Agri Horticultural Society of India
Encyclopedia
The Agri Horticultural Society of India was founded in 1820 by William Carey on the Alipore
Road, Kolkata
. It has a flower garden
, greenhouse
s, a research laboratory and a library
. It houses a massive collection of plants and flowers
. It has a significant collection of botanical varieties, including Cannas
for which it has a long and distinguished tradition, with facilities for gardeners and plant/flower lovers. Courses on gardening and cultivation of certain species are offered to the general public from time to time.
A large variety of ferns and medicinal plants are grown in the Society's gardens. Thousands of fruits and flowers are grown and may also be bought at the nursery. It organizes annual flower shows in winter and imparts training in horticulture
which is a major seasonal attraction.
In 1894 Mr Percy Lancaster was appointed Secretary to the Society, and founded the famous Alipore Canna
Collection. His work was carried on by his son, Mr Sydney Percy-Lancaster
until his retirement in the 1960s.
Alipore
Alipore is headquarters of South 24 Parganas district and a neighbourhood in South Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.Alipore, Kolkata, not to be confused with Alipore, Gujarat, is one of the poshest and costliest localities in Kolkata, along with the area Ballygunge...
Road, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. It has a flower garden
Flower garden
A flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
, greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, a research laboratory and a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. It houses a massive collection of plants and flowers
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. It has a significant collection of botanical varieties, including Cannas
Canna (plant)
Canna is a genus of nineteen species of flowering plants. The closest living relations to cannas are the other plant families of the order Zingiberales, that is the gingers, bananas, marantas, heliconias, strelitzias, etc.Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae...
for which it has a long and distinguished tradition, with facilities for gardeners and plant/flower lovers. Courses on gardening and cultivation of certain species are offered to the general public from time to time.
A large variety of ferns and medicinal plants are grown in the Society's gardens. Thousands of fruits and flowers are grown and may also be bought at the nursery. It organizes annual flower shows in winter and imparts training in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
which is a major seasonal attraction.
In 1894 Mr Percy Lancaster was appointed Secretary to the Society, and founded the famous Alipore Canna
Canna (plant)
Canna is a genus of nineteen species of flowering plants. The closest living relations to cannas are the other plant families of the order Zingiberales, that is the gingers, bananas, marantas, heliconias, strelitzias, etc.Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae...
Collection. His work was carried on by his son, Mr Sydney Percy-Lancaster
Sydney Percy-Lancaster
Sydney Percy-Lancaster, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., M.R.A.S. was born on 19 July 1886 at Meerut, India. His father, Percy Lancaster, was a banker and a talented amateur gardener, who went on to become the Secretary of the Agri Horticultural Society of India in Calcutta, India.-Career:In 1902 Sydney...
until his retirement in the 1960s.
External links
- Society web site
- Botanic Garden Conservation International's Garden Search Database
- http://www.botanique.com/
- http://www.dmoz.org/Science/Biology/Botany/Institutions/Botanical_Gardens_and_Arboreta/
- http://www.ftg.org
- http://www.usbg.gov
- World garden finder