JtJy 6, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



13 



was prompted to remark in sotto voce, " I have been to many 

 dinners, sir, but I have seen nothing like this in the City of 

 London this year." 



On rising to propose the health of Her Majesty the Queen the 

 Chairman was received with an outburst of applause which was 

 long, and often repeated. After the loyal toasts, Lord Alfred 

 S. Churchill having in an excellent speech replied for the 

 army, the Rev. C.P.Peach proposed "The President and the 

 Vice-Presidents of the Institution," which was responded to by 

 Mr. G. F. Wilson, F.R.S., one of the Vice Presidents. 



The Chairman then introduced what is called the toast of the 

 evening, "Prosperity to the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Insti- 

 tution." He said, In proposing this toast I have to introduce 

 to your notice the claims and merits of an Institution which is 

 not one of those whose history has long been associated with 

 that of this ancient city. Its origin is of more recent date, and 

 does not extend beyond the time of living memory. It was on 

 January 17th, 1839, that a few earnest men, of whom few are 

 now alive, met at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand 

 to inaugurate a Gardeners' Benevolent Society. Mr. Buchanan 

 of Camberwell was in the chair, and they resolved to carry out 

 the object they had in view. On the 29th of the same month a 

 second meeting was held at Wright's Hotel in the Strand, the 

 Duke of Cambridge having become President. The only mem- 

 bers of the original Committee now living are Mr. Chandler 

 formerly of Vauxhall, Mr. W. Gregory formerly of CirenceBter, 

 Mr. Lane of Berkhampstead, Mr. Marnock, a name honoured in 

 horticulture, and whom we have the pleasure of seeing with us 

 this evening [great cheering], and Mr. Protheroe of Leyton- 

 stone ; so that out of the twenty-four members of the original 

 Committee there are only five who are now alive. 



The progress of the Institution was slow at first. Dissensions 

 crept in, and charges of mismanagement were made against the 

 Seoretary, who was replaced in 1843 by Mr. Cutler, who has 

 remained Secretary ever sinoe, and under whose good manage- 

 ment coupled with that of the Committees the Institution has 

 arrived at its present state of usefulness. 



With your permission I will take a retrospect of the working 

 of the Institution by way of reviewing our progress, to see what 

 condition we were in in 1842 and compare it with the present. 

 It is well that we should do this occasionally, that we may koow 

 whether we are advancing or retrograding. In 1842 we Btarted 

 with a balance in hand of £106 9s. Wd., and our income from all 

 Bources was £2042, of which £187 12s. was from subscriptions. 

 We had then £400 invested in consols, and that year £200 more 

 was added; and as the report states, " these gratifying prospects 

 induce them to recommend that two pensioners be elected ac- 

 cording to the rules of the Institution." Let us now turn to 

 our present balanoe sheet of 1876. We start this year with a 

 balance in hand of £441 9s. 8d., and onr income from all sources 

 is £1634 2s. 3d., of which £693 is from subscriptions. We have 

 £10,750 invested in 3 per cent, consols, a balance at the bankers' 

 and in hand of £430 12s., and Beventy-four aged pensioners on 

 our list who are receiving sums of £16 and £12 a-year. Now we 

 have doubtless made great progress since 1842, but has it been 

 as great aB it ought to have been? I think not; and my reason 

 for saying so is that when I look at the printed list of subscribers 

 there are numerous names of employers and employed which 

 arise in my mind whom I do not find there, and who ought to 

 be there. It is to the employers that we must chiefly look to 

 aid the Institution on behalf of the gardener, and I trust that 

 Borne scheme will be devised of reaching them more effectually 

 than we have hitherto done. But there are many gardeners 

 who can contribute also and who do not. I have heard some 

 even rail against the Institution, while others scoffed at it ; but 

 we have seen Borne of those who when in their prosperity were 

 loudest in their attacks upon it come, both they and their 

 widows, to be recipients of its charity, and thereby have coals 

 of fire heaped on their heads. There are few so poor as that 

 they cannot spare a guinea a-year at least for such a purpose. 



I shall conclude my appeal to you with an anecdote which 

 happened to myself. A few years ago I sent a letter broadcast 

 over the land soliciting subscriptions to the Gardeners' Royal 

 Benevolent Institution, and I am proud to say the result was 

 far beyond my expectation. Twelve months ago a person called 

 at the office of the Journal of Horticulture in Fleet Street, and 

 sending in his name requested to see me. I was very much 

 engaged, as I usually am, and could not see him, but requested 

 that if he had anything important to communicate he could 

 send me a note. He did not Bend me a note, but called several 

 times afterwards while I was absent, still keeping his Becret 

 to himself. One day he called while I was there, and his name 

 was again announced. " Do you know what he wants 1" said 

 I to the attendant. " No, sir ; he says he wants to see your- 

 self, and he has some money for you." " Then show him up," 

 said I [laughter]. My visitor was a grey-headed venerable 

 old man of gentle nature and somewhat agitated in his manner. 

 After I had given him a chair he began, " Two years ago you 

 wrote me a letter asking me to subscribe to the Gardeners' 

 Benevolent. At that time I was in great trouble, and I was very 



sorry I could not send you anything. My wife had been an 

 invalid for years, and she was then at her worst ; the doctors 

 had given her up, and they said nothing would do her any good 

 but her native air. She longed to go there, and wished to be 

 buried in the churchyard of her native place. I took her down 

 to Langholm in Scotland ; that is where she was born, and after 

 a fortnight she died. It was a great expense and sore trouble 

 to me ; but you know, sir, I did my duty to her and fulfilled her 

 last request. Then I thought of your letter and began to save, 

 and now I bring you £10 for the Gardeners' Benevolent." Gen- 

 tlemen, does not that touch your heart-strings and make them 

 vibrate ? If bo great an effort can be made by one so humble, 

 what may not you and we all do for the poor gardener if we but 

 try ? The Chairman sat down amidst great applause. 



The next toast, " the Health of the Chairman," was proposed 

 in a clever and humorous speech by Rev. Canon Hole. " The 

 Treasurer and Trustees" was proposed by Dr. Masters, and 

 responded to by Mr. Robert Wrench the Treasurer. " The Royal 

 Horticultural and Botanical Societies of London " was proposed 

 by Mr. W. Paul, and replied to by Lord Alfred S. Churchill and 

 Professor Bentley. " The Seed and NurBery Trades, and thanks 

 to them for their services to the Institution," was proposed by 

 Mr. Frank Fuller and responded to by Mr. B. S. Williams. 



On the health of the Secretary being proposed by the Chair- 

 man Mr. Cutler returned thanks, and announced that the sub- 

 scriptions of the evening amounted to upwards of £500. 



The music, which was under the direction of Mr. W. Ganz, 

 assisted by Miss Annie Sinclair, Madame Marie Belval, Mr. 

 Trelawny Cobham, and Mr. Maybrick, was executed in a very 

 masterly style, and elicited repeated rounds of applause. 



OXFORD BOSE SHOW. 



Much might be written about Oxford — of the beauty of its 

 architecture, its trees, and its gardens, but our remarks must be 

 limited to the grand display of Roses under the Lindens in the 

 grounds of Trinity College. The Show was a postponed Show, 

 and the only day that could be found for a second fixture was 

 Monday-the 3rd inst. Monday was felt to be an unfavourable 

 day, especially for distant exhibitors, but the time for staging 

 the blooms was prolonged until one o'clock, and this enabled an 

 exhibition to be made — even the finest exhibition that up to 

 its date had this year been held in England. Of course when 

 there was such a race against time the trains must be late, 

 yet by extraordinary efforts all collections were staged in time 

 for judging. The Show was arranged as if by magic, and it 

 was with great reluctance that some exhibitors ceased the 

 work of trimming and touching-up their blooms when judging 

 commenced. 



The Show was not only intrinsically good, but it was deoidedly 

 novel, and unquestionably one of the most delightfully enjoyable 

 Exhibitions that has been held at any time or place. The col- 

 lections were not arranged under a plastered roof, not even 

 under a roof of canvas, but under a living roof of Limes. This 

 Lime avenue is remarkable for its regular formation and the 

 density of its arch of green. The trees are growing 5 yards 

 apart in two rows about 20 feet asunder. The trees have been 

 roughly pruned at 20 feet from the ground, and their branches 

 arch over and sweep the grass. Underneath the main branches 

 are bare of foliage, and arch over almost with the regularity of 

 the ribs of a cathedral's nave. The light beneath is subdued, 

 and the most powerful sun could not penetrate the thick canopy 

 of foliage. On the day of the Show the sun was not bright, and 

 the bower, 120 yards long, was fully too dark to Bhow the dark 

 Roses to the best advantage ; but it was deliciously cool and 

 roomy, and no exhibition under canvas could have been so com- 

 pletely enjoyable and satisfactory. 



In the open class for seventy-two varieties, single blooms, 

 Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, had the first place, followed by 

 Mr. Prince, Oxford, and Mr. Turner, Slough, in the order named. 

 Messrs. Paul & Son's Roses were very massive. EdouardMorren, 

 Marquise de Castellane, Henry Ledechaux were in fine con- 

 dition. Duke of Edinburgh, Louis Van Houtte, Mons. Noman, 

 Eugenie Verdier, Nardy Freres, Marquise de Gobat, Ferdinand 

 de Lesseps, La France, Mdlle. Marie Rady, Beauty of Waltham, 

 Etienne Levet, Emily Laxton, Annie Laxton were all in the 

 old Cheshunt form, and what that iB many know — some too well. 

 Amongst the light flowers Madame Lacharme waB very beau- 

 tiful ; there were also good blooms of Marquise de Mortemart 

 and Alba Rosea. Mr. Prince's was a fresh and beautiful col- 

 lection, the blooms not large but just in their best state. Dr. 

 Andre and Souvenir de Mons. Boll were very splendid; and 

 Marie Baumann, Madame Lacharme, Charles Lefebvre, Duchess 

 of Edinburgh, Madame Fillion, Camille Bernardin, Felix Genero, 

 Marochal Niel, Homere, and Triomphe de Luxembourg were all 

 in superior form. It was not size but quality and freshness 

 that found favour with the Judges. Equal in these respects 

 were Mr. Turner's blooms, and they were also larger. This was 

 a splendid collection, in which the following were noticeable — 

 Mrs. Baker, Oxonian, Miss Haesard, Sir G. WolBeley, Royal 



