402 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Mat 18, 1912. 



known variety produced from it was Keen's 

 Seedling The lecturer referred to all the 

 best varieties to date and tlieir cultivation; 

 a^so to packing and market matters. 



\ ffood discussion followed, and one mem- 

 ber said he lost thirty thousand plants in 

 6in pots once through eelworm ; the soil had 

 been taken from old, well-worn ground Ihe 

 only way to free the soil was to sterilise it 

 before putting any plants in it. Members 

 who had lived in different parts of Great 

 Britain gave their experiences as to the effect 

 various soils had on the flavour of the fruits. 



Some very fine cut blooms were staged m 

 the competition classes. Mr. Heath had 

 grand lily of the valley, zonal pelargonium 

 Ian McLaren, and schizanthuses ; Mr. Pearce 

 very fine tulips, Picotee, Gesneriana, and 

 Loveliness; Mr. Pavey contributed show 

 p-largoniums, stephanotis, and . schizan- 

 t buses ; and Mr. Evans, Bougamyillea 

 glabra] sweet peas, and zonal pelargoniums. 

 Mr. C. Pearce presided, and hearty votes of 

 tnanks were accorded the lecturer and chair- 

 man. . i, XI,' 

 [lAssuming our reporter is correct on tnis 



occasion, and we have no reason to assume 

 otherwise we should be glad to learn on 

 what authority or authorities M'ss Rooper 

 based the foregoing remarkable statementri 

 concerning the history of cultivated straw- 

 berries. If our reporter was under a mis- 

 apprehension with regard to these statements 

 we have to have an opportunity of saying so. 

 —Ed., "G.M."] 



Royal Gardeners' Orphan Fund. 



About a hundred and twenty friends of 

 this charity dined together at the Hotel 

 Ocil on Wednesday, May 8. under the pre- 

 sidency of Sir Edwin Burning Lawrence. 

 Bart. The occasion was the annual fe^;tival 

 of the charity, when, under the influenc? of 

 good things," pleasant company, and sweet 

 music, hearts are warmed and pockets are 

 opened so that a large sum is raised to carry 

 on the work during another year. 



After the usual loyal toasts had been duly 

 honoured, the ('hairman proposed "The Royal 

 Gardeners* Orphan Fund," and in so doing 

 referred to the excellent institution of get- 

 ting folkfl to dine together. He instanced the 

 Master Skinners' and the Merchant Taylors' 

 Companies, which were always fighting each 

 other until some sensible person persuaded 

 them to dine together annually instead of 

 fighting, the one company to take precedence 

 on the toast list in the even year^, and the 

 other in the odd years; the result being that 

 for two or three hundred years there had 

 been a peaceful rivalry. He expressed hi8 

 pleasure that the Orphan Fund had no large 

 institution or high-salaried officials to main- 

 tain. The orphans were brought up in homes 

 by friends and relatives, an allowance of 

 58. per week being allowed for their main- 

 tenance whereas everv workhouse child cost 

 at least 7s. 6d. per week. The home train- 

 ing wasi texceillent, and the tchild was a 

 human being, a girl was "Mary Jane" per- 

 haps, but not "No. 242." At present 130 

 orphans were being maintained, and fourteen 

 waiting for election were being assisted. The 

 production of beautiful flowers and luscious 

 plants, especially the exotics, was hard and 

 exacting work, and lives were risked and 

 sometimes lost in it. Therefore it seemed 

 only right that all who enjoyed gardens and 

 flowers, and were all the better for the re- 

 fining influence, of tho©e things, should, assist 

 as far as possible to maintain the orphans 

 of gardeners. He referred to the tragic 

 disaster of the "Titanic," and pointed out 

 that possibly it might be made an excuse 

 for smaller contributions to the Orphan 

 Fund; but he suggested that those who 

 usually made excuses of this kind were not 

 seldom endeavouring to hide their own mean- 

 ness. He urged a larger increase of annual 

 subscriptions, and pleaded for generous gifts 

 so that the work carried on by the commit- 

 ter might not be curtailed. 



Mr. Edward Sherwood, the treasurer, when 

 responding, reminded those present that the 

 Fund had been established twenty-five years, 

 and that .£25,634 had been expended during 



that period on the maintenance of orphans. 

 They had ^12,533 invested, and the income 

 from this went to pay management and spe- 

 cial expenses, so that the Festival was the 

 ffreat source of income for carrying on the 

 work of caring for the children. He thanked 

 the chairman for hie presence and support, 

 and very strongly urged gardeners generally 

 to regularly subscribe to the charity. 



Mr N. N. Sherwood, V.M.H., proposed 

 ''The Visitors" in his usual hearty fashion, 

 and to this toast Lieut. -Colonel the Eight 

 Hon. Mark Lockwood, M.P., responded m a 

 humorous speech, while paying tribute to the 

 >)eauty of the floral decorations in the room, 

 and the very excellent work of the Fund. 



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

 mittee, proposed "The Chairman," to which 

 Sir Edwin Burning Lawrence made a suit- 

 able reply. n n-c 

 Tlie subscription list amounted to ^l,Oob, 



and included: 100 guineas from the chair- 

 man, £100 from Mr. Sherwood and his sons, 

 ;fc:50 from Messrs. Sutton and Sons, and i^lO 

 from Mr. Leonard Sutton ; -£59 19s. from Mr. 

 G. Cuthbert; Mr. Keynolds, ^36; Mr. J.F. 

 McLeod, M4-i); Mr. Anthony Waterer, ^3o ; 

 Messrs. Rothschild, 25 guineas; Sir Edward 

 Stern, 21 guineas; Sir W. Lever, 21 guineas; 

 Mr. D. W. Thomson, .£21 7s.; Mr. R. W. 

 Leech £19 19s.; Mr. W. Nutting, ^16 5s.; 

 Mr E. H. Pearson, ^16; Messrs. Barr and 

 Sons, 10 guineas; Mr. J. C. Eno, 10 guineas; 

 i\Ir T. W. Sanders, ^10; Messrs. J. 

 Carter and Co., ^10; Messrs. J. Veitch 

 and Sons, ^10 ; Mr. Howe, 8 guineas ; 

 Mr. H. B. Mav, 7 guineas; Mr. A. 

 Watkins, 10 guineas; Mr. W. P. Thompson, 

 MH}; Messrs. Wm. Cutbush and Sons, 5 

 guineas, etc., etc.; and i^l84 from Covent 

 <Jarden friends, collected by Messrs. W. 

 InoameLls, F. Wright and W, Poupart. 



The toasts were only three in number be- 

 yond the loyal ones, and the speeches were 

 brief and good. Floral decorations were de- 

 lightful, and excellent music was provided 

 under the able direction of Mr. Turle Lee. 



ANSWERS TO 



East Ang:lian Horticultural 



Club. 



At the rece*nt meeting of this club, held 

 at Norwich, there was a very large assembly, 

 and a most practical and interesting dis- 

 course was given by Mr. W. Smith, gardener 

 to Sir Forrest Fulton, K.C., Sheringham, 

 upon " Asparagus." To evidence his success 

 with this vegetable, Mr. Smith brought up 

 some wonderful sticks, the largest 18 inches 

 long and 4^ inches in circumference, and 

 practically the whole of it edible. Situate 

 as the garden is, in close proximity to the 

 sea, no doubt the saline mists have something 

 to do with the success, and he also stated 

 that a heavy dressing of seaweed is put upon 

 the beds at the fall of the year. Crude salt, 

 Mr. Smith said, did not have the beneficial 

 effects upon asparagus that was generally 

 supposed; he thought it was better far to 

 apply some potash salts. Construction of 

 beds upon various soils, and planting, were 

 points ably dealt with. A good discussion 

 followed by Messrs. Lewis Smith, J. Powley, 

 F. Williams, H. Perry, F. Graveling, and 



D. Howlett. 



The exhibits, as usual, were of a varied 

 and bright array. Mr. Frank Neave, Ling- 

 wood, brought up a beautiful collection of 

 brooms, including a new pink variety, rnd 

 some fine May-flowering tulips. The charms 

 of Fortune's Yellow rose wAe ably depicted 

 by a large bunch, brought up by Mr. J. W. 

 Chapman, Ashwelthorpe Hall Gardens. 



A great boon was bestowed upon the dis- 

 trict by the special prize offered by Mr. J. 

 Forder for the most queen wasps. A total 

 of 1,074, and two queen hornets, were brought 

 up. ' One gardener brought up 336, all 

 caught during the past few weeks in a garden 

 of seven acres. 



CORRESPONDENTS. 



CULTURE OF WATER MELOXS. - 

 C. C. yV.y Clapham Park: Kindly give me 

 any information you can with reference to 

 the cultivation of water melons. The seeds 

 I have came from Japan. Where ought the 

 plants to be grown? — The water melon 

 (Citrullus vulgaris) is a native of Africa, and, 

 as in the case of the melons in general culti- 

 vation, is of climbing habit, and is well 

 suited to the conditions that obtain in warm 

 climates where the insipid pulp is regarded 

 as refreshing, and appreciated accordingly. 

 This melon is not grown to any considerable 

 extent in Europe, except on the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, and in the southern parts of 

 Russia. In this country it requires glass 

 culture, and the aid of artificial heat, as in 

 the case of the melons generally grown in 

 this country. Practically speaking, the only 

 detail in which the culture of water melons 

 differs from that of the other kinds is the 

 vines are not stopped, but allowed to grow 

 unchecked. In America, where the sum- 

 mers are much hotter than ours, water 

 melons are largely grown in the open, and 

 the fruits much appreciated; but, according 

 to experience and observation, they are not 

 worth growing in this country. If you de- 

 cide to grow them, devote a spacious pit to 

 their culture, and proceed as you would in 

 growing the melons with which you are fami- 

 liar, except that the growths be not stopped. 



HOW TO REACH THE ROYAL INTER- 

 NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBI- 

 TION.— M. T., Bude: Some of your readers 

 are coming, I expect, like myself, from the 

 provinces to see the great show at Chelsea. 

 We are not well acquainted with the 

 graphy of London, therefore if you couM 

 give a few brief suggestions for reaching 

 the exhibition quickly and cheaply, from tne 

 principal termini, some of us would be very 

 grateful.— We had already arranged to give 

 the information here asked for, and particu- 

 lars will be found set forth in the present 



i 



1 



i 



GARDENING ENGAGEMENT. 



Mr. G. A. Bruton, of Horley, Surrey, has 

 been appoint<-d head gardener to T. B. 

 Forwood, Esq., Frimhurst, Fnmley Green, 

 Farnborough, Hants. 



issue. 



COMPENSATION. 



S. 



WORKMAN'S . ^, ^ „ „^ 



E. G., Warwick; Will you kmdly tell me 

 the general lines on which to proceed in tne 

 case of a claim for compensation for injury 

 received during employment?— An injureu 

 workman desiring to obtain compensation 

 must give formal notice of the accident tonm 

 employer, and make a claim on the fmP^**?;; 

 for compensation. The notice must be seni 

 to the emplover in writing as soon as prat 

 ticable after the accident happens, and be ore 

 the workman has voluntarily left the emp^- 

 ment; it should give the name and addw* 

 of the workman, and should state m ordinary 

 language, the cause of the injury ana i 

 date on which the accident occurred, a 

 claim for compensation must be made w^iin 

 six months from the date of the accident, or^ 

 in case of death, within six months . 



After notice of an accident 

 the workman must, n j 



submit himself 



and 

 his 



M orkman 

 the com- 

 , 7er diT<^" 



tied \ 

 of 



time of death, 

 has been given, 



required by the employer, 



for examination by a doctor providea 



paid by the employer. I*' 1^^, f J^^^nded 

 rights under the Act are to be suspeu 



till the examination has taken F^^^' i 'ijy 

 claims for compensation may be settle . 

 agreement between employer and 

 and, excepting in cases of deatii 

 pensation may be paid by the i^mp- 

 to the workman. If the claim fj* 

 agreement, a memorandum , p-istrai" 

 the agreement is to be sent to the iieg ^^^^ 

 of the county court for registration. 

 registered, the agreement becomes en 

 able as a county court j^^S"^^^^; the 

 where an agreement is made, ^J*^^^^ ^j^ent 

 first instance or subsequently, tor p^^ 



of a lump sum down instead of ^'^^.^ r;^ the 

 ments, the agreement will not ^^^^ 

 emplover of his liabilities to "^.^f^^^ To 

 payme:nts, unless it has been ^^f^'^Yj^ iuinp 

 prevent agreements being made ^ ^j,e 

 sums, which are unfair to the 

 Court is now given power, if it ^^V^ "l^j by 

 an agreement ought not to be regi^^^ 



