July 21, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD- 
749 
many .assembled Ito give an earnest and hearty support 
to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
Mr. G. Deal responded, and after returning thanks for 
the manner in which the toast had been proposed, said 
ever since they put him into the position which he 
occupied, he had received the most cordial support from 
the gentlemen who had assisted him at the various 
meetings. When they looked at the splendid result of 
their efforts, they might say that as they had sown so 
they had reaped. He thought that they had laid the 
foundation upon which he trusted they would erect a 
fabric that should extend its shelter throughout the 
length and breadth of the land. Nothing could be 
more gratifying than to find that they had touched the 
hearts of gardeners throughout the kingdom. That 
was shown by the manner in which they had responded 
to the appeal that had been made to them. Having 
once put their hands to the plough he hoped that thej 7 
would never leave it. Having thanked them for 
drinking the toast to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, he 
had now to propose another toast—namely, that of 
“ Kindred Institutions.” It seemed to him that they 
had now a complete chain of institutions for the 
gardening fraternity. They had their Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution for decayed, their Benefit and 
Provident Society for sick, and now they had added just 
the last link—namely, the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
He was quite sure that he expressed the most hearty 
and cordial sentiment of all the gentlemen with whom 
he had the'honour to work, when he said that while 
they gloried in and were proud of the success of their 
own institution, the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, they 
heartily wished equal success to kindred institutions. 
Mr. Sherwood, one of the trustees of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution, in responding to the toast, 
said he could congratulate them most heartily on the 
success attending their first dinner. He had been told 
that it was some forty-eight years ago that the first 
dinner of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution 
took place, when only some thirteen or fourteen were 
present. He felt that the greatest thanks were due to 
Mr. Penny and Mr. Deal for having originated that 
fund. He hoped that the institution would flourish as 
the Gardeners’ Benevolent had done. Mr. James 
Hudson, treasurer of the United Horticultural Benefit 
and Provident Society, also replied. He said he was 
happy to say that the fund he represented was doing a 
considerable amount of good work. Like a good many 
other societies, however, they had had a struggle, but 
he was glad to say that this year they were increasing 
in numbers at the rate of about 33 per cent., and now 
had some 300 members. 
Dr. Masters, who next proposed “Success to Horti¬ 
culture,” said that everyone in the room he presumed 
lived by and for horticulture, and therefore when they 
drank success to horticulture, they really in fact drank 
to their noble selves. If he might be allowed to say 
so, his experience was that horticulturists as a body 
seemed rather deficient in co-operative power. They 
had allowed the public to look upon horticulture as 
something exceedingly pleasant and pretty, very nice 
for recreation ; but they had not educated the public 
at present up to the view that horticulture was a 
national industry. He should like to ask them what 
national industry they could mention which would 
surpass horticulture. All were absolutely dependent 
upon horticulture, and he did not know any single 
industry in this country of more importance. If he 
were at an assembly of farmers he should be told that 
agriculture was the most important. But let them 
read their Bible, and they would find that gardeners 
existed before the plough. But coming to modern 
times, he asked them whether they could not get three 
and four times as much out of the land as the farmers 
did. They might depend upon it that farmers must to 
a great extent be dependent upon the methods which 
the gardener followed with so much success. He was 
glad to see symptoms of their co-operation —one was 
the present gathering. Never in his own experience 
had he known gardeners jump at anything as they had 
at that institution. They had now before them a 
splendid instance of co-operation. Gardeners had in 
this instance pulled together more constantly than ever 
they had done ; but if they had always done it, horti¬ 
culture would have taken the position which he claimed 
for it in the industries of the country. They now 
Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry. Now, he 
was not one of those individuals who thought that 
heard that it was proposed to appoint a Minister of 
gardening wanted anything from the State. He did 
not believe, in this country at any rate, that State- 
aided institutions were any good, but he did believe 
that gardeners could aid the State, and therefore he 
rejoiced that there was some prospect of a Minister 
of Agriculture and Horticulture, because then the 
gardeners could exercise their influence upon the 
powers that be for the good of the State in general. 
Mr. H. J. Veitch proceeded to reply to the toast 
after it had been warmly honoured. He said he had 
been at some loss to understand why he had been 
selected to reply to that toast. Perhaps it was 
because he was a gardener, as a gardener should be— 
a married man without encumbrance. There were, it 
seemed to him, three classes of the trade associaced 
with the toast, the first being the nursery and seed 
trade, who in their corporate capacity employed a great 
number of persons, and with them he should not 
forget the horticultural building trade. The next class 
of persons who were concerned particularly were the 
gardeners, of whom he believed there were at least 
20,000 names enumerated. Let them also remember 
the number of people employed in fruit gardening on 
land which had been converted from farming purposes. 
That brought in another class of people—those who 
were occupied in preserving the products of those 
gardens. Thus the number of people dependent upon 
horticulture in Great Britain was immense, and he felt 
proud to be called upon to speak for such a represen¬ 
tative body. There were then numbers of employers 
who derived pleasure from their gardens in this 
country. If gardens were done away with his hearers 
could imagine the loss of pleasure that would ensue. 
They had only to look at the financial position of 
themselves in the country, and he thought then that 
in comparison with some other trades they would 
admit that they did what they could to help the 
unfortunate. Mr. J. R. Bourne concurred in the 
remarks of Mr. Veitch upon the importance of horti¬ 
culture. Mr. Wildsmith, Heckfield, also briefly 
replied in a warm-hearted speech, with a genuine 
gardening ring that met with great acceptance. 
The next toast was that of “The President, the 
Chairman,’’ which Dr. Hogg proposed. In so doing 
he said at the formation of the fund everything seemed 
prosperous, but they could not tell where to find a 
president. They knew the success of movements such 
as that depended very much upon the way in which 
they were floated. They wanted to have a man of 
position and good name, and the first thing they had 
to do was to look out for such a man. They were all 
very much troubled upon that point, but one day his 
good friend Mr. Deal came towards him, and. his 
(Mr. Deal’s) face was beaming more than it usually 
did. He (the speaker) said to himself, “ There’s good 
news for us.” So he asked Mr. Deal, “Well, how are 
things going ? ” Mr. Deal said, “I have, I think, got 
a president.” “Indeed, who is he?” he asked. 
“Well, it’s rather a secret,” replied Mr. Deal, “but 
you need not say anything about it ; it is Sir Julian 
Goldsmid.” “Well,” replied he (the speaker), “if 
you have got Sir Julian Goldsmid success is assured.’ 
Well, Sir Julian had become president, and he did not 
think they could have done better, for he was known 
for his philanthropy and largeness of heart throughout 
the world. That was not his only claim to consideration 
from them, for he not only had a consideration for 
gardeners’ orphans, but he also had a consideration for 
gardening and gardeners. To have had anyone pre¬ 
siding over that society who was not a gardener and 
could not talk about gardening would be an anomaly. 
But Sir Julian was not such a man, and he trusted 
that they would see him spared for many years to 
preside over the institution. 
The president, in responding, said that he had 
always taken great interest in the beauties which 
gardeners cultivated. When visiting his friends, if 
asked whether he would go shooting or fishing, he 
generally replied, “ If you don’t mind I should like to 
waste your gardener’s time for the rest of the morning,” 
and he had never come away from wasting a gardener’s 
time without having learned something of the greatest 
possible interest. The gardener’s art was one of which 
they might well be proud. 
Mr. R. Dean then gave “ The Vice-Presidents and 
Trustees,” to which Mr. W. Bull and Mr. H. M. 
Pollett briefly responded. 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd, in proposing “The Auditors, 
Officers, and Committee,” said he was astonished at the 
example the gardeners had shown of unselfish enthu¬ 
siasm in founding that institution, as by it they could 
not expect to benefit themselves personally. He did 
not know of any society which had made such progress 
in the course of twelve months, and when he heard the 
floating of it had cost £200, he said it was nothing, 
because they had accomplished the unity of gardeners. 
He had seen the officers of the society grinding away at 
work on its behalf. The success of the society was in the 
first place due to the fact that it had originated with 
the gardeners themselves, and in the next place they 
had had the good sense to accept the assistance of good 
businessmen, who knew how to “turn the mangle.” 
Much yet remained to be done for the fund, for they 
had that day incurred a great responsibility in placing 
ten applicants on its funds. 
Mr. H. Herbst and Mr. A. F. Barron briefly 
responded to the toast, after which 
Mr. G. Deal proposed “The Local Secretaries.” He 
recognised, with the utmost cordiality, the great 
assistance that the fund had received from the local 
secretaries. When the idea of appointing local 
secretaries throughout the land was proposed it 
was little contemplated that, situated as gardeners 
generally are, they would be able to take up the cause 
as they had done. But they had worked in the most 
zealous manner. He must express the great astonish¬ 
ment and pleasure felt by the committee when they 
found the returns from the local secretaries had 
amounted to the very handsome sum of £382. He 
could express the most profound gratitude on the part 
of the committee for that. 
Mr. D. T. Fish responded, addressing his auditors 
as “brothers of the pen, spade, and knife” ; he said 
that someone had spoken of the enterprise and energy 
displayed by gardeners, but he thought that if there 
was anything they had cause to be proud of it was the 
starting and so far successful working of the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund. If ever there was a practical sermon 
preached it was in their council room that morning, 
where they saw exemplified the scriptural phrase that 
“ pure religion and undefiled is to visit the sick, the 
fatherless, and the widow.” He was proud of the 
gathering and the leader which they had that night, 
and he felt that this was only a beginning of the great 
work which was before them. As one of the local 
secretaries he had felt ashamed at being only able to 
send a contribution of £12 10.s., but he anticipated 
sending £50, and he would not be satisfied until he 
could send £50 from Suffolk. He hoped that they would 
work together as one man not only to make the insti¬ 
tution a brilliant success, but to make it so successful 
that none of their orphans might ever want aid. 
Mr. H. J. Clayton, of Grimston Park, also replied, 
expressing the pleasure he had in coming from York¬ 
shire to be present at such a splendid meeting on behalf 
of so good a cause. 
The chairman briefly proposed “The Visitors,” 
remarking that they not only had English friends, but 
also foreign. They had M. Margottin, of Paris, there, 
who, as they knew, was one of the most celebrated of 
the growers of Roses in France. He thought that that 
fact showed that the interests of that society were not 
confined to this country. 
Monsieur Jules Margottin responded in French. He 
expressed the satisfaction which he felt at being pre¬ 
sent on that occasion, and his appreciation of the 
benefits which the Orphan Fund would bring about. 
He hoped that next year they would double the num¬ 
ber of their candidates, and he concluded by drinking 
success to the fund. Mr. Garnett, of Leeds, also 
replied, saying that in Yorkshire there had been a very 
warm feeling in favour of the fund, which he trusted 
would have a prosperous career. 
Mr. G. Deal, who next proposed the toast of “The 
Press,” attributed a great deal of the success the insti¬ 
tution had met with since its formation to the assistance 
it had received from the press, which had communicated 
every month to the public the progress of the Fund. 
Mr. J. Wright, in responding, said that the foundation 
had done something more than bring about the unity 
of gardeners, as it had united the press ; although 
divided in opinion sometimes upon the various matters 
brought before the public, the press was yet happily 
united in furthering the interests of such societies as 
that. Mr. B. Wynne also briefly replied to the toast, 
confirming the previous speaker’s remarks, and hoping 
the press would always have a good account to give of 
the progress of the fund. 
This concluded the list of toasts, and on the motion 
of Dr. Hogg a cordial vote of thanks was passed to 
Messrs. Laing & Sons, Messrs. Wills & Segar, Messrs. 
Low & Co., Messrs. Webber, Messrs. Lane & Son, 
Messrs. Paul & Son. Messrs. Canuell & Sons, Messrs. 
Cheal & Sons, Mr. Turner, Mr. Walker, Mr. G. Munro 
and Mr. Webber, who had most liberally supplied 
the plants, flowers and fruits with which the tables and 
the room had been plentifully and tastefully decorated. 
During the evening selections of vocal music were 
given under the direction of Miss Mary Belval, Miss E. 
Champion presiding at the pianoforte. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Wirral Rose Show .—July 18th. 
This exhibition was held in Hamilton Square Gardens, 
Birkenhead, on Wednesday last, the day proving all 
that could be desired, fine and warm, yet not so bright 
as to open the flowers too quickly. The competition 
was strong and keen, more collections being staged 
than at any of the society’s previous shows. The 
blooms were large with plenty of substance, although 
in many cases showing the result of the excessive rain¬ 
fall by damaged petals, and in some collections want 
of colour. The amateur divisions fully held their own, 
the “ thirty-six ” stands of Mr. W. J. Grant and the 
Rev. J. H. Pemberton beiug unusually fine. Teas have 
been better represented at Wirral, although the display 
was strong; but the premier stand lacked the purity 
and colour we have noticed at previous shows. 
In the nurserymen’s division Mr. R. B. Cant had 
the premier seventy-two varieties, Messrs. Paul & Son 
coming in second ; and Mr. F. Cant third. For thirty - 
six triplets, distinct, Mr. R. B. Cant again took the 
lead; and for thirty-six distinct varieties Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury, were first with a 
nice collection. For eighteen triplets Messrs. Burch, 
Mr. G. Prince, Messrs. Jeffries, and Messrs. Dicksons, 
Limited, were the prize takers. For twelve new Roses 
not in commerce before 1885 Messrs. Paul & Son were 
first with a very nice dozen, including Madame Baulot, 
Her Majesty (large), Victor Hugo (rich), Silver Queen, 
Mrs. J. Laing (delicate colour), Longfellow, Joseph 
Desbois, Earl of Dufferin, Madame N. Neruda, The 
Bride, Grand Mogul (very dark), and Madame T. Ami. 
The amateurs’ classes for Teas and the open classes 
were all well contested. Mr. S. Johnson, Oxton, had 
a nice display of plants of miscellaneous kinds, and cut 
Roses, which improved the upper end of the tent. More 
plants tastefully arranged amongst the cut Roses would 
have considerably enhanced the beauty of the show 
tent. 
