February  26,  1905. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
179 
Royal  Caledonian  Horticnltural  Society. 
Tlie  council’s  report  for  the  year  1902  has  been  published  for 
.some  weeks,  but  we  have  hitherto  had  insufficient  leisure  to 
notify  its  features.  First  of  all,  we  observe  that  His  Majesty  the 
King  is  patron,  and  the  president  is  the  Eight  Hon.  Lord  Balfour 
of  Burleigh,  K.T.,  an  enthusiastic  horticulturist  and  great 
Scottish  yoatriot.  The  vice-presidents  and  council  are  represent¬ 
ative  of  the  best  trade,  professional  and  amateur  elements  of 
Edinburgh  and  surrounding  counties,  while  in  Mr.  P.  Murray 
Thomson,  solicitor,  this  ancient  yet  vigorous  society  has  an 
efficient  seci’etary,  brimful  with  enthusiasm  for  the  work  of  his 
office,  and  for  horticulture  generally. 
The  council  in  their  report  begin  by  stating  that  the  change 
of  the  date  of  the  spring  show  last  year  from  the  beginning  of 
April  to  the  beginning  of  May  proved  a  success  as  regards  the 
attendance,  and  as  an  exhibition  of  horticulture  the  show  did  not 
in  any  way  suffer.  The  entries  numbered  511,  compared  with  500 
in  1901.  One  encouraging  feature  was  the  interest  shown  in  the 
competition  for  plans  prepared  by  nnder-gardeners,  twenty-one 
plans  being  sent  in.  The  council  report  that  Sir  John  Gilmour 
has  again  placed  at  their  dispo.sal  the  sum  of  £5  to  continue  this 
competition.  Another  sketch  plan  for  competition  has  been  pre¬ 
pared,  and  issued  in  the  spring  schedule.  The  council  has  again 
resolved  tO'  change  the  date  of  the  spring  show,  this  year  to 
May  20  and  21.  For  the  autumn  show  the  entries  were  2,440, 
compared  with  2,182  in  1901,  a  vei'y  gratifying  increase  con¬ 
sidering  the  sunless  season. 
Along  with  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association,  the  society 
held  a  joint  summer  show  in  the  Music  Hall  on  July  16.  As  an 
exhibition  of  summer  flowers  it  was  a  fine  show,  and  had  many 
interesting  features,  and  although  it  was  the  best  summer  show 
that  has  been  held  in  Edinburgh  for  a  number  of  years,  the 
attendance  and  interest  taken  in  it  were  disappointing.  A  special 
effort  was  made  towards  the  close  of  last  year  to  increase  the  mem¬ 
bership,  when  the  president  issued  a  letter  containing  printed 
particulars  of  the  society.  The  effort  has  met  with  good  result. 
1901  was  the  first  year  when  gardeners  and  horticultural  em¬ 
ployes  might  be  enrolled  at  5s.  Thirty-eight  were  then  enrolled, 
and  the  council  are  glad  toi  note  the  increased  interest  during  the 
past  year,  in  that  fifty-one  new  members  have  been  enrolled. 
During  the  year  the  council  awarded  ten  first-class  certificates 
and  four  awards  of  merit. 
The  Malcolm  Dunn  Memorial. 
On  the  death  of  Malcolm  Dunn,  gardener  at  Dalkeith  Palace, 
a  movement  was  started  to  provide  a  memorial.  A  monument 
was  erected  in  Dalkeith  Cemetery,  which  wa.s  paid  for  by  the 
Botanical  Society  of  Edinburgh,  the  Eoyal  Scotti.sh  Arboricultural 
Society,  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association,  and  this  society 
proportionately  according  to  the  amount  of  subscriptions  rceeived 
by  each,  the  Botanical  Society  contributing  for  that  purpose  the 
whole  of  the  sum  received  by  them.  While  the  Royal  Scottish 
Arboricidtural  Society  is  to  retain  the  funds  collected  by  them  to 
perpetuate  Mr.  Dunn’s  memory  in  connection  with  arboriculture, 
this  Society  and  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association,  in  both 
of  which  Mr.  Dunn  took  a  great  interest,  have  united  in  forming 
a  “  Malcolm  Dnnn  Memorial  in  Horticulture,”  the  main  object 
being  tO'  give  prizes  to  be  competed  for  at  any  horticultural  shows 
in  Scotland,  or  otherwise  as  the  trustees  ajapointed  by  the  two 
societies  may  think  proper,  for  the  advancement  and  improve¬ 
ment  of  horticulture.  For  this  purpose  this  Society  has  paid  over 
to  the  trustees*  the  free  balance  in  their  hands  of  £66  7s.  3d.,  and 
the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association  has  paid  over  a  like  sum. 
The  council  have  with  great  pleasure'  accepted  the  trustees’  offer 
of  the  first  medal  and  prize  of  £3  which  they  have  tendered  to  this 
Society.  Looking  to  Mr.  Dunn’s  great  interest  in  the  cultivation 
of  hardy  fruits,  and  the  zeal  with  which  he  worked  for  the  society 
in  connection  with  their  Apple  and  Pear  Conference  held  in 
November,  1885,  the  council  have  thought  the  most  appropriate 
manner  in  which  to  use  the  medal  and  money  is  to  offer  them  as 
the  first  prize  at  the  autumn  show  of  1903  for  “  A  Collection  of 
Apples  grown  in  Scotland.”  .  .  .  The  Neill  Prize  for  the 
biennial  period  1900-1902  has  been  awarded  to  Mr.  David  Murray, 
gardener  at  Culzean  Castle,  Maybole,  who,  as  a  grower  of  fruit 
and  vegetables,  has  done  much  to  advance  these  branches  of  hor¬ 
ticulture.  .  .  The  council  (through  the  report)  ask  for  any 
specimens  of  Potatoes  showing  violet-coloured  marks  permeat¬ 
ing  to  the  centre,  the  result  of  a  disease  which  their  Scientific 
Committee  are  investigating. 
The  abstract  of  accounts  shows  a  loss  for  the  year  of 
£29  14s.  lid.,  ascribable  to  various  causes,  including  over  £15 
for  the  joint  summer  show ;  but  from  life  subscriptions  a  sum  of 
£165  18s.  has  been  added  to  capital  account,  and  the  total  capital 
funds  amount  to  the  goodly  sum  of  £715  17s.  7d.  .  .  .  The 
society  has  a  Finance  Committee,  and  Exhibition  and  Judges 
Committee,  a  Fruit  and  Vegetable,  a  Floral,  and  a  Scientific  Com¬ 
mittee.  The  first  two  belong  to  the  council. 
*  Incidentally,  Mr.  P.  Murray  Thomson  has  been  appointed  by  the  trustees 
-to  be  secretary  and  treasurer  for  the  Trust. 
At  the  May  Show  this  year  there  will  be  a  number  of  new 
classes.  The  council  are  endeavouring  to  have  a  first-class  band, 
and  are  trying  to  do  everything  to  lift  the  spring  show  from 
the  half-neglected  show  it  has  hitherto  been,  so  far  as  public 
appreciation  is  concerned,  to  the  front  rank  it  has  always  been 
so  far  as  exhibits  are  concerned.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who 
have,  or  who  may  secure,  schedules,  we  name  the  new  cla.sses  as 
follows;  Numbers  30,  32,  33,  38,  49,  57,  61,  65,  67,  69,  70,  71, 
72,  81,  82,  84,  86,  95  to  102,  108,  and  117.  We  would  also  call 
attention  to  the  essay  competition  for  Mr.  Martin  White’s  prizes 
of  £5,  £3,  and  £2,  particulars  of  which  are  given  on  page  46  of 
the  schedule. 
Chorizema  Henchmanni. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  species  of  the  whole  genus, 
though  a  delicate  grower,  and  requiring  more  care  in  cultivation 
to  .succeed  with  it.  The  leaves  are  narrow,  needle-like,  entire, 
and  dark  green;  the  whole  plant,  however,  ha,s  a  hoary 
appearance.  Flowers  produced  in  long,  terminal,  leafy  racemes, 
as  shown  in  our  figure,  coloured  bright  red  with  a  spot  of  green 
at  the  base  of  the  standard.  It  blooms  from  the  end  of  April 
to  the  end  of  June,  and  is  an  Australian  plant,  introduced  in 
1824.  Its  culture  is  the  same  as  the  others,  except  that  it  docs 
not  require  so  much  .stopping,  and  a  compost  of  peat  and  sand 
alone  has  been  recommended  as  suiting  it  best.  It  Ls  well  worth 
adding  to  a  greenhouse  collection. 
