February  13,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  BORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER^ 
149 
will  take  advantage  of  the  information  it  contains  in  order  to 
meet  the  unavoidably  heavy  expense  incurred  in  its  publication. 
“  During  the  past  year  the  Council  have  carried  through  an 
appeal  against  wliat  they  considered  the  unfair  rating  of  Chis¬ 
wick,  and  have  succeeded  in  reducing  the  assessment  very  con¬ 
siderably.  Under  the  head  of  ordinary  expenditure  at  Chiswick 
£1,923  has  been  spent  on  the  general  work,  and  maintenance  of 
the  gardens.  The  receipts  by  sale  of  the  surplus  produce  amount 
to  £347,  making  the  net  ordinary  cost  of  the  gardens  £1,576. 
“  The  Council  wish  to  call  attention  again  to  the  good  work 
•done  at  Chiswick  under  Mr.  Wright’s  superintendence,  not  only 
in  the  garden,  but  among  the  students.  Mr.  Wright  reports  to 
the  Council :  ‘  The  demand  for  energetic,  trustworthy  young  men 
froin  Cliiswick  is  rapidly  increasing ;  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
placing  such  in  good  situations,  our  supply  being  unequal  to  the 
demand,  but  thej'  must  all  be  workers.  Durine  the  past  year 
applications  were  received  for  tliirty-four  head  gardeners,  nine 
sngle-handed  gardeners,  six  foremen,  eight  journeymen,  and 
several  miscellaneous  men,  such  as  landscape  gardeners,  propa¬ 
gators,  cCc.’ 
“  At  Westminster,  twentj'-two  fruit  and  floral  meetings  have 
been  held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate,  Victoria  Street, 
besides  the  larger  shows  in  the  Temple  Gardens  on  May  22,  23, 
.and  24 ;  at  the  Cr^-stal  Palace  on  October  10,  11,  and  12  ;  and  at 
Chiswick  on  July  16  and  17  on  the  occasion  of  the  Conference  on 
Lilies.  Lectures  or  demonstrations  have  been  delivered  at 
almost  all  of  the  meetings. 
“  The  number  of  awards  granted  by  the  Council,  on  the  recom¬ 
mendation  of  the  various  committees,  was: — Gold  Medals,  25; 
Silver  Cups,  22 ;  Hogg  Memorial  Medals,  4 ;  Silver-gilt  Flora 
-Medals,  52;  Silver-gilt  Knightian  Medals,  16;  Silver-gilt 
Banksian  Medals,  40  ;  Silver  Flora  Medals,  122  ;  Silver  Knightian 
Medals,  22;  Silver  Banksian  Medals,  205;'  Bronze  Flora  Medals, 
31 ;  Bronze  Knightian  Medal,  1  ;  Bronze  Banksian  Medals,  33  ; 
First  Class  Certificates.  56;  Awards  of  Alerit,  300;  Botanical 
Certificates,  13;  and  Cultural  Commendations,  41;  total,  983. 
“In  addition  to  the  above,  a  Silver-gilt  Flora  Medal  was 
awarded  to  Miss  E.  M.  Watkins  for  having  passed  first  in  the 
Society’s  Examination.  One  hundred  Bronze  Banksian  Medals 
have  also  been  granted  to  Cottagers’  Societies. 
“  During  the  past  year  the  Scientific  Committee  of  the  Society 
has  been  greatly  revived  and  enlarged.  The  Council  desire  to 
draw  the  attention  of  Fellows  to  the  more  extended  use  which 
this  committee  might  be  to  them  if  they  availed  themselves  more 
freely  of  their  privileges  in  submitting  instances  of  disease  of,  or 
injuries  to  plants,  caused  by  insects  or  otherwise.  The  Council 
have  arranged,  at  the  request  of  the  National  Tulip  Society,  for 
its  exhibition  to  be  held  in  conjunction  with  the  Society’s  meeting 
on  May  20,  1902,  and  for  the  National  Dahlia  Society  to  hold  a 
committee  meeting  at  the  Drill  Hall,  on  September  23,  and  a 
two  days  show  on  September  2  and  3.  The  National  Auricula 
and  Primula  Society  will,  as  usual,  hold  its  annual  show  in  con¬ 
junction  with  the  Society’s  on  April  22,  and  the  Carnation 
Society  will  do  the  same  on  July  22.  Full  particulars  of  these 
meetings  will  be  found  in  the  book  of  arrangements,  1902.  The 
Exhibition  of  British  Grown  Fruit  held  by  the  vSociety  at  the 
Crystal  Palace  on  October  10,  11,  and  12,  was,  from  an  educa¬ 
tional  point  of  view,  most  satisfactory.  As  an  object-lesson  in 
British  fruit  cultivation  this  annual  show  stands  unrivalled,  and 
is  of  national  importance.  Those  who  have  visited  it  from  year 
to  year  cannot  fail  tO'  have  been  impressed  by  the  wonderful  ad¬ 
vance  which  has  been  made  in  the  quality  of  the  hardy  fruits 
exhibited.  And  as  the  importance  of  fruit-growing  in  this 
country  cannot  well  be  over-estimated,  the  Council  invite 
Fellows  and  their  friends  to  support  them  in  their  efforts  to  main¬ 
tain  and  improve  this  exhibition  bj'  visiting  it  and  by  sub¬ 
scribing  to  its  funds.  For  it  cannot  be  too  wddely  known  that  the 
continuance  of  the  show  is  absolutely  dependent  on  at  least  £100 
being  raised  by  subscriptions  each  year  towards  the  prize  fund. 
'The  show  involves  the  Society  iri  a  very  large  expenditure  with¬ 
out  the  possibility  of  any  financial  return.  The  Council  cannot 
therefore  continue  it  unless  sufficient  interest  in  it  is  taken  by 
Fellows  and  their  friends  to  pro-vide  £100  towards  the  prize  fund. 
And  this  will  in  coming  years  be  even  more  important  than  here¬ 
tofore,  as  the  directors  of  the  Palace  have  signified  to  the  Council 
that  they  feel  compelled  to  still  further  decrease  their  contribu¬ 
tion  for  1902  by  yet  another  £50.  A  glance  at  the  list  of  sub¬ 
scribers  will  show  how  small  has  been  the  interest  taken  by  the 
bulk  of  the  Fellows.  The  Council  would  point  out  that  this  is 
not  a  local  show  with  a  few  large  priz;es,  but  that  a  large 
number  of  small  prizes  have  been  provided  in  order  to  secure  the 
best  fruits  in  each  section ;  special  prizes  have  been  allotted  to 
market  growers ;  and  counties  have  been  grouped  in  such  a  way 
that  growers  should  not  have  to  compete  with  exhibitors  from 
localities  more  favoured  by  climatic  conditions.  These  points 
will  be  still  further  extended  should  sufficient  financial  support 
be  forthcoming.  Subscriptions  should  be  sent  at  once  to  the 
Secretary,  117,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  and  if  the  list 
prove  satisfactory  the  schedule  will  be  issued  in  April,  and  the 
show  held  on  September  18,  19,  and  20,  1902.  The  list  of  sub- 
■scribers  for  1901  will  be  given  in  vol.  xxvi.  part  4  of  the  Society’s 
Journal. 
“  Ihe  Council  liave  accepted  an  invitation  to  send  delegates 
te  a  Conference  on  Hybridisation,  which  is  to  be  held  at  Ne-w 
York  in  the  autumn  of  1902,  and  are  glad  to  b'e  able  to  announce; 
that  Mr.  W.  Bate,son,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  V.M.H.,  and  Mr.  George 
Nichol^n,  y.M.H.,  have  consented  to  attend  on  behalf  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
“  In  consequence  of  the  great  difficulties  experienced  in  send- 
mg  plants  satisfactorily  to  Fellows  residing  abroad,  the  Council 
have  dec  ded  that  in  future  no  plants  will  be  distributed  to 
Fellows  abroad,  but  in  lieu  thereof  the  Council  will  endeavour  to 
obtain  and  supply  to  such  Fellows  any  rare  or  unusual  seeds  (to 
a  reasonable  amount),  which  they  may  be  unable  to  obtain  in  their 
own  country.  The  Journal  of  the  Society  has  been  continued  so 
as  to  enable  Fellows  at  a  distance  to  enter  more  fully  into,  and 
reap  the  benefits  of  the  study  and  work  of  those  actively  engaged 
at  headquarters.  A  new  feature  has  been  added  during  the  past 
year  which  it  is  hoped  may  be  recognised  by  the  Fellows  as  one 
of  particular  value  and  interest,  viz.  ;  Notes  on  Recent  Research, 
and  Abstracts  from  all  the  principal  horticultural  and  botanical 
periodical  literature  of  the  world.  The  Council  desire  to  tender 
their  particular  thanks  to  the  distinguished  body  of  experts  who 
have  so  ungrudgingly  devoted  their  time  and  attention  to  this 
object. 
“  An  examination  in  the  principles  and  practice  of  Horticul¬ 
ture  was  held  on  April  24.  concurrently  in  different  parts  of  the 
United  Kingdom,  a  centre  being  established  wherever  a  magis¬ 
trate,  clergyman,  schoolmaster,  or  other  responsible  person  accus¬ 
tomed  to  examinations  would  consent  to  act  on  the  Society’s 
behalf,  in  accordance  with  the  rules  laid  down  for  its  conduct. 
No  limit  as  to  the  age,  position,  or  previous  training  of  the  can¬ 
didates  was  imposed.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-five  candidates 
presented  themselves  for  examination.  The  names  and  addresses 
of  those  who  succeeded  in  satisfying  the  examiners,  together  with 
the  number  of  marks  assigned  to  each,  will  be  found  in  the 
Society’s  Journal,  vol.  xxvi.,  page  267.  It  is  propo.sed  to  hold  a 
similar  examination  in  1902,  on  Wednesday,  April  23.  Candi¬ 
dates  wishing  to  enter  for  the  examination  should  make  applica¬ 
tion  during  February  to  the  Secretary,  R.H.S.  Office,  117,  Vic¬ 
toria  Street,  Westminster. 
“  Valuable  books  have  been  presented  to  the  Society  during 
the  past  year.  The  thanks  of  the  Society  are  due  to  all  the 
members  of  the  standing  oommittee.s — viz.,  the  Scientific, 
the  Fruit  and  Vegetable,  the  Floral,  the  Orchid,  and 
the  Narcissus  Committees,  for  the  kind,  patient,  and  often 
laborious  attention  which  they  have  severally  given  to  their 
departments.  Many  of  the  members  of  these  committees  have 
to  travel  long  distances  to  attend  them.  The  thanks  of  the 
Society  are  especially  due  to  all  who  are  so  good  as  to  serve  under 
these  conditions.  In  response  to  a  very  general  feeling,  the 
Council  have  decided  that  when  the  proposal  of  an  award  has 
been  made  at  any  of  the  five  standing  committees  of  the  Society, 
it  shall  not  be  considered  as  ‘  carried  ’  unless  the  number  of  votes 
recorded  for  the  proposal  be  at  least  double  the  number  voting 
agaimst  it.  The  Narcissus  Committee  will  in  future  be  known  as 
the  Narcissus  and  Tulip  Committee.  Should  Tulips  be  exmbite  1 
at  any  date  when  this  committee  is  not  sitting,  the  Flora',  f'om- 
mitt.ee  will  be  requested  to  take  them  m  hand. 
“  The  Council  wish  to  express,  in  their  own  name  and  in  that 
of  the  Fellows  of  the  Society,  their  great  indebtedness  to  all  -who 
have  contributed,  either  by  the  exhibition  of  plants,  fruits, 
flow’ers,  or  vegetables,  or  by  lectures  or  papers,  to  the  success  of 
the  fortnightly  meetings  in  the  Drill  Hall.  Be.sides  these  lectures, 
there  have  been  the  valuable  papers  recently  published  in  the 
Report  of  the  Lily  Conference,  as  well  as  several  floral  demonstra¬ 
tions  by  Professor  Henslow.  Two  series  of  lectures  have  also 
been  given  to  the  students  and  others  at  Chiswick,  one  series  by 
Professor  Hemslow  and  another  by  Mr.  George  Massee,  F.L.S., 
short  accounts  of  which  have  appeared  in  the  Journal. 
“  The  Council  have  the  sad  duty  of  recording  the  death  of  93 
i'ellows  during  the  year,  and  among  them  are  many  eminent 
lames.  It  will  be  fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  Fellows,  that  at  the 
ubilee  of  the  late  Queen  in  1897,  the  Council,  with  Her  Majesty’s 
iracious  assent,  established  the  Victoria  Medal  of  Honour  in 
lorticulture  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of  Her 
Jajesty’s  glorious  reign,  and  to  enable  the  Society  at  the  same 
ime  to  confer  a  conspicuous  honour  on  those  horticulturists 
rhom  it  might  from  time  to  time  consider  deserved  special 
onour  at  the  hands  of  the  Society.  At  the  time  of  its  institu- 
ion  this  medal  was  confined  to  sixty  recipients,  corresponding  to 
he  then  sixty  years  of  Her  Majesty’s  reign.  It,  therefore, 
eemed  to  the  Council  only  fitting  that  at  Her  Majesty’s  death 
he  number  of  Medallists  should  be  increased  to  63,  representing 
he  full  number  of  years  of  her  reign.  During  the  pa.st  twelve 
lontlis  the  medal  has  been  conferred  upon  Miss  Ormerod,  LL.D., 
ir  George  King,  K.C.I.E.,  Mr.  William  Bateson,  M.A.,  F.R.S., 
Ir  James  Sweet,  and  Mr.  George  Norman. 
