February 16, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
397 
Pontoise, Waltham Abbey, Brantley's Seedling, 
Bowhill PippiD, Brownlee's Russet, Hoary Morning, 
New Hawthornden, and such others were repre¬ 
sented by exceedingly fine selections. The Apples 
formed the attraction of the show. (Gold Medal.) 
Annual General Meeting. 
The annual general meeting of the R.H.S. was held 
during the afternoon of Tuesday, February 12th, in 
the Society's Rooms, 117, Victoria Street, London, 
S.W. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., the president, 
occupied the chair, and had an audience of fully 200 
Fellows and members. 
The usual formalities having been enacted, and 
thirty-five new Fellows elected, the annual general 
report was then discussed by the chairman. He 
went over all the more important clauses, and dwelt 
at greater or less length on each of them. Before 
directly touching on the report, however, Sir Trevor 
mentioned that the council had thought it right and 
proper to have presented to his Majesty King 
Edward VII. an address expressing the sense of the 
loss he had experienced, and at the same time con¬ 
gratulate him on his accession to the throne. The 
chairman then went on to speak in warm terms of 
her Majesty's love and encouragement of horticul¬ 
ture. The council had sent a wreath in name of the 
society, and through the instrumentality of Messrs. 
Wills & Segar this wreath had found a place in the 
Mausoleum. 
Speaking of the education of students in the 
society’s gardens, Sir Trevor was pleased to note the 
growth and warmth of interest being evinced in it. 
The Temple show and the limited accommodation 
within the Temple gardens was the subject of some 
remarks ; but should it ever be necessary to 
move from the Temple gardens, so generously 
placed at the society’s disposal by the Benchers of 
the Inner Temple, he was pleased to state that one 
of the new councilmen—Earl Ilchester—had offered 
Holland Park for use in this connection. (Applause.) 
The Journal was improving and had been published 
much more frequently for the sake of country 
Fellows. In connection with the yearly examina¬ 
tion in horticulture, Sir Trevor remarked that a 
higher standard was necessary now, as students were 
becoming much more proficient. 
The thanks of the Fellows were also expressed 
through the chairman to each of the committees, 
the members of which in many cases came long dis¬ 
tances and did a great deal of disinterested work all 
through the year. The growth in the numbers of 
exhibits and the numbers of those who attended the 
fortnightly meetings held during the twelve months 
was now so great that it was difficult sometimes to 
get inside the hall. This was good and bad at once ! 
Expressions of thanks were also passed to all of 
those who had read papers or had lectured at the 
meetings, Prof. Henslow, M.A., coming in for 
special notice for his share of this valuable work. 
Then a sadder note was struck as the chairman 
recalled the fact that seventy-nine Fellows had died 
during the year, and among them two of the councillors 
—Mr. Haywood and Mr. Crowley. Each received a 
word of appreciation for the grand work they had 
rendered. 
The accounts did not require any explanation— 
they spoke for themselves. In this connection Sir 
Trevor said that the council were going to publish 
in the society’s Journal something like a retrospec¬ 
tive account of the society’s affairs since 1888, in 
which year they left South Kensington. At that 
time the society was going down by leaps and 
bounds and must soon have failed. It had then a 
membership of little over a thousand, of which only 
773 were annual subscribers, and the contributions of 
the others were spent on the upkeep at South Ken¬ 
sington. On leaving the latter place, 221 at once 
resigned, showing how many of the Fellows at that 
time were attached for reasons other than horticul¬ 
ture. 
The total income was £2,460 in 1887, 
and the debt was £1,182. A more hope¬ 
less condition of affairs could scarcely be 
imagined. We have now in 1900 an income of over 
£8,000—(applause)—and an increased expenditure 
of over £2,000; and £10,269 of surplus capital had 
been invested. (Renewed applause.) fn 1887 the 
number of Fellows was 1,108; in 1900 theie were 
4,750, and 139 new Fellows have been elected in 
1902. The proportion borne by salaries, &c , to the 
total income in 1887 was 17I percent., now it is as 
low as 8| per cent. The reputation and good of the 
society has even more largely increased than finan - 
daily. Three gentlemen received special mention 
as having had a very large share in bringing about 
the present prosperity, and these were Baron 
Schroeder, Sir Michael Foster and Sir William 
Tbisleton-Dyer. The cost of publication of the 
Journals during the year was £807, and this works 
out to 3s. 4$d. per Fellow. The resolution for the 
adoption of the report was then formally put and was 
seconded by Sir John Llewellyn, Bart. 
Abstract Report of the Council for the 
Year 1900. 
The past year marks an era in the history of the 
society. The new charter, the third granted since 
the foundation of the society, having received the 
assent of the late Gracious Queen came into force at 
the commencement of the year, and the first business 
which engaged the attention of the council was the 
formulation of new bye-laws suitable for the same. 
The work was necessarily a long one; but at a 
general meeting held on July 3rd, the bye-laws, as 
printed on pages 423 to 436 of Vol. XXIII. of the 
society’s Journal, was formally adopted. 
[To be continued.) 
READ THIS. 
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prietors of The Gardening Woscd, to the person 
who sends the most interesting or valuable item 0) 
news upon passing events likely to interest horticult¬ 
urists at large ; hints containing suggestive facts of 
practical interest to gardeners or giowers of plants, 
fruits, or flowers; successful methods of propagating 
plants usually considered difficult ; or any other 
tobic coming within the sphere of gardening proper. 
The articles in question should not exceed 250 words, 
and should be marked " Competition." The address 
of the winner will be published. The Editor's 
judgment must be considered final. The communi¬ 
cations for each week should be posted not later 
than Monday night. 
The prize last week was awarded to "Grower," 
for his article on " Statice profusa,” p. 379. 
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should be addressed to “ 1 he Editor," 5 & 6, 
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communications should be addressed to " The Publisher." 
Timely notes or notices about interesting matters or current 
topics relating to gardens, gardeners, or gardening, are 
always cordially welcomed. When newspapers are sent 
would our friends please mark the paragraphs or articles 
they wish us to see ? 
Laying out a Garden.— A. J. Stonempns: A study of 
your plan and your desires gives us the impression 
that you want to get the greatest amount of pleasure 
out of the space at your command, while the plan of 
it must be simple and the after-maintenance of the 
garden easy or inexpensive. If so, the plan is 
recommendable in more ways than one. You do not 
give an outline of the dwelling-house, but from the 
position of the front window we take it for granted 
that it occupies the remainder of the frontage to the 
left of the scullery. Taking this supposition for 
granted, and that the length you give (50 ft.) ex¬ 
tends from the back of the house to the southern 
end of the garden, the grass plot must be the 
principal feature of this garden. You do not say 
whether the garden is surrounded by a wall, fence or 
merely iron railings. If the latter you might desire 
a hedge of some sort so as to give sh Iter 
and secure privacy. This might consist of Horn¬ 
beam, Lombardy Poplars, or Golden Privet (Ligus- 
trum ovalifolium aureum), according to taste. It 
could be restricted to any desired height. If you 
have a wall or fence round it you could then grow 
fruit trees and bushes upon it or cover the 
whole with ornamental climbers, according to liking. 
Then have a gravel path 4 ft. wide made along the 
back of the house. Round each side and the far end 
of the garden make a border 4 ft. wide, edging it 
with box or ornamental tiles. This would do for 
hardy herbaceous plants, annuals, &c. Next to this 
should come a gravelled footpath 3 ft. wide all round 
the garden, parallel with the border. The remain¬ 
ing space should be levelled and sown down with 
grass seeds. The grass plot, according to your 
figures, should be 39 ft. long and 20 ft. wide. You 
desire some evergreens which could be planted in 
circular or oval beds, or in some other simple de¬ 
signs. These beds could occupy the southern end of 
the grass pic t, leaving the moie open grassy space 
opeD for tennis or croquet ground, &c. 
Creepers, Roses and Evergreens.— A. J. Stone- 
mans : Amongst climbers that we should recommend 
as highly desirable are the Japan Ivy (Ampelopsis 
tricuspidata), generally known as Ampelopsis 
Veitchi, the Common Jasmine (Jasmioum officin¬ 
ale), the Honeysuckle (Lonicera Periclymenum), 
Clematis JackmaDni, Magnolia grandiflora (eastly 
trained though not a climber), and Jasminnm nudi- 
florum for winter flowering. For the bottom of the 
walls you might use Crataegus Pyracantha Lelandi, 
Ctanothus Gtoire de Versailles and Cotoneaster 
mtcrophylla. In the way of Roses you might 
plant the Tea Rose Gloire de Dijon, Felicile 
Perpetue (evergreen), Crimson Rambler (a 
Polyaniha Rose), Aimee Vibert (Noisette), 
pure white, vigorous and very free ; and the semi¬ 
double, orange-yellow Rose Fortune's Yellow 
(Noisette). Evergreens for the garden beds might 
include Silver Queen and Golden Queen Hollies, 
Osmanthus ilicitolius, Olearia Haastii, Euonymus 
japonicus aureus maculatus (golden-blotched Euony¬ 
mus), the Golden Priiet (which retatrs its leaves in 
mild winters), the golden-leaved Box, Rhododen¬ 
drons in choice varieties Azalea amoena, and any of 
the choice varieties of dwarf Conifers, of which we 
could name a list if so desired. You may also have 
funher ir formation on any of the above by asking. 
The Fruit of the Reed Mace.— Omega : It is not 
pro er to speak of the frutti. g portion of Reed Mace 
as a seed-like pod. The brown or black portion is 
made up of a large number of flowers closely 
packed. Lattr on the flowers give rise to a similar 
number of closely packed fruits. The proper term 
for the whole mass is a spike. These are really two 
spikes, the male spike on the top, and the female 
spike lower down on the same stem. After the pollen 
is shed the male spike mostly crumbles away,leaving 
only the female which carries the fruits just 
mentioned. 
Best Wood for Garden Labels —Omega : As a 
soft, clean wood, easily written upon with pencil, 
White Pine would be the best if you can get it. 
Good, clean Deal, otherwise Scotch Fir (Pinus 
sylvestris), would answer as well and prove more 
durable in proportion to the amount of resin in it 
The resin is not good to write upon, however, so 
that softer and whiter pieces would answer better for 
labels, provided always that it is clear of knots and 
is not cross grained. Zinc labels require no particu¬ 
lar preparation for outside work. All you want are 
the labels and some ink of the kind prepared 
specially for writing the names on zinc. Both labels 
and ink you could get from dealers in the same, with 
instructions, if necessary, from the dealers in garden 
sundries. 
Cultivation of Peppermint.— M. V. ; As far as 
we know there is no special book on this subject. 
There are botanical books on Mint or Mentha, but 
they are not likely to give any details on the culti¬ 
vation of the same for commercial purposes. With 
land, irrigated in the way you mention, there should 
be no difficulty in growing good crops. A'l you 
need do is to set out the plants in straight lines, 
about 20 in. to 24 in., as UDder. The stems are cut 
when in full flower. Two varieties are cultivated for 
commercial purposes at Mitcham, namely. Black 
Mint (Mentha piperita vulgaris) and White Mint 
(M. piperita officinalis). The White Mint yields the 
beit oil, so that you should endeavour to get this true 
and propagate it as fast as you can by cutting and by 
division of the underground stems or creeping 
-rhizomes. Mint is also cultivated for medicinal 
purposes at Mitcham, Lincoln, Cambridge, and 
Herts 
Names of Plants —D. M.: 1, Jasminum nudi- 
florum; 2, Vinca major ; 3, Eranthis hyemalls.— 
W. C.: 1, Pieris floribunda; 2, Erica carcea; 3, 
Lastrea Filix-mas cristata ; 4, Polypodium vulgare 
cambricum; 5, Primula floribunda.— R. M. : 1, 
Sedum sarmentosum variegatum; 2, Ornithogalum 
arabicum; 3, Selaginella kraussiana variegata; 
4 , Agapanthus umbellatus variegatus. — A. M. C.: 
1, Cattleya Trianaei var. ; 2, Odontoglossum 
andersonianum; 3, Cyprlpedium longifolium.— 
W. A'.: 1, Pinus austriaca; 2, Sequoia sempep- 
virens; 3, Thuya occidentalis; 4, Thuya gigantea. 
Communications Received.—L. H (next week) 
—J. S.—A. D. W. (next week.)—W. B. G —D. 
Dingwall.—J. C.—A. L.—H. W.—A. R —E. T.— 
W. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
John Turner, North Street, Wetberby, Yorks.— 
Catalogue of Vegetable Seeds, Flower Seeds, Seed 
Potatos, Window Plants, Bedding Plants, Chrysan¬ 
themums, Dahlia®, Roses, &c. 
J. Lambert & Sohne, Trier, Rbeinprovinz, Ger¬ 
many.—Price List of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, 
&c. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading, England.— Sutton’s 
Farmers’ Year Book and Graziers' Manual. 
Ed. Webb & Sons, Wordsley, Stourbridge.— 
Webb’s Annual Catalogue of Farm Seeds and Man¬ 
ures. 
Dickson, Brown & Tait, 43 and 45, Corporation 
Street, Manchester.—Dickson, Brown & Tait’s 
Catalogue of Farm Seeds. 
Harlan P. Kelsey, Tremont Building, Boston' 
Massachusetts, U S.A.—Galax Leaves and Len- 
c< thee Sprays; also Prices of Ginseng Roots and 
Seeds. 
