56i 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAIE  GARDENER. 
December  17,  1903. 
the  number  of  members  was  only  -^Sl,  whereas  now  there  are 
over  a  thousand  members  on  the  .society’s  books,  showing  a  total 
increase  in  the  three  years  of  72  per  cent. 
“  Aurangements  for  1904. 
‘•The  Metropolitan  Show  will  again  take  place,  by  the  kind 
permission  of  the  Benchers  of  the  Inner  Temple,  in  the  Temple 
Garden,  on  Wednesday,  July  G.  There  will  be  no  prorincial 
exhibition  next  year,  but  an  autumn  Rose  show  will  be  held  in 
conjunction  with  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  the  new 
Horticultural  Hall  of  that  society,  on  Tuesday,  September  20. 
This  is  a  new  departure,  and,  should  the  season  prove  favourable, 
a  most  interesting  and  attractive  exhibition  of  autumn-flowering 
Roses:  may  be  anticipated, 
“  Members’  Privileges, 
‘  Members  subscribing  one  guinea  will  be  entitled  to  six 
five-shilling  tickets,  and  subscribers  of  half  a  guinea  to  three 
five-shilling  tickets  of  admission  to  the  society’s  exhibition  in 
the  Temple  Garden,  In  addition  to  this,  each  member  will 
receive  an  admission  ticket  for  the  .society’s  autumn  Rose  show 
to  be  held  in  the  new  Horticultural  Hall  of  the  Royal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society  in  Westminster,  Members  joining  the  society 
for  the  first  time  in  1904  will  also  receive  copies  of  the  following 
publications  :  — The  new  edition  of  the  ‘  Ofl&cial  Catalogue  of 
Exhibition  and  Garden  Roses,’  the  new  and  revised  edition  of 
the  ‘Hints  on  Planting  Roses,’  the  ‘Report  of  the  Conferences 
on  Pruning  and  Exhibiting  Roses,’  the  ‘  Report  on  the  Constitu¬ 
tion  of  Rose  Soils,’  the  ‘  C'onference  Report  on  the  Decorative 
Tse  of  Some  Garden  Roses,’  and  to  a  symposium  on  ‘  How  to 
Grow  and  Show  Tea  Roses,’  All  members  will  receive,  during 
the  course  of  the  coming  year,  a  new  treatise  on  pruning  Roses, 
which  will  be  prepared  by  a  special  committee  of  experts  ap¬ 
pointed  for  that  purpose.  Members  alone  are  allowed  to  compete 
at  the  shows  of  the  society.  Members  will  be  entitled  to 
purchase  tickets  for  their  friends  for  the  Temple  Rose  Show  at 
reduced  prices. 
••  The  committee  convey  their  best  thanks  to  the  donors  of 
special  prizes,  the  keen  competition  for  which  adds  so  much  to 
the  attractiveness  of  the  society’s  Metropolitan  exhibition,  ancl 
especially  to  Captain  Ramsay  for  the  handsome  cup  he  has  now 
given  for  six  consecutive  years  as  the  leading  prize  in  one  of 
the  most  popular  classes  in  the  show.  The  local  secretaries  have 
again  done  good  service,  the  most  successful  being  Mr.  C.  Barber. 
Mr.  H.  S.  Bartleet,  Mr.  H.  E.  Molyneux,  Rev.  R.  Rowley,  and 
Mr.  J.  Wakeley.  For  the  largest  number  of  fresh  subscribers 
obtained  by  any  one  member  during  the  past  year  the  committee 
gratefully  acknowledge  their  indebtedness  to  Miss  Willmott, 
a  vice-patroness  of  the  society:  in  fact,  during  the  last  three 
years  Miss  Willmott  has  .succeeded  in  adding  to  the  list  no 
fewer  than  fifty  new  and  influential  subscribers.” 
Bala.vce  8h.eet.  Year  Ending  November  3C,  1903. 
RECEIPTS. 
190?.  £  s.  <1. 
Tiec.  1.  Balance  at  b.ankers . 14  10  3 
Subscriptions  .  ..  ..  ..  0?6  16  S 
Affiliation  fees  and  medals  from  affiliated  societies  ..  6t  10  6 
Advertisements  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  10  16  0 
Erom  West,  of  Scotland  Rosarians’ Society  ..  ..  SO  0  0 
Special  prizes  ..  .  ..  ..  s.'i  1  >  o 
Proceeds  of  Temple  show  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  262  16  o 
Sale  of  publications  ..  ..  .  lO  is  (i 
Guarantee  fund— balance  of  call  not  p.aid  last  year  8  10  0 
For  proposed  treatise  on  “Chemical  IManures  for  Tea 
Roses,”  from  A.  Hill  Gray .  650 
£1,179  7  1  1 
EXPENDITURE. 
£  s.  d. 
Printing,  stationery,  and  advertising  . 13114  :4 
Postage,  telesrams,  and  sundry  expenses  ..  ..  ..  .6  4  10  6 
Expenses  Temple  show  ..  1 . £07  1  .6 
.,  Gl.asgow  show  . .  6  10  o 
Medals  . .  .  . 2?  10  10 
for  affiliated  societies..  47  4  0 
Prizes  Temple  .show  .  220  17  o 
,,  Glasgow  show  1.60  6  0 
Purchase  of  pi, ate  for  prizes . .60  1:5  0 
Assist  uit  secretary  and  accountant . .'5  0  0 
Balance  at  bank .  53  7  0 
£1,T0  7  11 
The  foregoing  report  and  balance-.sheet  having  been  briefly 
commented  on  by  the  chairman,  were  adopted  unanimously. 
The  thank.s  of  the  Society  was  given  to  the  officers  and  committee 
for  1903.  on  formal  proposition,  and  pa.s.sed  with  acclamation. 
Bye-law  o  was  then  altered  by  unanimous  consent  as  follows:-- 
“  That  the  first  part  read :  Notice  of  any  proposed  alteration 
either  of  these  bye-laws  or  of  the  regulations  for  exhibitions 
must  be  given  in  writing  to  the  Secretary  at  least  two  weeks 
before  a  general  meeting,  and  no  bye-law  nor  regulation  shall 
be  altered  except  at  a  general  meeting  of  the  Society.’’  This 
was  simply  to  facilitate  the  business  of  the  annual  meeting,  and 
also  prevent  any  surprise  being  sprung  upon  it. 
Next  there  was  proposed  an  addition  to  Regulation  1  :  ‘'  That 
Regulation  1  be  altered  so  a.s  to  read : — That  the  Society  shall 
hold  one  or  more  metropolitan  .shows  in  each  year,  and  provincial 
shows  when  practicable.  The  date  of  the  metropolitan  show 
shall  not  be  earlier  than  July  6.” 
This,  of  course,  was  proposed  by  the  Rev.  Jos.  H.  Pemberton, 
who  has  had  to  work  hard  and  incessantly  in  order  to  get  the 
alteration  made.  It  was  seconded  by  Mr.  J.  Jefferies,  Ciren¬ 
cester,  and  after  a  prolonged  discussion,  in  which  Mr.  Mawley 
moved  an  amendment,  seconded  by  Mr.  E.  Cant,  Mr.  Pember¬ 
ton  won  the  daj'  by  about  a  dozen  votes.  Last  year  he  only  lost 
by  one  vote,  and  to  make  certain  of  victory  on  the  present  occa¬ 
sion  he  had  urged  as  many  supporters  to  his  assi.stance  as  po.ssible. 
The  chief  reasons  for  the  propo.sals  were  circulated  some  months 
ago,  and  the  bulk  of  them  were  printed  in  our  pages  at  the  time 
(“  J.  of  H.,”  September  10,  page  249).  The  speakers  in  favour  of 
the  proposition  were  Rev.  A.  Eoster-Melliar,  M.A.  (whose  Roses, 
he  said,  were  generally  about  their  be:st  on  July  12),  Geo.  Gordon 
(who  had  prepared  an  analysis  from  the  reports  of  N.R.S.  shows 
for  twenty  years  back,  showing  that  the  best  exhibitions  had  all 
been  on<or  about  July  G  and  7),  W.  Boyes,  Derby  (who  had  never 
been  able  to  show  at  N.R.S.  exhibitions  owing  to  the  early  date), 
GeO'.  Paul  (who  suggested  that  Roses  bloom  nowadays  later  than 
formerly  owing  to  the  use  of  the  Briar  stock  instead  of  Manetti). 
also  Alex.  Dickson,  J.  Bateman.  Highgate,  N.  (his  Roses  are  at 
their  best  Julv  7  and  8),  H.  V.  Machin.  and -a  few  other  members 
from  the  Midlands. 
On  the  opposing  .side  there  were  O.  G.  Orpen,  and  a  member 
from  Croydon.  Mr.  H.  Molyneux  spoke,  but  did  not  take  sides. 
One  speaker  remarked  that  the  discussion  seemed  to  divide  itself 
into  North  v.  South,  to  which  there  were  repeated  cries  of  “  No! 
No!”  A  strong  point  with  Mr.  Pemberton  was  that  as  there 
would  be  no  northern  show  this  year,  what  was  to  become  of 
nortbern  members  if  an  early  date  were  decided  upon  ?  “  The 
compulsory  absence  of  the  Noirtliern  and  Midland  growers,  not 
only  this  year,  but  in  several  years  jiast.  seriously  challenges  our 
Society  to  the  name  of  National.” 
While  Mr.  Pemberton  fixed  his  dates  between  the  Gth  and  the 
12th,  Mr.  Mawle.y  fixed  his  between  the  3rd  and  the  9th.  The 
latter  said  he  was,  however,  truly  in  accord  with'  the  spirit  of 
Mr.  Pemberton’s  proposition,  i.e.,  he  wished  the  Society  tO'  be 
representatively  National.  July  G  would  be  right  for  a  late,  but 
not  for  an  early,  season.  The  two  last  .seasons  have  been  the 
latest  on  record  during  twenty-seven  years.  1879  excepted.  Mr. 
Frank  Cant  .stood  up  for  the  ”  small  ”  growers,  men  who  have 
only  a  few  hundred  plants,  who  pcussess  few  maidens,  and  are 
therefore  dependent  on  cut-backs,  which  are  over,  lie  said,  by 
July  G.  But  as  Mr.  Foster-Melliar  pointed  out,  the  cut-back.-; 
must  be  cut  still  harder  back,  and  they  won’t  then  he  out  ol 
flower  by  the  date  named.  The  discussion  was  interesting  in  the 
main,  and  the  matter  ma.v  be  regarded  as  settled  for  .some  time 
at  least. 
After  the  annual  general  meeting  the  friendl.y  dinner  was 
partaken  of  by  most  of  those  present,  Mr.  H.  V.  Machin,  J.P.. 
of  Worksoii.  presiding. 
National  Dahlia— Annual  General  Meeting, 
The  annual  general  meeting  was  held  in  London  last  week, 
when  the  following  report  was  submitted: 
Report  of  the  Com^iittee  e'Or  the  Year  1903. 
The  past  summer  may,  without  exaggeration,  be  described 
as  one  of  the  vorst  Dahlia  seasons  on  record.  The  severe  frosts 
during  the  latter  part  of  June  completely  destroyed  the  plants  of 
many  growers  in  the  north  and  midlands,  whilst  the  incessant 
heavy  rains,  often  accompanied  b.y  destructive  gales  during 
August  and  September,  together  with  the  extremely  low  night 
temperatures  of  the  latter  month,  made  the  season  (and  especially 
the  show  period),  a  most  imusuall.v  trying  one. 
The  London  exhibition  was  held  on  September  1  and  2,  and. 
despite  the  unfavourable  season,  the  exhibits  in  point  of  numbers 
showed  the  satisfactor.v  increase  of  25  per  cent.,  whilst  the 
quality  of  the  blooms  was  surprisingly  good.  Nine  certificates 
were  awarded  to  new  varieties. 
The  Manchester  exhibition  held  in  conjunction  with  the 
Royal  Botanical  Gardens  Society  took  place  on  September  11 
and  12.  The  number  of  exhibits  from  the  north  and  midlands 
was  seriouslv  curtailed  owing  to  the  disastrous  effects  of  the 
June  frosts,  but  in  spite  of  this,  a  fairly  large  number  of  entries 
were  obtained,  and  a  satisfactory  imrdict  must  be  oassed  on  this, 
the  first  of  the  Society’s  provincial  ventures.  Five  certificates 
were  awarded  to  new  varietie.-s. 
On  September  1.5  a  meeting  of  the  committee  was  held  at  the 
Drill  Hall,  Wastminster,  on  the  occasion  of  the  fortnightly  sliow 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  Five  certificates  were 
awarded  to  new  varieties.  The  number  of  certificates  awarded 
to  new  varieties  of  all  sections  in  1902  was  twenty-nine,  and  in 
the  present  year  nineteen,  out  of  a  total  of  105  seedlings  ex¬ 
hibited. 
On  September  17,  by  permission  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  an  inspection  of  the  C5actus  Dahlias  grown  for  trial  at 
