Jane 19, 1890, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
505 
attended it then as now by the sweat of their brow. (Hear, hear). 
He always felt how much they owed to gardeners, and he was glad to 
expreos his admiration for endeavouring to bring back the Eden they 
had lost. (Hear, hear.) He had the honour to be associated with a 
very large number of English gardeners, and he was bound to say that 
the more he knew of them the more he liked them, and the more he 
admired the qualities of self-reliance, intelligence and skill which the 
English gardeners exhibitetl. (Cheers). When he was told that a 
Society like that might perhaps in some insidious way warp and spoil 
the fibre and self-reliance of those men he frankly did not believe it. 
(Hear, hear). In all classes of the community misfortune happened, 
and he understood it was their object to rescue those who had fallen on 
bad times through no fault of their own (hear, hear) and to reclaim 
them from the extremity of pauperism which was a horror to the 
English mind. (Cheers). Now as to the toast, he said they all 
admired the work done by the Chairman. (Hear, hear). He re¬ 
membered when the Royal Horticultural Society was at its last 
gasp, when it seemed past human aid to reanimate such a wreck, he 
believed it was mainly by the administrative energy of their Chair¬ 
man that the wreck was launched into its present smooth water. 
It seemed to him that Mr. Veitch claimed their affection, and he asked 
them to drink the health of their excellent Chairman with enthusiasm. 
(Loud cheers). 
The Chairman, in reply, said he most cordially thanked them for 
the manner in which the toast had been proposed and received. He 
assured them that that was one of the most happy nights of his life, and 
he deeply thanked them for supporting him. What he had been able 
to do he had done with the greatest possible amount of pleasure. One 
of his earliest recollections was of a conversation between his father 
and old Mr. Henderson about the Institution, and he supposed he had 
got the Institution into his very constitution, and he hoped it might 
remain there as long as he lived. (Cheers). One of the experiences of 
chairmen was that they received some strange correspondence. lie 
would like to read two letters which he had received as showing the 
different views taken. One was as follows:—’‘I have pleasure in 
owning receipt of your letter of the 12th inst., and fully sympathise 
with the Gardeners’ Institution. The subject, however, seems so large 
that when I consider that fifty-one years has only resulted in 154 old 
men out of all the gardeners of the United Kingdom being pensioned 
it seems beyond my grasp.” The writer forgot, said the Chairman, all 
those who had died during the past fifty-one years. The letter eon- 
tinued :—“ I also see no reason why coachmen, policemen, porters, and 
clergymen should not be pensioned as much as gardeners if it could 
only be managed. Only a few months ago a clergyman wrote to me 
on the subject of the pensioning of clergymen. I quite agreed with him 
as to the advantage of his proposal, but pointed out that the other 
classes were at least equally deserving, and 1 was not able to sub¬ 
scribe to them all. I shall always try to do what little good I can 
in subscriptions on account of my own village, but must leave the 
dwellers in London and other large towns to attend to the royal 
institutions.” (Laughter). Of course, said the Chairman, he replied 
to the best of his ability, but he was unable to “draw” the writer. 
(Laughter). On the other hand, he had received the following letter : — 
“ Gardens and Gardeners contribute so nc.uch to my happiness that 1 
enclose a cheque for ten guineas with great pleasure.” (Cheers). Well, 
such letters as the first did not hurt them ; they were very thankful for 
all they got, and the rest they forgot as soon as they possibly could. 
(Hear). In conclusion, he begged to thank the Stewards on that 
occasion, to whom he was deeply grateful for their support. One word 
to practical gardeners. He should like to see more of them subscribers 
to the Institution. (Hear, hear). He hoped they would attend in large 
numbers next year to hear Mr. Edmund Yates, who had promised to 
preside. (Cheers). 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd proposed the toast of the President and 
Vice-President of the Institution. He said gardening was an anxious 
occupation. It had its dark side, because although they had been for 
years discussing the subject of fruit culture they looked round on their 
Apple trees, and saw nothing on them—(laughter)—and even the cele¬ 
brated Paradise Apple had become an Apple of discord. (Laughter). 
But Nature had her compensations, because although they had nothing 
on their trees Nature had been kind enough to give them a magnificent 
exhibition this year of Buttercups and Daisies. (Laughter and hear, hear). 
Turning to the subject of the toast he said the Duke of Westminster, 
who was the President, was a good promoter of horticulture, and had 
promised £1000 towards the Horticultural Hall. (Cheers). Mr. 
Herbert J. Adams was the Vice-President, and a patron and friend 
of horticulture. (Hear). He considered that this country was 
greatly blessed in the fact that our aristocracy took an interest in 
the affairs of the people. (Hear). There was nothing too small for 
their attention, and scarcely anything too large for their ability— 
(hear)—and it was well for the people to thoroughly employ them, 
as that was the best preventive of absenteeism. (Laughter and 
cheers). 
Mr. H. J. Adams in response expressed his great pleasure in doing 
what he could to promote the interests of the Institution. (Cheers). 
The Chairman next proposed the health of Mr. Cutler, who, he 
said, was the best Secretary of any Institution in London, and to whom 
that Institution was greatly indebted. 
Mr. Cutler, who was received with loud and prolonged cheering, 
said he attributed the progress of the Institution to two things —the 
goodness of cheir cause—(hear, hear)—the good management of the 
Committee—(hear, hear)—and some people said there was a third 
reason—the incomparable cheek of the Secretary. (Hear, and laughter). 
He had much pleasure in announcing that the subscriptions that night 
amounted to just upon £3000. (Loud cheers). Subscriptions had been 
received from the highest to the lowest in the land. (Hear, hear). The 
Chairman’s list amounted to £1220. (Cheers). The gardeners alone 
had contributed no less than £770. (Cheers). Mr. Munro had got 
from amongst his friends in Covent Garden £120—(cheers)—-and Mr. 
Robinson had collected 100 guineas. (Cheers). He himself had been 
connected with the Institution for forty-nine years, and he hoped he 
might be spared till next January, when he trusted they would elect 
him again. (Cheers). 
The Chairman proposed the toast of “ Our Provincial and Foreign 
Friends,” eoupling with it the names of Mr. G. A. Dickson of Chester, 
as representing their friends throughout the country; M. De Graaff 
of Leiden. Holland, “the King of Amaryllis growers;” and M. 
D’Haene of Ghent, “one of the most enterprising of all Belgian nursery¬ 
men.” (Cheers). 
Mr. Dickson in reply said an institution of that sort could not 
possibly go back because it had the good will of everyone, both small 
and great, and he thought that in the splendid subscriptions of that 
evening they had still further advanced. He took the opportunity 
of suggesting that rule 15 should be wiped out, giving an instance where 
it worked harshly in the case of a widow. He said it did not hold 
good that because a person was in receipt of parish relief that person was 
unfitted for the relief afforded by the Institution. 
M. De Graaff expressed his deep sympathy with the objects of 
the Institution, and wished them all success. 
M. D’Haene, who responded in French, said he had long ago 
heard of the Institution, but he had never assisted at one of its- 
meetings before. He thought if the Governments of the Continent, 
who were troubling themselves so much about economic and social 
questions, were to adopt the rules of this well-managed Institution 
they would be able to settle matters most satisfactorily. (Hear, hear). 
Mr. Parkinson proposed the Committee of Management and 
Stewards of the evening. 
Mr. Munro and Mr. Webber responded, the latter gentleman 
explaining, in reply to Mr. Dickson, that any person in receipt of 
parish relief forfeited all other moneys to the parish, and therefore- 
the rule could not be altered. 
The Chairman then gave the last toast of the evening—“ To our 
next merry meeting.’’ 
This and all the other toasts were drunk with the greatest enthu¬ 
siasm, and a delightful evening was made still more enjoyable by the 
singing of Miss Ethel Winn, Miss Mary Belval (Mr. Cutler’s daughter), 
Mr. John Bartlett, and Mr. Robert Hilton. Mr. F. R. Kinkee accom¬ 
panied, and Mr. F. V. Goddard made an excellent toastmaster. The 
two lady artistes were each presented by the Chairman with an 
interesting souvenir in the shape of a magnificent gold bracelet ; and 
Mrs. H. J. Veitch contributed ten guineas towards the splendid dessert 
that adorned the table. 
NOTES ON A TRIP TO JERSEY. 
We have had placed at our disposal a very interesting paper, which 
was read at a meeting of the Bournemouth Gardeners’ Improvement 
Association by Mr. J. B. Stevenson. After describing the scenery of 
the Island the following account is given of Mr. Bashford’s establish¬ 
ment. 
We drove from St. Helliers to the parish of St. Clements to view the 
largest erection of glass for the cultivation of Grapes and Tomatoes, &c., 
in this or any other country. Mr. Bashford conducted us over his 
place. Owing to want of time I can only mention a few of the houses 
we were shown through. The first was a span-roofed one 350 feet long 
by 45 feet wide. This was planted with Vines two years old, which 
were making a strong growth. Tomatoes were planted in rows about 
3 feet apart; each plant had a stake 8 or 9 feet high, and two and three 
shoots (not more) tied close to the stake, and a grand sight it made. 
The plants were about G feet high, and wonderfully close jointed, and 
with grand fruit. I may here state that this and all other houses of 
Tomatoes had contained Potatoes. These are planted two rows to¬ 
gether 8 inches apart, the Tomatoes being planted afterwards. The 
young Vines up near the glass were making fine growth, and two good 
paying crops are taken from the houses in one season. The next was 
the early Hamburgh house COO feet long (a lean-to). Two tons of 
Grapes were cut from this in April and May. We were then shown a 
Melon house (span-roofed) 120 feet long, carrying the second crop of 
fruit. It was a fine netted variety, which Mr. Bashford says sells well. 
The Gros Colman house is span-roofed, about 900 feet long by 33 feet 
wide, and such a house of Grapes was worth going the distance itself to 
see. The Vines were in grand foliage with bunches 4 to G lbs. each and 
berries like Plums, colouring well. To give an idea of the size of the 
berries I put a half-crown in front of several, and I could see the berry 
all round it, and twelve berries selected from several bunches weighed 
