June 3, L905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
459 
© Society + Doings. ® 
The Editor toi’l 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. 
Mortality of Local Societies. 
It is a matter for unqualified regret that 
numbers of local societies have of late, and of 
late years, been wound up, while others are at 
present undergoing this unhappy process. At 
the same time, the fact is not overlooked that 
new societies are constantly being founded, 
and that the total number of these emphatic¬ 
ally useful institutions increases from year to 
year. But we never ought to hear of the 
demise of a horticultural society. In every 
district and every town a society of this 
character should be accounted a sine qua non ; 
md when once this indispensableness has 
been recognised, and a society founded, there 
’an, or should, be no valid reason for its ever 
’easing to exist. 
die Importance of the Secretarial Office. 
The explanation so often assigned for the 
weak up of these bodies, namely, lack of sup¬ 
port, is not, in our opinion, a proper explana- 
:ion. Lack of support indicates want of in¬ 
terest—the terms are indeed convertible ; and 
he societies succumb 1 , not because they are 
act required, but because, as a rule, they are 
lefectively organised, or because the executive 
ire deficient in the contagious and vivifying 
dement of enthusiasm. The secretaryship of 
l horticultural society is the most onerous, as 
t is by far the most important of the posts to 
)e filled. We venture to Say there is not a 
successful local horticultural society which is 
lot indebted in a prime degree to its secretary. 
iVith reservations the corollary is obvious, 
Vlany societies therefore fail because the 
secretary, however well-meaning and hard- 
vorking he may be, is yet deficient in those 
pialities which the position demands;. In 
some solitary instances he may be totally un 
itted to occupy such an office. Given a live, 
veil-qualified secretary and a working com- 
nitteo with their hearts immersed in the in¬ 
terests of the society, and the prosperity of 
that society is as good as assured. Enthu¬ 
siasm allied to well and persistently directed 
mergy is invincible; they cannot fail. 
)ther Causes of Failure. 
But the secretary is not always to be held 
'(•sponsible for these deplorable dissolutions. 
Hie most enterprising and unwearying secre- 
ar y> the man of marked originality of ideas, 
I’ith high-class organising capacity, may yet 
ail to secure temporary or permanent success 
or his society owing to the apathy of actual 
>r potential members. Perhaps this does not 
requently occur, but that it does occur we 
ire aware. These cases serve to supply the 
tievi table exception to the rule. Then, again, 
nd by no means to exhaust explanations, the 
ommittee and the secretary sometimes get at 
aggerheads as to methods, or petty jealousies 
r narrow differences are allowed to interfere 
uth the harmony and working of the society, 
hose differences, sooner or" later lead to 
isaster. Unless all the officers pull together 
. society must eventually collapse. In every 
istnct there are men, women, and youths 
nxious to leam, eager to discuss horticultural 
uestions, and desirous of participating in the 
healthful emulation which competitions for ex¬ 
hibits excite. They only require to be found, 
and the common interests which animate them 
should be sufficient to give lasting cohesion to 
the body corporate. 
Horses to be Eliminated. 
The equine feature of what has hitherto been 
known as the Harrowgate August Horse and 
Horticultural Show is to be dropped, owing to 
the expense. We are informed that up to the 
present nothing has been settled about a show 
for this year. The gardeners of the district 
intend holding a show of their own. The local 
Chrysanthemum Society Show is abandoned 
for this year. 
The Edinburgh International. 
Some interesting classes for Potatos are in¬ 
cluded in the schedule of the Great Inter¬ 
national Horticultural Exhibition, to be held 
at Edinburgh in September, to which we shall 
refer again in an early number. Mr. Walter 
P. Wright, secretary of the National Potato 
Society, has, we may mention, been chosen 
one of the judges. 
Renfrew’s Jubilee Show. 
Mr. Geo. Johnson, jun., the secretary of the 
Renfrew Horticultural Society, writes to say 
that the exhibition of flowers, fruits, and 
vegetables, to bej held on September 2nd, will 
be the society’s Jubilee' show. We wish it 
good luck! 
Always a Balance in Hand. 
This is what Mr. S. E. Keer, hon. secre¬ 
tary of the Windsor, Eton, and District 
Chrysanthemum and Horticultural Society, 
says : “ During our fourteen years of existence 
we have always managed to have a small 
balance in hand.” Well, there is nothing 
more heartening than such a state of things, 
just as there is nothing more depressing than 
to have constantly or even occasionally to face 
a deficit. 
A Gardeners’ Question Box. 
“We have lectures at our monthly meetings 
2 nd occasionally at these meetings exhibitions 
of flowers, fruits, or vegetables. . . . We 
have a good library and a microscope for the 
use of members. We also have a question 
box, in which members can place papers ask¬ 
ing for information on any horticultural sub¬ 
ject, which is then discussed, and the best 
qualified member in that department is after¬ 
wards invited to give his opinion. This is a 
very useful feature.” Tlius Mr. R. G. Water¬ 
man, secretary of the Woolton Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Society. We can 
readily believe that the feature he describes is 
much appreciated. 
A June Show for Southend, 
Southend-on-Sea owns a well-established 
Chrysanthemum Society, but no Horticultural 
Society. However, this year it is to have a 
horticultural show, which will be held in con¬ 
nection with the Essex Agricultural Society’s 
Show, for which the popular Essex watering 
place will, on June the 14th and 15th next, 
be the locale. Captain G. Burnham, the hon. 
secretary, points out, however, that the shows 
are being organised and conducted by entirely 
separate committees. “ I may state,” he 
writes, “ that application for space for ex¬ 
hibits (strictly horticultural) must be received 
on or before June 6th—this does not appear 
in the schedule—and those for the classes, as 
per schedule, on or before the 8th June.” 
The committee, whose headquarters are at the 
Council Chambers, Southend, offer £100 in 
prizes. 
Alteration of Dates. 
Intending exhibitors at the forthcoming 
show of the West of Scotland Rosarians’ 
Society should note that the date of the show 
has been altered from July 20th to July 13th, 
and that all entries must be made not later 
than July 11th. We will make further refer 
ence to this show in a subsequent number. 
A Popular Form of Lecture. 
A popularly-delivered lecture on plant life 
with experiments, and the employment of a 
microscope, is always sure to prove an attrac¬ 
tion. Such was the subject chosen by Mr. 
M. A. Fayers, F.R.H.S., for a recent lecture 
delivered by ham before the Abinger and Dis¬ 
trict Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion, the members of which were so pleased 
with what they heard and saw that they are 
eagerly anticipating the second part of the 
lecture, which is to be given on the 15th inst. 
Wild Flower Exhibitions. 
Tliere cannot be too many of these exhibi¬ 
tions of wild flowers, whether for children or 
adults. The Bishop’s Waltham Horticultural 
Society are holding one for children at Swan¬ 
sea on July 12th, and we wish it a full measure 
of success. These shows are essentially in¬ 
structive, and instil in the young a love of 
plants and flowers. Knowledge thus pleasantly 
acquired adds a new charm to the country 
ramble and a widened and exhaustless interest 
to hedgerows, meadows, and woodland paths. 
Gloucester’s Coming Show. 
£182 11s., including £33 2s. for county cups 
and £11 11s. for Chrysanthemums and 
Tomatos, will be offered as prizes at the forty- 
second annual show of the Gloucestershire 
Root, Fruit, .and Grain Society, to be held at 
Gloucester on November 9th. Entries close 
on October 7th. 
Clever Advertising. 
Mr. John Andrews, hon. secretary of the 
Woodbridge Horticultural Society, is, we pre¬ 
sume, responsible for the happily conceived 
pamphlet just issued, calling attention to the 
approaching annual flower" show at Wood- 
bridge. It is a smart; original piece of work, 
and reflects credit alike on the writer and the 
typographer. The clever and artistic way in 
which the matter is worded and displayed 
compels attention, and this tasty little book¬ 
let might supply hints for secretaries of other 
societies. Evidently Woodbridge is in for a 
treat on July 13th. 
