THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 4, 1893. 
306 
Society and Association Notes and News. 
Early intimation of meetings and reports 
will be esteemed by the Editor at 37 & 38. 
Shoe Lane. 
New Horticultural Hall. —The Council have to-day (March 
24th) accepted a tender from Messrs. Mowlem and Co. for £2,34i) 
for the excavation and foundations of the hall. The contract 
has been signed and sealed.— W. Wilks, Secretary. 
* .. * 
Royal Botanic Society.— At a meeting of this society, held at 
the Gardens, Regent’s Park, on the 25th ult., Major J. W. M. 
Cotton in the chair, the secretary, in calling attention to some 
recent discussions on the artificial colouring of natural dowers, 
showed some experiments as tc the changes of colour produced 
by the vapour of ammonia. It was announced that the society s 
exhibition of spring flowers would take place on Wednesday next. 
* .. * 
Royal Horticultural Societal —The next fruit and flower 
show of the Royal Horticultural Society will be held on Tuesday, 
April 7tli, in the Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, Westminster, at 
1 to 5 p.m. A lecture on “New or Little-known Shrubs and 
Trees ” will be given by Mr. George Nicholson, A.L.S., U.M.H., 
at 3 o’clock. At a general meeting of the society, held on Tues¬ 
day, March 24th, sixty-tliree new Fellows were elected, among 
them being Lady Knutsford, Lady Meysey-Thomson, Lady Mary 
Currie, and the Hon. Kenelm P. Bouverie, making a total of 468 
elected since the beginning of the present year. 
■ * * * 
Exhibition of British-grown Fruits and Vegetables.— -The 
Royal Horticultural Society will hold an exhibition of British- 
grown fruits and vegetables at Chiswick on September 29th, 
30th, and October 1st. The prize schedule is now ready, and con¬ 
tains, in addition to the list of prizes, an authoritative list of 
dessert and cooking Apples, Pears, and Plums. Special prizes 
are offered for preserved and bottled fruits. Copies of the 
schedule can be obtained on application to the secretary R.H.S., 
117, Victoria Street, Westminster. Applicants should enclose a 
penny stamp. 
West Wycombe Flower Show.— A rumour was current in the 
early part of last week to the effect that a communication had 
been received by Mr. North from Sir Robert Dash wood which 
practically vetoed a show being held in West Wycombe Park this 
year. The letter was of a private character, but it is said that 
objection was taken by Sir Robert to certain actions of a gentle¬ 
man who occupies an official position in connection with the new 
Cottage Garden Society, and who was also an official of the now 
defunct Horticultural Association. The matter was considered 
at a meeting of the committee of the Cottage Garden Society on 
the 24th ult., when explanations ensued, and as the outcome of a 
lengthy discussion it was decided to request the Press to state 
that “ nothing now exists to mar the harmony and progress of the 
society.” The “ rift in the lute ” is, therefore, apparently healed. 
* * * 
Shirley Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association.—- 
The annual general meeting of the Shirley and District Gar¬ 
deners’ and Amateurs’ Mutual Improvement Association was held 
on the 16th ult. in the Parish Room, Shirley. The president 
(Mr. W. F. G. Spranger, M.P.) occupied the chair. The annual 
report, read by Mr. Greenslade, referred to the fact that regular 
meetings had been held. Lectures of a practical nature had 
been delivered, and discussions after the lectures had been well 
sustained. The committee urged the members to attend the 
meetings regularly. Through several causes, including the 
Coronation festivities, an outing was abandoned during the past 
year, but the committee hoped to be able to arrange for an outing 
during the coming summer. The committee thanked the sub¬ 
scribers for their liberality. The balance-sheet showed a credit, 
of £18 5s. 2d. on the general account, and £3 2s. 4d. on the outing 
fund. It was hoped that each individual member would take a 
deeper interest in the society, and endeavour to introduce for 
discussion some question which might be of importance to the 
society and the public generally. The committee also thanked 
those members who had related their practical experience at the 
meetings, and had thus added to the interest and value of the 
monthly gatherings. The report and balance-sheet were adopted 
after some comments had been made upon it by Mr. Greenslade, 
Mr. Ladliams, and the president. The latter made some com¬ 
ments upon the technical instruction grants, which the society 
did not have nor require last year. It was very useful in enabling 
the association, to obtain the services of outside lecturers. He 
was unanimously asked to endeavour to obtain the grant for this 
year. After this all of the officers were re-elected;, and a com¬ 
mittee elected by ballot. 
Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. —The subject for discussion at the meeting of the 
above association on the 23rd ult was “ The Anemone and its 
Culture,” and was introduced by Mr. D. Harris, of Maple- 
durham House Gardens. The paper was written in an excel¬ 
lent style, and gave the cultural details of the various varieties 
in a most clear and practical manner. Among the sorts dealt 
with were Anemone japonica, A* fulgens, A. coronaria, A. 
appennina, A. blanda, A. sylvestris, and the St. Brigid. 
Although the attendance was small, owing to the very rough 
and wet weather, yet the discussion was livelier, and more 
members took part in it than at meetings when the attendance 
has been three or four times the size. The debate was sustained 
by Messrs. Rowell, Fiy, Wilson, Exler, Neve, Alexander, 
Burfitt, Lever, Cretchley, D. Dore, Kereher, Cox, Sandwith, 
etc., and much valuable information was brought out with 
regard to this lovely flower. A very hearty vote of thanks was 
accorded to Mr. Harris for his interesting paper. 
* * * 
Prizes for Auriculas, Primulas and Daffodils. —At the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s fortnightly meeting, to be held in 
the Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, on Tuesday, April 21st, 
special prizes will be offered for Auriculas and Primulas by the 
National Auricula and Primula Society. These are open to 
members of that society, and to Fellows of the R.H.S. For 
schedule of prizes see R.H.S. Book of Arrangements for 1903, 
pages 61 and 62. Copies sent free on application to the secre¬ 
tary R.H.S., 117, Victoria Street, S.W., or separate schedules 
can be obtained from Mr. Henwood, hon. secretary N.A. and 
1’. S., 16, Hamilton Road, Reading, to whom notice of intention 
to exhibit must be sent four clear clays before the show. Special 
prizes will also be offered for Daffodils, open to amateurs and 
gentlemen’s gardeners only. First prize, a £7 7s. silver cuji, pre¬ 
sented to the society by Messrs. Barr and Sons ; second prize, 
R.H.S. Silver Flora Medal. Group of Daffodil blossoms, 
grown entirely outdoors (Polyanthus varieties excluded) must in¬ 
clude some of each section, Magni-Medii and Parvi-Coronati; 
must contain at least 30 varieties distinct; at least three blooms 
of each must be shown; not more than nine blooms of any one 
variety may be put up. To be staged in bottles, vases or tubes, 
not exceeding three inches in diameter at the top (inside measure¬ 
ment), and all the stem's must touch the water. Quality of flower 
will count more than quantity, and correct naming and tasteful 
arrangement will be duly considered. Any hardy foliage may 
be used, Daffodil or otherwise. No prize will be awarded unless 
there are three competitors at least. 
* * * 
Fruit and Flower Packing for tiIe Market. —Under the 
auspices of the Irish Gardeners’ Association and Benevolent, 
Society, at the X. L. Cafe, Grafton Street, on the 24th ult., Mr. 
J. Moran, jun., delivered a lecture on this subject before a good 
attendance. Mr. F. W. Burbidge, M.A., \ .M.H., presided, 
and, having announced the result of the prize-packing competi¬ 
tion, introduced the lecturer. Mr. Moran, in the course of a most 
instructive lecture-demonstration, pointed out that the chief 
point in packing fruit and flowers was to grade them. He then, 
went into full details as to the best methods of packing certain 
flowers and fruits, after which he clearly indicated the defects of 
the different exhibits. Flowers, he said, should not be packed 
wet, as that reduced their value; yet it was a very common 
mistake. Mr. Burbidge said that the art of making money out 
of the garden depended on packing and grading. These points 
should, therefore, be attended to. Mr. Cotter proposed a vote of 
thanks. He considered the Dublin market the dumping ground 
of the greatest garbage lie ever saw anywhere. It came in in 
dirty carts, and was a disgrace to the city of Dublin. Thus the 
sewers were poisoned and the market was in an insanitary con¬ 
dition. Mr. Garrett Begg, in seconding, said it cost less to bring 
Cabbage to the Dublin market covered with earth, muck, and 
manure, than to have it brought in properly trimmed and 
handled. He tried to remedy this, but the permanent officials of 
the Corporation would not let him. They gave him no encourage¬ 
ment, and though he brought the matter before the committee, 
nothing had been done. Glasgow was the best supplied market 
in the world, and was managed by a committee-of four, but • 
there were 14 or 16 in Dublin, and yet growers were not permitted 
to handle their goods properly, those properly sent in being 
charged 200 per cent, more toll than stuff which was sent to tlie 
market full of earth, etc. 
