312 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  1,  1903 
jfruit  Show  aiib  t^coetable  Conference  at  Cbiswicb. 
The  late  editor  of  this  jonrnal,  Robert  Hogg,  LL.D.,  in  the 
intrcclnction  to  his  book  on  the  Apple,  wrote  that  fruit  culture 
was  almost  an  entirely  neglected  study  till  about  the  fifties  of 
last  century.  Owing  to  his  own  great  efforts,  and  to  those 
of  Fraficis  Rivers,  J.  R.  Pearson,  and  Mr.  Blackmore  in  our  own 
country,  and  equally  ardent  men  on  the  Continent,  fruit  culture, 
and  the  study  of  varieties,  has  been  almost  raised  to  the  level 
of  an  exact  science. 
But  much  of  the  ladder  has  to  be  climbed  yet,  and  past 
achievements  are  but  the  stepping  stones  for  what  lies  before  us. 
And  Avhile  fruit  is  justly  attracting  the  brain  and  skill  of  the 
best  men  in  horticulture,  that  other  great  department  of  gar¬ 
dening  which  is  embraced  in  the  raising  and  production  of  the 
finest  culinary  vegetables,  is  as  yet  only  in  the  awakening  stage. 
The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  is  therefore  acting  up  to  its 
opportunities  in  having  the  present  conference  on  vegetables  and 
exhibition  of  kitchen  produce-.  The  success  attending  the  meet¬ 
ing  is  recorded  in  our  report  ;  and  we  hope  that  these  labours 
may  become  an  annual  necessity,  that  the  present  may  be  the 
first  of  a  long  series  of  annua!  joint  fruit  aud  vegetable  exhibi¬ 
tions.  But  one  chief  thing  is  necessary  if  this  is  to  be  so,  and 
that  is - MONEY. 
The  Council,  in  a  preface  to  the  schedule,  say  that  they  “  have 
consented  to  this  exhibition  on  condition  that  those  interested 
in  the  promotion  of  British  fruit  and  vegetable  growing  would 
combine  to  subscribe  a  sum  of  not  less  than  £200  towards  the 
prize  money  and  general  expenses,  which  are  estimated  at  a 
cost  of  £350  or  £400.”  Not  a  very  large  sum  seems  to  have 
been  subscribed,  if  we  judge  from  the  list  of  donations  given. 
Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  show  an  excellent  example  by  con¬ 
tributing  £25;  Messrs.  Bunyard  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  give  10  guineas; 
W.  Horne  and  Sons,  £10 ;  J.  R.  Pearson  and  Sons,  prizes  and 
£1  10s.;  C.  Sharpe  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  £10;  J.  Veitch  and  Sons, 
Ltd.,  £10;  and  these  are  the  chief  presentations. 
Chiswick,  the  scene  of  so  many  great  horticultural  meetings, 
is  a  splendid  centre,  accessible  from  all  parts  of  London,  and  the 
Council  had  printed  full  directions  for  visitors  to  get  there. 
This,  probably,  is,  the  last  of  the  long  series  of  Chiswick  shows, 
and,  if  so,  it  closes  a  passage  of  .splendid,  if  troubled,  history. 
In  order  to  include  as  many  vegetaljlc  classes  as  possible, 
those  hitherto  devoted  to  single  varieties  of  fruit  had  been  some¬ 
what  curtailed.  Every  available  place  in  the  Chiswick  Gardens, 
even  to  the  entrance  porch,  which  greeted  one  with  a  display 
of  Onions  and  other  vegetables,  was  utilised  on  this  occasion, 
and  the  great  vinery  furnished  a  magnificent  display.  A 
luncheon  was  given  by  ihc  Co.aicil  at  rne  o'clock  vhen  Mr.  T. 
Humphreys  was  presented  with  testimonials  on  his  retirement 
from  the  assistant-superintendentship  of  the  gardens  here.  The 
Gardeners’  Dinner  at  Holborn  Restaurant,  in  the  evening,  was 
attended  by  400  men  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  Lord 
Duncannon  occupied  the  chair,  owing  to  the  illness  of  Mr. 
Leopold  de  Rothschild,  uho  had  been  expected. 
THE  CHI3WICK  LUNCHEON. 
A  very  large  number  of  gentlemen  dined  at  the  invitation  of 
the  Council,. Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  in  the  chair,  who  was 
supported  by  Sir  Tiros.  Hanbury,  Dr.  Cooke,  N.  C.  Cookson, 
Geo.  Bunyard,  Prof.  Henslow,  W.  Bateson,  Owen  Thomas,  R. 
Dean,  F.  W.  Burbidge,  D.  P.  Laird,  H.  B.  May,  and  others. 
After  the  loyal  toast,  Sir  Trevor,  amid  prolonged  and  loud 
acclamations,  announced  the  award  of  the  vacant  Victoria  Medal 
of  Honour  to  Sir  Thomas  Hanbury,  the  donor  of  the  Oakevood 
garden  to  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  Sir  Thomas  replied 
in  a  few  well-chosen  words.  He  asserted  that  what  he  had  done 
was  to  save  a  unique  and  beautiful  garden. 
The  chairman  then  gave  the  toast  of  “  The  Committees,”  and 
mentioned  that  very  shortly  the  gardens  would  be  vacated,  and 
continued  his  address  to  briefly  dwell  on  a  few  chief  events  of  the 
Society’s  history,  which  are  more  or  less  known  to  Journal 
readers.  Sir  Trevor  stated  that  he  had  attended  Chiswick  shows 
for  sixty  years,  and  in  his  peroration,  gave  a  touching  farewell 
to  old  Chiswick.  In  proposing  the  toast  to  the  Committee  he 
coupled  the  names  of  Mr.  Bateson,  E.  Molyneux,  and  W. 
Crump. 
Mr.  Bateson,  in  his  reply,  asked  whether  some  new  and  great 
beneficial  departure  could  not  be  made  when  the  new  A\'isley 
garclen  is  taken  over.  The  horticultural  industry,  he  said,  ryas 
unique  among  the  arts,  in  that  science  was  irot  coupled  with 
ju'actice,  not  to  the  same  degree  as  in  the  brewing  and  iron  in¬ 
dustries.  May  the  taking  on  of  Wisley  not  be  used  for  the 
dctermiiitition  of  the  hybridisation  experiments  that  are  now 
So  paramouiit  ?  This  wordd  be  a  work  worthy  of  the  Society, 
and  earn  the  gratitude  of  naturali-sts  throughout  the  whole 
world.  Mr.  W.  Crump  and  Mr.  Molyneux  also  spoke.  The 
latter  said,  in  regard  to  the  vegetable  exhibition,  “  that  a 
better  display  of  these  had  never  been  seen  in  creation,”  which 
evoked  laughter,  even  though  it  was  unchallenged. 
PRESENTATION  TO  MR.  T.  HUMPHREYS. 
Then  came  a  very  pleasant  duty,  the  handing  to  Mr.  Hum¬ 
phreys  of  a  beautifully  illuminated'  address,  which  was  read  by 
Richard  Dean,  and  offered  by  Wm.  Marshall.  The  horticultural 
Press  also  presented  a  testimonial  through  Mr.  Gordon.  The 
text  of  both  addresses  is  here  given : 
From  the  R.H. S.  Committees. 
“This  address,  together  with  a  cabinet  canteen  of  cutlery 
and  silver  and  a  Queen  Anne  tea  and  coffee  service,  is  presented 
to  Mr.  T.  Humphreys,  secretai*y  of  the  Floi'al  Committee  of  the 
R.H.S.,  by  those  whose  names  are  appended,  in  warm  appre¬ 
ciation  of  his  services  to  the  Floral  and  Fruit  Committees  of  the 
Society,  both  at  the  Drill  Hall,  Westminster,  and  at  the  gardens 
of  the  Society  at  Chiswick.  They  desire  to  congratulate  Mr. 
Humphreys  on  his  appaintment  as  Curator  of  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham,  and  cordially  wish  him  and 
his  family  good  health  and  increasing  prosperity.” 
The  address  was  signed  by  sevmnty-three  subscribers.  It  was 
beautifully  irrepared,  with  symbolical  emblems  of  the  various 
Committees,  crowned  with  a  growing  tree,  to  represent  the 
Society. 
From  the  Press. 
“  On  your  retirement  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s 
historical  garden  at  Chiswick,  the  undermentioned  representa¬ 
tives  of  the  horticultural  Press  desire  to  offer  ^ou  an  expression 
of  their  good  wishes.  They  acknowledge  with  ajtpreciation  and 
thanks  the  courtesy  and  assistance  you  have  freely  afforded 
them  at  the  Society’s  exhibitions,  and  on  other  occasions ;  and 
they  beg  jmu  will  accept  the  accompanying  roller-top  writing 
desk,  with  their  autographs  engraved  upon  a  plate,  as  a  token 
of  their  wishes  for  the  future  health,  happiness,  and  prosperity 
of  yourself  and  family.  They  hope  that  the  w.ark  yop  will  do 
in  the  Edgbaston  Botanical  Gardens  at  Birmingham  will  succeed 
in  further  popularising  the  art  of  gardening  and  encouraging 
a  greater  love  for  plant  life.  Signed,  E.  T.  Cook,  H.  G.  Cove, 
C.  H.  Curtis,  J.  Harrison  Dick,  John  Fraser,  A.  S.  Galt,  Geo. 
Gordon,  Maxwell  T.  Masters,  F.R.S.,  F.  Moore,  R.  Hooper 
Pearson,  W.  P.  Thomson  H.  H.  Thomas,  H.  J.  Wright,  and 
W.  P.  Wright.” 
Mr.  Humphreys  expressed  his  heartfelt  thanks  for  the  kind¬ 
nesses  he  had  I’cceived,  and  referred  to  the  amiable  relations  that 
had  always  existed  between  himself,  the  Council,  the  Com- 
inittees,  and  all  with  whom  he  had  business,  and  he  took  comfort 
in  knowing  that  so  many  eminent  horticulturists  had  wished 
him  God-speed  in  his  new  sphere. . 
THE  CONFERENCE. 
Hardly  had  Mr.  Bunyard  opened  the  Conference  on  Vegetables 
than  the  rain  poured,  and  continued  more  or  less  all  the  evening. 
Three  papers  were  read,  and  these  we  briefly  summarise. 
“SUPPLY  OF  VEGETABLES  FOR  A  PRIVATE  FAMILY.*' 
BY  MR.  W.  H.  niVERS. 
Mr.  Divers  described  the  houses,  pits,  and  frames  he  uses 
and  recommends  for  vegetable  culture.  A  store-room  is  also  a 
necessity,  and  for  all  crops  this  should  be  cool,  but  not  quite 
dry,  except  for  Potatoes,  whose  delight  is  a  cool,  dry  atme- 
sphere  in  the  store-room. 
Describing  the  kitchen  garden,  he  said  that  a  deep  soil  was 
very  necessary,  and  his  experience  on  sandy,  loamy,  limey,  and 
other  varieties  led  him  to  prefer  the  Northampton  red  sand¬ 
stone  soil.  This  he  had  worked  3ft  deep,  as  soils,  wherever 
possible,  should  be.  Turnips,  however,  never  succeeded  on  this 
kind  of  soil,  which  was  good  for  all  other  vegetables.  He  wa.s 
hardly  able  to  employ  superphosphate  on  this  formation.  W’ith 
reference  to  heavy  clays,  he  thought  an  ordinary  lifetime  scarcely 
long  enough  for  a  man  to  make  them  good  -workable  tilths. 
A  kitchen  garden  sloping  to  the  north  is  often  badly  suited 
for  crops.  The  culinary  area  is  generally  walled  in,  the  wallj 
being  10ft  to  12ft,  and  choice  fruits  are  grown  thereon.  Hedges 
of  Holly  or  Yew  were  objectionable,  a.s  was  the  near  presence 
of  large  trees,  because  of  the  ingress  of  their  roots,  robbing  tlie 
garden  seil.  The  size  of  a  kitchen  garden  depends  on  the 
