530 
JOURNAL  OF  nORTiQVLTURR  AND  COTTAGU  GARDENFAI 
Cecetnber  8,;i8§8,  'y/' 
which  it  is  so  desirable  to  promote  ;  also  with  the  charities  that  are 
establiihed  for  beneficent  purposes. 
In  regard  to  the  spectacular  aspect  of  the  case  the  minds  of  men 
naturally  turn  to  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  ask  what  it  is 
going  to  do.  It  may  be  expected  that  the  matter  either  has  been 
or  will  be  considered  by  the  Council  in  the  view  not  only  of  what 
is  desirable,  but  what  is  practicable.  We  have  already  suggested 
that  if  the  Society’s  great  show  is  held  in  the  Temple  Gardens  at 
the  usual  time,  it  cannot  be  celebratory  of  an  event  that  has  not 
then  come  to  pais,  and  we  have  also  doubted  the  possibility  of  the 
Society  instituting  a  second  exhibition  in  London  which  would  be 
worthy  of  the  great  occasion  as  a  national  representative  horticul¬ 
tural  exhibition  that  would  command  success.  The  Temple 
Gardens  are  barely  large  enough  for  the  ordinary  shows  of  the 
R  H.S.,  and  not  another  marquee  could  be  erected  last  May.  The 
public  parks  seem  closed  against  demonstrations  that  involve 
payment'by  visitors  to  them.  A  great  show  of  the  nature  implied 
could  not  be  huddled  into  the  Gardens  at  Chiswick,  and  if  it  could 
the  attendance  would  be  practically  limited  to  persons  specially 
interested,  plus  local  visitors,  and  regarded  as  a  national  event 
there  would  be  grave  danger  of  iti  proving  a  national  fiasco  It 
is  true  other  lices  and  amalgamations  have  been  mooted,  as  mentioned 
Jn  an  excellent  letter  we  have  received  from  a  gentleman  who  does 
not  occupy  an  obscure  position  in  the  horticultural  world,  but  who 
prefers  that  his  remarks  shall  stand  or  fall  on  their  merits  or — 
as  we  knowj  he  would  like  us  to  add — the  reverse.  Though  we 
differ  to  some  extent  with  some  of  r.ha  ob-tervaMons  oi  the 
ffr|ter,^f,hey  ngt  h  -  r^^a  iil-.  'U-ie  ed  ^.;ll  >  >  -  ;  — 
r.,,J 'oavoe')  .vo  o  u.  ]  •  -  ;h  m  h- 
Of  ■'  Hi;  ■  t  .  (I  1  y  X  e  H  ■ 
.VI-.J  »  ,  ■«  )  I,,  .  ‘  y,,  I’,,.  ,, 
w  '  h-HV  tfi  .  .  f  •,  .  ,  ,  ^ 
**  •'  •'*  '  o;.  ..  -Ml  0  li  .  lif-ajd 
-  ’W  s  .  L  u-  . 
1  ,,  :s  Mine  k  wt'  fi.  t. (is.  .1110  ;i,  0>-al  Pa  ac. 
autU-i'i  ie  .  j  luiing  ii.inriH  to  (io  •■oiu  ;  0'h-i  »  I  bear  suggest 
joint  effoi  ih  wita  ih;'  Regf  nc’s  ParK  pe 'ple  ;  and,  lastly,  your 
Stir*  wst*u  j.  ptoj-»ct.  H  )i  tioulturally  speaking,  the  Crystal  Palace 
migUt  be  a  fair  succi-S'.  ■  Whether  the  Regent’s  Park  project  would 
be  so  18,  I  think,  doubtful  ;  hut  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  if  the 
Shrewsbury  Show  and  Gala  Committee  take  the  matter  in  band  with 
the  R  H  S.  a  glorious  exhibition  would  be  certain.  But  in  c  mnec- 
tioo  with  the  Shrew.sbur'y  idea,  it  leerns*  to  me  to  be  a  humilia'ing 
,  thing  for  the  great  R  H.S.  of  England  to  have  to  go  to  a  small 
provincial  town  to  celebrate  thii  great  national  event. 
We  are  told  that  d  .ffi  lulties  are  made  to  be  conquered,  and  if 
the  R  tl.S.  fails  to  come  out  and  do  something  bold  and  worthy  of 
Its  old  and  glorious  traditions,  and  that  without  the  help  of  any 
other  society,  It  will  miss  a  golden  opp'»rtunity  of  adding  bright 
lu  tre  to  its  fame,  and  also,  I  think,  weaken  its  influence  for  good 
in  the  fu  ure. 
At  B.-lfast,  I  bear,  they  are  offering  £100  in  one  class  for 
Chrysauthemums  and  £100  in  one  class  for  fruit.  The  R.H.S.  is 
Uow,  I  am  g Ian  to  think,  financially  in  a  position  to  do  something 
handsome  in  the  way  of  prizes  and  medals. 
All  these  projects  mentioned  are,  as  it  were,  only  for  the  hour, 
and  are  fleecing,  and  I  must  say  my  sympathies  go  with  those 
geotlemen  who  advocate  something  more  tangible  and  lasting,  as  a 
horticultural  memorial  of  this  unique  event.  Let  us  hope  ike  man 
ox  the  men  wanted  to  carry  out  such  a  project  may  be  found. 
Having  pointed  out  to  the  writer  of  the  above  letter  certain 
contingencies  pertaining  to  the  alliances  mentioned  (which 
alliances  are  moreover  not  in  harmony  with  the  proposition  that 
the  R.H.S.  should  do  something  without  the  help  of  any  other 
society]!  ; -^also  that  a  permanent  memorial  could  not  be  provided 
next  year,  we  were  favoured  with  a  second  communication,  here 
inserted. 
With  reference  to  a  permanent  horticultural  memorial  com¬ 
memorative  of  this  greatest  of  national  events  in  modern  or  ancient 
history,  I  am  afraid  that  I  did  not  make  myself  quite  clear.  I  may 
now  say  that  I  am  quite  at  one  with  you  in  saying  that  no  adequate 
permanent  memorial  could  possibly  be  conceived  and  carried  out 
this  year.  Indeed^once  it  is  decided  (if  it  is  decided)  what  is  to 
be  done,  it  will  possibly  take  years  to  accomplish,  but  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  plan  of  auch  a  memorial  should  not  be  laid  down, 
and  some  of  the  sinews  of  war  got  together  whilst  the  enthusiasm 
for  such  a  project  is  warm  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  lovers  of 
horticulture  and  Her  Majesty. 
The  brilliant,  representative,  and  commemorative  horticulture 
exhibition,  which  in  my  opinion  should  be  held  by  the  R.H.S.  in 
the  course  of  the  year,  would  bear  no  relation  to  the  permanent 
memorial,  further  than  I  think  the  balance  (if  any)  left  over  should 
be  handed  over  to  help  the  finances  of  anv  such  project. 
I  think  the  Crystal  Palace  and  Regent’s  Park  ideas  un¬ 
tenable.  As  regards  Shrewsbury,  I  know  the  exhibition  would 
be  horticulturally  and  financially  an  unqualified  luccess,  but  I  itill 
think  the  R.H.S.  ought  to  come  out  haodiomely,  and  that  alone 
and  in  London,  if  posiible.  The  shades  of  Paxton,  Lindley,  and  a 
host  of  giants  in  horticulture  who  have  paiied  away  will  rise 
in  judgment  against  them  if  they  don’t.  Such  an  exhibition  need 
cost  the  Society  nothing  in  money  lor  prizes — commemorative 
medals  struck  in  honour  of  the  occasion  will  be  all  that  is 
necessary. 
While  no  one  will  question  the  sincerity,  Z3al,  and  power  of 
advocacy  of  our  correspondent,  it  will  be  obvious  that  he  writes 
under  a  disadvantage,  inasmuch  as  he  has  evidently  no  clear  con¬ 
ception  as  to  where  (in  L  mdon)  his  desire,  and  the  desire  of  others, 
can  be  accomplished  in  a  manner  befitting  the  great  occasion  ;  but 
if  he  can  summon  the  “  man  or  the  men  ”  capable  of  formulating 
a  definite  project,  and  carrying  it  out,  he  will  have  done  good 
service.  As  to  a  permanent  memorial,  Mr.  Wood’s  resuscitation 
of  the  “  Home  of  Horticulture  ”  idea  is  the  only  definite  project 
at  pretent  before  the  public,  and  his  method  of  carrying  out 
the  scheme  has  yet  to  be  set  forth  Mr.  Wood  is  a  gent  eman 
end  >wed  h  >;r*st  burliness  capacity,  and  he  appears  to  see  that 
i-ht  bj  .(1  VI  V  cftn  nl\  oe  at  aio*  d  by  procet-ding  on  business 
;o  ;  III  b  ah  VC  iv-*<  r.hat  p*  rsims  inieresie.d  in  horti- 
•  II  n  »  1  in  <  ii  le.-  tik^ly  r*)  p  o.iuce  and  maintain  a 
o  c  i-ii  II*/  »(  d  (!  i.'t  y  r'lifioe,  hau  if  there  weie  a  j  doing  of 
f  i-f-  A  |i  ii  I  he  a' t  world. 
W  see  U'lr.hin.*  incongruous  in  the  associar.i'in  of  flowers  with 
music  and  painting  in  their  higher  aspects,  and  we  have  already 
:  said  that  a  sbmewhat  similar  association  proved  successful  in 
B  Igium,  as  resulting  iu  the  erection  of  “  Halls  of  Harmony  ”  or 
casinos,  suitable,  and  at  disposal  when  required,  for  floral  exhibi¬ 
tions  ;  but  we  have  yet  to  see  that  a  similar  amalgamation  is  prac¬ 
ticable  in  the  great  world  of  London.  The  Westminster  Aqaarium 
I  was  .established  as  a  “Summer  and  Winter  Garden  Society,”  or 
with  some  such  title,  and  when  opened  by  Royalty  was  laid  out 
and  furnished  as  a  beautiful  garden  ;  but  it  did  not  long  retain  its 
j  character,  and  though  the  building  is  occasionally  devoted  to  flower 
I  shows  for  filling  the  till,  they  can  only  be  held  amidst  the  babel¬ 
like  din  of  shouters  and  touters  from  which  not  a  few  visitors 
to  the  flower  shows  are  glad  to  eicape.  We  are  convinced  that 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  Home  of  Horticulture  is 
no  light  task .  but  as  our  correspondent  says  “  difficulties  are 
made  to  be  conquered,”  we  shall  be  glad  if  a  conqueror  is  forth¬ 
coming. 
They  seem  to  be  overcome  in  America,  as  not  long  since  one  of 
our  transatlantic  contemporaries  (“  American  Gardening  ”),  gave 
an  illustration  of  a  newly  erected  Horticultural  Hall  in  Phila¬ 
delphia,  containing  a  library,  with  various  kinds  of  business  rooms, 
and  two  halls  for  “exhibitions  and  entertainments,”  one  of  them 
capable  of  seating  1100  persons,  the  entire  builing  covering  a  space 
of  200  by  70  feet.  It  is  easy  to  say  if  Philadelphia  can  do  that, 
London  should  be  able  to  produce  something  larger.  London  is 
“able”  enough,  but  the  difficulty  is  to  concentrate  attention  on 
and  induce  investments  in  projects  out  of  which  money  is  not  to 
be  made.  It  is  of  no  use  mincing  matters.  We  live  in  a  money 
searchmg  era,  and  nothing  succeeds  very  long  that  does  not  yield  a 
return  for  investments,  and  to  achieve  this  result  the  directors  of 
a  project  do  not  hesitate  in  resorting  to  means  ali^n  to  the  objects 
the  promoters  had  in  view.  We  do  not  suggest  that  Mr.  Wood  is 
not  alive  to  all  this,  and  his  plans,  for  aught  we  know,  may  be 
so  based  as  to  provide  against  degenerative  contingencies. 
Returning  to  the  spectacular  aspect  of  the  question — a  great 
