July S.’S, 1899. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
G3 
himself to any particular branch of that profession was quite sure to 
find out things which in themselves had new beauties which he could 
appreciate. Mr. Shirley Hibberd, for instance, had worked hard for 
years at the cultivation of Ivy. When he told them that there were a 
hundred varieties, and that recently Mr. Shirley Hibberd had discovered 
a Golden Ivy, he thought they would see that even with that neglected 
plant there was very much to be done. (Hear, hear.) Why he had 
mentioned that was this, he thought that every gardener ought more or 
less to strike out if possible a particular line for himself, because it was 
evident they had not come to the end of the knowledge which was to be 
obtained with regard to the many varieties of plants and fruit with 
which they had to deal. He was quite satisfied that if each one of 
them would make up his mind to devote himself to one particular point, 
in the end he might obtain very useful information and most satis¬ 
factory results. (Hear, hear.) He could give many examples of this, 
because they all knew that fresh varieties of fruit, for instance, had 
been produced by working gardeners, and many other things might be 
found out if they devoted their attention to a particular branch of 
industry. Ho man ought to consider himself too low to improve the 
profession to which he belonged. (Cheers.) Perhaps they would say 
that that had very little to do with the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. But 
it had to do with it in this way. It was obvious that if a man had 
originality and enterprise, that the possibility was that by finding out 
•something he would improve his own position, and then instead of 
running the risk when he died of having his children thrown upon the 
Orphan’s Fund he would probably be a large contributor to the Fund 
himself. That was an important matter, and it was for this reason 
that he had mentioned it. It was quite certain that they had shown 
by their attendance there iheir interest in this Fund. They knew as 
well as he did the advantages which it offered to those placed upon it, 
and they ought to do all in their power to encourage the Committee in 
the useful work which they had undertaken. It was with these views 
and these sentiments that he proposed to them “ Success to the Gar¬ 
deners’ Orphan Fund.” (Cheers.) 
Mr. G. Deal, in responding, said that as spokesman of the Com¬ 
mittee of the Institution he returned Sir Julian and those present the 
warmest thanks for the manner in which the toast had been proposed 
and received. With regard to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund he was 
delighted to inform them that their success during the past year had 
exceeded even that of the previous year. It was predicted that the 
Fund having been established as a Jubilee Fund, they might expect 
that the first year their contributions would exceed those that would 
follow. He was delighted to inform them that the very contrary had 
been the case. They had touched the spring of love in the hearts of 
gardeners towards the orphan. (Cheers.) It seemed to him that in 
1887- 8 they had only sown seed that was to bring forth greater, better, 
and riper fruit in the year 1889. (Cheers.) In the twelve months 
1888- 9 they had had contributions exceeding those of the fifteen 
months of 1887-8. He took that as great evidence of the fact that the 
hardeners’ Orphan Fund was thought to be a desirable institution, and 
that they were anxiou3 to do their duty to the orphans of the less 
fortunate members of their fraternity. (Cheers.) On behalf of the 
Committee lie thanked the subscribers for the splendid manner in which 
they had come forward and contributed. (Cheers.) Although he 
agreed with the suggestion of their di?tinguished Chairman that it 
would be well to establish a Fund of £10,000, he thought there was such 
a future in store for the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund as would justify them 
in electing a larger number of children annually upon a smaller sum. 
The case was different to that of an insurance office, where they hardly 
knew the length of time to which some people might live. In the 
■Gardeners’ Orphan Fund there was the limit of age of fourteen years, 
and therefore the Committee were in hopes that even with the present 
influx of capital they might at some future time be enabled to elect a 
greater number of children pro rata than they had hitherto done. If 
similar success awaited them in the future to that which had attended 
■them in the past then they had a sp’endid future before them. The 
tree which they had planted in the jubilee year would by-and-by shed 
forth large branches, and take under its shelter the orphans of gardeners 
■who had borne the heat of the day. (Cheers.) He now had to propose 
a toast whieh he was sure would meet with a hearty reception. It was 
the health of their President, Sir Julian Goldsmid. (Cheers.) To him 
they were deeply indebted for the success of that movement, and he 
thought they were particularly fortunate in having so able and so 
distinguished a President. He wished to embellish the toast with a 
little feminine adornment. It had been their good fortune by the 
■generosity of the Duke of Bedford, backed up by the Covent Garden 
growers and standholders, to hold floral f&tes in aid of the institution, 
and the great magnet of attraction there was Lady Goldsmid. (Cheers.) 
He hoped they might have her presence on many future occasions, and 
as they were so much indebted to her for her interest in the fete, he 
begged to couple her name with the toast. (Cheers.) 
The Chairman briefly returned thanks, and said that Lady Goldsmid 
was very glad indeed to attend the Floral Fete. He had great pleasure in 
attending that dinner, and he was' most grateful for the kindly way in 
which they had received the toast. (Cheers.) 
Mr. Veitch proposed “Gardeners and Gardening.” He said he 
■was pleased to see such a numerous company, and he thought it augured 
•well for the future of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. In asking them to 
■drink this toast he had the pleasure of coupling with it the name of 
Mr. D. T. Fish, than whom no one was better known, and no one could 
foe selected more representative of the gardening fraternity of Great 
Britain. (Cheers.) The only point that he would speak about 
was the liberality with which gardeners had come forward in support 
of the Fund. They saw by the list of children elected last year that 
no fewer than ten candidates were placed on the list, in addition to one 
who was put on in connection with the Sherwood trust. That spoke 
volumes for the success of the institution. To-day they had the satisfaction 
of putting on five more in the regular way, and another in consequence of 
the munificent donation of the Duke of Bedford. With the additional 
candidate elected that made only six as against eleven of last year. He 
did not like to see the number less than last year. He thought that 
Mr. Sherwood had given them a lead which should be followed. He 
was anxious to follow his friend Mr. Sherwood on certain conditions. 
He found from the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Deal, that £100 
would put a child on the list and keep him until fourteen years of age, 
and if those present would find £100 to put on a candidate, he would 
find £100 to put on another candidate. (Cheers). They could not 
afford to let too many orphans be waiting for their generosity. They 
had elected six that day, and they had eight who were not elected. 
When would their next election be ? They could not tell at present, 
therefore he asked them earnestly to provide the £100, on condition of 
which he would provide £100 himself within three months from that 
time. He knew that there were gardeners to whom every shilling was 
of consequence ; at the same time he urged them to make a special 
effort in this matter. He thought they might congratulate themselves 
that, considering their position in the world, there was no more liberal 
body of men in existence than gardeners were, and what they had 
done in the past justified the statement, (Cheers.) 
The President said he trusted they would support Mr. Veitch. It 
would be well for them to get another £100, and towards that he 
proposed himself to send to Mr. Deal the sum of £25. (Cheers.) He 
apologised for having to leave to fulfil another engagement, and asked 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd to take his place. 
Sir Julian Goldsmid then left the hall amidst cheers, and the 
chair for the remainder of the evening was occupied by Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd, who on taking this position said they had lost a good shilling 
and had got a bad sixpence. (Laughter.) He should get out of the 
difficulty by asking Mr. Fish to illuminate them—to bring some 
phosphorescence from the sea. (Laughter and cheers.) 
Mr. Fish then rose to respond to the toast. He said the report 
which they had heard of their progress had been a most cheering report. 
He thanked Mr. Veitch for associating his name with the toast, which 
he considered almost the toast of the evening. They knew how humble 
the gardeners of England were. It could not be otherwise. No man 
could have sat at the feet of Nature for the number of years that he had 
and not have learnt the first lesson which it taught—that of humility. 
(Cheers.) He was reminded before he came to London that it wa3 a 
curious place, and they would be able to tell him whether it was true or 
not ; but it was said that one of the first effects of London was to melt 
down all individual cleverness into one great lump of cleverness. He 
believed there was a good deal of cleverness there that night, but he did 
not think that London had had the effect which was attributed to it in 
their case. They certainly had had one distinguished lump of cleverness, 
and something better—of goodness—in their Chairman who had just left. 
(Cheers.) There was a good deal of originality about gardeners, who 
were never content with their present attainments. They were always 
reaching forth to something better. He was much pleased with the 
suggestion of Sir Julian that each one should strike out some new path 
as the way to pleasure and wealth. Now he (the speaker) had been 
trying to strike out new paths all his life. They had led to a great deal 
of pleasure, interest, enjoyment and happiness, but the one thing they 
had not led to yet was wealth. (Laughter.) The fact was, gardeners 
had to take their wages in beauty. (Laughter and cheers.) That was 
one of the chief reasons why they wanted this Orphan Fund. It was 
because, work as they would, do what they might, improve their busi¬ 
ness and themselves as they would, the one thing, wealth, was not 
attained. One thing, however, they had accomplished. In starting 
their Orphan Fund they had succeeded in linking beauty with benefi¬ 
cence. (Cheers.) It used to be said that time and tide wait for no 
man, but in Covent Garden Market the power of their little orphans 
had been such that they had succeeded in arresting the progress of 
beauty from the producers to the consumers just long enough to allow 
them to get £200 out of it. (Cheers.) Beauty, like mercy, was twice— 
aye, many times—blessed. The plants were more beautiful and the 
flowers more beautiful and fragrant after they had exacted contributions 
for their helpless orphans. (Cheers.) Up and down the country their 
example with reference to the Floral Fete was being followed. If there 
were any who were hesitating as to whether they should follow the 
example of the President he begged of them not to hesitate any longer, 
but to make a strong effort on behalf of the orphans, and in due time 
they would be sure to meet with their reward. He could not sit down 
without saying a word or two about gardeners and gardening. Gar¬ 
deners found the earth a wilderness, and they were fast making it a 
garden of Eden. With reference to the future of gardening he con¬ 
tended that it had no limits and no bounds. Talk about finality, they 
knew nothing of it in horticulture. Gardeners who had done most 
were the readiest to tell them that they seemed like little children 
picking up pebbles on the sand while the great ocean of truth lay all 
unexplored. With the knowledge which their horticultural press was 
spreading broadcast around them they could not now have any stupid 
gardeners. He feared that their brothers of the knife and spade would 
be entirely driven off the course by their brothers of the pen ; they were 
