December 2, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
209 
The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
SIXTH ELECTION of FIVE 
X CHIL.DREN to the benefit of this Fund, consisting of 
an allowance of 5s. per week {subject to the conditions stated in 
Rule XIII.) will take place on FRIDAY, February 9th next, at 
the Cannon Street Hotel. London, E.C. All applications must 
be made on a proper printed form, copies of which may be had 
gratis of the Hon. Secretary, or any of the Local Secretaries. 
Such form must be correctly filled up. duly signed, and returned 
o this office not later than WEDNESDAY, December 27th. 
A. F. BARRON, Hon. Sec. 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, S.W. 
NfiTIOML CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 
Early Winter Exhibition, Dec. 5, 6, and 7, 1893. 
ROYAL AQUARIUM, WESTMINSTER. 
PRIZES for CHRYSANTHEMUMS, CYCLAMEN. PRI¬ 
MULA SINENSIS, and FLOWERING, BERRIED, and 
FOLIAGE PLANTS. Schedules of Prizes on application to 
Richard Dean, Hon. Secretary. 
Ranelagh Road, Ealing, W. 
T 
O SEEDSMEN.—To be DISPOSED 
OF, in consequence of the death of the proprietor, an 
old-established FARM and GARDEN SEED BUSINESS, 
with a wide connection in a good Market Town in the Mid¬ 
lands, and on Two Railways. This is a rare chance for a 
desirable purchaser that does not often occur.—Apply to 
SEEDSMAN, Messrs. Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch, 
London, E. 
F or sale, in-a fine Agricultural Dis¬ 
trict in Oxfordshire, a good SEED, CORN, HAY, &c., 
BUSINESS, only Shop of its kind in the town.—For particu. 
lars apply S. J. O., care of Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch, E.C, 
For Index to Contents see page 216, 
‘ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, December 4th.—Cattle Show at the Agricultural 
Hall, Islington. 
Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe & Morris' Rooms, and every day- 
in the week. 
Bulb Sale at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Tuesoay, December 5th.—National Chrysanthemum Society's 
Winter Exhibition at the Royal Aquarium (3 days). 
Wednesday, December 6th.—Bulb Sale at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Thursday, December yth.—Bulb Sale at Stevens’ Room. 
Friday, December 8th.—Orchid Sale at Protheroe & Morris’ 
Rooms. 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2nd, 1893. 
^HE Royal Horticultural Society.—■ 
The rumour which was discussed with 
bated breath at the Drill flail on the 14th 
ult. and found expression in the columns of 
our esteemed contemporary The Gardeners' 
Chronicle last week, is distinctly an interest¬ 
ing one. It is to the effect that proposals 
have been made to the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, having for 
their object the return of the Society to its 
old home at South Kensington, but as a 
sort of appanage to the Imperial Institute. 
We never met with a more complete 
parallel of the man seeking the dog that bit 
him, than is found in this suggestion. 
The Society had, in the later Kensington 
days, got as near to the deep sea as it very 
well could, and now having escaped that 
danger, if it wishes to fall into the arms of 
the old one it can hardly do better than 
return to its old courses. There was a 
time when the Society did pretty well at 
South Kensington, but it was long ago, 
and when it had the support of the fashion¬ 
able world. That is, however, a peculiarly 
treacherous world, one that takes up 
hurriedly and drops speedily. Even the 
Imperial Institute, with all its meretricious 
attributes, hangs between Scylla and 
Charybdis, and may fall into ruin at any 
moment. It is notoriously a frost, and 
would prove to be a terrible refrigerator to 
the R.H.S. The Society has had a hard 
struggle to resuscitate itself at the James' 
Street Drill Hall, but it is at least free 
from the evil influences of the wire-pullers 
who _ so nearly brought it to grief before, 
and if ever there was a case of letting well 
alone, for the present at least, this is one 
of them. 
We fought hard against the adoption of 
the ill-considered and impracticable scheme 
for erecting a Horticultural Hall in the 
City of London. Happily that proposal 
fell through, and those who made it may 
feel happy that it was so, for they were 
saved from the eternal drag of a heavy 
millstone. As a consequence we hear now 
of less complaints against the Drill Hall, 
though the fact remains that it is not an 
ideal home for the Society. We should 
like a better place, but where is it to be 
found ? For the moment a satisfactory 
answer is not forthcoming, but that may 
not be so always, and the Society can 
better afford to wait than to identify itself 
in any way with the Jubilee Folly. In any 
case the R.H.S. is not such a popular body 
that it can afford to indulge in heroic 
experiments, and which, were they indulged 
in, would inevitably result in disastrous 
collapse. The Society having left South 
Kensington under circumstances which 
were no credit to anybody, clearly the 
suggestion to return, if it has been made, 
should be firmly and promptly rejected. 
^EXT Year's Chrysanthemum Shows.- 
It is so much the rule for a few of the 
large societies, especially the National, 
Kingston, Birmingham, Hull, and others, 
to fix the dates of their ensuing shows 
almost immediately after their current ones 
are over, that the ‘smaller societies often 
find it needful to arrange for their com¬ 
petitions accordingly, and therefore it is in¬ 
teresting to a large number of committees 
when the dates of tlie leading shows are 
determined. Still it always happens 
that each locality has its own immediate 
range of exhibitors, to our mind very often 
far too few, and not being troubled with 
too much show room, are quite content to 
take their chance of what date locally 
suits, without troubling as to the dates of 
other societies. 
But without doubt the leading growers 
are very much concerned as to the dates of 
the great shows. It is these only which 
have for them any appreciable attraction. 
They want to be in at the best competitions, 
to see the best exhibits, and so much may 
not be theirs if too many shows clash. It 
would undoubtedly be an advantage were 
some of the local shows amalgamated, as 
they simply drag along an uncertain exist¬ 
ence, as often with a balance against as in 
their favour, and having very limited and 
uninteresting competitions. They certainly 
present happy hunting grounds for a few 
seekers after guineas and half guineas, but 
as to their benefit to Chr3'sanchemum cul¬ 
ture, that seems doubtful. The public to¬ 
day, as well as the Chrysanthemum 
growers, want only to see the best, and to 
do that the}' must visit the leading shows. 
Once the best is seen, inferior things have 
no interest. 
The fixing of the dates for next year 
seems to present some difficulties, as what 
is practically the first week in November, 
commencing on the 5th, seems for some to 
be too early, and the succeeding week seems 
rather late. One big society of material 
interest has already selected the 13th and 
14th, which may prove to be for many 
growers just as much too late as a week 
earlier may be for others too soon. It 
seems nearly always to be the case that the 
Japs, are several days ahead of theincurved, 
and it may be that the middle of November 
next 3’ear will be found more favourable than 
an earlier date. We should like to see some 
of the inevitable clashing of the best shows 
avoided if possible, but fear that it cannot 
be done. 
he Late Storm.— “ Wild and fierce the 
storm is raging round a helpless 
barque,” begins a popular hjmn, but it is 
doubtful whether even the helpless barque, 
beaten and storm-tossed on the wild ocean, 
presents in any way such an object of 
destruction to the fierce tornado as do 
many of our noble trees. Rooted, anchored 
to the soil, and so far as relates to this 
anchorage absolutely immobile, yet having 
to bear all the terrible force of the onward 
rush of air, they have only to withstand it 
through the loss of many huge branches, 
or be felled to the ground as giants before 
a greater and more terrible power. 
Just as the poor brown Matahele were 
swept or mown down by the fierce hail of 
lead poured forth b}- the maxim guns, so 
does it seem, as we gather from a singularly 
saddening account of the recent great storm 
given by an Edinburgh correspondent in 
another column the giant trees, many of 
them of surpassing size and beauty, fell in 
thousands before the wild tornado which like 
some fierce agent of destruction seems to 
have worked havoc wholesale in many 
northern districts, and literally to have 
laughed and yelled in wild joy over the 
wreckage, so feelingly expressed by the 
Rev. D. Rankin, that some of the noblest 
and grandest of the products of arboricul¬ 
ture should thus have been destroyed. 
How many long years is needed to create 
from the young tree of the nui sery those 
magnificent specimens that tower up 100 
feet m height, and are perhaps as broad in 
the spread of their branches? During all these 
long years have not human eyes watched 
their progress, and human hearts become 
in affection attached to them ? They have 
been sentimental joys, just as they have 
been glorious objects of beauty, and of 
interest in the landscape. Plant as soon 
as we may, no living human being can hope 
to see them grow into such giants as those 
have been so widely lain low. Still we 
must plant just as our forefathers planted 
for us. No storms must deter, no disasters 
check, in the discharge of what is a duty, 
and may be a melancholy pleasure. Even 
in trees as in other things we may not leave 
the world as we found it. 
Ml’. John Waterer, son of the late Mr. John 
Waterer, and brother of the late Mr. Michael and Mr. 
P'red. Waterer, died at the American Nursery, 
Bagshot, on the 21st ult., aged 67 years. 
Mr. Harris, lately gardener to the Dowager 
Duchess of Montrose, at Sefton House, Newmarket, 
has succeeded Mr. W. King as gardener to P. 
Crowley, Esq., Waddon House, Croydon. 
Mr. William Hutchinscn, lately of the Tweed Vine¬ 
yard, Clovenfords, and formerly foreman at Freeland ^ 
Forgandenny, Perthshire, has been engaged as gar¬ 
dener to W. H. Lamsden, Esq., Balmedie, Aberdeen¬ 
shire. 
Mr James Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford, has 
been engaged by the Surrey County Council, on the 
recommendation of the Council of the Royal 
Horticultural Society as Inspector of the Horticul¬ 
tural Lecturers employed by the Council. 
Marie-Antoinette’s Poplar.— The Revue de I'Horti- 
culture Beige states that the famous Poplar of Marie- 
Antoinette, planted before the farmstead of the 
Petit-Trianon, at Versailles, fell on the 5th October 
last, at five o clock in the evening. There was 
much hesitation before felling it on account of its 
