136 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 28, 1893. 
tural Society’s gardens at Chiswick. Some Apples 
were shown by Mr. R. Weller, Glenstal Gardens, 
Murroe, Limerick. 
Royal Horticultural of Aberdeen.— The members of 
this Society held their annual meeting in the Music 
Hall buildings, Aberdeen, on Saturday, 21st inst. 
There was a large attendance, and Lieut.-Col. 
Crombie, chairman of directors, presided. The 
Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and 
balance-sheet, regretted to say that there was a 
balance of against the last show, but they were 
still in the comfortable position of having £s57 to 
the credit of the Society. The deficit was to be ex¬ 
plained by the heavy expenses incurred in catering for 
the amusement of the public. Councillor Gordon 
asked if it would not have been better to have procured 
the services of local bands, and not gone so far 
afield. The Chairman stated that next year they 
intended to engage a local band. The report and 
balance-sheet was then unanimously adopted. 
Mr. Joseph Dalgarno moved “ That Rule 4 
(general rules) read as follows :—The affairs of the 
Society shall be under the management of the 
acting directors, consisting of a chairman, vice- 
chairman, and sixteen members (seven of which 
shall form a quorum), who shall be elected at 
the annual meeting.” In support of his motion, 
Mr. Dalgarno said he thought it was about time that 
they had done away with class selection. The rule 
confined and hampered them too much, and did not 
leave the directorate open enough. The alteration 
which he suggested did not conflict with the present 
arrangement, but left it open to elect whom they 
pleased. 
Mr. James Cocker, sen., Sunny Park Nurseries, 
seconded the motion. He said this suggested altera¬ 
tion required a little explanation. He thought, if 
they would go back four or five years, they would 
find that the Society at that time proposed a spring 
show. This spring show was held, with the result 
that they lost £60 over it. If they referred to the 
rules they would find that their Society had for its 
object, ” the encouragement of all efforts to improve 
the knowledge of scientific horticulture, and to ex¬ 
tend its practice in Aberdeen and the north of Scot¬ 
land.” He failed to see how cavalry sports could 
help horticulture. The next thing—the new-fangled 
notion of a balloon—was another failure. The 
result was that the shows had been held in a place 
not fit for displaying flowers. These features had 
brought in a lot of money. There was no doubt that 
they had been successful, but nowhere in the 
Society’s rules could he find that money was to be 
an object of the Society. Money was no object to 
the Society, but he was perfectly aware that they 
could not get on without funds. At the time they 
left Duthie Park and went to Central Park they had 
£2^0, and they had no excuse for the change. It 
had been thrown in his teeth all over the country 
this departure from horticulture. He would like to 
see the Society upon its legs again, and he supported 
this motion in order that they might get men into 
the Society who could work for horticulture, and for 
horticulture alone. The best shows of the country had 
none of these new-fangled notions ; they would dis¬ 
dain them. They held a show in the Duthie Park 
last year with no other attraction than a good band, 
and it was a success Now their show had been 
made a secondary consideration to cavalry sports, 
and the Society was put under a bushel. There was 
no horticulture about it. He had pleasure in sup¬ 
porting the motion, and called upon all lovers of 
horticulture to vote on his side of the question. 
After some remarks from Mr. Duncan M. Smith, 
Mr. Robson moved as an amendment that “the 
rules remain as they are.” This clause had been 
the rule of the Society ever since its amalgamation 
with the Amateur Horticqjtural Club, and it had 
been introduced to give encouragement to gardeners, 
amateurs, and others. Mr. Robson then referred to 
the rules of the Glasgow Society, Dundee Society, 
West of Scotland Society, and the Arbroath and 
Paisley Societies, each of which showed that the 
directorate was elected in an exactly similar way to 
that of the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen. 
He believed the affairs of the Society would be better 
worked when all parties were well balanced than 
they could be under any other arrangement. 
Baillie Lyon thought a mistake was made last 
year when the directors were elected en bloc, because 
that gave no opportunity of putting in new men. 
He thought they should have several new men put 
in every year. He would not turn out the whole of 
the directors, but he was certainly in favour of the 
introduction of new blood. 
Mr. Gregor and Mr. Monro having made a few 
remarks in support of Mr. Robson’s amendment, the 
Chairman said he had been on the directorate for 
the past ten or eleven years, and he had always 
found that the rule worked admirably. It prevented 
all cause for jealousy, because if the amateurs 
wanted too much they had fifteen against them, and 
if the professional gardeners wanted too much they 
had fifteen against them. The aim and object of the 
Society had hitherto been that each class should 
receive its fair share of consideration, and this had 
been satisfactorily fulfilled. On the vote being taken, 
Mr. Robson’s amendment was carried by forty-one 
votes to four. 
The next business was the election of office¬ 
bearers as follows :—Sir Arthur Grant, Bart., of 
Monymusk, as chairman, and Mr. Alexander Robson 
as vice-chairman. The acting directors were 
re-elected with the following alterations:—Pro¬ 
fessional gardeners : Mr. Ogg, Morkeu, in place of 
Mr. McLeod. Market gardeners : Mr. Alex. 
Mortimer, Nigg, in room of Mr. H. Davidson. 
Nurserymen : Mr. Munro, Polmuir, in room of Mr. 
Cocker, sen., who did not seek re-election. Messrs. 
Reid and Wyllie were re-elected auditors, and Mr. 
A. M. Byres, C.A., secretary and treasurer, the last- 
named gentleman being warmly thanked for his 
services during the past year. 
-- 
^afd6|ier$’ linpfoVepiept jlppociatiopp. 
Birmingham and District Amateurs. —" Our 
Herbaceous Border ” was the title of a paper given 
before the members of the above Association at the 
Temperance Institute, on Wednesday last, by Mr. 
Arthur Roe, who dealt with the subject in a most 
interesting and entertaining manner. He said people 
were now coming back to the old idea of a flower 
garden, and, instead of ablaze of colour so frequently 
seen for just two or three months during the summer, 
they were now growing those plants which would, if 
properly selected, give a wealth of bloom from early 
spring to late autumn. But these plants were not 
grown to nearly such an extent as they ought to be. 
He contended that the superintendents of our public 
parks and open spaces should pay more attention to 
herbaceous plants, which would in the long run be 
far cheaper and much more lasting than the formal 
beds of Pelargoniums, Begonias, Lobelia, Stocks, and 
Asters, which had become so general as to be some¬ 
what of an eyesore, and for about half the year the 
beds were practically bare. He assured amateurs 
that these plants were as easily grown as the common 
Pelargonium, and the majority would live through 
any ordinary winter, and what a wealth of beauty 
did we look forward to as the shoots appeared 
through the ground in the spring. What could be 
more graceful and ornamental than well grown 
plants of Campanula pyramidalis, C. Persicifolia, 
Scabiosa caucasica. Anemone japonica, and the 
various Michaelmas Daises. A hearty vote of 
thanks was subsequently passed to Mr. Roe for his 
very able paper. Plants and flowers were exhibited 
by Messrs. E. D. Clarke, W. B. Griffin, and H. 
Smith, and awards were made accordingly. The 
next meeting will be held on November ist, when 
Mr. George Pressly will read a paper on “ A Few 
Notes about Lilies.” 
Woolton, Liverpool. —This Society commenced 
its winter session on the 12th inst., by giving a floral 
concert in the Parochial Hall. The members were 
most successful in their efforts to decorate the stage, 
that end of the hall being beautified by collections of 
well grown plants, including Cycads, Palms, 
Dracaenas, Crotons, scarlet Pelargoniums, with Adian 
turn cuneatum and Panicum variegatum freely used 
to hide the pots. Over the stage an immense wreath 
of evergreens was suspended, studded with white, 
scarlet, and yellow flowers. From this was attached 
an enormous horse shoe in evergreens in unison with 
the wreath. The stage rail was brightened with 
Asparagus, relieved with Allamandas and red Lapa- 
gerias. At the conclusion of the concert Mr. 
Holbrook Gaskell, the chairman, and the crowded 
hall were loud in their praises of the tasteful and 
chaste appearance of the decorations. An innova¬ 
tion was the four pretty little girls in their spotless 
robes who were retailing button-holes, sprays, etc. in 
aid of the charity. The announcement, " a grand 
combination of floral beauty and artistic music” was 
fully realised, for the artistes were composed of the 
best talent of Liverpoool, Chester, and St. Helens, 
and their work was highly appreciated by the 
audience. The proceeds were in aid of the Gar¬ 
deners’ Royal Benevolent Institution and the Library 
Fund, and the sum realised was £j 3s. The usual 
meeting of the Society was held on the igth inst. at 
the Mechanics' Institution, Mr. Joseph Stoney in 
the chair. Mr. R. G. Waterman read a paper on 
“ Soils and Rotation of Crops,” which was a con¬ 
tinuation of the subject. The constituents of some 
fruits and vegetables were given, principally to show 
that their requirements were of a diverse character, 
and it was of paramount importance to the culti¬ 
vator to have at least an elementary knowledge of 
these so that they might be treated accordingly. 
The most approved methods of rotation were given 
and the most suitable aspects and soil. Some hints 
were given to counteract the pests that were more 
especially troublesome in the district. A discussion 
followed, in which the Chairman, Messrs. Todd, 
Johns, Harrison, Carling, Disley, and others took 
part. A vote of thanks to the lecturer concluded 
the proceedings. 
-- 
NORTH OF SCOTLAND HORTICUL¬ 
TURAL AND ARBORICULTURAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
The members of this Association held their monthly 
meeting in the Christian Institute, Aberdeen, on 
Wednesday evening, 18th inst. There was a good 
attendance, and Mr. John Munro, Polmuir Nurseries, 
president of the Association, occupied the chair. 
The Chairman thanked the members for the honour 
they had done him in electing him president, and in 
the course of a most interesting and instructive 
address urged upon the members to take a more 
active interest in the Association. He hoped the 
meetings would be well attended, and proceeded to 
give a number of hints which would enable them to 
strengthen their position as members of the Associa¬ 
tion. He impressed upon his hearers the advantages 
to be gained from a free expression of their views 
upon the subjects that came up for discussion, and 
suggested that to make the meetings more attractive 
and valuable written questions should be handed in 
on any subject connected with horticulture or arbori¬ 
culture. It had also occurred to him that the 
Association should not be left to rely solely upon 
the individual efforts of its fellows. He thought 
they ought to have a course of lectures on the 
scientific teaching of horticulture and arboriculture 
by some expert, and he was prepared to move a 
resolution to that effect. A course of lectures 
dealing with the theoretical and technical teaching 
of these subjects would prove a good investment, 
and would confer life-long advantages on the 
members. 
A short discussion followed the chairman’s address, 
in the course of which his remarks were very 
cordially endorsed. A warm vote of thanks was 
voted to the chairman for his address. Notes on the 
collecting and preparing of plants as dried specimens 
were then given by Mr. J. Duncan, which proved 
highly interesting and useful, and at the close he 
was warmly thanked. There was on view in the hall 
a very fine display of fruit from Duffus House, 
Elgin, comprising some beautiful specimens of 
Apples and Pears. The collection was inspected 
with much pleasure. 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN. 
Gardenias.—To obtain a supply of bloom for 
Christmas a good batch of Gardenias should be 
placed in a warm moist house or pit, or even plunged 
in a bed of fermenting materials. They come on very 
slowly and require a good deal of heat to urge them 
forward. Select those which have the wood best 
ripened and showing their buds, as they will most 
readily respond to the treatment given. 
Centropogon Lucyanus.—When liberally 
treated this gives a long succession of bloom and 
when the principal spikes are cut, lateral ones are 
thrown up in succession. At present the plant 
should be encouraged to grow, and if the pots are 
filled with roots, weak liquid manure should be 
supplied It. A batch of plants so treated would 
supplement the supply of cut flowers at Christmas. 
