March 7, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
481 
Caithness Horticultural Society.—The members of 
this society have formed a working men’s branch in 
connection with it. Classes for fruits, flowers, and 
vegetables have been set apart for working men. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund —At the usual 
monthly meeting of the Executive Committee held on 
the 28th ult., Mr. William Marshall was again 
unanimousl) re-elected chairman. The secretary 
reported the result of the election on the 21st ult., 
and guardians were appointed for several of the 
orphans then elected. The special receipts during 
the previous month were announced as follows: — 
Mr. M. Todd, Maitland Street, Edinburgh, by sale 
of flowers at the Edinburgh Chrysanthemum Show, 
£20 ; Mrs. John Wills, Onslow Crescent, S.W., £5 ; 
Midland Carnation and Picotee Society, per Mr. R. 
Sydenham, £5 ; Mr. J. Hughes, High Street, 
Harborne, Birmingham (box), £1 17s. 3d. ; Mr. H. 
Percy Dodson, Courtfield Gardens, S.W., £1 is. ; 
Penshurst Gardeners’ Association (Mr. E. Baker, 
secretary), £1 ; Axminster Gardeners’ Association, 
per Mr. J. Crooke, Forde Abbey, 17s. 7d.; Mr. R. 
Vanstone, Clive Nursery, Exeter, 16s.; Mr. W. P. 
Pearce, Belmont, Lee, 12s. 6d.; Mr. W. Whitaker, 
ment took place on January 28th, 1895, in the Abbey 
Hall, when about ninety members sat down to a 
substantial meat tea. The. annual outing took place 
on August 8tb, when the members proceeded in 
brakes to Minley Manor, the seat of W. B. Currie, 
Esq., where much was to be seen and admired. 
After partaking of dinner the party then journeyed 
to Sandhurst Lodge, the beautiful seat of Sir Wm. J. 
Farrer. Arthur W. Sutton, Esq., has been elected 
president in place of Apsley Smith, Esq., who retired. 
The reading room over the Abbey Cafe, kindly 
granted for the use of the members by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, has been much appreciated. Many 
valuable books have been presented to the library. 
The accounts showed a good balance at the 
bankers,- and altogether the association is in a 
flourishing condition. 
Kew Guild.—The annual general meeting of the 
Kew Guild was held at the Gymnasium at Kew, on 
Thursday, February 27th. The growth made 
by the society precludes the possibility of the Garden 
Library being utilised as a place of meeting as 
hitherto, and hence roomier and more commodious 
quarters have had to be found. The number of old 
port to the affections and friendly offices of all 
supporters of horticulture in America. The motion 
was seconded by Mr. C. H. Curtis, and on being put 
to the meeting was carried unanimously. The pro¬ 
cess of electing the officers for the year was then 
proceeded with, the committee being reinstated en 
bloc, whilst Mr. Dyson was chosen by his confreres, 
the young gardeners, to represent them in council. 
Several gentlemen offered suggestions for the im¬ 
provement of the Journal, and Mr. Gregory munifi¬ 
cently placed a collection of photographs of various 
parts of the gardens at the entire disposal of the 
executive, to be used as they thought fit. Votes of 
thanks to the president and committee for services 
rendered concluded the meeting. 
SYON HOUSE PROLIFIC. 
The subject of this note is one of the most recent 
introductions, for it came into prominence on the 10th 
of September last, at the Vegetable Exhibition of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick. 
Amongst the large number of Potatos on trial there 
during last summer, it was one of the few which 
stood the test of the various examinations of the 
Chiswick sub-committee, and received three marks, 
Stocklands, Bridgewater, 10s.; and Mr. H. Perkins, 
Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames (box), 10s. Mr. F. 
Roberts, The Gardens, East Cliffe Lodge, Ramsgate, 
was elected local secretary for that district in the 
place of Mr. Miller, of Margate, resigned ; and Mr. 
R. Weller, The Gardens, Glenstal Castle, Murroe, 
was appointed local secretary for the Limerick 
district. 
Reading Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion.—The seventh annual report of this association 
was read at the meeting held on January 13th, but 
now appears in printed form. It records the con¬ 
tinued success of the association during the past year. 
The meetings were held fortnightly at the “ British 
Workman ” from February to April and again from 
October to January, and all have been well attended. 
The lectures were mostly of a practical character 
and were delivered by Messrs. G. A. Parsons, J. 
Austin, G. Stanton, F. Tufnail, J. Bradley, G. 
Hinton, James Hudson, J. Martin, Thos. Bowie, 
E. J. Deal, Fred W. Leslie, and Alexander Dean. 
One evening was devoted to a discussion of “ The 
Fruit Season of 1893." The annual tea and entertain- 
Kewites that attended was somewhat disappointing 
several well-known gentlemen being prevented by 
circumstances from putting in an appearance. The 
President, Mr. Nicholson, read a letter from the 
director, Mr. W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, expressing 
great sympathy with the Guild as a movement, and 
acknowledging the valuable services it had rendered 
to Kew and Kewites the world over. The report and 
balance sheet for the year were then read by the 
Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. Aikman. A brief resume of 
the work accomplished by the Guild was given, and 
special reference made to its organ, the Journal. So 
far, the society had realised the highest hopes and 
ardent wishes of its most sanguine supporters, and, 
as an institution, continued to attract to itself no 
mean share of attention and popularity. Financially, 
they were perfectly solvent, as the balance sheet show¬ 
ing a sum of £18 upon the right side. In moving the 
adoption of the report, the president, after comment¬ 
ing upon its satisfactory nature, spoke of the strong 
feeling of camaraderie that existed among the sons of 
Kew, and dwelt particularly upon the feeling mani¬ 
fested in the United States during his visit there. 
The very fact of a man hailing from Kew was a pass- 
which were equivalent to an Award of Merit subject 
to the approval of the General Fruit and Vegetable 
Committee. This was accorded it as recorded by 
us in September last. The variety was raised by 
Mr. George Wythes, Syon House Gardens. The 
tubers are oval, somewhat flattened and handsome 
in appearance, for which reason it will take a 
prominent position on the exhibition table in the 
near future. Nor is its appearance in the raw condi¬ 
tion its only recommendation, for when cooked and 
placed on the table it is found to be of excellent 
quality, white and floury. It is an abundant 
cropper and keeps well, so that its chief recommenda¬ 
tions to the general cultivator will be as a maincrop 
and late kind. The skin is russet, with shallow eyes, 
as may be seen by reference to the accompanying 
illustration, for which we are indebted to Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, who have acquired the 
stock of this new and not only promising but tested 
variety. The tubers as shown are of course much 
under the natural size, as there would be about a 
dozen or more in the group photographed. Syon 
House Prolific is well adapted for cultivation in 
moist soils. 
