March 12, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
225 
Society and Association Notes. 
The Hamilton and District Gardening and Forestry Asso¬ 
ciation held their monthly meeting on Tuesday night, March 1st, 
Mr M'Millan (vice-president) in the chair. The subject put 
down for that night was “Our Native Ferns.” An excellent 
paper on the above subject was read by. Mr. Alfred G. Miller 
(Hamilton) ; also a number of dried specimens in fine condition 
were shown by Mr. Miller. A few remarks were made on the 
! su bject of the lecture by Mr. M'Millan, Mr. Thomson (Calder- 
wood Castle), Mr. Chisholm (Udston Gardens), and Mr. Bryson 
(Mauldslie Castle). A fine specimen of Coelogyne cristata 
maxima was also on the table from Mr. M'Millan, The Orchard 
Gardens : it had 40 spikes and over 400 flowers open on it. 
* * * 
The Saltwood Cottage Gardening Society are arranging 
what will probably be the greatest display of Sweet Peas ever 
held at a village show in Kent for August 31st. The competi¬ 
tions are open to the two local societies of the district, and have 
been arranged by Mr. T. A. Weston, a writer of some repute 
on this popular annual. This gentleman has secured the prize 
money without drawing upon the society funds, and has also 
supplied competitors with seed at a reduced rate, Scarlet Gem 
being among the varieties. It is expected that some 200 bunches 
will be displayed. Saltwood also makes a feature of Potatos, 
and, given a good season, it is probable that some dozens of 
varieties will be on view, including many of the sensational 
novelties of the present and past year. 
* * * 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual Improvement 
Society. —This society held its usual fortnightly meeting at the 
Sunflower Temperance Hotel, George Street, on the 1st inst., 
when a- capital paper was read by Mr. W. Harris (Messrs. J. R. 
Box and Co., Croydon) on “ Hardy Summer and Autumn Flower¬ 
ing Bulbs.” The Iris family, blooms of which are so adaptable 
for decorative purposes, were fully dwelt upon, as were the 
stately Liliums, including aura turn, the speciosum section, the 
well-known Tiger Lily and candddum, longifiorum, Brownii, and 
many others that are not So commonly known, but for beauty 
and fragrance are unsurpassed. Passing on to the Gladiolus, he 
discoursed on the treatment required by these showy spikes, 
which hybridisation has brougnt into the front ranks of the 
herbaceous border flower. The Ranunculus, JLxia, Sparaxis, 
Fritillarias, ALstroemerias, Montbretias, Tigridias, Crocosmias, 
Colchicums or Meadow Saffron, Sternbergia, Zephyranthes or 
Zephyr Flower, and Cyclamens were amongst some others men¬ 
tioned, and 'for each species cultural directions were given, so 
that with such an extensive list the garden, woodland, and bank., 
of the lake or river could he made beautiful. In the discussion 
by the members which followed the paper questions were asked 
the lecturer, and were ably answered by Mr. Harris. At the 
next meeting on March 15th Mr. G. Massee, V.M.H., F.L.S., 
will lecture on “Fungi.” 
* * 
The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. —Open 
Spaces: At the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Public 
Gardens Association held at 83, Lancaster Gate, W., on Wed¬ 
nesday, the 2nd inst., Sir William Vincent, Bart., vice-chairman, 
presiding, a letter was read from the Office of Works stating 
that as soon as the enclosure in Hyde Park was ready the ground 
adjoining Kensington Palace, at present occupied by greenhouses 
■ and forcing beds, would be laid out and opened to the public, 
by way of compensation. A communication was received from 
Mr. William Crookes, M.P., in reference to the proposal of the 
association to lay out the large churchyar 1 of All Saints’, Poplar, 
if maintained by the Borough Council, stating that the matter 
was now under consideration, and a similar letter was received 
from the Islington Borough Council in regard to the Norfolk 
Square area, which the association had offered to take in hand, 
ft was reported that the tree planting undertaken by the asso¬ 
ciation was in progress in Lamb’s Conduit Street and in St. 
John Street Road. It was decided to draw attention to the 
Bartholomew Hospital and the Liverpool and Wigan Churches 
ills introduced into the Upper House, which propose, amongst 
onei things, to free numerous disused churchyards and burial 
oiouncls from restrictions against building thereon contained in 
ie Disused Burial Grounds and Open Spaces Acts, and it was 
considered very necessary that an amendment should be secured 
o safeguard the operation of these Acts and to prevent private 
i s fiom overriding the general law of the land. Good progress 
was reported with regard to schemes for extending Hampstead 
Heath and for the acquisition of Springfield Estate, Upper 
Clapton. It was agreed to oppose the proposal of the London 
School Board to acquire the interesting Wycliffe Chapel and 
burial ground, Philpott Street, Stepney, as a school site, at 
the inquiry to be held by the Board of Education at Philpott 
Street Board School on Friday morning. It was arranged to 
provide for the rearing of Poplar trees, of the variety known as 
Populus trepida, or nigra betulifolia, which grow very well in 
London, but of which no young stock is at present obtainable. 
Correspondence was read with the Richmond Corporation and 
others in reference to the proposal to build upon an island 
opposite Kew Gardens, which it was considered should he 
strenuously opposed, as detrimental both to the river and the 
gardens. Amongst those present at the meeting were the Hon. 
Dudley Fortescue, Sir William Vincent, Bart., Admiral the Hon. 
Sir E. R. Fremantle, G.C.B., the Rev. R. Marshall, Mr. C. J. 
Stevens, and Mr. Bernard Gibson. 
*• *• * 
Woolton Gardeners’ Society. —The usual meeting of this 
society was held on the 3rd inst. at the Mechanics’ Institute, 
Mr. Joseph Stoney being voted to the chair. A fair attendance 
of members were present to-hear the result of the prize offered 
of £1 Is. to under gardeners, members of the society. The prize¬ 
winner proved to be Mr. Bishop, of Camp Hill Gardens, Woolton, 
who had ia well-written paper on “ The Culture of the Vine. 1 ' 
The subject was treated in a careful manner ; a want of fuller 
detail in some portions was noticeable, but, taken as a Whole, 
was a highly creditable essay on this important subject. No 
criticisms were -allowed, but some general notes on Vines and 
their varieties followed the essay. Messrs. Cromwell and Ashton, 
the adjudicators, spoke favourably on the paper. Votes of 
thanks were tendered to Mr. Bishop for his paper, and to Mr. 
Stoney for presiding. 
* * * 
Ealing Gardeners’ Society.— A very" fair attendance of 
members assembled on the 3rd inst. to hear a paper from Mr. 
W. B. Gingell, Superintendent of Ravenscourt Park, Hammer¬ 
smith, on “ Flower Gardening.” Mr. Gingell, referring to the 
weather, said flower gardening was hardly in vogue just now, 
but he hoped, notwithstanding evil prognostications, that there 
was a floral time in store. After dealing with the subject philo¬ 
sophically and poetically, he brought his practical experience 
to bear on this very diversified topic. The main points of the 
lecture were the necessity for grass to give breadth and solidity 
to the garden, and to act as a foil to the flowers, the shrubs, 
and the trees. Too' many beds were the bane of most gardens, 
to the detriment of the garden and the gardener. Therefore his 
argument was for fewer beds, bolder masses of flowers, greater 
attention to the lawn and the specimen plants thereon, getting 
away from the stereotyped bedding-out system, and adopting a 
more natural, not to say artistic, arrangement. Whatever the 
style adopted let there be pongruity—unity without uniformity 
and an aim for broader and bolder effects. Plants most suit¬ 
able for the purpose lie had in view were given, and much other 
useful and special information was imparted. The chairman, 
Mi’. C. B. Green, endorsed the value of the lecturer’s remarks, 
as did also Messrs. C. Edwards, W. Chaffer, Jones, Biffen, 
Farmar, and others, while Mr. J. W. Simpson, la.te chairman 
of the Croydon Gardeners’ Society, waxed quite eloquent on 
the subject of lawns and the best and 1 most effective way to 
prepare and maintain them. Mr. Gingell’s replies to the various 
interrogations were an admirable replica of the soundness of 
his previous philosophy. 
* * * 
Dundee Horticultural Association. —The usual montiiiy 
meeting of this 'association was held in the Technical Institute 
on the 1st inst., Mr. Richard Cairns, Balrudidery Gardens, pre¬ 
siding. The president, Mr. David Storrie, gave a lecture 
entitled “Sesame and Lilies and Anthocyaiiine and Daisies.’’ 
At the outset the lecturer pointed out the necessity of intelli¬ 
gent reading; good books were the sesame to knowledge. After 
advising what books to read and how to read them, the lecturer 
defined the art of lecturing, and 'how to listen and enter into 
correspondence and harmony with the views of the lecturer. 
After quoting from Ruskin, he pointed out the correspondence 
and harmony Nature showed with all her subjects and environ¬ 
ments, both in the animal and vegetable kingdom. Man, the 
most' living of all organisms, ought to- study the harmony of Goa 
in Nature, and be in correspondence with the green earth. The 
lecturer then proceeded to point out the important part plants 
play in the economy of Nature, and described the corresponding 
connection between the lower organisms of plants, such as algae 
