674 
THE GAKDENING WORLD. 
June 22, 1889. 
at the rate of 3 ins. or 4 ins. in the course of twenty- 
four hours, and at certain stages may even grow faster. 
Perhaps it may not be out of place here to remind those 
who are not botanical that this colossal structure is not 
really a single flower, but a whole inflorescence con¬ 
taining numerous small individual flowers seated near 
the base of the spadix, surrounded and enclosed by the 
huge spathe, popularly spoken of as the flower. The 
campanulate spathe is merely a greatly enlarged and 
coloured bract, and morphologically equivalent to the 
scarlet spathe of Anthurium Scherzerianum, or the con¬ 
voluted mantle of Arum maculatum. The plant has 
been grown for a number of years at Kew before 
attaining flowering dimensions. 
-- 
THE ROSE CONFERENCE AT 
CHISWICK. 
The object of this national conference, to be held at 
Chiswick on July 2nd and 3rd, is to get together as 
large and as representative a collection of Roses of all 
descriptions as possible ; to form an exhibition of all 
subjects pertaining to the Rose, whether in its botanical, 
its horticultural, its literary, or its artistic aspects ; 
and to bring together for the purposes of reciprocal 
information and fellowship all those interested in the 
Rose and its culture. To carry out these ends the 
assistance of all lovers of the Rose is invited. 
The schedule provides for the exhibition of various 
kinds of Roses, garden varieties and wild species, in 
some seventeen classes ; and books on the Rose and 
Rose culture, as well as photographs, drawings, &c., 
are also invited. 
The conference will commence each day at 2 p.m., 
and on the first day will be devoted to the horticultural 
side of the subject, the second day being devoted to the 
botany of the Rose. The proceedings will commence 
on July 2nd with an opening address by the Very Rev. 
The Dean of Rochester, president of the conference, 
after which the following papers will be read:—Rose 
Culture and Pruning, by the Rev. A. Foster-Melliar ; 
The Grouping of Garden Varieties of the Rose, by Mr. 
"William Paul ; Stocks and Soils, by Mr. Edward 
Mawley; Roses since 1860, by Mr. George Paul; 
Decorative Roses, by Mr. T. "W. Girdlestone ; Market 
Roses, by the Rev. H. Honywood D’Ombrain; on 
the Employment of Rosa polyantha as a Stock, by 
M. Viviand-Morel, Lyons ; on Rosa canina, var. from 
the Ural Mountains, as a Stock, by Dr. E. von Regel, 
St. Peterburgh. 
On the second day the opening address by Mr. J. 
G. Baker, F.R.S., Kew, will be followed by a Sketch 
of a New Classification of Roses, by Professor Crepin, 
Brussels ; New Indian Roses, with specimens, by Dr. 
G. King, F.R.S., Calcutta ; Note on Roses in Australia, 
by Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, K.C.M.G. ; also 
Roses in N. S. Wales, by J. Patterson, Esq. ; Some 
Results of the Fertilisation of Wild with Cultivated 
Roses, by M. Viviand-Morel ; Remarks on the 
Physiological Characteristics of Seedling Roses, by M. 
Viviand Morel ; Rose Construction : Normal and 
Abnormal, by Dr. Masters, F.R.S. 
The above programme is provisional only, and will 
be varied as circumstances demand. 
In order to increase the value of the report of the 
conference, which will be published in the journal of 
the society as soon after the conference as possible, it 
is proposed to add some statistics as to the best Roses 
for various purposes, and in order to obtain the result 
of the varied experiences of growers in all parts of 
the country, the following list of questions has been 
distributed :— 
“Which do you consider to be for your district— 
1. The best twelve H.P.’s for show hlooms ? 2. The 
next best twelve H.P.’s for show blooms? 3. The 
most useful twelve H.P.’s for general use as cut flowers 
for decoration ? 4. The next most useful twelve 
H. P.’s for general use as cut flowers for decoration ? 
5. The best twelve garden or decorative Roses ? 
6. The next best twelve garden or decorative Roses ? 
7. The best twelve Teas or Noisettes for show blooms ? 
8. The next best twelve Teas or Noisettes for show 
blooms? 9. The best twelve H.P.’s for forcing ? 10. 
The best twelve H.P.’s for pot culture ? 11. The next 
best twelve H.P.’s for pot culture? 12. The best 
twelve Teas for forcing ? 13. The best twelve Teas for 
pot culture ? 14. The most useful twelve hardy sum¬ 
mer-flowering climbers ? 15. The most useful twelve 
hardy autumn-flowering climbers ? 16. The most 
useful twelve hardy pillar or arch Roses ? 17. The 
best twenty-four Roses for dry gravelly, or sandy soil ? 
18. The best twenty-four Roses for chalk or limestone 
soil? 19. Mention any summer Roses you consider of 
value not previouly mentioned. 20. The twelve most 
decorative single Roses, species or otherwise ? 21. 
Mention any Roses that are of generally weak Con¬ 
stitution, or fail with you, and where possible assign 
the probable reason of failure. 22. Name the twelve 
Teas you find the hardiest, and mention auy excep¬ 
tionally delicate. 23. What do you consider the 
relative merits of Brier seedlings as compared with 
Brier cuttings for stocks ? 24. Do you consider the 
Manetti a better stock than the Brier (a) for any par¬ 
ticular sorts of Roses, or ( b ) for any particular soil ? 
25. What is your opinion of ‘Own Root’ as com¬ 
pared with budded Roses ? 26. What is your soil, 
subsoil, drainage (natural or artificial), and aspect ?” 
When this return is filled up it should be sent by post 
either to Rev. W. Wilks, Shirley Vicarage, Croydon, 
or to E. Mawley, Esq., Berkhamstead, Herts. 
It has also been determined to take advantage of 
the Rose Conference, to hold a Royal Horticultural 
Society Dinner, at the Hote Metropole, Northum¬ 
berland Avenue, Charing Cross, at 7 p.m., on Tues¬ 
day, July 2nd. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., 
president of the society, will take the chair, and 
the foreign Rosarians who are expected to be in 
England for the conference will be the guests of the 
society. 
-- 
GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVO¬ 
LENT INSTITUTION. 
The Jubilee Festival. 
On Thursday evening, June 13th, the Jubilee festival 
of this institution—and we are happy to say the most 
successful of the series—was held at “The Albion,” 
Aldersgate Street, under the presidency of Mr. Leopold 
de Rothschild. The banqueting hall was beautifully 
decorated, as usual, by various friends in the trade, and 
on the tables there was a rich display of flowers and 
fruit. The attendance was larger than ever, among 
the company being Baron Schroder, Lord Crewe, Sir 
T. Lawrence, Bart., M.P., Mr. John Lee, Mr. H. J. 
Veitch, treasurer, Mr. N. N. Sherwood, Mr. F. A. 
Philbrick, Q.C., Mr. C. Czarnikow, Dr. Hogg, Mr. 
H. J. Adams, Mr. G. A. Dickson, Chester, Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd, Mr. Mosse, Mr. G. Deal, Mr. J. F. Meston, 
Mr. Lynch White, Mr. W. Y. Baker, Mr. A. Veitch, 
Mr. T. Manning, Mr.jF. Q. Lane, Berkhamstead, Mr. 
Coleman, Eastnor Castle, Mr. J. Laing, Mr. J. Wills, 
Mr. P. Barr, Mr. Roberts, Gunnersbury, Mr. Hill, 
Tring Park, Mr. Jennings, Ascott, Mr. J. Walker, 
Mr. W. Poupart, Mr. H. J. Cutbush, Mr. H. B. May, 
Mr. T. A. Dickson, Mr. G. Munro, Mr. J. Webber, 
Mr. J. Willard, Mr. W. J. Nutting, Mr. J. L. 
"Woodruffe, Mr. A. Watkins, Mr. Protheroe, Mr. H. 
Turner, Mr. J. Douglas, and the secretary, Mr. E. R. 
Cutler. 
The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been duly 
honoured, the chairman gave the toast of the evening, 
“ Prosperity to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Insti¬ 
tution.” They were that day, he said, celebrating its 
50th anniversary, and looking back over the half 
century they could not help observing what great 
progress had been made in every branch of horticulture. 
It was now about fifty years since the late lamented 
mother of Sir Trevor Lawrence was the first to grow 
Orchids on a large scale in England. These flowers 
were celebrated, and drew crowds of admiring persons 
from royalty downwards. Everyone could now see 
these beautiful plants in the suburbs of London, and 
right and left they had great growers like Veitch, 
Sander, and many others, and they were within reach 
of any ordinary mortal who might feel disposed to 
ornament his table with their bright colours. The 
development of flowers of all kinds had increased im¬ 
mensely. He remembered that Mr. Mills, a former 
gardener at Gunnersbury, who retired on a small 
pension, and who did not like to live in idleness, 
invested his small savings in three houses for Roses, 
and the blooms he sold to Mr. Harvey, whose specialty 
it was to provide bridesmaids’ bouquets. He was 
under contract to sell flowers to no one but Mr. Harvey, 
and if he told them the small sum he received for them 
they would be astonished. The value of the cut flowers 
now sold daily in London amounted to between £5,0C0 
and £6,000. The great question of the day was to 
develop this trade still further, and, if possible, to 
grow flowers that they might be within reach of the 
poorest classes. There was nothing which tended to 
elevate the people and improve their morals so much 
as bringing them in contact with the beauties of nature. 
How they could effect this object by the introduction of 
flower markets, or by other means, he left it to them 
to decide. The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Insti¬ 
tution was established in 1839. For a few years it 
languished, but in 1842 it appeared to have struck 
upon some fertile soil. The number of pensioners on 
the list on January 31st last was 134—76 women and 
58 men—who were maintained at a yearly expenditure 
of £2,396. This was defrayed by annual subscriptions, 
interest on funded property, and donations received at 
the annual dinner. This being the jubilee year of the 
institution, they were determined to place on the 
pension list the unsuccessful candidates at the last 
election, for which purpose a sum of £3,000 was 
required, and he was delighted to be able to say that 
this sum and more had been received. (Loud cheers.) 
Their worthy secretary had sown broadcast a circular 
which he had taken the liberty of signing. The 
ground had been well cultivated, and the crop had 
been abundant. There were, however, some weeds in 
the shape of two letters, which he would read for their 
amusement. The first was as follows : “ Sir,—I think 
you could more easily pay the £3,000 than I, a poor 
clergyman, could pay 5s. or 10s. or 21s. towards the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, and I am 
surprised that one so wealthy as you are should try to 
support the society by the doles of the poor and half- 
starved clergy, instead of generously paying the £3,000 
out of your own pocket. I think it would redound 
much more to the honour of your chairmanship. 
(Signed) A Cleric.” (Laughter.) He did not think 
that letter was written by a clergyman, for the 
grammar, to say the least, was strained. The second 
letter which the chairman read and flatly contradicted 
was of a stupidly ignorant and splenetic nature. He 
said there was no class deserving of higher praise than 
the gardeners. They ought to be men of culture, with 
some knowledge of Latin and geography ; they had to 
rise early, and often in winter to leave a comfortable 
bed ; they had to be extremely honest, because they 
were entrusted with valuable plants ; they must not be 
greedy, or they would be tempted to eat the Peaches 
and Cherries as they grew—(laughter) ; they must be 
active and strong, and yet they must have delicacy of 
touch. He thanked them for their generous con¬ 
tributions, and ask them to drink heartily to the 
success of the institution. 
The toast was acknowledged by Mr. John Lee, father 
of the institution, and Mr. H. J. Veitch. Mr. Lee, 
looking hale and hearty, but who was almost inaudible, 
expressed the great pleasure he felt at being able to be 
present at their Jubilee celebration. He had attended 
almost all of their annual festivals, and he rejoiced 
exceedingly that so much had been accomplished, so 
much good work done in aid of the institution, in which 
from its birth he had taken such warm interest. Mr. 
Veitch, after alluding to the munificent contributions 
which had been made to the institution by the chairman 
and various other members of the Rothschild family, said 
fifteen years ago the annual subscriptions amounted to 
£720, now it was £1,360, the amount of donations was 
£700, now it was £1,165, and the amount paid in 
pensions was £930, as against £2,100 at the present 
time. During that time the expenses of the institution 
had decreased from 25 T to 16 8. The funded stock in 
1874 was £10,400, now it was £21,100. In 18S4 there 
was one pensioner, now there were 134 pensioners, 
which they hoped to raise to 150. (Cheers.) They 
had no expensive buildings to keep up, and no com¬ 
missions were paid for donations. Their staff consisted 
of one old man—(loud laughter)—and a boy, and an 
odd man whenever necessary. 
Baron Schroder proposed the health of the chairman, 
who, in acknowledging the compliment, said no charity 
appealed to their sympathies more than the one for 
which they were assembled that evening, as many of 
them had large gardens, and enjoyed many hours of 
pleasure in their hothouses, the care of which devolved 
on those who in their old age might need the assistance 
of this institution. He had been asked to propose the 
health of the “old boy”—(laughter)—and in doing so 
made a humorous allusion to Mr. Cutler having once fallen 
through the ice at Gunnersbury, when he was rescued 
by a member of his family. He promised that if Mr. 
Cutler should again visit Gunnersbury to try the ice he 
should have the best bottle of portinliis (the chairman’s) 
house. (Laughter.) In conclusion he had much 
pleasure in announcing that Mr. Harry Veitch would 
take the chair next year. 
The toast of the “ old boy ” was received with great 
enthusiasm, and in reply Mr. Cutler stated that the 
subscription list amounted to £3,469, the chairman’s 
list being £1,500, and gardeners themselves subscribing 
over £900. (Cheers.) He said he did not want to fall 
