-- 
Gardening Engagement. — Mr. Charles Denning, 
gardener to the Earl of Chesterfield, Holme Lacy, 
Hereford, as gardener and bailiff to R. K. Hodgson, 
Esq., Ash Grove, Sevenoaks, in succession to Mr. 
Thorne, who has been at Ash Grove for thirty years. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society.—The annual meeting of the members of this 
society will be held at the Caledonian Hotel, Robert 
Street, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Monday evening 
next, at eight o’clock. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—If the weather should 
be mild, it is anticipated that the meeting of the society 
on Tuesday next will be an interesting one, as several 
persons, both amateurs and nurserymen, have already 
signified their intention of sending exhibits. The Fruit 
and Floral Committees will meet in the Drill Hall, 
James Street, Victoria Street, at 11 a.m., after which 
the Hall will be open to all Fellows at 12. At 3 p.m. 
the annual meeting will be held in the library at 117, 
Victoria Street. Any persons wishing to join the 
society at this meeting should send in their names to 
the secretary, 117, Victoria Street, SAV., on or before 
Monday, February 11th. 
The Hammersmith and District Gardening Society. 
—Two shows are held annually by this Society, a 
summer and an autumn one, the latter being for 
Chrysanthemums. This rather taxed the funds of the 
society last year to meet its expenses and pay the 
prizes. In order to make up the deficit, it was proposed 
to organise a concert, which took place recently in St. 
Peter’s School, Hammersmith, when “the house was 
crowded. ” A reading was given by Mr. Richard Dean, 
Ealing, and the rest of the evening was occupied with 
musical and other entertainments. It has since been 
ascertained that a sum slightly exceeding £11 was 
raised by the scheme, and which Avas quite sufficient 
to meet the expenses. 
Ealing and District Gardeners* Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society.—The members of this society, at their 
usual weekly meeting held on the 1st inst., established 
the first of a series of monthly conversaziones in the 
Girls’ Schoolroom, at Ealing Dean. There was a good 
display of plants and curios on the tables, and two 
prizes offered for competition were awarded to Mr. Cox 
for a basket of Chinese Primulas, in which the semi¬ 
doubles were very fine; and to Mr. Gates for a remarkably 
fine dish of Mushrooms. Among the contributions sent, 
not for competition, Mr. Chadwick, Hanger Hill, Ealing 
(the lion, secretary), showed a fine lot of small plants 
of Crotons, well coloured and arranged in a groundwork 
of Ferns. On the table were two microscopes, under 
which were exhibited, by Mr. Wright, Devonhurst, 
Chiswick, some of our garden pests, viz., the Eucharis 
