THE GARDENING WORLD 
7:55 
September 16, 1905. 
# SOCIETY DOINGS.® 
He Editor will be pleased to receive particulars of the Fixtures, Meetings, Lectures, <l-c„ of 
Horticultural Societgs. Secretaries or Members willing to send us brief notes of general interest are 
invited to forwaid name and address to the Editor, who will gladly send supply of stamped addressed 
contributors’ sligts. 
Important to Orchid Growers 
Without in any way wishing to alter or cur¬ 
tail the exhibits as at present shown at their 
pi-monthly shows (which, it is hoped, will be 
continued exactly as they are now), the coun¬ 
cil of the Royal Horticultural Society, acting 
on a suggestion of the Orchid Committee, have 
{adopted a scheme, which they trust will have 
tthe effect during the ensuing year of inducing 
Orchid-growers, both large and small, amateur 
and professional, to exhibit their already cer¬ 
tificated and other choice varieties. They 
propose to award additional diplomas to 
plants of exceptional merit shown in one com¬ 
bined group. This group will be composed of 
all the exhibits duly entered for this competi- 
:ion in accordance with the schedule. They 
rope that by this means groups may be 
or ought together, representing to a large ex- 
:ent the varieties of the particular species 
lecided upon for exhibit on each occasion, 
ogether with the hybrids, having that species 
is one of their parents. At the same time, 
he society’s paintings of the species and 
hybrids therefrom, to which awards have 
already been given, will be exhibited. These 
exhibits should certainly have a great educa¬ 
tional value to hybridists, Orchidists, and to 
Fellows generally, and Orchid growers will 
doubtless assist to make the exhibit as com¬ 
plete as possible. Particulars of these special 
■xhibitions of Orchids, to be held next year, 
nay be obtained of the secretary. 
.'he Criterion of a Gentleman. 
There was a brilliant assembly of lords 
md ladies at the show of the Dundee H.S., 
he opening ceremony of which was grace- 
ully performed by the Countess of Strath¬ 
more, and felicitous speeches were made 
>y her ladyship and by the Earl of 
ptrathmore, Lord Kinnaird, Lord Pro- 
ost Barrie, Mr. Duncan Macdonald, who 
presided, and others. Lord Provost Barrie 
■emarked that on occasions such as these 
he chairman was seen at his best. Mr. Mac¬ 
donald took a great delight in flowers, and he 
an admirer of the ladies. Anyone who 
vas 
■ombined these qualities was a gentleman 
par excellence. This is a new definition of 
I gentleman, and we are inclined to think it 
s a good one. 
II Proceeds for Charity. 
Many horticultural societies accumulate 
aeir funds and give little or nothing for chari- 
ible purposes ; others contribute more or less 
berally to such objects. But it would seem 
hat the Alveston (Glos.) and District H.S. 
as the distinction of being the first society 
f the kind to devote all of its profits to the 
enefit of- medical charities, the charities 
eing those of Bristol. Speaking at the open- 
lg of the society’s show, Mr. F. Richardson 
loss said he especially commended the public 
pirit, which was satisfied with mere cards of 
lerit in the healthy rivalry of exhibitors, in 
fder that more support might be given to the 
ristol medical charities, which had benefited 
irough the society to the extent of nearly 
1,000 during the last seventeen years. He 
llogised the services of the officers, especially 
entioning Messrs. Croome and Riddiford 
ecretaries), and Messrs. C. Cullimore, N. 
ippeath, and George Biddle, who had been 
active suppoiders from the first. By the way, 
the Redwick, Northwick, and District H.S. 
is another society which gives the entire pro¬ 
ceeds of its annual exhibition to the Bristol 
medical charities. During its existence the 
sum of £151 11s. has been raised for this pur¬ 
pose. 
Originated by Boys. 
The little Cornish village of Mawnan has 
a prosperous Cottage Garden Society, which 
originated as follows : Two years ago the boys 
of the Mawnan National School held a small 
exhibition of the products raised by them on 
the little allotments adjoining the school. 
Soon after the arrival of Mr. J. Moore, the 
present schoolmaster, the school managers 
took advantage of the facilities offered by the 
Education Department for classes in horticul¬ 
ture, with the result that a number of plots of 
land are regularly tilled by some of the senior 
boys. It was with a view of encouraging an 
interest in these plots that a number of gen¬ 
tlemen in the district banded themselves 
together and formed the society. 
Zealous Workers Ensure Success. 
The Chaddleworth (Newbury) H. S., which 
held a successful flower show in August, is in 
an excellent financial position, the balance 
sheet of last year showing a balance of £45 odd 
in hand, which will now be probably aug¬ 
mented. This satisfactory state of affairs is 
mainly due to the way in which the show is 
managed, the society being fortunate in 
having such zealous workers at its head as the 
Rev. G. H. Rust, the chairman of the commit¬ 
tee, and Messrs. S. Sayer and Harry Chisman, 
the lion, secretaries, who are backed up by a 
hard-working committee. 
The B.G.A, 
“ I regret to have to inform the council,” 
said Mr. Watson at the meeting, on the 29th 
ult., of the Council of the British Gardeners’ 
Association, “that the Board of Agriculture 
has called upon me to relinquish my con¬ 
nection with the British Gardeners’ Associa¬ 
tion, as they consider it incompatible with my 
position as a public servant that I should 
assist a movement of this kind. Whilst this 
precludes me from taking any further part in 
it, the Association will always have my best 
wishes for its success. It must not be inferred 
that the Board of Agriculture disapprove of 
the British Gardeners’ Association because of 
their objection to my taking part in it. I 
have the fullest belief in the aims of the 
Association, which must succeed if the original 
programme as set forth in our prospectus is 
rigidly adhered to.” The secretary reported 
that seventeen new members had joined since 
the previous meeting, bringing the total mem¬ 
bership up to 675. Messrs. Hawes and Frog- 
brook were elected on the Council. Messrs. 
Pearson, Curtis, and the secretary were 
appointed a sub-committee to draft the rules 
of the Association, and to submit them to a 
future meeting. It was decided to hold the 
meetings of the Association in future at the 
R.H.S., Vincent Square, Westminster. 
J. Weath es, Hon. Secretary. 
Scotsmen and the Love of Flowers. 
Sheriff Harvey, who the other day opened 
the successful show of the Orkney H.S., ob¬ 
served that he thought it would be correct to 
say that the Scottish people in general— 
and he might include the somewhat higher 
and more select class of Orcadians—(laugh¬ 
ter)—did not take a special interest in flowers. 
He knew that many Scotsmen who were en¬ 
gaged in the strenuous life considered flowers 
as trash—(laughter)—and he had heard that 
in Orkney the word “ plant ” stood as the 
equivalent of Cabbage, and of Cabbage alone. 
(Laughter.) Gardening was the only anti¬ 
evil profession. Other professions only be¬ 
came necessary with the introduction of evil, 
especially the professions of lawyers and 
dressmaking. Unfortunate lawyers, they are 
an everlasting butt. Why, however, bracket 
with them the unoffending dressmaker ? The 
worthy Sheriff aroused fresh merriment by 
expressing his conviction that when the 
mellenium arrived, as arrive he believed it 
would, they would all turn gardeners, and 
the race of lawyers and dressmakers would 
become extinct. The steady growth and in¬ 
creasing popularity of horticultural societies 
and shows throughout Caledonia would seem 
to be an awkward contradiction of the charge 
that Scotsmen look upon flowers as trash. 
London Dahlia Union. 
The annual display of the Union will take 
place in the Prince’s Hall, Earl’s Court 
Exhibition, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sep¬ 
tember 19th and 20th, when, in addition to 
valuable money prizes, the “ Hobbies ” Chal¬ 
lenge Cup, value ten guineas, is also to be 
competed for, and a grand exhibition of all 
types of the Dahlia is expected on this occa¬ 
sion. Intending exhibitors are reminded 
that they must give notice in writing, on or 
before September 15th, of the classes in which 
they intend to exhibit, to the secretary, 
7, Marlborough Road, Ealing. All applica¬ 
tions for space for trade exhibits must also 
be applied for on or before that date, and 
particular attention is called to the new regu¬ 
lations with regard to the same—see page 6 
of the schedule, copies of which can be had on 
applying to the secretary. 
Gooseberry Societies. 
Ajjropos of our notes on big Gooseberry 
exhibits, a correspondent writes : —“ The 
time-honoured institution of English North- 
country village life, the Gooseberry show, is 
on the wane. The routine of the show is 
governed by unwritten laws of its own. The 
ceremony generally takes place in the club- 
room of the local inn. The chairman, who 
takes his place at the head of the table, with 
his scales, is a person of tried integrity. The 
Gooseberries are then weighed one against 
another, and the one that remains in the 
scale at the end of the proceedings is, of 
course, the winner. The prize berries are 
topped and tailed in public view, so as to be 
disqualified for future showing. The social 
element is not disregarded in the Gooseberry 
societies, for a Christmas dinner forms, as 
a rule, part of the year’s programme, and the 
members’ subscriptions are frequently paid 
yearly in money and partly in liquor.” 
Orthodox Points of the Gooseberry. 
Some of the prize-winners attain to enor¬ 
mous size, one of the kind named “ London ” 
being on record which weighed 37 dwts. At 
these shows there are usually classes for red. 
green, yellow, and white kinds, and the names 
of the varieties in each class are bewildering 
