148 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 13. 1904. 
officers—Mr. Willcocks (chairman), Mr. Smith (vice-cliairman), 
Mr. Brogdale (secretary), and Mr. Percival (assistant-secretary). 
Again looking at the balance-sheet, he noticed with regret the 
small amount which had resulted from the Chrysanthemum; 
show. It had not shown that the public had not appreciated 
the gardeners’ efforts, hut probably, with a little wider adver¬ 
tising, the society would succeed in bringing large crowds to 
the next show, and produce a greater display of exhibits.i 
Those who did not attend at the. show missed a great treat, 
for the blooms exhibited were of the best. He would ask them, 
to drink to the toast, and he coupled with it the names of the 
gentlemen he referred to. Sergeant-Instructor Purdon next 
convulsed his hearers with reminiscences of what Mr. Dooley 
did at various stages of his career. Mr. Percival next gave a 
song in line style. Messrs. Smith, Brogdale, and Willcocks 
then spoke a few words, after which Alderman D. West de¬ 
lighted his hearers with a song. Mr. Gower then proposed 
“ The Honorary Members,” to which Messrs. Carr, Manning, 
and Butler responded. At the call of Mr. Willcocks “ Thei 
Hvthe Brewery Co.” was proposed, the compliment being/ 
acknowledged by Mr. Statham. “The Visitors” was the next 
toast, which, proposed by Mr. Willcocks, was responded to by 
Alderman Jeal. The “ Host and Hostess ” and the “ Accome 
panist ” having been duly honoured, the remainder of the 
evening was devote! to harmony. Among the contributors 
were Staff-Sergeant Purdon, Messrs. Willcocks, Pearce, Beeves, 
Standing, Percival, etc. 
* * * 
Mauchline District Horticultural Mutual Improvement 
Association. —This association held its usual! monthly meeting 
on Thursday, the 21st January, in the Lesser Temperance Hall. 
In the unavoidable absence of the president, Mr. K, McLean, 
vice-president, occupied the chair. The minutes of last meet¬ 
ing were read and adopted, after which the chairman read let- 
ters from Miss Allan (Ballochmyle), Miss B. Anderson (Bar- 
skimming), and Mrs. J. B. Thomeycroft (Netberplace) agreeing 
to become patronesses. These the secretary was instructed to 
acknowledge. The chairman then called on Mr. Walker for his 
paper on “ Vegetables,” which he delivered in a racy and in¬ 
teresting manner. Starting with a short, discourse on each vege¬ 
table, mingled with anecdotes of many a fight he had at shows, 
he took up the Leek, which is one of his special hobbies. Inlo 
this subject Mr. Walker entered more fully, and as he 
described the various methods he showed the result of each by 
a number of Leeks, brought for practical illustration. He 
finished with his poem, “ The Wail of the Leek Grower.” At 
the close a discussion took place, in which Mr. Fraser, Mr. A. 
Wilson, Mr. K. McLean, and others took part. A hearty vote 
of thanks was tendered to Mr. Walker for his paper, and to Mr. 
McLean for presiding, which brought a pleasant meeting to a 
close. 
Liverpool Horticultural Association. —The annual meeting 
of the above was held at the society’s office, Liverpool, on the 
30th ult., Mr. T. Foster in the chair. The report, read by the 
secretary, Mr. Harold Sadler, gave the returns of attendance 
at the spring show by ticket as 1,797, by payment 312 ; the 
autumn show, by ticket 1,481, by payment 1,299 ; total for 
the year, 4,889, a considerable decrease upon the previous year. 
The thanks- of the association were tendered to Messrs! Thos. 
Davies and Co., Messrs. John Cowan and Co., Mr. H. Middle- 
hurst, Mr. W. Rowlands, The Boundary Chemical Co., and Mr. 
Harold Sadler for special prizes, and to the nurserymen for their 
effective exhibits at each show. The) statement of accounts sub¬ 
mitted by Mr. G. Black more shoiws an income for the spring 
show of £32 Is. 3d. ; the autumn show, £84 Is. ; subscriptions, 
£328 11s. ; advertisements and bank interest, £20 13s. 7d. The 
expenses: Spring show, £173 17s. 6d. ; autumn tehow, 
£265 11s. 7d. ; general, £83 11s. Id. ; leaving a balance in the 
treasurer’s hands of £195 10s. 10d.., being a loss, on, the year’s 
working of £57 13s. 4d. The autumn, show was held in the Drill 
Hall, Edge Hill, and although the entry of exhibits proved a 
record one, the number of visitors was 1,748 less. The treasurer, 
sub-treasurer, and secretary were re-elected in their respective 
offices. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro>- 
ceedings. 
* * * 
The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association.- —Open 
Spaces : At the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Public 
Gardens Association, held at 83. Lancaster Gate on. the 4th 
inst., the Earl of Meath (chairman) presiding, a letter was read 
from the Most Rev. Archbishop Bourne consenting to become 
a vice-chairman of the Association, in the place of the late 
Cardinal Vaughan. It was agreed to offer seats for St, Giles’s 
Churchyard, C'ripplegate, for a .space in. Grove Lane, Camber¬ 
well, and for a proposed park at Upper Clapton, and to make a 
grant of some gymnastic apparatus for the Duke of Norfolk's 
Cadet Corps, Mile End Road, subject to the premises being 
satisfactory. It was stated that the association had jgreed to 
lay out the Norfolk Square area, Islington, specially adapting it 
for the use of children, at a cost of about £400, which offer was 
now under consideration of the Borough Council, and that trees 
were being planted in the upper part of Lamb’s Conduit Street, 
and in St. Philip’s Churchyard, Battersea. Letters were read 
from the Shoreditch a.nd Camberwell Borough Councils accepting 
with thanks the offers made by the association to provide hand 
some drinking fountains for a site .in the City Road and for 
Addington Sq rare Giardetni. It was stated that 18 of the 
Metropolitan Borough Councils had now replied in favour of 
the -association’s proposal to enable them to assist in the pro¬ 
vision of open spaces by means of a clause in the London County 
Council’s General Powers Bill, and that no adverse replies had 
been received. Progress was reported with regard to the scheme 
for extending Hampstead Heath. Several members criticised 
the embankment enclosure recently made in Hyde Park, and it 
was explained that it was intended as a site for greenhouses 
and storage yard, and that- a site adjoining Kensington Palace 
hitherto utilised in this way would be laid out as a garden 
and opened to the public, so that the area of public space would 
not be diminished. It was agreed to offer to adapt the en¬ 
closure in Golden Square for public use if transferred to a public 
body for maintenance, and a letter was- read from the owners 
of St. Peter’s Square, Hammersmith, which is in danger of 
being built over, in regard to their offer to sell this fine en¬ 
closure for £12,500, a price which was Considered prohibitive. 
* * * 
Abinger and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association.— On Monday, February 1st. Professor J. Percival, 
M.A., F.L.S., University College, Reading, lectured on “The 
Principles of Pruning 'Common Fruit Trees of the Garden,” 
dealing with the importance of pruning and of the several 
methods not understood. Different trees require different 
treatment, and he quoted Black Currants and Morello Cherries, 
which should be pruned so as to keep them always well furnished 
with young growth. Red -Currants and Apples, fruiting on the 
old wood, were best pruned with the object of forming spurs. 
It was a common mistake to' think that pruning was simply a 
matter of cutting trees. Professor Percival stated that he. had 
had trees in hi-s own garden seriously damaged by so-called 
gardeners, who, when he ventured to ask them why they cut 
off certain, shoots, could only say that it was the way their 
fathers, who were gardeners all their lives, used to prune, and, 
therefore, must be right. They had been cutting trees without 
any objects in view. The lecturer spoke of the importance of 
pruning with the object of assisting Nature. Buds on trees 
retained their vitality fr-om five to even a hundred years, and 
by judicious pruning old trees could be rejuvenated. Professor 
Percival said it sometimes happened that trees were planted on 
a rich soil, which induced them to make luxuriant growth with¬ 
out any sign of bearing fruit. In such cases summer pruning 
was of great importance-, and all nitrogenous manures should 
be withheld. A good dressing of some good phosphatic manure, 
with a little potash, would benefit such trees, but if this did not 
have the desired effect the trees should be carefully lifted and 
root-pruned. He -also detailed the process of summer pruning, 
giving some valuable hints. Professor Percival gave his lecture 
in a most interesting manner, the result of 10 years’ practical 
experiment. The meeting terminated with a hearty vote of 
thanks to the lecturer, ably proposed by Mr. Dennis, gardener 
to Mr. Raphael, Hopedene, Holmbury, St. Mary, seconded by 
Mr. Payne, gardener to Lord Farrer. Abinger Hall. 
* * * 
The Birmingham and Midland Counties Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Association. —The first meeting of the 
spring session took place on Monday evening, February 1st, at 
the Athletic Institute, Birmingham. The president (Professor 
Hillhouse) being too unwell to give his. annual presidential 
address, the vice-chairman (Mo*. W. Jones), on quite short 
notice, gave a very interesting paper, “ Is Exhibiting Beneficial 
to Gardeners, Employers, and Horticulture Generally ?” Being 
an old and successful exhibitor himself, he was well able to deal 
with the subject thoroughly, ini his remarks impressing upon 
young gardeners the. absolute desirability of growing their own 
material for exhibiting, and never encouraging others to do 
otherwise by lending some of their own produce to help out. 
If employers can actually-see the whole garden being well looked 
after, and can understand their own produce only is being used, 
they will soon take an interest in the proceedings, and encourage 
the gardener in his efforts, being willing to have new and im¬ 
proved varieties purchased from the nursery trade, thereby 
benefiting all parties concerned. A goodly number of members 
