61 
JOURS XL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 23, 1891 
GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
Rose Fair and Floral Fete at the Crystal Palace. 
Lovely summer weather and a brilliant display of floral beauty 
rewarded visitors to the Crystal P alace on Wednesday, July loth. 
Sunshine and Roses are a combination that appeals powerfully to 
everyone, and when to enjoy them is to help in the cause of charity 
the pleasure in them is doubled. It is fitting that any attempt to aid 
the good work of such a fund as this should be associated with flowers. 
Their influences are softening and sweetening, and if people can be 
encouraged to go a little beyond the enjoyment of the moment and 
give a thought to those, hard-worked and ill-paid,'who are the main 
instruments in producing the exquisite blossoms in whose beauty and 
fragrance they find enjoyment, the chances are that the flood-gates of 
sympathy will be thrown open wider than they would otherwise be on 
behalf of the fatherless. Let a just tribute be paid to the tact and 
consideration with which the disposal of fruit and flowers for the 
augmentation of the Fund was accomplished on this occasion. With 
recollections of various “ fancy fairs ” crowded with stalls presided over 
by titled dames at which our representative had found himself seized 
and held up to ransom, he felt somewhat apprehensive for his safety at 
the Palace, but all was considerate and unobtrusive. Mr. Barron’s fair 
assistants secured their ends by gentle offerings and appealing glances, 
which, after al', are woman’s best armament. A basket of Strawberries 
better than he could buy at a fruiterer’s shop was offered to him at a 
lower price, and glorious clusters of Roses fresh from the great nurseries 
were proffered just as cheaply. There was value, and more than value, 
for money, but a refusal to buy was not followed by importunity, while 
a purchase was rewarded with the sweetest of smiles in addition to the 
fruit or flowers that were bought. There w T as no cream to the Strawberries, 
but—however, the subject may be left, or the Editor may regret not having 
sent a more staid and less impressionable representative for the occasion. 
Roses were, of course, the attraction of the day. They were there 
in thousands, and they had been given by generous helpers in various 
parts of the kingdom. In the auditorium there was a veritable feast 
of Roses. A huge square had been formed of staging 5 feet broad, 
ample space being left in the centre for a group of graceful Palms and 
Tree Ferns. The staging was covered with Roses, not arranged in any 
formal way, but laid close together on a carpet of moss. They were 
represented in wondrous beauty and diversity, and in all shades of 
colour that the Queen of Flowers boasts. Lustrous Hybrid Per- 
petuals lay side by side with delicate Teas. One recognised the 
familiar shell-like petals of La France — beautiful queenly La 
France — the brilliant garb of A. K. Williams, the warm glow 
of Xavier Olibo, the rosy sheen of Marquise de Castellane, 
the pearly whiteness of The Bride, and the rich golden brightness of 
Marbchal Niel. No wonder that visitors thronged around and 
exhausted their adjectives in admiration. This magnificent collection 
was the contribution of many growers. Mr. Turner of Slough had 
sent a large number, and others had come from Mr. W. Rumsey of 
Waltham Cross ; Messrs. G. W. Piper & Sons of Uckfield ; Mr. W. H. 
Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford; Messrs. Carter & Co, High Holborn; 
Messrs. Keynes, Williams, & Co., Salisbury ; Messrs. Peed & Sons, 
West Norwood ; Mr. Maurice Young, Godaiming ; Messrs. Jefferies and 
Sons, Cirencester; Mr. Frank Cant, Colchester; Mr. J. Smith, Ment- 
more ; Messrs. Cannell & Sons. Swanley ; Mr. H. B. May, Edmonton ; 
Messrs. W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross; Mr. Such, Maidenhead ; 
Mr. Wythes, Syon House ; Mr. Cummins, Hackbridge ; Messrs. Cheal 
and Sons, Crawley ; Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill ; Messrs. 
Fromow & Sons, Turnham Green ; Messrs. Dickson, Limited, Chester ; 
Mr. J. Rose, Lockinge Park; Mr. G. Prince. Oxford; and Mr. Smale. 
It was a royal display, and to every participant therein the thanks of 
the orphans are due. These flowers were on sale after six o’clock, but 
there were ten stalls in the nave, admirably and tastefully furnished, 
where fruit and flowers were being sold during the afternoon. 
Apart from the great Rose display and the stalls alluded to several 
nurserymen had sent special collections of plants, which were arranged 
in the great nave and auditorium, and greatly enhanced the beauty of 
the “ fair.” Mr. H. B. May had one of his delightful displays of Ferns, 
cool and inviting in the hot weather. Mr. Chard of Stoke Newington 
had what he termed “ Arcadian floral decorations,” consisting of wire 
arches intertwined with crimson Roses and yellow Columbines, nestling 
amongst Ferns and other foliage. Messrs. Laing & Sons had a splendid 
stand of their famous Begonias, double and single prize varieties beauti¬ 
fully arranged, and it excited great admiration. Messrs. B. S. Williams 
and Son supplied a welcome feature in a group of flowering and foliage 
plants. Messrs. Cannell & Sons had provided a stall furnished with 
Roses, Begonias, and small succulent and other plants in pots for sale, a 
practical and admirable idea, carried out also by Messrs. Reid & Borne- 
mann. Messrs. Peed & Son had a lovely bank of Gloxinias and Ferns, also a 
group of flowering and foliage plants. Mr. J. R. Box, Croydon, had an 
attractive group of Begonias, Caladiums, and Gloxinias : and Messrs. 
Carter & Co. had a beautiful stand of their choice Petunias in varkras 
colours, also Cacti, a most pleas'ng and unique display. Besides these 
there was a collection of cut flowers, comprising Roses, Canterbury 
Bells, Potentillas, Sweet Williams, Gaillardias, Iris Ksempferi, and 
others from Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea, stands of Roses and 
herbaceous flowers from Messrs. Cheal & Sons, and an extensive display 
of herbaceous plants by Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden. There was 
also a very large and beautiful collection of cut flowers sent from 
virious parts of the country for sale. Messrs. Bunyard, Cannell, and 
W.lliams had generously given supplies of Strawberries. 
For visitors of an athletic turn a novel attraction was provided in 
the form of a cricket match between teams of gardeners and seedsmen, 
the former led by the stalwart Mr. E. Molyneux, and the latter by the 
equally stalwart Mr. C. H. Sharman. When our representative visited 
the scene of action he found the blue aprons getting slighter the better 
of the black ditto, and they eventually won somewhat decisively on the 
first innings, although the seedsmen got on much better when they 
s'arted the second, which was unfinished. Without wishing the Journal 
to depart from its recognised province and intrude upon that of its 
sportiDg contemporaries our representative thought it might be of 
interest to give the respective scores, as the circumstances of the match 
were so exceptional and its motives so praiseworthy. 
Seedsmen :—Pugh, b Agate, 0 ; E. Pollard, b Agate, 17 ; Sampson, 
b Floyd, 16 ; Cannell, c Rowbottom, b Agate, 10 ; Hurst, b Agate, 3 
A. S. Young, st Rose, b Agate, 19 ; Ainsworth, b Floyd, 0 ; F. Pollard, 
b Floyd, 15 ; Elb’s, b Agate, 1 ; C. H. Sharman, jun., b Floyd, 1 ; 
H. Young, b Floyd, 0 ; Parr, c Agate, b Floyd, 0 ; Pearson, b Floyd, 2 ; 
C. H. Sharman (Captain), not out, 3 ; Extras 5.—Total 92. 
Gardeners :—Battell, c Sampson, b E. Pollard, 11 ; Cripps, c F. Pol¬ 
lard, b Hurst, 2 ; Hathaway, 1 b w, b Hurst, 3 ; Cower, run out, 0 ; Doe, 
b Pugh, 14 ; Agate, 1 b w, b Ellis, 2 ; Record, b Pugh, 5 ; Rowbottom, 
c H. Young, b Sampson, 11 ; Floyd, c Cannell, b F. Pollard, 20 ; Allman, 
c Sampson, b F. Pollard, 28 ; Rosa, c Samp-on, b C. H. Sharman, 1 ; 
Fassum, not out, 9 ; Dines, b F. Pollard, 0 ; Molyneux, b F. Pollard, 11 
Extras 13 —Total, 130. In their second innings tbe seedmen had scored 
68 for 2 wickets, Pugh making 25, E. Pollard 12, Sampson (not out) 23, 
and Cannell (aot out) 5, with 3 extras. 
Both indoors and out Rose day at the Palace was one of quiet enjoy¬ 
ment. It was not crowded, but the attendance was good, and it is to be. 
hoped that the proceeds will prove satisfactory to the Fund. Mr. 
Barron, Mr. Head, and all their assistants worked so we'l that any other 
result would be a great disappointment. If the fixture became an 
annual one it would increase in popularity as it became better known. 
Should it do so may the sun ever smile as brightly on Roses and Charity 
as in 1891. 
Events of the Week. —The Rose shows are now rapidly drawing tc* 
a close. Two are announced for to-day (Thursday), Halifax and Worksop, 
and the last one we have on our list is Ripley (Derby) on Saturday, 
August 1st. On Thursday, July 30th, the St. Ives Society (Hunts) 
will hold their sixteenth annual Show, while in the first and second 
weeks of August there will be important Exhibitions at Southampton 
Northampton, and Cardiff. For Friday, July 24th, Messrs. Protheroe 
and Morris announce a sale of Orchids at Cheapside from Messrs;. 
Charlesworth, Sliuttleworth & Co., Cattleya aurea and Lselia prsestans 
being the chief features. On Tuesday, July 28th, there will also be a 
sale of Orchids in flower in the same rooms. 
- The Weather. —Friday last, the 17th inst., was the hottest 
day of the year in the metropolitan district, 85° being registered in the 
shade by the Astronomer Royal at Greenwich. Very heavy thunder 
showers fell on the two following days, making the roads like rivers in 
some localities. 
- The Potato Disease. —We have found several diseased 
tubers among Potatoes obtained in the market, and hear that the 
murrain is serious in some parts of Ireland. If wet and dull weather 
happen to prevail for a week, accompanied with a high temperature, 
the devastating fungus will be a’most certain to appear in many gardens. 
il Anti-Blights,” composed of preparations of copper and lime, are said, 
if applied in time, to prevent the germination of the Peronospora 
spores and to destroy the fungus if attacked in its earliest stages. The 
Royal Horticultural Society has, in the opinion of practical men 
lost a great opportunity in not giving a full and fair trial to the 
different preparations of the nature indicated at Chiswick. The 
objection to their being trade products cannot be a strong one, seeing 
that nearly all the articles tried in the gardens this year came within 
that category. We think it a pity that a trial of fungicides has not 
been made at Chiswick, which may be described as one of the seats 
of the Potato disease in this country. 
- Potatoes. —These at present are very healihy. I have had a 
large portion of our crops dressed with a preparation of copper in 
powder as used in France. We are now passing through the critical 
time when the disease usually appears. I will report the result of the 
application.—R. M., Newbury . 
