•August 26, 1905 the gardening world 
• Society + Doings. « 
The Editor will be pleased to receive particulars of the Fixtures, Meetings , Lectures, cfee., of Horticultural Societies . Secretaries 
or Members willing to send us brief notes of general interest are invited to forward name and address to the Editor, who will 
gladly send supply of stamped addressed contributors' slips. 
rhe Royal Botanic Society s Deficit. 
Like many another worthy institution, the 
Royal Botanic Society find themselves in 
financial difficulties. The expenditure for 
the year ended December amounted to £6.819, 
and the income fell short of this sum by 
£1,237. The question arises, What is to be 
done to meet the unfortunate state of affairs ? 
Some of the Fellows have gone so far as to 
propose that the land should be transformed 
into another “Earl’s Court,” into a cricket- 
ground, or into a small Hurlingham, and it 
may be imagined how such proposals are 
viewed by the more conservative supporters. 
Though many of the Fellows are agitating 
for change and reform, it must be remembered 
that the constitution of the society does not 
permit of interference from them. Only the 
council can inaugurate the changes which the 
reforming party may desire. Fortunately, 
there are members of the. council who quite 
realise the faults which have made for stagna¬ 
tion and now for financial anxiety. What, 
indeed, is required is a complete revision of 
the constitution and bye-laws of the society. 
The Society on its Defence. 
1'he annual meeting took place on the 10th 
inst., Mr. C. Brinsley Marlay, D.L., pre¬ 
siding. In proposing the adoption of the re¬ 
port for 1905, the Chairman mentioned that 
an attempt had been made to create prejudice 
against the society and its administration. 
This had chiefly arisen out of the Finance 
Committee’s report recommending that, in 
; view of the increased charges, the Fellows’ 
subscription should be increased by one 
' guinea yearly, namely, from the moderate 
amount of £2 2s. to £3 3s. This proposal had 
, been submitted to the Fellows as a body, and 
! would be decided at the November meeting. 
He refuted the statement that the gardens 
were little known to the ordinary Londoner 
by showing that they were open three days 
a week on payment, that a large number of 
social functions had been held within the 
last three months, 72,000 visitors having en- 
I tered the gardens during June and July, 
1905, besides private garden parties, which 
had contributed substantially to the funds. 
The number of Fellows elected had been 
! larger than in the previous year, and, in 
addition to the great horticultural exhibition, 
the National Rose Exhibition had been trans¬ 
ferred to the gardens. The -work of renova¬ 
tion and improvement had been continued, 
and the council had decided to pursue then- 
present policy of liberal outlay, so as to ren¬ 
der the gardens as attractive as possible. 
The report was adopted with only two dis¬ 
sentients, and the new council were elected. 
No doubt the council do their best, but many 
are of opinion they would do a good deal 
better if they would meet the more progres¬ 
sive among the Fellows half-way, and assent 
to such changes as the circiunstances at the 
end of sixty-four years demand. 
Labelling Exhibits. 
In a report of the admirable summer show 
of the Cambs. H. S., the “ Cambridge Ex¬ 
press ” remarks that it would have been a 
boon had more of the exhibitors found it pos¬ 
sible to place the name of the variety on their 
exhibits. This is a good suggestion. The 
smaller provincial shows are, as a rule, the 
chief offenders in this respect. There can be 
no doubt that a great deal of the educational 
value of these exhibitions is lost when plants 
are not plainly and carefully named. 
Big Gooseberries, 
The big Gooseberry is a term often used in 
the way of derision. In one of Birmingham's 
suburbs, however, there has existed for close 
on a century the Harbome Gooseberry 
-N 
OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
SPECIAL COMPETITION 
For Members of Local 
Horticultural Societies. 
Prizes.— (1) Three guineas. 
(2) One guinea. 
(3) Ten shillings and sixpence. 
Open only to members of local Horticultural 
Societies. 
The above prizes are offered for the best article 
or essay on the following subject:— 
“How to extend the membership 
and usefulness of local Horticultural 
Societies.” 
The length of the essay should be about 1,000 
words, and it must be sent in before the end 
of August. Mark envelopes in left-hand corner 
with the words “Society Competition.” 
Growers’ Society, which has just held its 
ninety-first annual exhibition. Owing to the 
late frosts and the prolonged drought, the 
season has not been a favourable one. Mr. 
E. Withers, who for many years has mono¬ 
polised the honours, this year carried all be¬ 
fore him. He secured the premier honours 
with a Leveller weighing 23 dwts. 8 grs., and 
also took first prize for twin berries. He ob¬ 
tained first prize in the red, green, yellow, 
and white classes, and first for each of the 
four classes for six berries. Finally, the prize 
for the best beaten berry also fell to him. 
Proposed Federation of Associations. 
Presiding at the luncheon held during the 
show of the Horfield (Bristol), Bishopston. 
and Ashley Down Horticultural, Fur and 
Feather Association, Dr. Colston Wintle 
pointed out that they had a record number 
of entries, viz., 1,530, approximately 250 
more than last year. They started with not 
a quarter of the entries they had that day. 
He had previously suggested that it might be 
desirable for the committee of that associa¬ 
tion and the committees of other associations 
to consider whether it was not worth while 
to take a leaf out of the book of their northern 
brethren, and federate themselves in the 
West of England. It would serve a good pur¬ 
pose, for not only would it be a great saving 
of -work to the individual association, but it 
would be to the interest of each association, 
for when hard times came upon one of them 
the others would be able to lend a helping 
hand. Mr. Lowe (Alderman C. J. Lowe) had 
said theirs was one of the best shows in 
Bristol. He would go further, and say it was 
one of the best shows in the West of Eng¬ 
land. 
Wanted in Wells, 
It is generally conceded in the neighbour¬ 
hood that the show held in connection with 
the Wells and District Flower, Fruit, and 
Fancieis Association has during the nine 
years of its existence done a great deal of 
good in the city and district in fostering a 
love for gardening, and has also awakened an 
interest in poultry, pigeons, and cage-birds. 
Unfortunately, however, as a correspondent 
points out, the association is not being backed 
up by local support as it should be, not even 
by those for whom it was originally started, 
and this lack of interest entails a great deal 
of work upon the committee and the general 
secretary, Mr. F. H. Holloway—upon the 
latter especially, for he works really hard to 
keep the thing going and to ensure success 
on show day. True, he is well and loyally 
supported by liis committee, and were this 
not so his task would be heavy indeed. Where 
all work so harmoniously together it does 
seem a pity, and it is certainly not to their 
ciedit, that the citizens do not express their 
appreciation in a more practical form. 
Moorish Etiquette in Flowers, 
Mrs. Ogilvy, wife of Major Ogilvy, who 
periormed the opening ceremony of the Mains 
and btrathmartine Horticultural and Snorts 
Society and the Clepington Horticultural 
ciet T s J omt show, has recently returned 
from Morocco, and she drew an 'interesting 
comparison between the British and Moors as 
gardeners. The Moors, she said, were not 
gardeners, and the flowers there were allowed 
to grow in any manner they liked, if thev 
w is lied to present anybody with a bouquet 
the Moors carefully cut off the heads of the 
flowers, and handed over the stalks. 
