April 11, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
327 
Society and Association Notes and News 
Early intimation of meetings and reports 
u will be esteemed by the Editor at 37 & 38, 
Shoe Lane. 
UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND PROVIDENT SOCIETY.— 
The monthly committee meeting of this society was held at the 
Caledonian Hotel, Adelphi Ten-ace, Strand, on Monday evening 
last, Mr. Ohas. H. Curtis in the chair. Eleven new members 
were elected, and one other nominated. The membership now 
exceeds 1,000. Seven members were reported on the sick fund. 
* * * 
The Metropolitan Puri.ic Gardens Association. —Open 
Spaces : At the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Public 
Gardens Association, held on Wednesday afternoon at 83, Lan¬ 
caster Gate, W., Sir William Vincent, Bart, (vice-chairman), 
presiding, progress was reported with regard to schemes for 
the acquisition of Hainault Forest and of fields adjacent to 
Hampstead Heath belonging to Eton College. It was reported 
that the work at the Southfields (Wandsworth) Ground having 
been completed, it would be opened on the 20th inst., and that 
the tree planting at All Saints’ Churchyard, Poplar, had been 
finished. It was stated that the suggestion of the Association 
to open the front part of St. Luke’s Churchyard, Old Street, had 
been adopted, and a grant of seats was made for this ground. 
Seats were also granted for a recreation ground at Leyton, for 
Broomfield Park, N., and for Christ Church, Westminster. It 
was decided to take steps to’ oppose the Old Bridewell Burying 
Ground Bill in the House of Commons, which had passed the 
Upper House, and which seeks to repeal the general law against 
building on disused burial grounds, in favour of a private 
owner. It was stated that it had definitely been arranged to 
remove the Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, and it was agreed 
to continue to make efforts to secure the preservation of the 
most picturesque part of the site. A grant of apparatus was 
made for a gymnasium at South Bromley. It was mentioned 
that the Horticultural Society was likely to give up its fine 
gardens at Chiswick, and it was agreed to see whether they 
could be continued under some other management. It was 
mentioned that Clifford’s Inn, E.C., was advertised for sale on 
the 14th May, and it was resolved to find out whether the garden 
which forms part of the site could be preserved. 
* * * 
Scottish Horticultural Association. —The monthly meeting 
of the above association was held on the 7th inst. at 5, St. 
Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Mr. J. W. McHattie (president) 
in the chair. Mr. Robert Service, nurseyman, Maxwelltown, 
Dumfries, read a paper on “ Shows and Showing.” Mr. Service 
dealt first with “village shows,” and contended that the com¬ 
petition in garden plots is the most valuable feature in these 
institutions. The county show was next dealt with, and in con¬ 
nection with this he referred to the falling off in the classes 
for stove and greenhouse plants. Dealing with the Edinburgh 
shows, he described them as a veritable horticultural Mecca. 
The London shows and the speciality shows were each in turn 
dealt with. Speaking of points in judging, Mr. Service 
advocated a federation of leading horticultural societies in order 
to come to some better common understanding on the matter. 
He also suggested that it might be an improvement if judges 
were required to pass an examination before a board of 
I ^miners. The paper was favourably discussed by a number 
or members. The exhibits on the table were from Mr. A. R. 
Henderson, Monkwood Grange, whose fine plant of Schizantlius 
pmnatus roseum was granted a Cultural Certificate ; from Mr. 
jeo. Wood, Oswald House, whose Oollogyne cristata alba, 
Odontoglossuni crispum, and plants of Dendrobium cassiope were 
awarded a Cultural Certificate ; from Todd and Co., Sliandwick 
lace, w-ho had a vase each of Rose Caroline Testout and Liberty 
and a vase of yellow Spanish Iris ; from Mr. Copeland, Orwell 
° r ge, IS ellie Rockett Souvenir de Petite Amie and Mr. Coombes, 
and a very large truss of Imantophyllum miniatum ; from 
essis. Dickson and Co., seven pots Cineraria, a very dwarf 
/t 111 - W1 1 very soft, delicate shades of colour, were awarded a 
t, * 1 f ' a ’ 0 Merit ; from J. W. Scarlett, Inverness, a late 
cco i named Superb and a tuber of the famous new Potato 
mrmTO ln .7 and from Mrs - A1 £ ie > Togher House, Holly- 
C °’ " a T°T forty-one varieties of border Primroses, 
ncludmg one with green flowers. 
* * * 
tuw 0 \vpd?° R i TICTJI , TTTTl t L Society.—E xamination in horticul- 
esr ay, April 22nd, 1903 : Candidates wishing to sit 
for the Royal Horticultural Society’s examination in horticul¬ 
ture, on Wednesday, April 22nd, and who have not yet sent in 
their entries, are requested to forward same without delay to 
the Secretary, R.H.S., 117, Victoria Street, London, S.W. 
* * * 
Temple Flower Show (May 26th, 27th, and 28th, 1903).—For 
the sixteenth year in succession the Royal Horticultural Society 
will hold their Great Spring Flower Show in the Inner Temple 
Gardens (by the kind permission of the treasurer and benchers) 
on May 26th, 27th, and 28th. Copies of the schedule can now 
be obtained on application to the Secretary, R.H.S., 117, Vic¬ 
toria Street, London, S.W. Applicants should enclose a stamped 
envelope, ready addressed to themselves. 
* * * 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The council wish to draw 
the attention of the exhibitors to regulation 2, on page 50 of the 
book of arrangements, 1903, which orders that notice of intention 
to exhibit groups must be given not later than the Friday before. 
The council interpret this to mean that the letter should reach 
the superintendent at Chiswick, or the secretary at Victoria 
Street, on the Friday, preferably the former. The rule further 
states that exhibitors must at the same time state the nature 
of their proposed exhibit. Notice will be sent to the exhibitors 
by post despatched on Saturday, or by telegram, as to whether 
the space they desire can be placed at their disposal. Exhi¬ 
bitors are also requested to note that Lilies sent with the stamens 
cut out will not be allowed to be put on the stages, but will 
have to be taken back.at once. 
* * * 
Bristol and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association.—" The Value of Mutual Improvement Associations 
tor Gardeneis was the subject for the evening’s discussion at tne 
meeting of the above association, held at St. John’s Rooms, Red- 
land, on Thursday, the 26th ult., when Mr. E. Binfield presided 
over a; good attendances. The lecturer was Mr. W. Ellis Groves, 
the energetic secretary'of-this up-to-date society; who fiastso mhch 
at heart the welfare of Bristol gardeners, and to whom this 
association owes to a very great extent the prominent position it 
holds to-day amongst the Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Asso¬ 
ciations of England. It is not too much to say that those gar¬ 
deners of Bristol and district who were absent from this meeting 
have much cause for regret. That they would have left the meet¬ 
ing with full satisfaction goes without saying. Mr. Groves dealt 
in an eloquent way with the many advantages which must cer¬ 
tainly accrue by being members of such societies as these. If we 
lotok at the gardening profession we find it commands more scope 
for individual thought and action than probably any other trado 
or profession. How varied and how many are the experiences 
which the gardener comes into daily contact with! Here it is 
that these mutual improvement societies render that assistance 
winch only those engaged in gardening can, and do, appreciate, 
lo ha\e our fads and errors exploded, to listen to the experiences 
ot others, to have their advice, means that we gain that know¬ 
ledge which is so essential to the building up of a sound reputa 
tion m the horticultural world. One of the chief advantages 
perhaps, of these societies is to cause the younger gardener of to- 
day to take a deeper interest in the profession lie has chosen, 
thereby making him a better gardener, and consequently a more 
valuable servant. Then, again, the fact of bringing gardeners 
into closer contact with each other must undoubtedly mean the 
mutual benefit of each other. Mr. Groves emphasised the fact 
that employers were most certainly reaping the harvest from the 
good seed sown bv these valued associations, and appealed to 
them to interest themselves more deeply in the good work they 
were doing. The providing of libraries of sound readable works 
on horticulture has been of the greatest assistance to the Bristol 
gardeners. The age of secrets is passed, and the gardener no 
longer locks his knowledge up in his own self, but imparts it to 
his brother gardener through these gardeners’ improvement asso¬ 
ciations. The advantages which the young gardener has to-dav 
over his forefathers are manifold, and he may no longer be in the 
dark when he has the helping hand of such societies that Bristol 
can truly boast of. It should be the duty of all gardeners and 
lovers of their gardens to join one of these associations, thereby 
helping on the interests of horticulture, which in itself is noble 
in the extreme. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Groves brought 
to a close a most enjoyable evening, and it was decided that the 
lecture should be printed and circulated free of charge to the 
