429 
May  14,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Pharmaceutical  Council,  as  regards  the  regulations  to  be  made 
for  the  registration  of  shops  and  persons  are  such  as  would  be 
more  properly  discharged  by  a  public  department  than  by  officials 
of  a  body  that  would  naturally  be  prejudiced  in  a  certain  direc¬ 
tion.  Grave  injustice  might  probably  be  done  to  individuals  by 
the  removal  of  their  names  from  the  register,  under  regulations 
which,  by  the  Bill,  it  is  intended  to  leave  in  the  hands  of  such 
Council. 
Clause  5  proposes  to  make  it  compulsory  for  all  shops  or  build- 
ing.s  which  are  registered  to  be  separately  rated  to  the  poor. 
This  seems  quite  superfluous.  What  sanctity  attaches  to  the 
Poor  Rate  asse.ssment  it  is  impossible  to  conceive.  Surely  it  has 
no  connection  with  the  sale  of  poisons  or  medicine!  As  every¬ 
body  knows,  it  has  been  quite  a  common  occurrence  in  recent 
years  for  palatial  hotels,  coffee  taverns,  and  theatres  to  be 
erected,  the  lower  rooms  of  which  adjacent  to  the  streets  are  let 
cut  separately  as  shops.  The  usual  practice  is  for  the  entire 
huilding  to  be  assessed  to  the  Poor  Rate,  and  for  the  shop  rental 
to  be  independent  of  rates.  Why  di.sturb  the  existing  state  of 
things?  Registration  should  suffice.  In  the  case  of  the  Army 
and  Navy  or  Civil  Service  Stores,  where  the  chemists’  depart¬ 
ment  is  only  part  of  one  particular  floor,  it  would  be  most  diffi¬ 
cult,  if  not  well-nigh  impossible,  to  fairly  estimate  what  the 
assessment  should  be  for  so  many  square  yards  of  floor  space. 
Clause  7  seems  unreasonable  and  unjust.  It  would  really 
require  that  directors  of  stores  in  which  there  is  a  chemists’ 
department  should  themselves  be  qualified  chemists,  although 
such  depai’tment  be  under  the  superintendence  of  a  registered 
chemist  or  druggist.  Of  what  possible  benefit  could  it  be  to  the 
public — what  extra  protection  would  they  receive — sliould  such  a 
provi.sion  become  law?  Is  a  director,  forsooth,  to  test  the 
strength  and  quality  of  all  the  drugs  which  the  company  sends 
out,  as  a  qualification  for  holding  office?  Hitherto  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  business  capacity  and  a  substantial  holding  of  shares  have 
been  considered  the  nece.ssary  qualifications;  but  if  this  newly 
invented  one  is  to  be  insisted  upon,  the  range  of  choice  for  such 
directors  of  .such  stores  will  be  greatly  restricted,  for  no  sound 
reason  whatever. 
It  would  be  obviously  unfair  for  directors  to  be  limited  in  the 
manner  proposed.  It  might  as  well  be  argued  that  those  who 
guide  the  destinies  of  life  assurance  societies  should  be  medical 
experts  or  skilled  actuaries;  or  that  those  who  control  breweries 
should  be  trained  judges  of  malt  or  hops.  From  the  point  of 
view  of  quality  of  medicine  or  kind  of  poison  dispensed,  the 
public  do  not  care  two  straw.s  who  the  directors  of  a  company  are. 
If  they  are  served  and  provided  for  medicinally  by  a  duly  qualified 
cliemist  x’estrictions  upon  directors  will  not  give  greater  protec¬ 
tion  than  they  now  possess.  If  a  whole  board  of  directors  were 
to  be  regi.stered  as  chemists  and  their  registered  dispenser  sold 
some  poisonous  compound  to  an  individual  through  whose  careless¬ 
ness  or  design  such  compound  brought  about  a  fatality,  what 
possible  connection  could  such  directors  have  with  so  unfortunate 
a  re.sult  ?  Mr.  Bailey,  M.P.,  may  well  describe  Clause  7  as  a 
“  very  unreasonable  condition.”  He  might  have  added  “  absurd.” 
To  conclude,  the  restrictive  nature  of  several  of  the  provisions 
of  this  Bill  is  such  as  to  make  it  highly  probable  that  it  will  meet 
with  strong  opposition  on  the  ixart  of  all  those  who,  while  desirous 
of  fully  protecting  the  public,  decline  to  continue,  much  less  ex¬ 
tend,  the  monopoly  already  po.ssessed  by  chemists.  A  Privy  Coun¬ 
cil  Departmental  Committee  has  recently  reported  in  favour  of 
breaking  down  the  monopoly  and  legalising  the  .«ale  of  poisonous 
compounds  under  proper  restrictions  by  others  than  qualified 
chemists,  where  they  are  required  for  use  in  connection  with 
agriculture,  horticulture,  or  sanitation;  .such  poisonous  com¬ 
pounds  to  be  sold  only  by  licensed  persons,  in  sealed  packages,  as 
received  from  the  manufacturers,  properly  labelled,  and  subject 
to  the  regulations  to  be  made  by  the  Privy  Council. 
The  object  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  in  promoting  this 
Bill  is  only  for  the  benefit  of  chemists  and  druggists.  This  is 
shown  by  the  reports  of  meetings  of  chemists  held  in  all  parts  of 
the  countiy.  The  Legislature  should  act  not  in  the  interests  of 
individuals',  but  for  the  convenience  and  benefit  of  the  public. 
The  day  has  gone  by  when  monopolies  can  be  maintained. — 
Thos.  G.  Dobbs,  Sec.  and  Solicitor,  Traders  in  Poisonous  Com¬ 
pounds  for  Trade  Pui’poses  Protection  Society,  24,  Sansomc 
Street,  Worcester,  May  6,  1903. 
- - 
Girden  Labils. 
In  your  issue  of  April  30,  page  379,  a  reference  is  made  to 
my  new  copper  plant  label,  which  is  quite  distinct,  and  an  im¬ 
provement  upon  the  old  label  bearing  my  name.  The  new  label 
is  embossed  (at  present  for  Roses  only)  as  plainly  as  the  penny  in 
the  slot  labels,  at  about  half  the  cost  when  the  label  is  supplied 
by  the  Rose  grower  with  the  plants.  It  is  also  used  as  a  border 
or  pot  label,  when  placed  in  a  special  holder.  Also,  any  name 
can  be  written  (indented)  with  a  pencil  when  plain  (unprinted) 
labels  are  procured. — Alfred  Chandler. 
NOTES 
Erratum. 
W  e  are  requested  to  state  that  in  report  of  the  Royal  Garden¬ 
ers’  Orphan  Fund  Dinner  list  of  donations,  the  name  ”  Me.ssr.s. 
Cutbush  ”  should  read  Messrs.  Cuthbert,  of  Southgate. 
Napoleon's  Willow. 
In  the  Royal  Botanic  Society’s  Garden  at  Regent’.s  Park, 
London,  there  grows  a  Willow  tree  with  this  inscription  ; 
“Napoleon’s  Willow,  grown  from  a  cutting  brought  from  St. 
Helena  by  Captain  Shea,  in  1821,  planted  here  in  1842.” 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. 
The  usual  monthly  committee  meeting  of  this  society  was  held 
at  the  Caledonian  Hotel,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Strand,  on  Monday 
evening  last,  Mr.  Thomas  Winter  in  the  chair.  Six  new  members 
were  elected,  making  fifty-one  elected  this  year.  F.leven  members 
were  reported  on  the  .sick  fund. 
The  New  Lily  of  the  Valley. 
The  new  magnificent  Lily  of  the  Valley,  Convallaria  luajalis 
prolificans  (Vrengdenhill  Perfection)  will  be  in  flowering  within 
a  fortnight,  and  for  visitors  on  show  at  the  nursery  at  Piet 
Gyrenburg,  opposite  railway  station,  near  Haarlem.  It  is  also 
at  the  nursery  of  Mr.  M.  J.  Van  Ginhoven,  at  Lisse.  near  Haar¬ 
lem,  Holland. — J.  Vrengdenhill,  Haarlem,  Holland. 
Temple  Flower  Show,  May  26,  27,  and  23. 
Intending  exhibitors  are  requested  to  note  tliat  entries  for  the 
above  clo,se  on  Monday,  May  18,  and  that  all  entry  forms  .«houId 
reach  the  office  before  11  a.m.  on  that  day.  No  plants  can 
under  any  circumstances  be  entered  on  the  day  of  the  show,  but 
single  plants,  Ac.,  for  certificate  may  be  entered  a.s  late  as 
Thursday,  May  21.  Addre.^s,  Secretary,  R.H.S.  Office,  117, 
Victoria  Street,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  next  fruit  and  flower  show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday.  May  19,  in  the  Drill  Hall, 
Buckingham  Gate,  Westminster,  1  to  o  p.m.  A  special  exhibiticn 
of  Tulips  will  also  be  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  National 
Tulip  Society  at  the  same  time  and  place.  A  schedule  of  the 
prizes  offered,  with  particulars  as  to  the  conditions  of  entry,  Ac., 
can  be  obtained  on  application  to  A.  D.  Hall,  Esq.,  The  Oast 
House,  Harpenden.  A  conference  on  “  English  Tulips  ”  will  be 
held  at  3  o’clock.  *  *  At  a  general  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  held  on  Tuesday,  May  5,  seventy-four  new 
Fellows  were  elected,  among  them  being  the  Marquis  Camden,  the 
Vjscountess  Cranborne,  the  Viscountess  Downe,  the  Lady  Ray¬ 
leigh.  Lady  Church,  Lady  Walker,  and  the  Hon.  A.  H.  T.  de 
Montmorency.  M.D.,  making  a  total  of  679  elected  since  the 
beginning  of  the  iiresent  year.  •  _ 
Exhibition  of  British  Crown  Fruits  and  Vegetables. 
The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  hold  an  exhibition  of 
British  grown  fruits  and  vegetables  at  Chiswick  on  September 
29,  30,  and  October  1.  The  prize  schedule  is  now  ready,  and  con¬ 
tains,  in  addition  to  the  list  of  prizes,  an  authoritative  list  of 
dessert  and  cooking  Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums.  Special  prizes  are 
offered  for  preserved  and  bottled  fruits.  A  ccnference  on 
“Vegetables”  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  September  29,  at  2.30 
p.m.  Mr.  George  Bunyard,  ^^M.H.,  in  the  chair.  The  follow¬ 
ing  have  been  asked  to  read  paper.- :  1.  “  On  Cooking  Vegetables,” 
Dr.  Bonavia  and  Mr.  James  Hudson,  V.M.H.  2.  “  On  Vegetable.s 
all  the  Year  Round  of  a  Private  Family,”  Mr.  W.  H.  Divers.  3. 
“  On  Vegetables  for  Exhibition,”  Mr.  I'.dwin  Beckett.  4.  “  On 
Vegetables  for  Market,”  Mr.  W.  Poupart.  Any  contributions  to 
the  conference  will  be  welcomed.  Donations  towards  the  prize 
fund  will  be  gratefully  received  by  the  Secretary.  R.H.S. .  117, 
Victoria.  Street,  London,  S.W.,  of  whom  copies  of  the  schedule 
can  be  obtained.  Applicants  shou'd  enclose  a  stamped  envelope 
ready  addressed  to  themselves. 
