February 6, 1904. 
The Gardening World 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“ Wha winna wish guid luck to our cause, may never guid luck he their fa'! ”— Burns. 
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i Short Articles. 
The Proprietors of The Gardening World 
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deners or growers of plants, fruits, or flowers; 
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ON ANT SUBJECT COMING WITHIN THE SPHERE 
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The following Coloured 
Plates have appeared in 
recent numbers :— 
May 23.— SAXIFRAGA GRISEBACHIJ, 
May 30. — DENDROBIUM NOBILE 
ROTUNDIFLORUM and D.n. NOBILIUS. 
July 4 — APHELANDRA AURANTIACA 
ROEZLII. 
August 1— BORONIA HETEROPHYLLA. 
September 12.— SIX NEW DAFFODILS. 
October 3— LILIUM AURATUM PLA- 
jTYPHYLLUM SHIRLEY VAR. 
, Novembei 14.— ROSE MME. N. LEVA 
VASSEUR. 
S January 2— HYBRID TEA-SCENTED 
ROSE IRENE. 
January 30. — TUBEROUS BEGONIA 
COUNTESS OF WARWICK. 
Back numbers may be obtained from the 
publishers, price 2£d. post free. 
This week we present a Half-tone 
Plate of 
THE SEA BUCKTHORN. 
Next week we shall give a Half-tone 
Plate of the 
NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS. 
| *** The prize last week in the Readers’ 
Competition waa awarded to “ Pro , ’ for 
\ his article on “ Chrysanthemum Selection 
(for Beginners at Exhibiting,” page 96. 
Views and Reviews. 
The Centenary of the R.H.S. 
As far as the year is concerned, 1903 com¬ 
pleted the hundredth year of the existence of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, but the real 
completion of the hundred years will take 
place on March 6th next. The society was 
founded on March 7th, 1804. In many re¬ 
spects the hundredth year of the existence 
of the society was a record one. During the 
course of its career it'has had several ups and 
downs, but since it left. South Kensington in 
1888 its career has been one of gradual rise 
and progress. This progress came to a 
climax last year with the commencement of 
building a new hall and offices. A year 
before that the greatest amount of progress 
seemed to have been .the decision arrived at. 
to build this hall, in preference to the ac¬ 
quirement of a garden upon which many of 
the Fellows had set their mind. 
It was very fortunate for the society that 
Sir Thomas Hanbury should have come for¬ 
ward on August 4th last and (Offered to pur¬ 
chase the celebrated garden of the late Mr. 
G. F. Wilson. It seems strange now that it 
should not have occurred to someone that 
this garden might have been turned to ac¬ 
count by the society, seeing that it was in the 
market, and furthermore failed to find a pur¬ 
chaser on the first occasion it was put up. 
The garden was so unique of its kind that, 
very few would entertain the idea of paying 
anything like its real value. Only a. 
specialist could have appreciated the garden 
at its proper value. It does not seem to 
have occurred either to Mr. Wilson himself, 
notwithstanding the fact, of his close connec¬ 
tion with the society for so many years, and 
he must also have known that many of the 
Fellows were particularly desirous to have a 
new garden for the society. 
Instead of the hall and the garden ad¬ 
herents being now in antagonism to one- 
another, we presume that most of them will 
have their attention -attracted to the com¬ 
pletion and furnishing of these two adjuncts 
of the society to the best advantage. Those 
who were in favour of the garden will now 
'have ample opportunity in thinking how this 
garden may be worked to. the best advantage. 
Of course, it must be one of gradual progress, 
seeing that there is the question of financial 
limitations. The hall, we presume, will be 
complete in itself by the time it is ready 
for opening for use, .and the situation may 
not permit of expansion, even if that is con¬ 
sidered necessary. On the other hand, the 
progress of the garden may be regarded as 
unlimited, because, as years roll on, it is open 
to fresh additions or fresh enterprises in a 
variety of ways. The garden itself, as 
carried on by Mr. Wilson, was practically 
a wild garden, in which exotic plants and 
others were grown under as natural condi¬ 
tions as possible in our climate. This, then, 
might be regarded a,s complete in itself, and 
a good type of one important phase of in¬ 
formal gardening which we might regard as 
peculiarly English. Beyond the garden 
proper, however, there are many acres of 
arable land suitable for agriculture, ,a.nd this 
t.he society will now be able to turn to ac¬ 
count in the best, manner which science and 
practice can suggest for conducting the 
numerous trials of fruits, flowers, and 
vegetables which the society .ha.s been carry¬ 
ing on for many years, and considers so 
essential a part of its proper work as a horti¬ 
cultural .society. 
We are pleased to learn that the Wisley 
Garden will 'be opened to Fellows and visi¬ 
tors having a. Fellow’s transferable ticket 
after March 25th. It is difficult, to predict 
how many of the Fellows will avail them¬ 
selves of this advantage, owing to the dis¬ 
tance of the garden from London. We pre¬ 
sume, however, that, all those who. have -been 
clamouring for a. garden for the society will 
be -eager to inspect the new possession of the 
society, and no doubt many others will be 
drawn thither out of curiosity, seeing that it- 
must of a necessity be so different from that 
of the garden at-Chiswick. While Mr. Wilson 
was alive, and able to enjoy the pleasures of 
his -garden, lie carried on interesting cultures 
of a varied kind, notwithstanding the idea of 
its being wild gardening in which lie was 
engaged. He used also frequently to send 
accounts of the various classes of plants of 
an interesting character to the gardening 
papers, including such as Lilies, Japanese 
and other Irises, various hardy plants, Water 
Lilies, etc. Many Fellows will he anxious to 
see for themselves how these plants have 
thriven or -succumbed since the death of 
their late owner. 
Amongst the other items of equipment 
necessary for the garden at Wisley will be 
dwellings for the superintendent and fore¬ 
man, ranges of glassho-uses for plants, a room 
where the council and committees can. meet, 
and, what is o-f morei importance to the 
Scientific Commit.teei, a residence for a pro¬ 
fessor, as well as a laboratory where he can 
carry on his work. This latter adjunct to 
