760 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 27 , 1889. 
a liberal response made to the appeal that bad been 
addressed to them, and amongst those down in the list 
were the names of Messrs. Wills, Pollett, Gaymer, 
Shirley Hibberd, Alderman Hardy, and himself. 
The Chairman then proposed “The Committee and 
Officers of the Fund.” He said that Mr. Yeitch’s 
proposal would come before them as a matter of 
business. It had been suggested that each of the Vice- 
Presidents should subscribe £10 each, but they could 
not measure another man’s corn by their own bushel. 
He should be glad to contribute £5 to the fund. The 
officers had had a tremendous task set before them, and 
it was not yet accomplished ; but what they had done 
was a matter of surprise no less than of delight. He 
had not in his time seen any movement pushed along 
with such steadiness and energy as this had been. It 
was a significant fact that when a proposal had been 
made to gardeners for their own benefit they had been 
indifferent; hut when something was proposed in which 
they had no personal interest, from which the element 
of selfishness was entirely eliminated, then they found 
them putting their shoulders to the wheel and accom¬ 
plishing most wonderful things. Ho man there would 
derive the slightest advantage from the fund; they 
were moved by the demand made upon their sympathies 
by the young and tender, who could not help themselves. 
He had not seen in his time so magnificent an 
example of unselfishness in a great public movement 
as in the Orphan Fund. He knew that there 
were very many such institutions, but the point 
that seemed particularly interesting was that the 
gardeners who had not been particularly careful about 
themselves were careful, thoughtful, and energetic in 
the interest of these orphans. They hoped that the 
orphans in need of assistance would decrease rather than 
increase, that horticulture would have such a position 
that every man who practised it would be able to pro¬ 
vide for his children so that they would not come upon 
any fund whatever beyond his own fund. That was 
their hope, and it was not a vain hope, for this 
country was rich, and was growing richer. The 
gardener was in a peculiar position. He did not earn 
much, he had no chance of becoming rich except by 
some accident ; but between him and his work there 
was a beautiful sympathy which rendered his industry 
a most solid, substantial, and promising thing. He 
could understand an engineer loving hi 3 engine, 
hut he could not understand an undertaker loving 
his work. They might pass through various occu¬ 
pations of men and see how much many of them 
must be tried in connection with their daily duties. 
Some of them had painful and horrible tasks, and in 
some cases tasks which were detrimental to health and 
morals. In the gardener’s case it was different. In 
999 cases out of 1,000 he loved his work, and was in 
sympathy with it. He loved it more than his wages. 
Mr. Fish had said it was very pretty to do gardening 
on paper ; but they had to do it on paper, and Mr. 
Fish forgot for a moment that he had spoiled more 
paper than any other man who had ever lived. Another 
feature that was noteworthy was the wonderful 
sympathy that was cultivated between the gardener 
and his employer. He did not mean to say that 
gardeners were angels, but he was astonished to find 
that amongst criminals gardeners had no place at all. 
They did not come out with distinguished honours at 
all in the Hewgate Calendar. The management of the 
fund derived considerable advantage from that circum¬ 
stance. All the committee and officers had been trained 
in the practical school of business. From the first they 
had had the assistance of Mr. Deal. They wanted in 
the first instance a man of business. They found Mr. 
Deal, and they were wise enough to make use of him. 
Step by step the thing had grown to its present pro¬ 
portions, and certainly the management must have 
very much of the credit. Some things succeeded by a 
fluke—he did not know exactly what that was—but 
this institution had not succeeded by a fluke. This 
success was brought about by systematic, honest, steady 
work. He should ask Mr. Deal and Mr. Barron to 
respond. 
Mr. G. Deal, who first responded, referred to the 
careful manner in which the committee had worked in 
the interests of the fund. A great deal of the success 
of the fund was due to the indefatigable energy of the 
local secretaries throughout the country in obtaining 
subscriptions. Among those who had rendered special 
assistance was the gardener to the Duke of Marlborough, 
Messrs. Hughes (of Birmingham), D. T. Fish, 
Cummins, Wordsworth, Scott, Thomas, Greenfield, 
Head, Wood, Ward, Wilkins, and others. He only 
trusted that the zeal which had been shown on the 
part of those gentlemen would not flag. 
Mr. Barron, in responding, said he was not a little 
proud of his position as secretary to the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund. So long as they continued to repose 
confidence in him, so long would he continue to work 
in promoting the interests of the fund. He had 
received from all parts of the country expressions of 
gratitude from those who were participators in the 
benefits of the fund. 
Mr. A. H. Smee next gave the “Local Secretaries.” 
In the course of his remarks he said that in the 
Jubilee year they planted a Yine, which was bearing 
fifteen bunches of Grapes. It was a gardening axiom 
that they should not over-crop the young Yine, but a 
Yine required nutriment, and in answer to the appeal 
which Mr. Yeitch had made, he should be happy to 
subscribe £5 towards growing another bunch of Grapes. 
Mr. Sharman replied, and testified, as one of the 
executive committee, to the excellent work which local 
secretaries were doing generally throughout the country. 
They were most disinterested and unselfish in their 
operations. The chairman would excuse him if he 
mentioned that the institution originated to a great 
extent from the suggestion of Mr. Penny. 
Alderman Hardy, who first responded, referred to 
annual subscriptions as being more acceptable than 
donations. He announced his willingness to give a 
donation of five guineas, and an annual subscription of a 
guinea. 
Mr. Bourne, who also replied, said it was gratifying 
to find that the fund was making such progress. Many 
of such movements often bubbled up and ended in 
bubble, but that fund was certainly taking good hold 
in the gardening profession. He felt a great desire to 
see the fund placed on a permanent basis. He thought 
they should endeavour to get a capital fund. It was 
not desirable to spend all that they got. They should 
endeavour to get such a fund, that if at any time there 
was a falling off in the subscriptions the pressure would 
not be felt by the Committee, and they could continue 
to meet any demands made upon them. For that 
reason he felt anxious that there should be an effort 
made to get a permanent fund. It was with that view 
that the nobleman whom he represented had given a 
large donation. His desire was to encourage others to 
do likewise, in order to establish a permanent fund for 
the gardeners’ orphans. 
Mr. R. Dean proposed the health of those who had 
generously furnished the plants, fruit, and flowers with 
which the room was beautifully decorated. 
Mr. John "Wills acknowledged the toast, and in the 
course of his remarks said it was surprising to him to 
see what marvellous strides the fund had made in the 
two years. He did not think they would find in the 
records of any other society such an instance of success. 
The Chairman said they were indebted to Messrs. 
Wills & Segar, Laing, Cutbush, B. S. Williams, Sanders 
(of St. Albans), and others for the plants, fruit, and 
flowers. 
Mr. Assbee proposed “The Horticultural Press.” 
Mr. J. Wright responded. He said that the hor¬ 
ticultural press took the warmest interest in the 
welfare of the fund, and they had never neglected any 
opportunity afforded them of advancing its interests. 
It was announced by Mr. Deal that £66 had been 
subscribed towards the second £100 in respect of which 
Mr. Yeitch had made an appeal. 
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to 
the chairman. 
-->X-o- 
ORCHID RO TES AMD GLEANINGS. 
Stanhopea tigrina nigro-violacea. 
There is a figure of this bold and striking variety in 
th e Annales de Gand, I., t. 21 ; and atthattime (1845) 
Morren, who described it, said that the plant probably 
was in the possession only of M. de Saegher, a horti¬ 
culturist of Ghent. Last week a correspondent sent us 
from the Isle of Wight, a magnificent bloom of a 
variety, which closely approached that of the original 
S. t. nigro-violacea, as represented by the figure above 
quoted. The whole surface of the sepals and the petals, 
with the exception of the margins, tips, and the reverse 
or back, was of a dark violet tinted with purple, the 
parts mentioned as exceptions being yellow. The 
hypochile of the lip, and internally especially, was of 
the same rich colour as the sepals and petals. The 
huge horas of the messochile and the epichile were pale 
greenish white, and spotted with rose, while the broadly- 
winged column was closely similar. That sent by our 
correspondent differed in having some irregular-sized 
blotches of yellow on the lateral sepals ; and the petals, 
which were more elongated and acutely pointed, were 
also marked with transverse yellow lines or blotches. 
The whole flower was larger than the more typical 
forms of the species, and the odour was exceedingly 
powerful, but although rather disagreeable in a closed 
room on that account, the smell was not otherwise 
offensive. 
CYMBIDIUM TIGR1NUM, 
The leafy part of this plant is very moderate in 
dimensions, while the flowers, on the contrary, are 
comparatively large. The leaves are about 6 ins. in 
length, and spring from small ovoid or nearly globular 
pseudo-bulbs. The flower stem rises clear above the 
foliage, and is erect, or nearly so, hearing a few blooms, 
the sepals and petals of which are yellow, and reddish 
brown externally. The lip is recurved, with two 
median ridges, and is brownish purple, with the side 
lobes purple and the terminal half white, striped 
transversely with purple. The whole plant can be 
grown in such small compass, that it might be more 
frequently grown. It is a native of Tenasserim, and 
requires, like the others, warm treatment. A flowering 
specimen might have been seen recently in the fine 
collection of A. H. Smee, Esq., "Wallington, Surrey". 
Dendrobium revolutum. 
The stems of this interesting little species do not 
exceed a foot in height, and bear flowers of medium 
size in the axils of the upper leaves. The sepals and 
petals are white, and revolute at the tips. The lip is 
much larger, broader, and three-lobed, and pale yellow ; 
the middle segment is bifid, reflexed at the sides, 
and furnished along the middle with three reddish 
brown lines ; the side lobes are also reflexed, toothed at 
the apex, and marked with reddish brown lines near 
the base. A plant was exhibited by Sir Trevor Law¬ 
rence, Bart., M.P., at the last meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, when a Botanical Certificate was 
awarded it. 
Maxillaria fuscata. 
From the base of pseudo-bulbs, of small size, arise the 
flower stems, bearing each a solitary flower well above 
the foliage, or at least, more decidedly so than in the 
case of the majority of Maxillarias. The sepals and 
petals are fuscous-red, with revolute yellow tips, except 
the terminal one, which seems always to be quite straight. 
The lip is fuscous-red at the base, and yellow upwards ; 
three-lobed, with the middle one somewhat plaited or 
undulated. It is quite an uncommon looking species, 
and was exhibited at the Drill Hall, "Westminster, on 
Tuesday last, by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., 
when the Orchid Committee accorded it a Botanical 
Certificate. 
SOBRALIA XANTHOLEUCA ALBA. 
The stems of this beautiful Orchid are only about 
18 ins. high, and the plant, in consequence, is more 
easily accommodated than S. maerantha. The lower 
leaves are ovate, the upper ones lanceolate, and all are 
leathery, rather strongly ribbed, and of a deep shining 
green, and persistent. The flowers are given off 
separately from some large bracts terminating the 
stems. The sepals are oblong, of good substance, and 
creamy white, while the petals are pure white, but 
otherwise similar. The lip has a pale yellow-tinted 
tube, and is of a clear pale yellow internally, while the 
large, expanded, undulated, or somewhat crumpled 
lamina is white. A fine specimen was exhibited by 
Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea, at the Drill Hall, 
Westminster, on Tuesday last, when a First Class 
Certificate was awarded to it. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
»- 
THE STOVE. 
Poinsettias. —By striking cuttings at once, a late 
supply would be obtained for flowering in 48-sized pots. 
The cuttings should be inserted singly in thumb-pots, 
to avoid the necessity of disturbing the roots when 
giving a shift. Plants obtained thus late cannot pos¬ 
sibly have bracts equal in size to those struck earlier, 
but they will be found very useful for conservatory 
work on account of their dwarfness. 
AY inter-flowering Begonias. —Such things as 
Begonia insignis, B. semperflorens, B. s. gigantea 
rosea, B. Carrieri, and others intended for winter work, 
should now receive their final shift, and be kept some¬ 
what close for a short time until the roots have taken 
to the new compost, after which they may be trans¬ 
ferred to a light and more freely ventilated house. 
Encourage Centropogon Lucyanus with occasional doses 
of weak liquid manure, but otherwise treat similar to 
the Begonias, 
