130 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



February 17, 1912. 



of age (who, 

 sieters), was 

 through the 



ROYAL GARDENERS* 



ORPHAN FUND. 



About twenty subscribers to the above- 

 named useful and well-managed charity were 

 present at three p.m. on February 9, at 

 Simpson's, KK), Strand, on the occasion of the 

 -^innual meeting and election of annuitants. 

 Mr. H. B. May, V.M.H., chairman of com- 

 mittee, presided. 



Xotice of meeting having been read, and 

 the minutes of the previous annual meeting 

 confirmed, the committee*s report was pre- 

 sented, a<s follows: 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE. 



The committee, in presenting its report on 

 the operations of the fund during the past 

 year, has again great pleasure in congratu- 

 lating the subscribers on its steadily increas- 

 ing prosperity, and enhanced usefulne-s. The 

 accounte presented herewith will }je found to 

 show an appreciable increase in general sub- 

 scriptions and donations, a remarkable ad- 

 vance in the proceeds of the collection made 

 in connection with the annual festival, and a 

 still further increase in the total yearly 

 amount disbursed among the beneficiaries. 

 The total sum received in the form of annual 

 contributions still, however, remains much 

 below what it should be to enable vour com- 

 mittee to meet the pressing claims for assist- 

 ance constantly made upon the fund, and it 

 again appeals for a larger measure of sup- 

 port, from gardeners especially, with the 

 assurance that the smallest contribution will 

 be most thankfully received. 



At the commencement of the year the num- 

 ber of children receiving the full benefits of 

 the fund was 118, and 27 candidates waiting 

 for election were receiving temporary assist- 

 ance. At the annual meeting 16 children 

 were elected, 15 by the direct votes of the 

 subscribers, and one by spe<'ial rct-^olution. 



This was the very sad case of a boy, 14 years 



vnth. five younger brothers and 

 left to the mercy of the world 

 death of both parents within 

 three days of each other, and at a time when 

 such a lad most needs control and guidance. 



was able to provide a home 

 School of Handicrafts at 

 he will be maintained and 

 instructed in the rudiments of gardening 

 until he is 16 years of age. Your committee 

 thankfully acknowledges the readiness with 

 which its action was confirmed. 



During the year, 18 children ceased to re- 

 ceive the benefits of the fund, 15 under the 

 operation of the age limit, and three by re- 

 tirement on leaving the country with their 

 mothers, two of whom have joined friends in 

 the Colonies, and one in the TJnited States. 

 The committee has carefully selected a list 

 of 23 candidates to appeal to the subscriber.-; 

 at the ensuing annual meeting, and much 

 regrets it-s inability to prudently recommend 

 the election of more than 18. The total 

 amount disbursed in allowances during the 

 year exceeded by over ^50 the sum expended 

 in 1910, and is the largest amount distri- 

 buted in any one year since the fuml was 

 established. Since the first election, which 

 took place in 1888, the total sum distributed 

 in allowances amounts to over £24,746. 



The annual festival, on May 4, presided 

 over by Mr. Sherwood, one of the earliest of 

 the vice-prersidents, for several years the 

 treasurer, and from its foundation one of the 

 fund's most constant and most generous sup- 

 porters, proved by far the most successful 

 that has yet been held, the chairman's list 

 exceeding all previous efforts by nearly ^350. 

 Tour committee has in the past been con- 

 stantly indebted to Mr. Sherwood for in- 

 numerable acts of kindness and generosity, 

 and once more invites the supporters of the 

 charity to unite with it in expressing to him 

 its deep gratitude for the splendid services 

 rendered in the sacred cause on this occa- 

 sion. Most cordial thanks are also given 

 to all who so eutliusiastically helped Mr. 

 Sherwood in making the festival such a 

 splendid success. 



One of the most gratifying contributions 

 to the chairman's list was made bv Mr. 

 George E. McKsor, Hyde Side Nurserv, L ower 



Your committee 

 for him in the 

 Chertsey, where 



Edmonton, who, in recognition of the war] 

 interest taken in the charity by his late 

 parents, and as a lasting memorial to their 

 memory, gave £100 in Consols. Your com- 

 mittee the more keenly appreciate the filial 

 affection which prompted this gift from the 

 fact of both the late Mr. and Mrs. Messer 



been personal and highly esteemed 

 of most of its members. To their 

 son most grateful thanks are 



ac- 



liaving 



friends 

 worthy 

 corded . 



Your committee again acknowledge with 

 deep gratitude the valued contributions of 

 Sir Frank Crisp and others who so kindly 

 open their gardens to the public in aid of this 

 and other charities. It also most heartily 

 thanks the members of the Chislehurst Gar- 

 deners' Society, the Bradford Chrysanthe- 

 mum Society, the Altrincham Gardeners' So- 

 ciety, the Leeds Professional Gardeners' 

 Club, the Reading Gardeners' Society, the 

 Spen Valley Garderers' Society, and the 

 Sevenoaks Gardeners' Society, etc., who, by 

 means of concerts, flower shows, and the sale 

 of flowers at their local exhibitions, have 

 greatly benefited the fund. The honorary 

 local secretaries are also specially thanked 

 for their valued assistance and continued 

 interest in the welfare of the fund. 



Your committee with deep regret records 

 its sense of the heavy losses which the fund 

 has sustained during the year by the deaths 

 of old and greatly valued supporters. In the 

 late Mr. James Douglas and Mr. Alfred W. 

 G. Weeks two most esteemed colleagues have 

 passed away. Mr. I>ougias was a member 

 of the original committee, and Mr. Weeks 

 joined the committee on the death of its first 

 chairman, Mr. George Deal, both being ever 

 earnest workers on the fund's behalf. The 

 late Mr. A. J. Brown, of Chertsey, also for 

 several years worked hard in the cause of a 

 local secretary. The kindly efforts of one 

 and all will long be remembered. 



The retiring members of the committee are 

 Mr. W. Bates, Mr. G. L. Caselton, Mr. C. 



Dixon,, Mr. H. B. May, Mr. J. W. Mo«>T'man, 

 Mr. W. Nutting, Mr. G. Reynolds, and Mr. 

 J. H. Witty. AH being eligible, offer them- 

 selves for- re-election . 



1 the much lamented death of Mr. 

 M. Eo-rt^an, who had professionally audited 

 the accounts of the fund for the past 18 

 years, it is essential that a new auditor 

 should be elected, and the committee has 

 much pleasure in recommending the election 

 of Mr. Frank Reader to that oflfjce. 



CASH OTATEMKNT FOR THE TEAR ENDING 



DECEMBER 30, 1911. 



Receipts. ^ 



To Siihscriptionc — 



G'eneral 3 6 



Local S-ecretaries 81 11 10 



Donationis — 



General 



Xjoosil Secretaries 



m ■ 



133 3 0 

 20 8 1 



£372 15 4 



Reoeipte from Annual Festival 



Advertijieau'Dt^ in Lu^t of Siibseribere 

 Divi/i^'odt- on >toc'k and Intertv^t on 

 I)ep<x^it 



Inoonic Tax rt-turned 



1.~j3 11 



i,:m 0 



2ti 17 



1 

 5 

 0 



376 1 5 

 7 0 4 



Balance la*t Aci-oiint ... 



• * • 



• ' « 



2.2€6 5 7 

 8C7 8 4 



K XTKXUITIIRE. 



By Allow. inc. in OrjiJnn.-; ... £1.581 15 



£3.073 13 11 



9 9 

 T } 



Grint*^ in Aid 

 "Emma Shenvood Memorial" 

 " Maybiwl Camp-xU Gnant " 



180 Ifi 

 13 0 

 13 0 



0 



8 

 0 

 0 



< ■ ■ 



38 3 

 49 IJ 

 6 1 



0 



9 

 8 



3 ) 



Fecret 0 ry '.s la ry 



rriiitln.i? ind ro<;tiniy List of tiubscribers 



Rent, Inciurance, Firing*, 

 Lighting, etc. 



Frinttig and Stationery... 



Advertksing .. 



Annual General and Com- 

 mittee M^i'tin^r*; 



New Furniture and Co,-t of 

 Removal 



I'cetagi'.'i 



Ban^k Glcrir*^^ 



Petty C*a,-li ; Sundries 



£1,788 10 8 

 20O Q 0 

 m IG 8 



23 19 9 



18 

 28 



9 

 0 



9 

 1 



2 111 

 7 13 10 



174 10 11 



Balances — 



Ca*'K at Bank ... 

 Cflfih on DepoMt 

 Cash in hiind ... 



£2,202 18 3 



4*1 



420 5 

 4«0 0 



0 10 



o 

 0 

 3 



870 15 8 



The Chairman, in moving the adoption o' 

 the report and statement of accounts, said 

 that, as printed copies were in the hand^ of 

 all prct^ent, it was hardly neceteary to cover 

 the ground there treated. The charity was 

 thoroughly deserving of every support, and 

 he was sorry to find that many names well- 

 known in horticulture were still absent from 

 the list of subscribers, llie annual dinner 

 of 1911, presided over by Mr. N. N. Sherwood 

 was the most tiuccessful ever held> the euni 

 obtained being over £.^00 above anything 

 previously received at the festival. The dona- 

 tion of ^iOO by Mr. Merser, the chairman re. 

 ferred to as a highly appreciated gift and 

 memorial. Sympathetic reference was made 

 to the lewises sustained by death during the 

 year. In conclusion, Mr. May paid a loyal 

 tribute to the hard, regular, and conscien- 

 tious work done by every member of the com- 

 mittee. Mr. May also referred to the kind- 

 ness of Mr. Frank Reader, who assisted iu 

 the audit of the accounts, at short notice, 

 on the death of Mr. Martin Eowan. 



Mr. George Gordon seconded the motion, 

 and emphasised the need of more euppoit 

 from gardeners generally, and held up tlie 

 good example of several gardening societies 

 which in various ways already regularly aug- 

 mented the funds of the cliarity. 



On the motion of Mr. R. H. Pearson, 

 seconded by Mr. Alex. Dean, Y.M.H., Mr. 

 A. A. Sherwood, V.M.H., was heartily 

 thanked for presiding at the annual festival 

 dinner, and securing such a splendid succeee. 

 Mr. E. Sherwood was thanked for past ser- 

 vices, and re-elected as treasurer. Mr. Frank 

 Reader was elected an auditor on the motion 

 of the Chairman, and Mr. J. F. McLeod. 



Messrs. Bates, G. L. Caselton, C. Dixon. 

 H. B. May, J. W. Moorman, W. Nutting, (i. 

 Reynolds, and J. H. Witty, were thanked for 

 pa^t services, and all re-elected members or 

 the committee. Mr. Bryan Winn was re- 

 elected secretary, and in this connection the 

 Ohaimian took the opportunity of referrins: 

 to the new home of the fund at Bedford 

 Chambers, Covent Garden, where the fini*l 

 had a room in which the committee could 

 conveniently meet 



Messrs. W. Bates, G. H. Cutbush, W. H. 

 Cutbush, W. Howe, D. Ingamells, J. F. 

 McLeod, and J. W. Moorman, were appointed 

 scrutineers of the ballot, and the meeting 

 was adjourned until the declaration of the 

 poll. 



The poll was declared soon after five 

 o'clock, and it was then found that Gertrude 

 A. Rilev (461), Edward Dodd (376), Evelyn 

 Stokoe (336), Annie Steptoe (295), John E. G. 

 King (290), Thos. L. Rainey (278), Hu^li 

 Eraser (270), Alice Lee (260), Dorothy Ed- 

 wards (258), Reg. A. Powlesland (257), Mm- 

 jorie Billings (213), Wm. Sprackling (21i' 

 Ralph Deadman (206), Winifred Locky^r 

 (205), Ernest Wright (199), Elsie Pretty (132 . 

 Winifred Potter (148), and Thos. Riidge (11- 

 these eighteen were declared duly elected t 

 the benefits of the fund. 



A vote of thanks was passed to the scru- 

 tineers, and a similar compliment to tli*" 

 chairman closed the procedings. 



£3,0T3 13 11 



Chrysanthemum Kathleen 



May.— Some of tlie rich crimson-coloured 

 chrysanthemums lose their brightness wlien 

 they open late in the season, but not so this 

 charming kind. As the singles are by 

 means confined to flowers with one row ot 

 florets, Kathleen May can l)e de^ribed as a 

 single with an anemone-like centre. Good 

 <^\anlples may be had in flower throughout 

 the month of January, or even later. — S. " ■ 

 Gesneras.— We have had several op- 

 portunities at the Horticultural Hall Awnn 

 the autumn and winter of seeing the valu^ 

 of the garden varieties of gesneras for deco- 

 rative purposes at that season. In ^^^^^} 

 the diffei^nt forms vary a good deal, but 

 most effective during dull weather are tlK>^_ 

 of a warm orange or orange-red tint. 1"^ 

 foliage, too, of many 'of these gesneras i= 

 very handsome, being more or less oj 

 velvety texture, and mottled or marbled 

 varying proportions with red and green-- 

 S. W. 



