January 21, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
323 
cal Certificates. On the recommendation of the 
Orchid Committee, 48 First Class Certificates 
against 34 last year, 72 Awards of Merit against 38, 
29 Botanical Certificates against 10. On the recom¬ 
mendation of the Fruit and Vegetable Committee, 
27 First Class Certificates against 6, and 18 Awards 
of Merit against 7 last year. 
The Society’s general work of scientific experi¬ 
ment and investigation, and of the practical trial of 
various plants, has been going on steadily at Chis¬ 
wick, under the Superintendence of Mr. Barron. Tiial 
has been made of 45 varieties of Tomatos, 12 of 
Turnips, 79 of Runner Beans, 66 of Beet, 79 of Vege¬ 
table Marrow, edible Gourds, and Pumpkins, and 
80 of Savoys and Cabbages. Eighty-nine new 
varieties of Potatos, and 104 new Peas have been 
tested. In the Floral Department 200 varieties of 
Carnations and Picotees, and 50 of Pinks, 200 
Dahlias, 80 Violas, 44 of Sweet Peas, 26 Bedding 
Begonias, 324 Phloxes, 500 Paeonies, and 330 Asters 
(Michaelmas Daisies) have been tried. The Phloxes. 
Paeonies and Asters have each had the special 
attention of a Committee of Experts both in regard 
to their proper nomenclature and their value as 
hardy border flowers. The Reports of these Com¬ 
mittees will, it is hoped, be ready for publication 
during the present year. 
The Journal of the Society has been continued so 
so as to enable Fellows at a distance to enter more 
fully into and reap the benefits of the study and 
work of those more actively engaged at head¬ 
quarters. The first part of Vol. xv. was published 
in the early part of the year and the second and 
third parts (now ready for issue) were delayed owing 
to the pressure of work caused by the preparation of 
the Conifer Volume. The Conifer Conference 
Report, forming Vol. xiv. of the Journal, is a work 
on the publication of which the Society may well be 
congratulated, and the thanks of all the Fellows are 
due to those who have so kindly contributed to it, 
and also especially to those on whom the heavy 
work of editing the volume has fallen. 
The number of deaths during the year was 72, and 
the resignations 185, while the number of Fellows 
elected was 391, showing a net increase in income 
amounting to £278 5s. 
The most noticeable feature in last year’s work, 
besides the Begonia Conference and the issue of the 
Conifer Volume, has been the promulgation of a 
scheme for the examination of students and others 
in the Principles and Practice of Horticulture, and a 
scheme is on foot for providing Scholarships, 
whereby the most promising students may be enabled 
to pursue their studies in connection with the 
Society’s Gardens at Chiswick or elsewhere. The 
first examination was held in the early part of the 
year at the request of the Surrey County Council, 
when 72 candidates presented themselves, with the 
result that 12 passed to the satisfaction of the 
Examiners in the higher grade, and 17 in the lower 
grade. A second examination will be held in May 
of this year, when it is proposed to extend it to 
candidates in all parts of England. 
In round numbers £1,700 has been expended at 
Chiswick this year on the general work, and repairs 
and keeping up of the Gardens. A further sum of 
about £368 has been laid out in special repairs, 
viz. :—in the thorough repainting and repair of the 
Great Vinery both inside and out, and in furnishing 
a new boiler, &c. The receipts from the Gardens by 
sale of surplus produce amount to £573, making the 
net cost of Gardens £1,514. 
In the spring of the year the Rev. W. Wilks—who 
has acted as Honorary Secretary of the Society 
since 1887, and the great value of whose services is 
well known to the Fellows—requested that he might 
be relieved of his office. Understanding that he 
took this step solely on account of his having 
received an offer of literary work, which he did not 
feel justified in refusing, the Council unanimously 
decided to take advantage of the power given in the 
Charter of making the Secretaryship a salaried office, 
as it is in the Royal Society, the Linnean, and most 
other similar bodies. They are glad to be able to 
say, that, under the altered conditions, Mr. Wilks 
willingly consented to refuse, for the present at least, 
the lucrative offer that had been made him, and to 
continue to devote his services to the Society’s wel¬ 
fare. A resolution to this effect will be submitted to 
the Annual Meeting. This alteration of the Secre¬ 
tary’s position created under the Charter a vacancy 
n th e Council. 
Besides the Great Spring Show in the Temple 
Gardens, which will be held this year on May 25th 
and 26th, the Council have decided to hold a Show 
at Chiswick on July nth, at which prizes will be 
offered for local exhibits. 
The Council have also entered into an agreement 
with the Directors of the Royal Agricultural Hall, 
Islington, to hold a Great Autumn Show at that 
Hall, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, inclusive. A special 
schedule will be issued in March, and upwards of 
£400 in prizes, medals &c., will be offered for Fruit, 
Flowers and Vegetables and for Horticultural Appli¬ 
ances, machinery fittings and sundries. All articles 
shown in the latter group will have to be fitted up 
and in working order from Aug. 24th to Sept. 1, so 
that the judges may put them to practical .ests. 
REVENUE & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 
FOR THE YEAR. 
DR. 
To Establishment 
Expenses— 
£ 
s. 
d. 
£ s. 
Salaries and Wages .. 
480 
0 
8 
Rent of Office . 
165 
9 
3 
Printingand Stationary 
Publications—Journal. 
203 
II 
IO 
&c.. .. 
550 
7 
8 
Repairs 
16 
9 
O 
Postage 
79 
12 
8 
Coal, Gas and Water 
5 
19 
4 
Miscellaneous.. 
To Shows, Meetings 
and Conferences- 
Rent of Drill Hall and 
106 
3 
9 
1,607 T 4 
Cleaning 
Special Shows — 
108 
15 
O 
Temple 
516 
3 
3 
Begonia Conference 
8 
14 
I 
Advertising 
IQ 
3 
9 
Prizes and Medals .. 
275 
12 
2 
Printing, &c. . . 
46 
8 
9 
Labour . 
66 
16 
2 
Repairs to Tents 
Superintendent of 
87 
6 
6 
Flower Shows 
To Chiswick Gardens— 
Rent, Rates, Taxes and 
5° 
O 
O 
1,178 19 
Insurance .. 
264 
3 
9 
Superintendent'sSalary 
225 
O 
O 
Labour.. 
Manure, Implements, 
711 
IO 
4 
&c., .. 
*75 
l6 
O 
Coal dnd Coke 
I67 
II 
5 
Repairs 
6l 
19 
3 
Special Repairs 
386 
I I 
O 
Water and Gas 
15 
8 
9 
Miscellaneous .. 
79 
3 
I 
2,087 3 
4.873 17 
£ s. d. 
3,087 17 1 
696 18 6 
228 6 3 
60 15 7 
66 19 4 
8 9 3 
72 4 6 
7100 
573 *2 9 
71 3 n 
/4,873 17 2 
We have examined the above Accounts, and find 
the same correct. 
(Signed), 
HARRY TURNER, I , ... 
HENRY WILLIAMS, J Aua ' tor;> - 
HARPER BROS., Chartered Accountants. 
10 th January, 1893. 
£ s. d. 
By Annual Subscriptions 
,, Shows—Temple— 
Tickets, Advertise¬ 
ments, Donations, 
&c. .. .. 663 18 o 
,, Meetings & Confer¬ 
ences .. .. 33 o 6 
,, Advertisements 
,, Miscellaneous— 
Sale of Journal 
and Reports .. 
,, Dividends— 
Davis Bequest 
and Parry’s 
Legacy. .. 56 18 4 
Consols, £500 10 1 o 
Interest on Deposits 
,, Prizes & Medals 
,, Fruit Pamphlet 
,, Chiswick Cardens— 
Produce sold .. 551 12 3 
Admissions and 
Members' Tickets 426 
Miscellanous .. 1718 o 
,, Balance to General 
Revenue Account 
(Meaning# fxmn SDarlir 
ijf Science. 
Wild plants and collectors. — When the general 
public, but chiefly the younger members of it, go 
plant collecting, the larger and more showy kinds 
are most likely to be gathered ; and as a rule those 
subjects are generally amongst the most common. 
When members of horticultural societies and botani¬ 
cal clubs take to this pastime, their efforts collectively 
are often mischievous to rare plants, inasmuch as it 
is only necessary for one of a large party to be aware 
of its value and rarity, when the whole party must 
needs have a specimen, if indeed there be sufficient 
to supply a lithe of the members. Possibly 
not half-a-dozen of a party of twenty would put the 
specimen to any use whatever, either practical or 
scientific. The evil is still further augmented when 
prizes are offered to the members of a club for the 
rarest species they may collect during the organised 
excursions, and in the districts visited by them. An 
instance of this kind occurs in the eastern part of 
Ulster, Ireland, as related by the Irish Naturalist. 
Ireland is the only home in the British Islands of 
many interesting members of our flora, and it would 
be unfortunate if the extermination of such rare sub¬ 
jects is to be systematically encouraged in this way, 
more especially under the name of science. It would 
be more to the credit of botanical clubs there, to offer 
prizes for the successful raising and propagation of 
such subjects from seed. Science even in this coun¬ 
try is often made to subserve the purpose of the 
small trader who digs up the roots wholesale, 
whether they are rare or otherwise, provided they 
are saleable. Ferns more than any other class of 
wild plants are liable to extermination in this way. 
We have known of fine clumps or broad patches of 
the Hay-scented Fern (Nephrodium Fceniscii) to be 
rooted up in this way in secluded and wooded parts of 
South Wales, and not a vestige left to give the species 
a chance of becoming re-established in its old habitat 
Wild Cherries and Rowan Berries. —Many an 
owner has prided himself upon the fine appearance of 
these trees when laden with fruit in the month of 
August, but is as frequently disappointed upon 
getting up some morning to find that not a fruit is 
left, for some mysterious reason or other. In some 
positions or localities, especially in country places, 
the depredations might be attributed to boys, who 
despise nothing in the way of fruit that is edible. 
When such is the case they seldom fail to leave un¬ 
mistakable evidence in the shape of broken branches 
and some remaining berries on the shoots they are 
unable to get at. Birds on the other hand leave no 
traces except the fruit stalks, particularly those of 
the Rowan cr Mountain Ash, which are most con¬ 
spicuous. When the berries of the latter are fairly 
red, birds of various kinds attack them in real 
earnest, and although wary, as if conscious of the 
mischief they are committing, they will not be 
driven away, but merely retire to the nearest trees, 
where they hide till the field is again clear for them 
to resume work. Blackbirds, the common thrush or 
mavis, the missel thrush, and starlings are the depre¬ 
dators, and the trees are completely cleared with a 
rapidity in proportion to their numbers. If the 
garden is surrounded with much wood the chances 
are that there will be plenty of birds ; but several 
species congregate in great numbers at that season 
of the year, and proceed as if by concert from one 
field of plunder to another. A notable instance of 
this came under my observation in the case of some 
flourishing Gean or Wild Cherry trees planted on 
the edge of a kitchen garden bordering upon a field. 
The garden was also surrounded by a considerable 
amount of wood. The Cherry trees were very 
fruitful as a rule, but the fruits were never allowed 
to attain perfect maturity nor to become black. _As 
soon as they had become red the blackbirds were 
evidently of opinion that they were fit for harvest¬ 
ing, and had them all cleared in about two days. 
Where the birds all came from was a mystery, but 
some of them must have come from a distance. At 
no other time do blackbirds assemble in flocks, and 
the question arises how they all came to knpw of 
the exact time and place where the Cherries were 
ripe. The stones of the latter were dropped beneath 
the trees in great numbers, but others got conveyed 
all over the garden, and germinated freely in spring, 
notwithstanding their being prematurely plucked 
from the parent trees. — J. F. 
