718 
ago for tlic social benefit, of the employees of 
the London and North-Western and Midland 
Railway Companies at New Street station, a 
most interesting] exhibition of flowers, plants, 
and vegetables was recently held. This is the 
second exhibition promoted by the Institute, 
and all railwaymen residing within a radius 
of twenty miles from Birmingham are now 
allowed to compete. There were 110 entries 
and the show reflected much credit upon the 
gardeners. Amongst the prize winners were 
the stationm asters at Newton Road (Mr. W. 
M. Millington) and Five Ways (Mr. R. B. 
Knight), a Walsall guard, a brakesman at 
Bushbury, a clerk in the parcels office at 
New Street, an attendant in the cloak room 
at New Street, a Birminglham signlalman, 
and a breaksman at Bescot. It was a practical 
demonstration of the pleasure which may be 
derived from cottage gardening even by rail¬ 
waymen, whose time is generally so limited 
and whose duties are so exacting. 
The N.D.S. 
“ I believe we shall have an exceedingly good 
display of Dahlias at our grand exhibition at 
the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, on September 
7th and 8th,” -writes Mr. H. L. Bronsson, bon. 
secretary of the National Dahlia Society. 
“ Our old exhibitors will no doubt support us 
well, and I already know of a number of new 
ones who are coming forward for the first time 
this year.” We notice in the report of the 
committee that although the prize money 
was very much increased last year and! the 
year previously, there is a further increase 
this year of nearly 20 per cent. In 1903 the 
sum was £85 15s., in 1904 £106 10s., and this 
year it is £123 5s. A meeting of the society 
will be held at the New Horticultural Hall, 
Westminster, on September 26th, for the pur¬ 
pose of awarding certificates for seedling 
Dahlias. 
Why Gardening Societies Fail. 
According to the “ East Kent Gazette,” 
the Border Gardeners’ Society is not doing 
well. “ Considering,” says our contem¬ 
porary, “ that the Society has been established 
twelve years, it has not made the progress 
that it should have done. In some respects 
the show on Wednesday (23rd August) was 
no improvement on that of last year, while in 
aiew instances it scarcely reached last year’s 
standard. When the affairs of any society 
are stationary there is a danger of retrogres¬ 
sion supervening. It therefore behoves the 
Borderians to strive to go forward, rather 
than risk the probability of slipping back¬ 
wards. . . . Someone is wanted who will 
throw himself heartily into the spirit of these 
annual village fetes, and so relieve the dul- 
ness that was manifest onl Wednesday.” 
That’s it. Without enthusiasm, without 
energy, stagnation and eventual breakdown 
must result. Given the right men and the 
right methods, success for the local show 
should be comparatively easily commanded 
in any district favourable to gardening. The 
men and the methods are the crux. 
Disaster at Darwen 
The weather played havoc with the show of 
the Darwen H.S. on the 19th ult. In conse¬ 
quence, the Mayor of Darwen has consider¬ 
ately issued an appeal for assistance on be¬ 
half of the society. Councillor Tomlinson 
states that the contretemps has placed the 
association, financially, in a critical position. 
The Mayor has undertaken to receive sub¬ 
scriptions, or they can be sent to the secre¬ 
tary, Mr. Arthur L. Haydock, 63, Radford 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Street. We sincerely sympathise with the 
society and trust the lovers of horticulture in 
the district will respond generously to the 
appeal which is being made. 
Society Outings. 
Last year the Tunbridge Wells Gardeners’ 
Society visited Hastings for their annual out¬ 
ing, and met the Hastings, St. Leonards, and 
District Horticultural M.I. Society in a game 
of cricket. This year the Hastings Society 
visited Tunbridge Wells, and beat their oppor 
nents at the wickets by twenty-one runs. 
Previously to this the seasiders paid a visit to 
the famous nurseries of Messrs. Cripps and 
Sons and to the Broadwater Flower Show, 
and luncheon was subsequently partaken of at 
Carpenter’s Restaurant. After 1 thie cricket 
match there was high tea, and some pleasant 
speech-making, then an adjournment to the 
entertainment on The Pantiles, and then 
home. The day’s outing was voted most en¬ 
joyable. 
The staff of the Flower Seed Order Depart¬ 
ment at Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Reading, 
journeyed to Finchampstead by brake on the 
23rd ult., where they were coi'dially welcomed 
by Mr. Pratt, of the Queen’s Oak. 
Nearly fifty members of the Redhill and 
Reigate Gardeners’ M.I. Society drove, on 
the 22nd ult., to Worth Park, Mrs. Monte- 
fiore’s beautiful residence, where her magnifi¬ 
cent gardens were highly appreciated. After 
luncheon the fine grounds of Sir Weetman 
Pearson, at Paddockhurst, were inspected. 
The members of the Bristol and District 
Gardeners’ M.I. Association last month paid 
a visit to the nurseries of Messrs. House and 
Son, at Westbury-on-Trym, and spent, a most 
enjoyable afternoon inspecting the very large 
collection of herbaceous and Alpine plants, of 
which the firm make a speciality. 
The Croydon and District H.M.I. Society 
took their annual excursion in ideal weather, 
driving from Croydon to Wisley, where, after 
partaking of luncheon, the gardens of the 
Royal Horticultural Society were inspected. 
The outing was pronounced to be a splendid 
one.-About fifty members of the Chelms¬ 
ford Gardeners’ Association paid a, visit last 
week to the extensive gardens at the Elms, 
Broomfield, by invitation of Mr. C. E. Ridley, 
•T.P.-The members of the Luton Cottage 
Gardeners’ Society took their annual outing 
on August 16tli. being entertained at Wrotham 
by the president, the Mayor of Chatham 
(Councillor Driver), and visiting the presi¬ 
dent’s grounds at Ingleside, Maidstone Road. 
--On August 16th the members of the 
Crawley and District M.I. Association, in 
charge of Mr. Joseph Cheal, the chairman, 
paid an enjoyable visit to Nymans, Hand- 
cross, the seat of L. Messel, Esq., where Mr. 
J. Comber, the head gardener, accompanied 
them on an inspection of the beautiful grounds, 
gardens, and glasshouses.-Bournemouth 
and Christchurch were last week visited by 
members of the Isle of Wight H. Association, 
on the occasion of their annual outing, but un¬ 
fortunately, owing to a misunderstanding in 
the arrangements with the steam packet com¬ 
pany, the major portion of the party did 
not get further than Cowes. Those who suc¬ 
ceeded in crossing partook of a capital 
luncheon at Bournemouth, and then drove to 
Christchurch, where the famous nurseries of 
Mr. W. Prichard were inspected.-To the 
number of about fifty the members of the 
Lincolnshire Gardeners’ Association (Grimsby 
branch) last week drove to Bracebridge, and 
visited the nurseries of Messrs. Pennell and 
Sons.-On Monday, the 14th ult., upwards 
of sixty members of the Cardiff Gardeners’ 
September 9, 1905. 
Association had a delightful excursion) into 
Herefordshire, where they were the guests of 
the King’s Acre Nurseries, Limited (Here¬ 
ford), which are about 110 acres in extent, 
and are celebrated for Roses and fruit trees. 
Afterwards the visitors were entertained to 
dinner by the directors of the company at the 
Imperial Hotel, Hereford, and at a later hour 
they drove out to Holme Lacy Park, the seat 
of the Earl and Countess of Chesterfield, 
where the ancient gardens and their clipped 
Yew hedges were inspected. 
Much in Little. 
A meeting took place at Brownhills (Staf¬ 
ford) on August 24, when it was decided that 
a flower, fruit, and vegetable show should be 
held this month, and a Chrysanthemum show 
in November. Mr. T. Pritchard was ap¬ 
pointed lion, secretary.—At the last monthly 
meeting of the Sherborne Gardeners’ Asso¬ 
ciation Mr. Allen delivered an address on 
Begonias, and Mr. Lane on Chrysanthemums. 
—At the monthly meeting of the Shirley Gar¬ 
deners’ Association, on the 21st ult., five 
minutes’ papers were read, followed by dis¬ 
cussion. “Is botany any use to gardeners?” 
“ Out-dbor Grapes,” and “ Unnecessary Dig¬ 
ging” were the subjects of three of the essays. 
Diary of Shows and Meetings. 
September. 
11th.—Hastings and St. Leonard’s H.M.I. 
Society (monthly meeting); Cran- 
brook and Weald of Kent Gardeners’ 
and Cottagers’ M.I. Society (monthly 
meeting!); Charing H>. S. (monthly 
meeting); Horsforth Gardeners’ M.I. 
Society (weekly meeting); Birsfall 
and District Chrysanthemum and 
Paxton Society (committee meeting) ; 
Su tton-in-A s h fi el d H.S. (monthly 
meeting). 
12th.—R.H. S. (bi-monthly exhibition and 
meeting); Woodstock Agricultural 
and H. Association (show); Society 
of Jersey Gardeners (monthly meet¬ 
ing) ; Tunbridge Wells Chrysanthe¬ 
mum and Gardeners’ Association 
(meeting and exhibition); Biddenden 
Cottagle Gardeners M.I. Society 
(monthly meeting) ; Milton and Sit- 
tingbourne H.S. (monthly meeting). 
13th.—Royal Caledonian H.S. (Great Inter¬ 
national Show, Edinburgh, three 
days); North Middlesex Dahlia and 
H.S. (Exhibition in the Central Hall 
of the Alexandra Palace, two days) ; 
Henley-on-Thames H.S. (show) ; 
Crawley and District Gardeners’ M.I. 
Association (show); Maidstone Gar¬ 
deners’ M.I. Society (bi-monthly ex¬ 
hibition) ; East Anglian H. Club 
(monthly meeting) ; Nottingham and 
Notts! Chrysanthemum Society 
(monthly meeting) ; Sheffield Chry¬ 
santhemum Society (monthly meet¬ 
ing) ; Wargrave and District Gar¬ 
deners’ M.I. Association (monthly 
meeting). 
14th.—Abinger and District Gardeners’ M.I. 
Association (monthly meeting); Wok¬ 
ing H. Association (monthly meet¬ 
ing) ; Sherborne and District Gar¬ 
deners’ M.I. Society (monthly meet¬ 
ing) ; Studley H. S. (monthly meet- 
. ing). 
15th.—Ulster H.S. (monthly meeting). 
16th.—Kidderminster and District H.S. 
(Dahlia Show) ; Leeds Paxton Society 
(weekly meeting). 
