HOW TO EXTEND THE MEMBER SHIP AND USEFULNESS OF LOCAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 19, 6 May 1908, Page 39

HOW TO EXTEND THE MEMBER SHIP AND USEFULNESS OF LOCAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

(By H. Coleby.) Local horticultural societies are of two classes, and each has its own particular sphere of usefulness, and a paper of this kind must include a consideration of both. First, there are those ordinarily known as “ Town Horticultural Society,” or “ Cottage Garden Society,” and which chiefly aim at fostering the cultivation of flowers, fruit, and vegetables in the best manner by cottagers, allotment holders, and amateurs generally. Prizes are offered by the committee, and, as a rule, the competitions are entered into very keenly, and a healthy rivalry is secured. In order that everyone connected with the town, parish, or village may feel interested in the success of the scheme, sections for handicraft, needlework, knitting, honey, bread and cake making, butter-making, cooking of potatoes, etc., should be included. rhe children, too, are often considered, for besides needlework and knitting, in which the girls can compete, and fretwork, etc., for the boys and lads, wild

flower competitions often bring very tastefully arranged bunches and vases. A class or two specially for head gardeners should find a place in the schedule, and non-competitive exhibits ought to be solicited and welcomed. Hat trimming. boot blacking, towel washing, and several other minor attractions have been introduced of late years, and provide novel forms of amusement. THE ANNUAL SHOW. The annual show is. of course. the goal to which all exertions are directed, and there are several requirements which must not be overlooked to make the ven ture a success. They are: (1) A clearly arranged schedule and good prizes, mostly, if not all. in money. As a rule, those for whom these shows are arranged do not care for “cups” and such like articles.

(2) A representative committee of gardeners and others, not forgetting ladies, interested in horticulture, and in the welfare of the people of the parish, etc. (3) A good central place should hi* chosen for the show. (4) The tents should be arranged as conveniently as possible, and not be overcrowded with exhibits. (5) The needlework, handicraft, and such like exhibits ought to be kept separate from the horticultural products. (6) There should be tents for the sup

ply of refreshments, another for toys, etc., for the children, and if swings and roundabouts can Im* obtained, so much the better. (7) A good band must certainly be provided, for it enlivens the proceedings and acts as a great draw. (S) Seats should not be forgotten, for people do not want to Im* moving alumt all tin* time. If the above requirements are at tend - •<1 to. and the show is favoured with a line day. the year's exertions and anxieties ought to terminate with a most successful show. MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT S( M'l ETIES. The second kind of society is that which encourages mutual intercourse among their members, apart from tin* exhibition of the produce of gardens and

plant houses. These an* generally known as ••Mutual Improvement Societies," and during the past twenty years have done a great deal of good among gardeners, both professional and amateur. We have heard ot late that many of these useful societies have collapsed. What is the reason? Several causes arc assigned. First, want of interest in the society, not only by its members, hut by the general public and employers, who benefit by the gardener's art to a large extent. PILLING TOGTHER. Secondly, the committee do not all pull together for the society's good; and. thirdly, the secretary is not a good or ganiser, and lacks t iiosc qualities which arc so necessarv in keeping the society alive. There may be other reasons, cadi applicable to its own society, but those above mentioned arc likelv to be met with in all societies in a more or less marked degree; and. having briefly re ferred to the negative side of the quo lion. a consideration of the positive side will be more cheerful. It must be taken for granted that there must Im* no lack of interest. the commit tee must all work together, and (he secretary must be a good organiser. Perhaps more depends on flu* secretar\ than on anv other officer. He must be the right man in the right place, ami if lie can get tin* committee to work with him in tin* interests of the society, that society will assuredly not suffer. Membership is hound to llmtiiate. owing to flic movements of tin* younger men cs pecially. who ought to he continually trying to better tlieniseh cs. | am not an advocate of a voting fellow 'stagnating in one place; Io get as complete a train ing as possible in his profession he must sei* and practise different methods. But as soon as a new man takes up his abode bis ••head." or some other member. should have a talk with him and try to induce him to become a member of the mutual improvement association. Head garden ers may be potent factors in obtaining

new members if they would only take trouble to have a few minutes’ chat with’ their suliordinates. Now. supposing the society has a good number of members, what steps should be taken to keep their interest from flagging? It goes without saying that (‘very new-comer should be warmly welcomed by the committee. In reality the very existence of the society and its usefulness ought to be sufficient reasons, but in this age of “inducements’’

in the form of prizes for this, that, and the other, something more tangible, is required in mutual improvement associations. In the first place: — (1) Every horticultural society ought to become affiliated with the R.H.S. The subscription is as low as one guinea, and the benefits to be obtained are great—of many times tin* value of the subscription. I'he greatest benefit, to my mind, is the copy of the •“Journal,” a periodical «it once instructive, scientific, practical, and verv useful, not onlv to the profes-

sional gardener. but also to the amateur. 1 need not enumerate the other advantages to be obtained from affiliation, but any society wishing to unite with the R.il.S. for the good of horticulture generally should apply to the secretary of the society at Vincent Square for part iculars. (2) A gardeners' mutual improvement society by its very title suggests lectures. debates, essays, and chats, which necessarily would be on some subject connected with horticulture. As many of these papers as possible should be given by members of the society, although occasionally some outsider might be asked to give a lecture to infuse a little more life into the meetings of the associa t ion. CD Members should be encouraged to ask questions on matters relating to their profession and work. There could lie a certain time allowed for them on the agenda at each meeting, in addition to the dismission on the lecture, and they could be asked verbally, or lie written on a *lip of paper and handed to the seere I ary, or placed in a “question box.” \ny member who might feel qualified to deal with the subject should then give his opinion or practical experience. ft) X good library of useful works on Hie theoretical, practical, and scientific ispecta of horticulture ought to

pMPxist for the benefit of its mem-r-’bers. Some of these books might lie obtained as gifts from ladies and gentlemen interested in the society, others purchased by the committee.

There are so many good works now in existence that it would be difficult to make a selection for this paper, nor perhaps would it be wise to do so. The “Gardeners* Chronicle” publishes a catalogue which would form a guide to any-

one wishing to make a selection. (5) A good microscope and accessories, again, often prove very useful in determining fungus pests, the strcut lire of plant forms, etc., and if one or more of the members are adepts at staining, mounting, and preparing objects, so much the better. (6) A magic lantern, too. fitted with a good generator for acetylene gas, is of great service, and can be the means of illustrating many a lecture, for so numerous are the slides in almost every

branch of science that winter meetings can be made very instructive as well as entertaining. Many gardeners now are good photographers, and take- pictures of pretty scenes and flowers in their own or.in other people's gardens. These can often form the subject for an evening’s chat if made up as lantern slides. (7) Exhibits of flowers, fruit, or vegetables should be encouraged at the meetings. for they not only give the members something to look at, but often form the subject for conversation as to culture, training, etc. Some societies give points for these exhibits, and on them depend prizes at the end of the session. There is much to commend this, but at the same time it is not fair to the undergardeners, who have no means of bringing produce for this purpose. Certificates are sometimes awarded for wellcultivated specimens, or for new and good seedlings. (8) Essays, again, form another attraction for which prizes can be offered, but unless a man has had a certain amount of practice with his pen, and can express his ideas clearly, he fights shy of the undertaking. (9) Visits to famous gardens, to each other's gardens, or. again, to the nurseries and seed trial grounds of noted seedsmen, often provide instruction and enjoyment in the summer, when it is

difficult to get members together for an indoor meeting. (10) Another, but certainly not the least, of these suggestions—a flower show might and can be arranged, where facilities exist, for the non-competitive exhibition of flowers, fruit, vegetables,