Jfrcli 19, 1904. 
fHE Gardening World 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
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IRIS SINDJARENSIS 
*** The prize last week in the Headers’ l 
ompetition was awarded to “ D. A. D.” > 
,r his article on “Debating Societies { 
Jr Young Gardeners,’’ page 215. 
Centenary of the R.H.S. 
Last Scenes at Chiswick. —For the 
better part of a century the Chiswick 
Gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society 
have been to thousands a spot hallowed 
by pleasant memories, and now on a 
day springlike in its sunshine, with grem 
buds foretelling of life new born, the death- 
knell was sounded. To those who knew and 
loved the gardens, even as a green resort, 
from the brick-red monotony of London,, the 
scene was infinitely sad. Sentiment is sup¬ 
posed to be dead in, these strenuous days, yet 
there were many like ourselves, wandering 
disconsolately round, bidding a long farewell 
to the gardens, and out of distant year's un¬ 
bidden memory was recalling ancient scenes 1 . 
Even now the gardens are a thing of the 
past. The ruthless hand of the builder will 
soon be upon it, and in the spring, when the 
tender green of the foliage and the winsome 
blossom is looked for, behold the gaimt 
scaffold-poles and the rising walls of an “ art ” 
villa,! Another green spot of pleasant 
memories that grim London has eaten up 1 in 
its ruthless march. “ I’ve known the gardens 
for seventy-five years,” said one of the dis¬ 
consolate wanderers. “ As a child I’ve' played 
in them; as a young man I’ve courted in, 
them; and have seen my children and my 
children’s children playing in them. I 
thought they would have lasted out my 
time.” 
The last scene of all “ that ends this strange 
eventful history” took place on March 10th, 
when the remaining trees, shrubs, plants, 
etc., were sold by auction. For many busy 
weeks the gardeners had been busy remov¬ 
ing everything that was required at the new 
gardens, and this sale was in the nature of a 
final clearance. Fair prices were realised for 
some things, but on the whole the bidding 
was very slack. And now the gardens are 
being denuded of their remaining stock, and 
'tlie only remaining landmarks of an historic 
place will soon be the big trees and tire 
glasshouses, vineries, etc., which goi with the 
land. 
History of the Society. —In 1804 it 
occurred to Thomas Andrew Knight,, 
F.R.S. (some accounts say Josiali Wedg¬ 
wood), that the founding of a, horticul¬ 
tural society would be of advantage not 
merely to those living in and around London, 
but to British horticulturists generally. He 
put himself in communication with Sir Joseph 
Banks, P.R.S., also the eminent botanist 
Mr. R. A. Salisbury, and the royal gardeners, 
Messrs. Aiton, of Kew, and Forsyth, of Ken¬ 
sington. The' result of his negotiations or 
communications was that on March 7th, 
1904, the Horticultural Society was founded. 
Its objects -were to collect information re¬ 
specting the culture and treatment of all 
plants, trees and garden vegetables, useful 
and ornamental. The aim was also to foster 
every branch of horticulture and the arts 
connected with it, and to give premiums for 
improvements' in, horticulture, when, judged 
expedient to do so: 
All of the above were very famous men in 
their day, and their works, are frequently 
quoted in gardening and botanical literature 
even at the present day. Mr. Knight is 
commemorated by the Knightian Medal of 
the Society, and was noted in his day for the 
attention which he gave to scientific horticul¬ 
ture and vegetable physiology. He contri¬ 
buted papers on: these subjects both to the 
Royal Society and the “ Transactions ” of the 
Horticultural Society. In the first paper of 
the “ Transactions,” lie said that. ” the estab¬ 
lishment of a national society for the im¬ 
provement of horticulture has long been 
wanted.” 
The meeting at which the society was 
founded took place on the premises of Messrs. 
Ilatchard, booksellers, 187, Piccadilly, the 
firm still occupying the same premises. In 
the early numbers of the “ Transactions ” 
many interesting and useful papers were pub¬ 
lished on various practical phases of horticul¬ 
ture as well as on scientific subjects. 
In 1809 the Royal Charter of Incorpora¬ 
tion was granted to the society, and it hence¬ 
forth became known as the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society—that was five years after its 
establishment. The object of the society, 
a,s stated by the charter, was the improve¬ 
ment of horticulture in all its branches, orna¬ 
mental as well as useful. ’ The Earl of Dart¬ 
mouth was the first president, Charles 
Greville the first treasurer, and Richard 
Anthony Salisbury its first secretary. Earl 
Powis, the Bishop of Winchester, Sir Joseph 
Banks, W. T. Aiton, and T. A. Knight were 
also on the council. 
The first volume of the " Transactions ” 
was published in 1812. Even at this time 
the society had no local habitation, but shared 
with the Linnean Society such accommoda- 
