December 3, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
987 
Society & Association Notes. 
The National Potato Society will hold a conference at the 
Smithfield Show in December. The object is to discuss the 
future work of the society. A promise is made to give a 
selection of Potatos in the annual report, to serve as a guide 
to purchasers of new varieties. The question of flavour in 
Potatos is not being overlooked. 
* * * 
National Rose Society. —The twenty-eighth annual general 
meeting of the National Rose Society will take place at the 
rooms of the Horticultural Club, Hotel Windsor, Victoria 
Street, Westminster, on Thursday, December 8th, at 3.30 p.m., 
to receive the report of the committee, to pass the accounts, to 
elect the committee and officers for the ensuing year, and for 
the transaction of other general business. Some important 
additions have been made to the constitution and rules of the 
society for discussion and adoption or amendment by the mem¬ 
bers at the meeting. Some omissions in the existing rules are 
also proposed to be made. 
* * * 
Kingston and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. —On November 11th a paper on the “ Culture of 
Exhibition and other Vegetables” was delivered by Mr. James 
Gibson before a large audience. A pleasing feature of the 
evening was a large number of lantern photographs, shown on 
the screen, of collections of vegetables, etc., of Mr. Gibson’s 
own growing, which had been successful at Edinburgh, Shrews¬ 
bury, Wolverhampton, Oxford, and Reading Exhibitions. At 
the suggestion of the chairman, the paper is to be printed in 
pamphlet form and distributed amongst the members. A 
hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Gibson for his most in¬ 
teresting paper. 
* * * 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual Improvement 
Society. —At their meeting on Tuesday, November 15th, a paper 
written by Mr. J. Friend, Rook’s Nest Gardens, Godstone, on 
“ Vegetables for Exhibition or Yearly Supply,” was read. Mr. 
Friend is well known in the district as a prize-taker. Commenc¬ 
ing with January, he detailed at considerable length the modus 
operandi in each month till December, paying due attention to 
the necessary cultivation of the soil, which plays the all-important 
P ai t n hen we look for those well-filled baskets of vegetables to 
supply the kitchen throughout the year. Mr. M. E. Mills, 
Coombe House Gardens, again provided interesting exhibits’, 
staging half a dozen each of Japanese and incurved Chrysan¬ 
themums, Physalis Franchetti in splendid form, and fruit of 
Pyrus Japonica. 
* * * 
Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. The last meeting of the above association was 
given up to the reading of the first-prize essays in the senior 
and junior divisions in the recent competition on Carnations. 
The two successful competitors were Mr. W. Tumham, of 
Culham Court Gardens, Henley-on-Thames, and Mr. H. Wynn, 
The Gardens, Cressingham, Reading. After the essays had 
been read a splendid discussion took place, sustained by the 
chairman, Messrs. Powell, Tunbridge, Ellis, Townsend, Cham- 
beis, Doie ; Judd, Hinton, and Winsor. There were two ex¬ 
hibits, both remarkable for the time of year, viz., twelve 
splendid fruits of a seedling Melon by Mr. W. Barnes, The 
Gardens, Bearwood, and some beautiful blooms of Cactus and 
Pompon Dahlias cut from the open by Mr. J. T. Powell, The 
Gardens, Park Place, Henley-on-Thames. 
* * * 
The Royal Horticultural Society. —At the general meet¬ 
ing of Fellows, held during the afternoon of the 29th ult., 29 
candidates were elected Fellows, including Lieut.-Colonel E. H. 
Berkeley, the Hon. Mrs. Horace Darwin, Mrs. Wolley Dod, 
the Hon. and Rev. W. C. Ellis, the Right Hon. Herbert Glad¬ 
stone, M.P., Mrs. Herbert Gladstone, and Mrs. Sebag-Monte- 
fiore. The next exhibition of this society will be a "show of 
“ Colonial-grown Fruit,” which will be held in the new hall on 
Tuesday and Wednesday, December 13th and 14th. As this 
is the first exhibition of the kind ever held, it should prove of 
great general interest, especially at the present time, when so 
much public attention is being directed to our Colonies and 
their capabilities for supplying the home markets. An ex¬ 
hibition of home, colonial, and foreign preserved and bottled 
fruits, jams, etc., will take place at the same time, and will 
afford an opportunity of comparing the products of the various 
places. This show will be open on both days from 10 a.m. to 
10 p.m., and the public will be admitted at one shilling each 
person. 
* * * 
Hawick Horticultural Society. —For considerably over 
half a century this society has been doing its utmost by way 
of interesting all classes in the laudable pursuit of horticul¬ 
ture, and for many years held exhibitions superior to those 
held in many towns of twice or more its population, and ex¬ 
celled only by a very few of the largest centres in Scotland. 
It is to be regretfully admitted, however, that for a number 
of years the exhibitions have fallen considerably off, partly 
owing to the formation of a rival society in the town, but mainly 
through lack of local financial support. Now, however, the two 
societies, imbued by the union spirit of the age, have amal¬ 
gamated. A strong, vigorous working committee has been 
formed, and all are pulling one way, in the hope that their 
united efforts will result in their exhibitions being again the 
envy of other communities—a thing of beauty, a consequent joy, 
and a credit to the town of which we are so proud as “ The 
Queen of the Borders.” The committee are now preparing 
their schedule for the exhibition of 1905. It is necessarily de¬ 
pendent on tne subscriptions they receive, and, relying on the 
interest in all that concerns Hawick, horticulturally and other¬ 
wise, they beg most respectfully to appeal to the well-known 
generosity of the people in the district in every good cause 
or encouragement and support. The lion, secretary is William 
Oliver, 20, Slitng Crescent, Hawick. 
inotes from Glasgow.- The weather of last week has been 
ot a variable character—snow, rain, frost, all in their turn were 
outstanding features m a very wintry week. Notwithstand¬ 
ing, the frost has not relaxed its grip, and still, though by 
no means severe, the atmospheric tendency is frosty. 
* * -X- 
Potatos for Malta and Australia.— We learn that Mr. T 
Rime, Mareliam-le-Fen, near Boston, Lincolnshire, has sent 
a consignment of 24 boxes, holding 100 lbs. each, of choice seed 
l otatos lor the Government Experimental^ Farm Station, 
Malta; also a considerable consignment of Findlay’s El¬ 
dorado to a private firm in Australia. 
* * 11 - 
Chrysanthemum Display at Camphill. —At present the 
annual show of the invaluable winter flower at the Camphill 
Gardens is giving enjoyment to thousands of visitors. There 
are over 1,500 heads of well-developed flowers facing the visitor 
as he enters the large Chrysanthemum house. An admirable 
feature m the collection is the comparatively dwarf growth of 
the plants. The fulness and uniform regularity of the size of 
blooms are also prominent features, which testify to the con¬ 
siderable cultural attention they must have had bestowed upon 
them throughout. 1 
* * * 
Messrs. W Wells and Co. at Boston.—A t the Boston 
(Massachusetts) exhibition of Chrysanthemums on November 
3rd Messrs. W. Wells and Co., Earlswood, Redhill, Surrey, 
exhibited a collection of fifty blooms of new seedling Chrysan¬ 
themums, which captivated the attention of the gardeners and 
visitors more than anything else in the show. There were other 
exhibits of their Chrysanthemums, particularly by Mr W 
Duckham, but these new ones were an additional surprise 
being considered the largest in the exhibition. Some of the 
blooms had been cut on October 17th, exhibited before the 
Royal Horticultural Society on October 18th, and shipped to 
Boston on October 22nd. These blooms, notwitlisfandina their 
long journey, had not suffered in the least during their transit 
for they were just as fresh as any others in the- exhibition. The 
committee honoured this most meritorious exhibit with the 
highest award at its command—a Gold Medal. The remark 
was made at the< exhibition that their English friends knew 
how to- grow big specimen blooms. We may say that Messrs. 
Wells and Co. also secured the Silver Medal of the Scottish 
Horticultural Association at Edinburgh on the 17th ult. in 
the novelty class, this being the fifth year in succession that 
they have taken the Medal. 
