February 14, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
125 
not be always convenient for gardeners or amateurs to make it them¬ 
selves, unless they could employ ice or take advantage of a night’s 
frost. Anyone with the aid of plenty of ice or chemicals could freeze 
enough in a few hours to last for years. Gishurst must be employed, 
no other will do, and it must be borne in mind that as more oil cannot 
be added, several strengths must be made. I shall be happy to give 
any further information if required. — J. Woodward, Ardgillan 
Castle Gardens, Balbriggan. 
[The mixture referred to appears complete and satisfactory.] 
THE UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND 
PROVIDENT SOCIETY. 
The eighteenth annual meeting of this excellent and admirably 
conducted Society was held on Monday night at the Caledonian Hotel, 
Adelphi, London, Mr. Richard Dean, one of the honorary members, ably 
presiding. The large room was crowded by an assemblage of the most 
respectable men in the gardening ranks, and the close attention they 
gave to the business of the evening, and the manner in which everything 
was conducted, indicated equally the intelligence of the men and their 
undoubted business aptitude. There are not a few gardeners who object 
to meetings of this kind being held in a public-house. It may be well to 
say, therefore, that a private room in a large London hotel is for the 
purposes of a meeting exactly similar to a room in a private residence or 
a temperance class-room, as those members present wearing the blue 
ribbon can readily testify. That point being made clear, we will briefly 
refer to the business of the meeting. 
After the election of a number of members the report was read by the 
Secretary. This was in every respect except one the most gratifying 
that had been prepared on any previous occasion. It showed a far 
greater increase of members than during any preceding year, also 
greater additions to the benefit, benevolent, and management funds ; but 
the demands for sickness had also been greater than usual. This at once 
shows the great usefulness of the Society, and its safe, sound, and firmly 
established character. During this year of what may be termed “ great 
sickness ” the sum of £9 19,?. Gd. was paid in benefits, amounting to 
2s. G^d. per member ; but against this, and without taking into account 
any contributions at all, there arose as interest from the moneys invested 
in consols the sum of £15. If we add to this the subscriptions of 
members, £163, not another word or figure is needed to show the 
thoroughly substantial character of the Society. The balance in hand 
on account of the benefit fund is £1699 Is. 7 \d., or an increase during 
the year of £191 11,?. 1 \d. The balance on account of the benevolent 
fund is £909 ID. 0 \d., or an increase of £52 19?. 7f d., the balance in the 
management fund being £5 1?. 5 d. against £3 8.?. lOrZ, last year. The 
total accumulated fund now invested in the Bank of England and 
credited as the Society’s stock is £2699 12?. Gd., as certified by the 
Auditors of the Society, Messrs. A. J. Green and J. D. Dick. 
It is in the appropriation of this ever-increasing funded property that 
this Society differs from all other organisations of a similar character. 
It is the property of the members absolutely and in exact proportion to 
their payments, and can be drawn by them or their nominees in accord¬ 
ance with the rules ; and further, every member is made acquainted 
with the exact sum standing to his credit, and in a very simple manner. 
In addition to a general balance sheet, which is prepared annually, each 
member is supplied with* a special statement of his account, showing at 
a glance the amount invested for him, the interest on that amount, and 
his contributions during the year with his share of the sick pay deducted, 
then the total sum standing to his credit and securely invested. An 
example of a private balance sheet may well be published, taking that of 
the first member on the Society’s books. 
UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND PROVIDENT SOCIETY. 
No. I. Member's Name.—Hr. W. II. IlEALE, 
Messrs. Cheal, Lowfield Nurseries, CraTvley, Sussex. 
STATEMENT OP ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 11TH, 1884. 
Cr. 
£ s. 
d. 
Dr. 
£ 
s. 
d. 
Balance . 
0* 
Deduct Sick Tay. 
. 2 
2 
Ci 
Interest . 
2 
To Balance. 
. 41 
3 
8 
Contribution . 
0 
£41 6 
2i 
£41 
6 
Balance. 
8 
Treasurer .—J AMES HUDSON, Secretary .—JOHN FRANCIS McELROY, 
Residence .—Gunnersbury House Gardens, Residence .—'The Gardens, Moray Lodge, 
Acton, W. Campden Hill, Kensington. 
By the above account it will be seen that the balance of Mr. Heale 
has increased to the amount of £3 1?. 2d. during the year, while his 
payments and share of the sick fund has only amounted to £2 1?. G\d., 
the interest on his banked funds, plus 9?. 4 \d., having secured him the 
above sum, and at the same time entitled him to the sick benefits of the 
Society if he had needed them. 
This is a result, so far as we know quite unparalleled in the history 
of benefit societies, and therefore the Society under notice can 
scarcely fail to force its claims to the notice of all studious gardeners 
before they are too old to participate in its advantages, the limit of age 
being forty-five years. Young men especially should seriously consider 
the propriety of joining such a Society as this in preference to a general 
benefit society, which cannot offer equal advantages. 
After the re-election of Committeemen, and the addition of Mr. John 
Barry of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, sundry votes of 
thanks brought the proceedings of the meeting to a close, the balance of 
the management fund being handed to Mr. McElroy as a small re¬ 
muneration for his valuable services as Secretary during a period of 
sixteen years. 
At the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society held last Tuesday in the conservatory, the Right Hon. Lord 
Aberdare in the chair, the following candidates were unanimously elected 
Fellows—viz., William Edmund Boyce, Samuel William Dancocks, 
Robert Ewing, Edwin Faux, Mrs. Field Fisher, H. T. Shorland Fooks, 
William Thomas Frost, John Kendall, James Livesey, Charles Edward 
Lyon, Rev. J. Norman, Francis J. Pearse, Sir John Rose, Bart.; E. 
Shuttlewortli, R. A. H. Bickford Smith, G. Hendes Smith, Rev. Wm. 
Wilks. 
- Mr. Stephen Castle, writing from West Lynn, Norfolk, 
on the 9th inst., observes :—“ To-night I have on the table a unique 
Bouquet for the season, consisting of Snowdrops, Crocuses, Primroses, 
and Rosemary in full flower.” 
_ We regret to have to record the death of Dr. John Hutton 
Balfour, M.D., F.R.S. London and Edinburgh, F.L.S., LL.D. of Edin¬ 
burgh, Glasgow, and St. Andrew’s, and lately Emeri us Professor of 
Medicine and Botany in the University of Edinburgh, who expired in 
Edinburgh on Monday last, at the age of seventy-five. He wrote much 
on botanical science, and stood high in public estimation. Professor 
Bayley Balfour, who was only on Saturday last elected to the chair of 
Botany at the Oxford University, is a son of Dr. Balfour, and assisted his 
father for eight years at Edinburgh. 
_ The twenty-sixth annual Floral and Horticultural Fete 
at York will he held on June 18th, 19th, and 20th of the present year, 
when the usual liberal and numerous prizes will he offered for plants, 
flowers, fruit, and vegetables. The schedule enumerates ninety-seven 
classes, the prizes varying in value from £20 to 3?. 
_ Mr. J. Hammond, Boldre Grange Gardens, Lymington, Hants, 
observes that “ On page 90 a correspondent writes respecting Spot in 
Masdevallias. This is an old enemy to gardeners, hut assumes different 
aspects in different plants. For instance, in the Rose and Chrysanthemum 
leaves, besides Orchids and Echeverias. I would advise Mr. Bardney to 
place upon both sides of the leaf warm sulphur with the thumb and finger 
or a small brush, at the same time ventilating the house more freely.” 
_Mr. Gilbert has sent us examples of his Chou de Burgiiley 
which are identical with those we have had from him in previous years. 
The heads were oval-shaped, much resembling in size and form a very 
large and well-grown Cos Lettuce, being tolerably firm but not hard, 
and very pale green in colour. When cooked the “Chou” was pro¬ 
nounced delicious by all who partook of it. It was as tendei as "S ege- 
table Marrow, and its flavour quite distinct from that of any Cabbage 
One critical individual fancied it had a “smack” of Asparagus, another 
a “ suspicion ” of Seakale, but all enjoyed it greatly. A portion was 
boiled for half an hour and was tender and good, but another portion 
allowed to boil ten minutes longer was better—in fact, perfectly cooked, 
and we did not consider that either coals or time were wasted in the 
preparation of such an acceptable dish. A firm Cabbage cannot be 
properly cooked in less than half an hour. We have seen Chou de 
Burghley growing in many gardens, and in some the plants were compact 
and of a uniform size, while in others they were more or less irregular. 
We are not able to account for the difference, but it is quite sufficient to 
account for the various estimates that have been formed of this vegetable. 
We think Chou de Burghley will live as long as its raiser, and many will 
j Jn us in the hope that that will be a very long time. 
_ g » writes Have any of your readers who have had 
