GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



(iA 



EXHIBITIONS AND MEETINGS, 



RDF VERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 



q k ntt the fifty-ninth annual festival dinner of this gardening charity was 

 a Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Metropole, under the presidency of Sir 

 fc* * l y V. Bart There was a large company, although a goodly number of 



not filled'. Sir Oswald was supported by Mr. Harry J. Veitch, Mr. 

 ^^rwood the Dean of Rochester, Mr. Atkinson, and others, while in 

 Y N. ona noticed such well known horticulturists as Messrs. H. Cutbush, 



*S Codseff, J. G. Veitch, G. Wythes, T. Manning, J. Hudson, J. 

 J^ G Monro, A. Piper, R. Dean, H. B. May, T. Rochford, Orchard, Glen, 

 SSd Smith, Laing, Cannell, Walker, James, &c. 



fSJicitous terms the Chairman proposed the usual loyal toasts, and these 

 f* been received, he gave " Continued Success to the Gardeners 5 Royal 

 temlent Institution." He regretted the absence of I lis Grace the Duke of 

 SSknd from the chair that evening, and also the cause of his absence — doctor's 



A letter from the Duke, expressing his sorrow at not being able to be 

 **Yrni md stating his willingness to take the chair on some future occasion. 



Wriitf teen reau, jh 111 - .^■•^ — , ^ 



-—Jtdvancement of horticulture in late years, and to the increasing indebtedness 



Jfthc public to the gardening community. He had given up many kinds of 



jjoettion for that of horticulture, and he felt sure many others had done the same. 

 He deplored the smallness of gardeners' wages in many parts of the country, 

 jad al«o the fact that some employers paid their men a short wage 

 illness, at a time when more, rather than less, money was needed. In view 

 gfthB he ad j tired gardeners to assist themselves and each other by means of such 

 Btfltntioas as the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution, so that when health 

 yed and employment could be no longer continued they would receive help. 

 Tte toast was heartily received, and the duty of responding fell upon the treasurer, 

 Mr. Hsrry J. Veitch. Mr. Veitch heartily thanked Sir Oswald for coming forward 

 Dobiy at the last moment to fill the gap caused by the indisposition of the Duke 

 of Portland. It had been his lot to respond to a similar toast for many years past, 

 aod each year he had had the satisfaction of stating that the institution was making 

 atafectory progress ; this year he had the same tale to tell, notwithstanding the 

 many calls made during 1897 upon the pockets of the charitably disposed. As an 

 ■mice of what the institution had done, Mr. Veitch alluded to a pensioner who 

 jccestly died ; her husband had been a subscriber for some sixteen years, and was 

 pa 00 the funds in 1866, he enjoyed a pension until his death in 1875, and then 

 \k widow succeeded him to the benefits of the institution. The husband received 

 ^144 hom the institution and the widow ^314, making a total of ^458 received 

 by the couple, who had subscribed fifteen guineas. It was the desire of the com- 

 aittce to increase the number of pensioners, but to do this they needed an 

 ia gqacd subscription list ; during the past ten years the sum disbursed annually 

 a pensions had increased by £ 100 per year, until now £1.000 a vear was needed. 



ape spirt from office and management expenses. Mr. Vei w fcW 



■(fat an increase of donations and subscribtions to enable the'eommittee to meet, 

 "^possible, the increased applications for Densions. He drew attention t-n thr M 



nents for gardeners wherein the wages offered were 15s., 18s., and 21s. 

 * respectively ; and while allowing that many gardeners obtained higher 

 man this, it showed that, as a rule, the gardener was poorly paid, and 



' : N toCCled t«. , ;lV e any substantial sum after keeping himself and family 

 ■Tctably. A run of ill-health, loss of employment, loss ot investments as in 

 ■r Uterator smash, were all matters that had to be considered, for in too many 



mdZ ? i t0 redu . C . e a S ardener to a condition when a small pension 

 JMI tte highest value to him. Mr. Veitch referred to the success of the 



und, a fund started for the express purpose of assisting those 

 pensions who failed to become elected ; only those, however, who 



Vttrian 

 Wfcanti for 



been subscribers previously would benefit by this fund." 



They needed ,£1,000 



*f> the 

 panned. The ' 



« . • r^T wiwBiyyui iib a way uy wnicn those in good 



ffSSS 5? vlv h T"?^ aD f d ^ve their names kept in memory. 



JSSSmLi th Sp °M h f h \l °J the vv " rk c:irriei1 onbv lhe vario ^ 



The vS? VTSft&VS*"*. wou,d soon be started. 



«* to propose 

 **r.ed upon th 



The worthy Dean said that when once 



» good deal 

 ^ »nd who cared 

 JF "M professedly 



S wirhT? , u hC SCar f ly kDeW When and wher * to stop, 

 ll\ 2S£ ° r A°. b u r0ther ? ardeners - Gardeners had, howeve? 



at garden which 



E*«wy human heart, and he luc luve 01 gardening was 



by every means in their 



* * fii™^ 011 ^ 0115 of g^dening, his falling'away'from his fi7st7o7e" 



" o-" — ^ vuouuio^c LUC LiiblC IUr 



power. Briefly and humorously the Dean 



. conversion h« „ ° , \ & ' away irom nis nrst 



• -••r iaflnena b'^mrl ™. * ' 1,J '"-? ut ' ;in , d «P»«sed his gratitude to those 



"5- Since the decline oSl? m u troduc , ed a more beautiful style of gar- 

 _ and ™2K^^ face 0 ? th . e ^ ^ such beaulitul flower?, such 



was 

 He 



•wth 



SSiS^' 8 cooceafec ^ H n , k \ g f denS such as I>0 P e wr «te about, 



StC*S°?- ^^"ing to roses Hi^T? lh f ^ ^te was now taking the 

 gl^ftaU, Dickson, and oZ- ^ ™ lo ?« ed che work of Bennett, W 

 "» iwea, *.r~„J, "T^ " lucrs > ana said he thought ih^ 



«pecially 



great 



He had associated with 



|*tZr-£<-Kpeated statement th, u , dm g recre ations, but he still 



' Vl ^ America it Wa> ' S 8 gardeners all classes, from the coronet to 



was the same as at home -, 

 1 his being so, let us, said t 



the love of horticulture 



1 < tt ?! d r : nk - > 



»» that ne, ,hprf * 11 y ° nCS am ° ng us ' so that we mi g ht 

 The r\£f fe 1 u P° n me > and I caused the widow's 



* 



r A w ^ 0 ^ neste l r . was l°udly applauded, and the 

 I** hoped, "with ih/i; 1 ? , U V, *f; H -» suitabl y responded, and 

 ^^Sy^^^' branch of 



^'ocated C^tL T Y P f h ? M /' G " Munro ' V - M - H '» 



^*"on ot more auxiliaries, for at nr^nt m ^r^ 



instihirinn J .1 e . Health of Mr. G.J. Ingram," the secretary of the 



rSander' and f n M ™ t, ™^P reMed the thanks of the meetin g " ^Messrs 

 Messrs R Wi i' MeSSr i' I Vekch and Sons ' Messrs " W - Cutbush and Son 



K"li; K M "f ^'^"^ Paul and Son ' Messrs. Paul and 

 tables andhad aHH;/? Y fo \ the beautiful flowers and plants that adorned the 

 ™;!;^i ded so much t0 the enjoyment of the evening. The excellent 



musical arrangements were in the hands of Mr. G. Schartau. g 



guineas 6 - "shoS M ^ the eve piug was as follows : Duke of Portland, 50 



5-m M 7 ' 50 2 ume as and ^10 annual subscription ; Messrs 



Messrs. Hurst and Son, ^20; Mr. N. N. Sherwood, 50 guineas (V.E F ) • the 

 Sherwood I farm y, , S guiaea s ; Messrs. Dickson and ' Robinson 3^ I Ju ne2 ; 

 Mess™ 7' vS» 5o guineas; Mr. M. F. Sutton, 50 guineas' (V.E.F.) 

 Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, £20 ; Mr. Harry Veitch 50 guineas 



/ifl Baron r '^b Le r ard /- Sutt ?/ ( V - E 'F.)7 Mr. Munro'f list, 



guineas Mr W W t"' ^° 5 M ^ ^ WUs ° n ' ^ 20 ' Lord Wa °tage, 20 

 Mr Rnnd n • ^ ^ , ; MrS ' Coura g e ' ^" 2 5 I Mr. Norman, ^15 5s. 5 

 Jr?;i« M I4 J Umea f 5 Mr - Solomons, 10 guineas ; Mr. W. Thompson, 20 

 SSS; Mr ^■T :ock ' ' Mr - Nutting, 8 guineas ; Mr. Brackenridge, 7 



to/mflHnt ^ S gUmC ^ J Mr " BIair ' ^5 : Mr. G. A. Dickson, from^ 

 \Tr r?„ ( complete) ^ Worcester Auxiliary, ^70; Dean of Ro:hester, 



Su. ™ P '- ° S" 1 ^ 3 ' Mr J inks » £18 10s.; Mr. Denning, ^4 i6i. • Mr 

 Baker, 13 guineas ; Messrs. Fisher, Son, and Sibray, 10 guineas ; MrTC. Turner, 

 5 guineas; Mr. B. F Smith, 2 guineas ; Mr. H.J. Adams, 5 guineas; Mr 

 mT^ S / Umeas; **r. H- Richards, 10 guineas ; Mr. Corry, 5 guineas Mr. 

 McLeoi 2 guineas ; Mr. Wimsett, 5 guineas ; and other smaller sums, making a 

 grand total of ,42,305. fa 



ISLE OF WIGHT. 



The monthly meeting of the Isle of Wight Horticultural Improvement Associa- 

 S°™?"£i „ on Saturd ay last. Through the indisposition of Mr. 



f.'-o ,, IW , el h T o nb » a ge, thehon. sec, Mr. S. Ileaton read a short paper on 

 Bees, and Mr. F. Midlane exhibited and explained various bee keeping appli- 

 ances, and for these he received a certificate, as did as did J. E. Watts, Sunbury 

 Gardens, Middlesex, for a patent watering-can. Votes of thanks were given Messrs. 

 C. Col lister (Bembndge) and J. Williams (Gatcombe) for their respective 

 collections of acquilegias, Veitch's strain. Dr. J. Groves, B.A., J.P., presided 

 over a good attendance. Several new members were elected at the close of the 

 meeting. 



Wl 



Pu 



Park Co 



I wish to call the attention of intending competitors to the condition! issued by 

 the committee who have this matter in hand. The most objectionable conditions 

 are as follows : — 



1st. Only ^4,000 is allowed for laying out thirty-four ac res of land, fencing in, 

 entrances, and all necessary architectural features, and the formation of a lake and 

 planting. Anyone who has had to do with park formation well knows that this 

 is impossible. 



2nd. The committee ask for drawings, which would require at least four d ouble 

 elephant sheets, and in addition to these six perspective views, which are to show 

 the park as it will appear in five years' time. All these drawings are to be in by 

 July I ; showing that the coiiimittee do not exactly understand what they I 

 asking for. 



3rd. No assessor is named. 



4th. If twenty competitors enter the lists the actual cost of their work, includ- 

 ing expenses, would amount to ^400, or £20 each. For this expenditure the 

 committee offer in premiums the sum of £$2 10s. 



5th. The committee do not offer to employ the successful competitor. As a 

 matter of information to the younger men, I might add that out of the large 

 number of park competitions I have won in only one instance have I been asked 

 to carry out my design. Thomas H. Mawson, 



Windermere, Architect and Landscape Gardener. 



A Disappearing River.— In the St. Mary and Darenth districts of Kent, 



the inhabitants are becoming concerned at the gradual drying up of the Cray 

 river. Ten years or so ago this was a clear and brisk-running stream, but of late years 

 the springs have become lower and lower, until now the course of the river is dry 

 in some places. The local councils have appointed committees to inquire into 

 the matter, and an official inquiry is being asked for, so that the cause or causes 

 of the loss of water may be discovered, and, if possible, remedied, so that the 

 public health may not be endangered. 



The Rating of Glass Houses in Market Gardens.— A meeting of 



the owners of glass houses in the Dartford Union was, we learn from the South 

 Eastern Gazette, held at the Bull Hotel, Dartford, a few days ago, with Mr. 

 Emerson, of Hextable, in the chair. The Chairman said they would have been 

 glad to have left the assessments as they were, but the Dartford Assessment Com- 

 mittee seemed to have formed a conclusion, he did not know upon what grounds, 

 that the horticultural industry was a gold mine. If they had accepted the increased 

 assessments that the Dartford Assessment Committee wanted to impose on the 

 glass houses and nurseries it would have meant almost the annihilation of the 

 industry. Considering the competition that now existed, and was likely to 

 increase with such conditions as were imposed they could not have made thing* 

 meet • therefore they were compelled to take the action they did. I Ic traced the 

 history of the appeal, the result of which was that the assessments were reduced 

 sixty-three per cent., or 8s. 6d. in the pound. This successful result had not been 

 brought about without a great deal of expense. Mr. Ayres, Swanley Bottom, 

 gave some particulars showing what benefit they had gained by the appeal. In 

 the first place, it was established that all glass houses should be rated by the 

 amount of land they covered, and the structure not taken into value. A gla^s 

 house one hundred feet by twelve feet had thus been reduced in net rateable 

 value from 75s. to 42s. 6d., so that a grower having twelve houses of these 

 dimensions would save £2$ 16s. in rateable value, and if the rate for the year in 

 his parish averaged 5s. in the pound he would save £6 7s. 6d. per year. Mr. 

 Ayres said that thus one year's savings by the) appeal iwould cover the cost of the 



litigation. 



