140 
February  14,  1901. 
'  v>  %V’«  >  .t„  ,  •’  ,  •  V  V^V-- . 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
energetic  trustworthy  young  men  from  Chiswick  is  rapidly  increasing  ; 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  placing  such  in  good  situations,  our  supply  being 
unequal  to  the  demand,  but  they  must  all  be  workers.  During  the  past 
year  applications  were  received  for  twenty-eight  head  gardeners,  three 
single-handed  gardeners,  six  foremen,  and  ten  journeymen. ” 
Drill  Hall  Meetings. 
At  Westminster  twenty-four  fruit  and  floral  meetings  have  been 
held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Victoria  Street,  besides  the  larger 
shows  in  the  Temple  Gardens  on  May  23rd,  24th,  and  25th  ;  at  Richmond 
on  June  27th;  and  at  the  Crys'al  Palace  on  September  27th,  28tb, 
and  29th.  Lectures  and  demonstrations  have  been  delivered  at  twenty 
of  the  meetings. 
The  number  of  awards  granted  by  the  Council,  on  the  recommenda¬ 
tions  of  the  various  committees,  are  as  follows: — Gold  medals,  18; 
silver  cups,  22;  Hogg  Memorial  medals,  4;  silver-gilt  Flora  medals, 
48;  silver-gilt  Knightian  medals,  20;  silver-gilt  Banksian  medals,  35  ; 
silver  Flora  medals,  119;  silver  Knightian  medals,  26  ;  silver  Banksian 
medals,  178;  bronze  Flora  medals,  28;  bronze  Banksian  medals,  43; 
first-class  certificates,  68;  awards  of  merit,  303 ;  botanical  certificates, 
54  ;  cultural  commendations,  46.  In  addition  to  the  above,  a  silver-gilt 
Flora  medal  was  awaided  to  Miss  E.  Welthin  Winlo  for  having  passed 
first  in  the  Society’s  examination  ;  95  bronze  Banksian  medals  have 
also  been  granted  to  cottagers’  societies. 
The  Council  desire  to  draw  the  attention  of  Fellows  of  the  Society 
to  the  more  extended  use  which  the  Scientific  Committee  might  be 
to  them  if  they  availed  themselves  more  freely  of  their  privileges  in 
submitting  instances  of  diseases  of,  or  injuries  to  plants,  caused  by 
insects  or  otherwise.  The  Scientific  Committee  is  composed  of  gentlemen 
qualified  to  give  the  best  advice  on  all  such  subjects,  either  in  respect  to 
the  prevention  or  cure  of  disease.  The  Committee  is  also  glad  to  receive 
specimens  of  any  subjects  of  horticultural  or  botanical  interest. 
The  Temple  Show. 
The  Society’s  great  show  held  in  May — by  the  continued  kindness 
of  the  Treasurer  and  Benchers — in  the  Inner  Temple  Gardens,  was  as 
successful  as  ever,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  satisfaction  to  the  Council  to 
find  that  this  meeting  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be  the  leading 
horticultural  exhibition  of  this  country.  The  best  thanks  of  the  Society 
are  due  to  all  who  kindly  brought  their  plants  for  exhibition,  or  otherwise 
contributed  to  the  success  of  this  show. 
Crystal  Palace  Fruit  Show. 
The  exhibition  of  British  grown  fruit  held  by  the  Society  at  the 
Crystal  Palace  on  September  27tb,  28th,  and  29th,  was,  from  an 
educational  point  of  view,  most  satisfactory.  Full  particulars  will  be 
found  in  vol.  xxv.,  part  3  of  the  Journal,  which  will  be  issued  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks. 
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  advance  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  maintain  and  improve 
this  exhibition  by  visiting  it,  and  by  subscribing  to  its  funds.  For  it 
cannot  be  too  widely  known  that  the  continuance  of  the  show  is 
absolutely  dependent  on  at  least  £100  being  raised  by  subscription 
each  year  towards  the  prize  fund.  The  show  involves  the  society 
in  a  very  large  expenditure  without  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  provide  £H0 
towards  the  prize  fund,  and  this  will,  in  coming  years,  be  even  more 
important  than  heretofore,  as  the  directors  of  the  Palace  have  signified 
to  the  Council  that  they  feel  compelled  to  decrease  their  contribution 
by  £50.  A  glance  at  the  list  of  subscribers  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  prizes,  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.  Sub¬ 
scriptions  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  October  10th,  11th,  and  12th, 
1901.  The  list  of  subscribers  for  1900  will  be  found  at  page  188  of 
vol.  xxiii.  of  the  Socieiy’s  Journal. 
An  invitation  has  been  received  and  accepted  for  sending  a 
deputation  to  visit  a  show  of  Daffodils  and  other  early  spring  flowers 
and  produce,  to  be  held  at  Birmingham  on  the  24th  and  25th  of 
April,  1901. 
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  headquartei s. 
Vol.  xxiii.,  part  3,  vol.  xxiv  ,  containing  a  full  report  of  the  Hybrid 
Conference,  and  vol.  xxv.,  parts  1  and  2,  were  issued  during  the 
year  ;  vol.  xxv.,  part  3,  will  be  ready  in  March  or  as  Boon  after  as 
possible. 
Examinations  in  Horticulture. 
An  examination  in  the  principles  and  practice  of  horticulture  was 
held  on  April  25tb,  concurrently  in  different  parts  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  a  centre  being  established  wherever  a  magistrate,  clergy¬ 
man,  schoolmaster,  or  other  responsible  person  accustomed  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  candidates  was  imposed. 
Two  hundred  and  thirty. six  candidates  presented  themselves  for 
examination.  The  names  and  addresses  of  those  who  succeeded  in 
satisfying  the  examiners,  together  with  the  number  of  matks  assigned 
to  each,  will  be  found  in  the  Society’s  Journal,  vol.  xxiii.,  page  299. 
It  is  proposed  to  hold  a  similar  examination  in  1901,  on  Wednesday, 
April  24th.  Candidates  wishing  to  sit  for  the  examination  should 
make  application  during  February  to  the  secretary,  R.H.S.  Office,  117, 
Victoria  Street,  Westminster. 
The  Library. 
Valuable  books  have  been  presented  to  the  Society  during  the  past 
year  by  the  Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew,  Dr.  Maxwell 
Masters,  F.R.S.,  Messrs.  H.  J.  Elwes,  F.R.S.,  J.  Wright,  V.M.H., 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  A.  P.  Haig,  H.  J.  Hooper,  Mrs.  Holman,  and  others, 
to  all  of  whom  the  best  thanks  of  the  Society  are  due.  A  full  list 
will  be  published  in  March,  1901,  in  the  Society’s  Journal,  vol.  xxv., 
part  3.  The  Council  desire  to  draw  the  attention  of  Fellows  possessing 
horticultural  or  botanical  books  to  the  admirable  method  adopted  by 
Mr.  Elwes  for  enriching  the  Society’s  library  without  at  the  same 
time  unduly  depleting  his  own.  It  is  fully  explained  on  page  338  of 
vol.  xxiii.  of  the  Society’s  Journal. 
The  Committees. 
The  thanks  of  the  Society  are  due  to  all  the  members  of  the  standing 
committees — 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. 
The  Society  has  also  to  thank  all  those  who  have  so  kindly  presented 
plants  or  seeds  to  the  Gardens.  A  list  of  the  donors  has  been  prepared, 
and  will  be  found  in  the  Society’s  Journal,  vol.  xxiii.,  page  340. 
The  Exhibitors  and  Readers  of  Papers. 
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,  flowers,  or 
vegetables,  or  by  lectures  or  papers,  to  the  success  of  the  fortnightly 
meetings  in  the  Drill  Hall.  They  are  glad  to  find  by  the  increased  and 
increasing  number  of  visitors  that  >he  Society’s  fortnightly  meetings 
are  becoming  fully  appreciated  by  the  Fellows  and  public  in  general. 
The  selection  of  a  suitable  site  for  the  new  gardens  of  the  Society 
in  celebration  of  its  centenary  is  still  occupying  the  attention  of  the 
Council. 
Several  Fellows  having  represented  the  difficulty  they  find  in 
identifying  the  attendants  in  charge  of  the  different  exhibits  at  the 
Society’s  meetings,  the  Council  have  caused  a  badge  to  be  prepared 
which  may  be  worn  by  attendants,  but  will  carry  no  special  right  of 
admission  or  other  privilege.  These  badges  can  be  obtained  at  a  small 
cost  by  applying  at  the  Society’s  offices,  and  will  bear  the  exhibitor’s 
name.  No  other  badges  will  be  allowed  to  bet  worn  by  attendants. 
The  Society’s  Losses. 
The  Council  have  the  sad  duty  of  recording  the  death  of  seventy- 
nine  Fellows  during  the  year,  and  among  them  they  regret  to  find  the 
names  of  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  the  Earl  of  Harrowby, 
Sir  William  Cunliffe  Brooks,  Admiral  Sir  Henry  Fairfax,  K.C.B., 
General  Pitt  Rivers,  F.R.S.,  Edward  Pynaert,  R.  D.  Blackmore,  Well- 
wood  H.  Maxwell,  R.  Milne  Redhead,  John  Laing,  V.M.H.,  John 
Fraser,  V.M.H.,  E.  J.  Lowe,  F.R.S.,  W.  Vanner,  W.  A.  Gillett,  A.  De  la 
Devansaye,  Mrs.  Abbott,  Miss  Mary  J.  King,  and  others. 
It  is  with  feelings  of  the  utmost  sorrow  that  the  Council  record  the 
loss  during  the  past  year  of  two  of  their  own  colleagues — Mr.  T.  B. 
Haywood  and  Mr.  Philip  Crowley.  Mr.  Haywood  had  for  many  years 
devoted  his  business  knowledge  and  capacity  ungrudgingly  to  the 
service  of  the  Society,  and  by  his  personal  qualities  had  endeared 
himself  to  all  his  colleagues.  It  is  difficult  to  give  adequate  expression 
to  the  more  recent  loss  caused  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Philip  Crowley,  who 
has  so  long  and  so  ably  filled  the  offices  of  Treasurer  of  the  Society  and 
Chairman  of  the  Fruit  Committee.  A  slight  acknowledgement  of  his 
services  to  the  Society  was  made  during  his  lifetime  in  the  Journal, 
vol.  xxv.,  page  158,  but  his  death  is  still  so  recent  that  words  fail  to 
convey  the  depth  and  reality  of  the  Council’s  sense  of  the  greatness 
of  the  loss  they  have  sustained. 
In  accordance  with  bye-laws  61,  62,  and  69  the  Council  duly 
appointed  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  llchester  to  the  seat  on  the 
Council  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Arthur  Sutton,  Y.M.H.,  and 
Mr.  George  Bunyard,  V.M.H.,  to  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
Mr.  Haywood.  They  also  appointed  Mr.  Gurney  Fowler  to  be  Treasurer 
in  the  room  of  Mr.  Philip  Crowley  until  the  annual  meeting. 
