NELSON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 September 1908, Page 1

NELSON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. AFFILIATION WITH THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the Nelson Horticultural Society waa held at the Camera Club Room last evening. The President. Mr Wilson Heaps, occupied the chair, and Acre was a very fair attendance of members. Minutes having been read and confirmed, the Committee's report was read by the secretary, Mr W. H. Simpson, ,-is follows : — "Your Committee have pleasure in submitting their report on the operations of the Society for the year 1907-8. The Society, it will be remembered, after havine ceased to exist for a period of ten years, was last year again brought into activity. That the tiipe was ripe for a revival pf the Society, has been proved by_ the success of the year's working, which shows, notwithstanding heavy expenditure on . bcjth old and nevr plant, a balance of roughly £12. The new society had the good fortune to start with a sum of £32 ,2s 9d to its credit in the bank, this ' amount having been handed over by resolution at a meeting* of subscribers iof the old Societv. After paying £8 for new table and boxes, and £7 for repairing and painting the old boxes, a profit of £12 was made during the year. and this, added to the sum originally in the bank, enables us to start the new year with the substantial credit hnlance of £44 odd. "The number of members on the roll exceeds 120 .but this should not be regarded as the limit of the Society's membership. With th.? low subscription of 5s there should be at least 200 mei.ibers, and an effort 6hould be made by all who have the interests of ilie Society a.t heart to procure additional members. The 5s gives admission to four Allows and also the right ! I<> enter exhibits at half tlie entry fee , charged non-members. These privileges may reasonably be expected to enj cure a lar^o accession to the Society's I membership, and if present members will use their best endeavours to get i others to join, the Society cannot fail to flourish and have a prosperous career. "The first show of the new society ' was held in the Provincial Hall in November, and was a great success from all points of view. Some doubt had I been expressed as to the wisdom of ) chareine an entry fee, as this had i never been done in former years. But 1 (he onti'ies came in splendidly, with the result that the Hall proved far too small for the number of exhibits sent in. The attendance of the public at the show was very satisfactory, and the general verdict was that the exhibition compared more than favour-Ably with any previously held in the city. "In April the Society held a chrysanthemum and fruit show in the Drill | Hall, which was engaged for the rea- ' non that another big display was anticii oated. and that it would accommodate a larger number of exhibits than the Provincial Hall. The chow, however, was not nearly so successful as the sprine show. The display of chryi santhemums, so far ac numbers went, I was very disappointing.. This was doubtless due to the fact that there j had not been, a chow for so many ' years. and that therefore growers had ' not taken trouble to grow exhibition ' blooms. The prospects for the next autumn show are much brighter if the ' number of members who intend growing chrysanthemums this eeason can be taken as a criterion. It is hoped that (he cultivation of thia flower will become popular, as the chrysanthemums must be one of the mainstays of an autumn show. The exhibits of fruit were not as numerous as hoped for, but in this section, too, a vast improvement is looked for next year.., A movement has been initiated which it is expected will ensure a magnifioent display of apoles at the 1909 show — a display which will be representative of the wfoole province. The exact lines on which the movement referred to will be work, ed are not yet settled, therefore no! further information in regard thereto I can at preeent be given. "Durine 1908-9 the Society will hold four shows — a bulb show on September 16th: the spring show in November; a sweet nea and carnation show in December: and an autumn show. The . Imlb and sweet pea and carnation chows will be experiments, and their continuance will depend on the degree of success attending them. Bulbs are largely grown in and around the city, and if cultivators of them will only .tend them in for exhibition a very . fine show will result*. Xlio prospects ior the spring show are particularly bright. Durine the past winter an enormous number of rose trees have been planted, and the interest in rose culture autrurs well for the spring show. The sweet pea and carnation show also proi mises to be a great success. A great many members have this year sown sweet peas-, several of them, it is known, with a. view to exhibiting. "Your Committee recommends that the Societv affiliate with the Royal - Horticultural Society. The Royal > Horticultural Society was established 3 in 1804. and "from the earliest years of its existence has ranked as one of the Learned Societies of Europe; and r> since ita revival in 1887 its memberr ship has so rapidly increased that there - are now .10.000 Fallows, Honorary and Corresponding members and Associates belonging to it." Two hundred English c Drovincial and colonial horticultural so•j j cifities are affiliated, the latter includf ' in? the societies of the larger New i Zealand centres. Affiliation with the 1 Royal Horticultural Society will give '' ! our Society a standing which no other ° steps that could be taken could possibly ' s secure, and therefore your Committee ,r recommend affiliation forthwith. "The question of affiliation with other Societies is also worthy of the consid* '' eration of our Society, and more parti- ■- cularlv with, say, the National Rose c Societv. the National Sweet Pea Society, and the National Chrysanthemum Societv. 1 "The thanks of the Society are due y to Mr J. Bruce, who gave a very in- £ terestinc "Talk on Itoses" to mem- ,. bers and others. Mr Bruce imparted ! s considerable quantitjy of information with re sard to roses, and his de moastration of pruning was meet in " structive*. These "talks" could be " made the means of disseminating know o ledire of other varieties of flowers be 0 sides roses, and if members would comi ;s forward and read papers or give shor ii lectures thoy would holp greatly t< g popularise tho Socioty. 10 "Shortly after the Society was re formed. Mr T. H. Bannehr, who hae been one of the most- active supporter: _. of the old Society, left Nelson.. In re *. cosnition of his efforts on behalf o: a j horticulture. Mr Bannehr was electee l, 0 a life member of the Society. 0 £ "Durine thei yeaT'death. removed oni of the old Society's 1 , most proininen members — Mr. JJ. 7C.7 Burford. J. For j

treat many years iur buimu u«"* worked in the; Lltemjts of the Society, and your Comnntt«3»iJoii his -death, -sent a letter of sympathy to the bereaved farnilv. accompanied'- by" a. wreath. "The thanks *>f.*£e f Society- are duo to the donors of . spfcial prizes ; to tha ladies who so successfully conducted afternoon tea at . thei .spring show and netted a sum of ;>ver £9 ; to the judges who save - their services at the two shows : to Mr E. Hounsell forreceiving ontries and paying prize money; to the Wakefield Horticultural Society for the _ loan of boxes ; Jto tji* members of the Garrison and- Citizens' Band for playing at both the'/spririg'and the autumn shows; aud to the Chamber of Commerce for the free . nee of a. room for meetings; and to those exhibitors who donated their priz^. money, or a portion of it. to the Socety's funds." Mr B. H. Molter moved the adoption of the report, Mr R'H. Richmond seconding and congratulating the Society on the year's w6rking,\ahd referring to the services .rer^erefc-'by the secretary. The motion wis^cajried. "."' . ' Tbe balance : sneetv presented by Mr B. H. Moller, ithejj.hbm. -Treasurer, was adopted. - - '„ *.->-•- \ Discussion ensued Jon the Committee's recommendation 'Unaffiliate with the Royal Horticultural Mr Moiler moved, and Mr ; B.'.* j'i Izard seconded that the- Society affiliajbe. All the speakers agreed that' to affiliate would be a step in the right direction. 'J The motion was carried unanimously.Dr.' "Wright moved and Mr T. S. Merrick seconded that the Society also affiliate with the National Rose, National Sweet Pea, and National Chrysanthemum Societies. The proposal was generally favoured, and the motion was carried unanimously. „ . Officers were elected as follows : Patron : Mr F. H. Richmond (re-elected), President, Mr W. Heap's (re-elected). Vice Presidents : Messrs B. H. Moller, F. W. Hamilton, M. PJ Webster (all reelected), E. B. Izard'and T. S. Merrick. Hon. Secretary: MrJSV.'H. Simpson (reelected). Hon. Treasurer-:. Mrß. H. Moller (re-elected). Hon." Auditor: Mr -A. E. Tasker. Committee: Messrs P. Bond, A. Day, J. E. Ho'uiisejl, L. Sheather jun., j. A. Stringer (all re-elected), A. E. Tasker and .U,- Chapman. Ladies' 1 Committee: Mesdames Sclanders, M. P. Webster, P. Bond.' F.. A. feunford, A. R. Kitching, and ' Miss M. Fleming. Mr Izard stated that Miss Marsden, of : Stoke, had promised to Jgive, a cup for ' competition. It^would piobably be either for bulbs of carnations^- the donor had ■ not yet decided.: •• It was resolved to thank Miss Maisdeit'fpr hfr gift. It was resol-v-eH'-Joti '■ Mr Day's motion that all narcissi ?at\to-inoiirows show be exhibited in vasgs;JJ>' p:.. ■ The dates of Va*, Show were fixed for Friday -ana 'Sturday, November 20th and _.__&§.. J "JJ ?■-. A general discussion on Society matters. Mr Izard aria* other members indicating directions w which improvements and extensions might be made. Special prizies J yiere offered for the Bulb and the Spring Shows. The Secretary *as Rioted a bonus of five guineas in recognition 1 of his efforts on behalf of the'Sdcietyj."; ' The meeting thenterminated. pr-% -.:,;_: " . ■