706 
July 9, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
objects of the new institution. After enforcing upon 
his hearers the necessity of each one of them contri¬ 
buting all in his-power to the general stock of know¬ 
ledge, and insisting upon special attention being paid 
to the productions of our own country, he asked : — 
“ Is it not a reproach to Great Britain that so many 
rarities should remain in their hands undescribed ; 
that foreigners should eagerly catch at one or two 
plants obtained from our gardens, which we for 
years have been trampling underfoot unnoticed ? 
Yet how, till now, could such nondescripts have been 
made public It is altogether incompatible with the 
plan of the Royal Society, engaged as it is in all the 
branches of philosophy, to enter into the minutiae of 
natural history; such an institution, therefore, as 
ours is absolutely necessary to prevent all the pains 
and expenses of collectors, all the experience of culti¬ 
vators, all the remarks of real observers, from being 
lost to the world. . He who determines with 
certainty a single species of the minutest moss or 
meanest insect vdds so far to the general stock of 
human knowledge, which is more than can be said 
of many a celebrated name. 
"No one can tell of what importance that simple 
fact may be to future ages ; and when we consider 
how many millions of our fellow creatures pass 
through life without furnishing a single atom to 
augment this stock, we shall learn to think with 
more respect of those who do. But nothing will be 
with more reason expected from the members of this 
society than a strict attention to the laws and princi¬ 
ples of Linnaeus so far as they have been found to be 
good. I am persuaded nothing can be done more 
useful to the science of natural history than working 
on the publications of this illustrious man as a 
foundation, to endeavour to give them that perfection 
of which they are capable, and to incorporate with 
them all new discoveries. Whatever we may think 
of the system of Linnaeus, there are certain great 
principles laid down by him the excellence of which 
is now so well known and so generally admitted that 
none who pretend to the name of naturalist can avoid 
conforming to them. I hope never to see any 
descriptions sent into the world by this society with¬ 
out specific differences. They are what distinguish 
a true scientific naturalist from an empiric. Without 
strict attention to this maxim, the science will soon 
relapse into its original barbarism, nor can anything 
but another Linnaeus restore it. ... A train of 
events, which I cannot help calling most fortunate, 
having brought into my hands everything which 
Linnaeus possessed relating to natural history or 
medicine, his entire library, manuscripts, and the 
correspondence of his whole life, as well as all the 
acquisitions made by the younger Linnaeus in his 
tour through Europe, after his father’s decease, but 
which his own premature death prevented him from 
communicating to the world; all these will be a 
never-failing resource to us in every difficulty, as 
well as a fund of information not easy to be ex¬ 
hausted. I hold these treasures only for the purpose 
of making them useful to the world and natural 
history in general, and particularly to this society, of 
which I glory in having contributed to lay the foun¬ 
dation, and to the service of which I shall joyfully 
consecrate my labours, so long as it continues to 
answer the purposes for which it is designed." 
These words were spoken on the 8th April, 1788. 
The Linnaean Society was granted a Royal Charter 
of Incorporation in 1802. By letters patent the 
society was assigned the arms which were granted to 
Linnseus when he was ennobled. The crest repre¬ 
sents a mount, on which vegetates the Linnsea 
borealis, with the sun rising in splendour. But these 
gewgaws were probably little cared for by those first 
fellows. The Linnaean Society followed the path 
indicated in such noble words by its first president; 
and it still maintains itself on those lines. Its object 
is the cultivation of the two sciences of botany and 
zoology, in both of which Linnaeus excelled. Since 
it was instituted the study of natural history has 
spread far and wide, but the Linnaean Society has 
ever kept in the forefront of knowledge, following 
the advice of the founder in the inaugural address 
just quoted, “ to incorporate all new' discoveries.” 
Likewise, it has been mindful of the distinction 
between true science and empiricism, so strongly 
dwelt upon in the same memorable discourse. 
The amateur would find no place for the sole of 
his foot iu the domain of the Linnaean Society. None 
ul its proceedings can be twisted into the semblance 
of amusement. It has no gardens, no conversaziones, 
no excursions. There is an annual meeting in May, 
and during the session ordinary meetings are held 
fortnightly, when papers are read on subjects wdthin 
the limits of the departments of knowledge taken up 
by the society. The}' are written by specialists for 
specialists, and are printed, according to their 
importance, either in the quarto “ Transactions ” or 
the octavo " Journal of the Proceedings:” 
The society numbers at present between eight and 
nine hundred members, and a glance down the list of 
fellows shows it pretty thickly studded with names 
known to fame, of which we can only quote Hooker, 
Huxley, and Owen. The foreign members are 
limited to fifty. Among them we find De Candolle, 
Haeckel, Dana, De Quartrefages, and Schweinfurth. 
The associates are limited to twenty-five. There are 
at present but two honorary members—H R H. the 
Prince of Wales and Oscar II. of Sweden. In the 
library, which now contains about 30,000 volumes, in 
addition to the herbaria, there is an album containing 
the royal signature of George III., the bold scrawl of 
William IV., the signatures of Her Majesty and the 
late Prince Consort, of the Prince of Wales, and the 
clear, decided " Oscar ” of the King of Sweden, who 
was probably thinking, while writing it, that, had he 
been king, those splendid relics of the illustrious 
Swede would never have reposed in the library of the 
Linnaean Society. There are in that album signa¬ 
tures of men less exalted, though not less illustrious. 
Among them one sees that of Sir Joseph Banks, of 
the founder, James Edward Smith, of Thomas Furly 
Forster, of Jonas Dryander, librarian to Sir Joseph 
Banks, in Dean Street, Soho. It was Dryander who 
chiefly framed the laws of the society when it was 
incorporated in 1802. He was the first librarian, and 
died at the society’s house, then in Soho Square, in 
1S10. These names are but a few out of many 
belonging to the hewers out of paths of knowledge 
that are written in that wonderful album at Burling¬ 
ton House .—From the Echo. 
--f-- 
NATIONAL ROSE SHOW. 
The annual show of the National Rose Society 
was held at the Crystal Palace on Saturday last, 
and seemed fully up to the averageof previous 
years as far as quantity is concerned, but, 
although there were many splendid exhibits, one 
could not fail to see here and there traces of an 
adverse season, especially amongst the Teas. The 
cold winds and late frosts having injured some of the 
outer petals of the expanding blooms, the latter had 
been kept bound up for a long time and retained 
traces of the injury after expansion. The quantity of 
Roses at the Palace, however, testified plainly that 
a large number of cultivators battle bravely against 
adverse circumstances in the culture of their favourite 
flower. 
The Champion Challenge Trophy for 72 distinct 
Roses was bravely carried off by Mr. Frank Cant, 
Rose Grower, Braiswick, Colchester. Some of his 
finest H. P. blooms were Her Majesty, Baroness 
Rothschild, Ulrich Brunner, Suzanne Marie Rodo- 
canachi, Victor Hugo, Chas. Lefebvre, Pride of 
Reigate, Jeannie Dickson, Horace Vernet, Marie 
Baumann, Rosierist Jacob, Souvenir de la Malmaison, 
Crown Prince, Mrs. J. Laing, and Annie Wood. 
Good Teas and Noisettes were Niphetos, Ivaroline 
Kuster, The Bride, Marechal Niel, Souvenir d'Elise 
Vardon, Margaret Boudet, Comtesse de Nadaillac, 
Souvenir d’un Ami, and others. All were of fair 
size, not too much expanded, and very fresh. Mr. 
B. R. Cant, Colchester, had some weak blooms in 
an otherwise good exhibit, and took the second place. 
In this exhibit he had the finest Tea or Noisette in 
the exhiDition as far as nurserymen w’ere concerned, 
in Souvenir d'Elise Vardon, which seems to be 
generally fine this year. Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Cheshunt, took the third place with some fine blooms 
in their exhibit. Mr. F. Cant again came in for the 
premier award for the 48 trusses, three of each. 
Some of his best blooms in this case were Merville 
de Lyon, Etienne Levet, Ulrich Brunner, La France, 
Her Majesty, Madame Isaac Pereire, Mrs. John 
Laing, Francois Michelon, Madame Gabriel Luizet, 
Madame Cusin, Cleopatra, Hon. Edith Gifford, 
Madame de Watteville, and Souvenir d’Un Ami. 
Mr. B. R. Cant was again a good second, showing 
some of the leading varieties in good style. Mr. C. 
Turner was third with small but neat and fresh 
blooms. Messrs. Geo. Cooling A Sons, Bath, had 
the best 48 blooms, in single trusses. Good blooms 
were Marguerite de St. Amand, A. Dumesnil, 
Merville de Lyon, Duppuy Jamain, Ernest Metz, 
Anna Olivier Madame Caroline Kuster, and others. 
The second prize went to Messrs. G. & W. H. Burch. 
Peterborough ; and the English Fruit and Rose Co. 
(Cranston’s Limited), was third. Mr. Will Tayler, 
Hampton, Middlesex, took the leading award for 24 
distinct blooms set up with foliage, and therefore 
different from the stereotyped method of setting them 
up. Mr. J. Mattock, The Market, Oxford, was 
second; and Mr. G. W. Piper, Uckfield, Sussex, 
came in third. The first award for 24 trusses, three 
of each, was taken by Messrs. D. Prior & Son, 
Myland Nursery, Colchester, with a good exhibit : 
Messrs. G. & W. H. Burch, Peterborough, were 
second ; and Mr. Geo. Mount, Canterbury, third. 
In the amateurs class for 48 distinct blooms the 
first award was carried off by Mr. Alfred Tate, 
Downside, Leatherhea d. Fine blooms w'ere Baroness 
Rothschild, La France, Merville de Lyon, Earl of 
Dufferin, Horace Vernet, Ulrich Brunner, Xavier 
Olibo, Hippolyte Jamain, Madame Gabriel Luizet, 
Anna Olivier, Rubens, Madame Cusin, Comtesse de 
Nadaillac, Madame Hoste, Madame de Watteville, 
Souvenir de S. A. Prince and others. He also had the 
best Tea or Noiset te in the amateurs classes in Souvenir 
d'Elise Vardon. Mr. S. P. Budd, 8, Gay Street, 
Bath, was second in this class; and the Rev. J, H. 
Pemberton, Havering Atte Bower, Essex, was third, 
his blooms being rather far expanded. Mr. J. 
Brown, gardener to Mrs Waterlow, Great Doods, 
Reigate, had the best 36 blooms, some of which were 
very fine. T. B. Haywood, Esq., (gardener, Mr. C. 
J. Salter,) Woodhatch Lodge, Reigate, was second 
wdth some fresh blooms; and the Rev. A. Foster- 
Melliar, Sproughton Rectory, Ipswich, was third. 
Mr. Walter Drew, Uplands, Ledbury, had the best 
24 blooms, showing some fine examples of Her 
Majesty, Francois Michelon, Dupuy Jamain and 
others, mostly of large size. The second award 
went to Mr. A. Hill Gray, Beaulieu, Newbridge Hill, 
Bath. For 16 varieties, three trusses of each, E. B. 
Lindsell, Esq , Bearton, Hitchin, Herts, took the 
leading award with some fine blooms. Mr. S. P. 
Budd, was second with much smaller flowers; and 
A. Slaughter, Esq., Jarvis Villa, Steyning", was third. 
A fine stand of twelve varieties, three blooms of 
each, was shown by Mr. Walter Drew, who was 
first. He was follow'ed by Mr. J. Brown who was a 
good second. For 12 blooms of any H. P., the latter 
took the leading award with Mrs. John Laing in fine 
condition. Mr. A. Hill Gray was second with La 
France. For 24 blooms in another division, the 
Rev. W. J. Romaine, (gardener, Mr. J. Guttridge,) 
The Priory, Old Windsor, took the first award. His 
flowers bore evidence of good culture, especially the 
foliage of Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, which was of 
enormous dimensions and leathery. J. C. Tasker, 
Esq., (gardener Mr. J. Perry), Middleton Hall Brent- 
w'ood, was second. Mr. E. Bethune, Denne Park, 
Horsham, had the best 18 blooms ; and F. T. Baker, 
Esq., Holmfels, Reigate, was a good second. For 12 
distinct varieties, W. H. Fowler, Esq., Claremont, 
Taunton, was first, showing Tea Roses solely 
Frederick Warde, Aldon, Addington, West Mailing, 
was second with H. P. varieties, which were very 
good. For 8 varieties, three trusses of each, E. 
Wilkins, Esq., Monksdene, Sutton, had the best S 
varieties, 3 trusses of each ; P. G. C. Burnand, 
Esq., Reigate, was second with neat and fresh 
blooms. Mr. E. M. Bethune had the best 9 blooms 
of any H. P. in this division with Madame Gabriel 
Luizet ; E. Wilkins was second with the same sort. 
Dr. Tucker, Swanley Junction, had the best 12 
blooms, and C. J. Grahame, Esq., Coombe Road, 
Croydon, was second. The Rev. H. B. Biron, 
Hythe, had the best 9 blooms, and was followed by 
the Rev. F. S. Taylor, Evesham. Dr. Tucker was 
again first for 6 varieties, three of each ; and O. S. 
Orpen, Esq., West Bergholt, Colchester, was second. 
For 6 Roses of any LI. P., Dr. Tucker w’as given 
first with Her Majesty ; Mr. H. Foster, North Street, 
Ashford, Kent, was first for 9 distinct varieties. 
Edward Llorne, Esq., Park House, Reigate, had the 
best 6 and the best 4, three trusses of each. For the 
best6 in another division,W. H. Fowler, Esq., took the 
leading place, with Tea Roses solely. R. H. Lang- 
ton, Esq., Raymead, Hendon, had the best 6 Roses 
grown within eight miles of Charing Cross. The 
Rev. J. H. Pemberton had the best 6 new' Roses in 
the amateurs’ class, shewing Madame Caroline 
