IQO 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Exhibition s^ and M eetings. 



UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND PROVIDENT 



SOCIETY, March 13. 



_ , . . j aH pnHance at Tthe annual meeting of the above [friendly 



There was a fairly good »«™^^ n Hotel, Adelphi . Mr. George Wythes 

 S oc.ety which took place ^at the Cale don t ^ 



S CUP t'h1 £^ lMrW«d the report and financial statement for the 



past year 



1897. 



10, 1 



The amount 



report foi 



In presenting the annual report and balance-sheet for the year ending January 

 ijTSKSK have g^eat pleasure in stating that 

 in a prosperous condition. Sixty-eight members joined during the year, twenty 

 one based, and three died, one being a lapsed member, and the 

 to thefr credit in the ledger have been paid to their nominees. The mmto^ip is 

 now six hundred and eighty. The amount of subscriptions paid by ^members to 

 the benefit fund, including arrears for 1896, was £1,064 14* 2d - . 

 paid to sick members was £232 9s., there having been forty-six members on the 

 fund. The amount of subscriptions to the Benevolent Fund from honorary and 

 benefit members was £129 is., and £23 10s. has been granted in small amounts 



to four member* from this fund. , « ^ . 



The Convalescent Fund is progressing favourably. It is suggested that this 

 fund should now be incorporated in the rules. The amount received for this fund, 

 including donations at the annual dinner, was £28 os. 8d. Two members 

 received £l ios. each from this fund. The Management Fund shows a balance 

 of '£77 15s. 7d., having benefited to the extent of £10 ios. by donations at the 

 annual dinner ; also £10 6s. 6d. by advertisements in the annual report. The 

 annual dinner was again held at the Holborn Restaurant. H. B. May, Esq., 

 occupied the chair, and fulfilled his office in the best manner possible, and every- 

 one present thoroughly enjoyed the evening's entertainment. The accounts were 

 audited by Messrs. W. Gunner and G. Dixon, and found correct, 

 again invite members of the craft to join this society, and so lay by something for a 

 rainy day, taking for their motto, 11 Union is Strength." 



Financial Statement. 



Limits of space prevent us from giving in detail the balance-sheets of the four 

 funds, but we may state that the balance in hand on the Benefit Fund is £9,857 

 1 is. 5d., as against £8,834 5s. 5d. at the commencement of 1897 ; the Benevolent 

 Fund has increased its balance on the right side from £2,604 os. 56. to £2,805 

 3s. gd., and the Convalescent Fund from £304 6s. 6d. to £338 3s. 8d. ; the 

 balance in hand on the Management Fund is £77 15s. 7d., which compares 

 favourably with that of £44 14s. 7d. last year. The treasurer's statement of 

 accounts shows the actual working of the year, and is as follows : — ■ 



Treasurer's Statement of Accounts. 



Dr. 



1897. March 3 

 To Balance in hand 



The committee 



Receipts 



£ 

 60 



To 



» l 



» » 



M 



• * 



99 



n 



»» 



» t 



• » 



* * t 



• # • 



■ ■ • 



• • » 



* t ■ 



■ • • 



• • » 



• • * 



1898. March 9 



Honorary members' subscriptions for 1897 

 Benefit members' subscriptions, 1897 



Ditto Benevolent ditto 

 . Ditto Convalescent ditto 



Ditto Management Fund ditto 



Ditto Arrear subscriptions, 1896... 



Ditto ditto Benevolent Fund ... 



Ditto ditto Management Fund... 



Revocation fees, rules, &c 



Advertisements in report and balance-sheet, 1896 

 Donations at annual dinner, to Management Fund 

 I >ividends on investments per trustees 



s. d. 

 4 5 



• • * 



« • • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • t 



• • • 



■ • 



• • t 



■ • • 



• • • 



47 

 1,042 



75 



28 



73 



• • ■ 



* ■ • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • a 



> • * 



• • • 



ft ft • 



• • • 



6 



5 

 o 



10 



10 



366 



5 

 2 



11 



o 



19 

 11 



4 

 14 



5 

 6 



10 

 19 



o 



3 



9 



3 

 o 



11 



3 

 6 



6 



6 



o 



o 



C R . Expenditure . 



1898. March 9 



By Sick pay from Benefit Fund 



Payments to nominees of deceased members 



Payments from Benevolent Fund 



Payments from Convalescent Fund 



Payments from Management Fund 



Investments, stamps, and commission 



£1,749 14 9 



» » 



» » 



■ • 



• ■ • 



• • • 



99 



• a • 



• • • 



* § 1 



• • t 



• ■ 



■ • 



- ■ 1 



• • • 



• • • 



• * • 



• • • 



■ • 



. £ 

 232 



23 



3 

 97 

 1.305 



s. 



9 



14 

 10 



o 



6 



d. 



o 

 10 



o 

 o 



2 



IO 3 



By 2 Balance in hand 



• ft ft 



ft ft • 



ft ft * 



1,677 10 

 72 4 



3 

 6 



To 



» » 



» I 



f * 



Statement of Liabilities 



Liabilities, 



1S98. January 10 



Benevolent Fund 



Convalescent Fund 



Management Fund 

 Benefit Fund ... 



d Assets. 



£1,749 14 9 



* » • 



■ * 



• • • 



• • » 



• • ■ 



• • • 



■ • • 



• • • 



• ■ 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



£ s. d. 



2,805 3 9 



338 3 8 



77 15 7 



9,857 11 5 



Balance 



t ft 



• • • 



• * 



• • t 



ft • • 



• ft • 



ft ft ft 



13,078 14 



93 10 



5 

 1 



By 



1898. 



January 10 



Investments at par valuation : 



Nottingham Corporation Stock... 

 Manchester 



Assets, 



West Bromwich 



Cardiff 



York 



99 



• » 



1 » 



1 > 



99 



South Indian Railway Government Stock 



• ft ft 



• • « 



» ft ft 



• • ft 



ft • ft 



t ft ft 



ft ft ft 



ft ft • 



ft ft • 



ft ft ft 



• ft ft 



ft ft ft 



• ft ft 



• • ft 



£13.172 4 6 



£ s. d. 



5,500 o o 



1,600 o o 



3,3°° o o 



1,100 o o 



600 o o 



1 ,000 o o 



ft t » 



• ft 



March 



Mr. Hudson, who read 



ZSBfiZ^ ^formed 



«9, is* 



500, was worm A",.><~» -'^ncnester Corporation c , T^Uco sCLT 

 760; West Bromwich Corporation Stock, STS? £i,6<£ *J 



poration Stock, £,,ioo, worth ^ . Y^Cor^Z^'^ 



ft ft ft 



V • ft 



Cash in hands ofitreasurer 



• • • 



■ • 



* • • 



i3> 10 <> 

 72 



o 

 4 



o 

 6 



Total invested money... 



Audited and found 



• • • 



correct. 



£13**72 4 6 



... £13,100 



GEO. DIXON, } . ... 

 W. GUNNER, / Auditors. 



Corporation 



worth ^642 ; and South Indian Railway "Govern 

 £1,225. Thus their £13,100 1 invested now had a total value nf 7? **** 

 Mr. Wythes, in moving the adoption of the report ij I f l W- 

 It has been a very great pleasure to me to listen to the mr!* , nce - sl *et, laid . 

 of the working, financial and otherwise of this society a «5£ 

 10 last. From inquiries made I have been enabled to discover / ^ J«S 

 general progress of this excellent society. The advJS V^Si ofJ 

 astonishing ; and when the merits of the society, however ar^ r J* en 

 as they should be, by every gardener in the kingdom '^ r " aretull y con^S 

 surprise to me that the increase has not been more 'ranid tL ** a **** * 

 question as to the sound financial basis of the society for ther* ' • m ** * 

 at par value of £13,100, but which I am informed by the mves . ted »F«i! 

 worth £i4,742 ios. There are about 720 paying benefit memhf"' * 

 books of the society, and the investments work out at an averaS t D ° W 00 

 ios. 8d. per member. Some members of course have close upon f!L 2 > 

 these are the oldest members, and there is less, as a matter of °** 5 

 younger ones. If one turns to the management expenses-and hereT^' 10 

 well-deserved compliment to the officers and committee for the adm' w 6 

 which the affairs of the society are being managed— there is this prat'r • V* ■ 

 be noted, viz. : the entire working expenses of the past year are 7 ln ?J*tt to 

 per cent, of the income. Members and non-members should note S j * 

 trast it with the working of other societies of a similar kind. It mayVell* 



, . , — ial co 



; must therefore be some other 



asked, Can other societies of any standing show such a sound finan^i! W ?. k 

 as that of the United ? I think not. There must ther^f™ k" "° ? Cla condlt >« 



r - : 



I I f 



why the members do not increase more rapidly than they do. 

 disposed to think it is caused by negligence and apathy ; some dVimend^ 1 - 

 perhaps, but put off doing so from year to year. Some think possible tW* 

 do better by joining mixed societies. Can they? I think not. It must K-* 

 evident to everyone who thinks the matter out that large societies with 

 branches cannot possibly be worked so cheaply as the United contr^liS 

 by a central board of management. There is a fascination perta* 

 in the regalia and paraphernalia some societies have, but this does not benefitS 

 individual members. The investments of the United during the past year asw 

 have just heard, amounted to ^l,20O, or ^ioo per month. For the pin tit 

 years £1,100 each year were the sums invested. Thirteen years back, I have bea 

 informed, there was invested the sum of £301 17s. 6d., which for that year (1884) 

 made up the total of invested monies to £3,000, so that from 1884 to 1897 At 

 increase at par value has been more than £10,000. 



The members should not lose sight of the fact that the Executive Commtel 

 are still enabled to allow each one respectively 3 per cent, per annum on tfcr. 

 balances standing to their account in the ledger. This allowance of 3 per cent, 

 cannot go on many more years at the present price of sound trustees' stock, whfck 

 do not realise now more than 2% and 2^ per cent. The more one considers the 

 rules of this society, the more disposed will they be, in my opinion, to give era? 

 credit to the originators of the United. I am glad to see here to-night some of 

 the original members who have never drawn one penny from the funds. Emj 

 member should do his best to obtain fresh members, never missing a chance to 

 press home the essential features of the society, and bearing in mind the motto of 

 the society, " Union is strength ! " I have not the slightest doubt that there ire 

 many candidates for the pension of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institoti 

 (a society I am much interested in) who would be only too glad if they were 

 members of the United ; yet many do not appear to have belonged to any society 

 at all. I hope, when the report of the past year's working is noted in the horti- 

 cultural Press, that many more will be induced to join, I have not the slighter 

 doubt that these reports and notices have been the means of inducing miaj 

 gardeners to join the ranks, and the willingness with which any notice of li 

 society is inserted by the several editors deserves every possible recognition. I 

 should like to draw attention to the " Voluntary Convalescent Fund." Its mae 

 describes its use very well, indeed. What an advantage this fund should betooir 

 young gardeners throughout the country ; those, for instance, who are eil k - m 

 bothies or lodgings, and who after an illness would be greatly benefited byachaafl 

 of air. When I and others in this room were in a bothy or lodgings, we had * 

 such opportunity as this fund affords of regaining health and strength. To m 

 young gardeners, therefore, who are moving from garden to garden, I would sty 

 " Bear this fund in mind ! " In conclusion, I would refer to the remarkably tof 

 death-rate which, in spite of what some say to the contrary, points to * c ™*# 

 ness of gardeners in general and their longevity in a marked manner. Then, * 

 course, it must be added that our profession will bear a very favourable comptf- 

 son with any other for those cardinal virtues which go to build up good ctia ^T 

 and healthy bodies. I have much pleasure in moving the adoption of the rep* 

 and balance-sheet of the year 1897. , 



Mr. W. Marshall, who may be regarded as the originator of the soot. 



seconded Mr. Wythes' proposal. He contrasted the present ste^,^^/., 

 that which obtained in the childhood of the society and expressed his tna» 

 Providence for sparing him to see a scheme for the benefit of gardeners 

 such a prominent and sound position. He congratulated the society up» 

 management and present position. The report and statement being 

 unanimously it was decided, upon the proposal of Mr. Cole, that 2,500 cop* 



printed and circulated. f u^rrtiri^. 



The next business was to elect four committeemen in the place of th^ ^ 

 the retiring members offering themselves for re-election. Those f^^^ 

 Messrs. Thomson, Wheeler, Cook, and Wood. A vote of thanks i0 ^T^ 

 proposed by Mr. Cole, was responded to by Mr. Hudson, who oncc ^ 

 himself to do all he could on behalf of the society. The Chairman haung ^ 

 congratulated the society upon having such a hard working and painsi ^ ^ 

 tary, proposed the re-election of Mr. Collins to that post. Mr. win , ^ 

 re-elected and thanked the members for their confidence ifi him. ^ iccs dsnaC 

 gather Mr. Collins receives the stupendous sum of £35 I0S - for ms \ hortic^ 

 the past year. Votes of thanks to the committee, the trustees, ana 

 press, were all unanimously passed. A vote of thanks to the cnairro , 

 Mr. W. Marshall, and seconded by Mr. Cook was carried with acciam*— 



Special General Meeting 



As 

 to conside 

 be numbered 



pecial general meeting followed the annual general meeJSS 

 ider the advisability of altering Rules 8 and 14, and of adding 



and** 



a new 

 ously ijF* 



to alter 41 £20 

 future by £10. 



S Rule 1 8a. On the motion of Mr. Hudson, it was unanim ^ f 

 ? o," in Rule 8, to « £30," this raising the salary oHD ^ ^ 



It was the opinion of the meeting that even 



