684 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 27, 1896. 
tion in a most satisfactory condition. 
There was an annual allowance to orphans of 
^832 15s., and there was ^8,570 6s. iod.in 
investments. Last year the Fund supported 
sixty orphans, but now there were seventy 
orphans receiving allowances. He regretted 
to mention the death of Sir Julian Gold- 
smid, the first president of the Institution 
since they met last year. Their office 
expenses had only been £122 13s. during 
the past financial year. The work of 
administration had increased, but in Mr. 
Barron they had a most competent secretary. 
In conclusion, he appealed to gardeners to 
help spread the claims of so deserving an 
Institution throughout the length and 
breadth of the country. In proposing 
prosperity to the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund, he coupled with it the name of Mr. 
Wm. Marshall, Chairman of the Executive 
Committee. 
Mr. Marshall spoke of men of the horti¬ 
cultural world in connection with the 
administration of the Institution, and 
amongst others mentioned Mr. Harry J. 
Veitch, than whom there was no one who 
took a more active and practical interest in 
the gardening charities. They had funds 
invested to meet all liabilities, and though 
such continued to increase annually they 
had always been able to cover them. In 
the second place the men of Covent Garden 
at one time were under the impression that 
their children were not eligible for the Fund, 
but happily that had given place to a better 
understanding. If the men of Covent 
Garden were always to work in unison 
with the other section of the fraternity they 
could carry everything to a successful issue 
which might be undertaken. He took the 
opportunity of thanking all members of the 
Executive Committee, past and present, for 
the admirable way in which they had 
assisted him as chairman in carrying onthe 
work of administration ; for they could not 
have a better set of gentlemen on the 
Executive Committee. T. Skewes-Cox, 
Esq., M.P., president of the Richmond 
Horticultural Society, proposed “Gardeners 
and Gardening,” and made an amusing 
speech of some length, for which he was 
frequently applauded. He alluded to a 
large number of gardeners from Adam to 
Messrs. Paul, Veitch, Sander, Laing, Barr, 
and Poupart. In alluding to gardens he 
made appreciative reference to Kew, and 
the work carried on in that establishment, 
as well as to the gardens of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at Chiswick. He 
also made some amusing statements con¬ 
cerning things cultivated in gardens, and 
said that the show of flowers there that 
night was one of the best he had ever seen : 
the decorations were indeed splendid. The 
Royal Horticultural Society, he said, had 
presented the Mayor and burgesses of Rich¬ 
mond with a Banksian Medal, which was 
won by the allotment holders. Sir Joseph 
Banks resided there in his day. In con¬ 
clusion, he alluded to the peaceful, indus¬ 
trious, and law-abiding tenantry of Covent 
Garden. With the toast he coupled the 
name of Mr. Wm. Poupart, whose skill as 
a gardener had been long and widely known. 
In responding, Mr. Poupart said it gave 
him no ordinary pleasure to be present on 
that occasion. He remarked that he had 
never before seen such a large number of 
Covent Garden men present at a gardening 
charity, but supposed they had come to¬ 
gether to welcome and support their own 
particular Duke, who was the owner of the 
largest fruit, flower and vegetable market 
in the kingdom. Some one prompted the 
speaker to say the largest market in the 
world. He had noted the extraordinary 
growth of the trade, and remembered when 
the whole of the flower trade was conducted 
outside the railings of St. Paul’s Church. A 
small market was afterwards built. In Covent 
Garden one can get plants or flowers fit to 
decorate a West End Mansion, or a Pansy, 
Daisy or other subject suitable for a small 
garden or window. It was difficult to say 
which was the most loved or admired. He 
mentioned the Rochfords, Mr. Peter Kay, 
Mr. Sweet and other men whose cultures 
were a sufficient safeguard against foreign 
competition in their particular line. These 
growers kept abreast of the times. The 
principal markets were held three days a 
week, but they were amply supplied more 
or less every day considering the price 
obtained for produce. In conclusion he 
said that Mr. Wm. Marshall had made 
mention of Covent Garden men in connec¬ 
tion with the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
He himself was a member of the Executive 
Committee, but was not at all satisfied with 
the number of names of those men on the 
subscription list. 
Dr. Maxwell T. Masters next proposed 
“The President” ; and the toast would no 
doubt be heartily received owing to the 
presence of His Grace, whose appropriate¬ 
ness for the position he occupied that night 
had been commented upon by Mr. Poupart. 
He (Dr. Masters), had been in the precincts 
of the market for the last quarter of a 
century, and could remember when there 
was no Flower Market, no Floral Hall, no 
auction mart, and when Tavistock Street 
occupied the site of the present vegetable 
market. During the time just indicated, 
Covent Garden had been almost doubled in 
extent, and facilities for carrying on the 
industry coriespondingly increased. These 
improvements had been effected by the 
Dukes of Bedford. He next alluded to the 
experiment stations inaugurated by the 
present Duke of Bedford, and which many 
were inclined to regard lightly. In the 
long run, he continued, the future of agri¬ 
culture and horticulture will depend upon 
this kind of experiment. Two out of ten of 
the establishments of the kind in the 
country had been established by the Duke 
of Bedford. Similar stations could be 
counted by the score in Germany, France, 
and the United States. Kew in a large 
measure owes its present development to 
the great and powerful influence of John, the 
sixth Duke of Bedford, with Sir William 
Hooker, Dr. Lindley and Bentham. It 
would be difficult to say to what extent he 
supported Drummond, Cuming, Douglas, 
and other plant collectors of those days. 
John Duke of Bedford also had a collection 
of 6,000 species of plants, of which his 
gardener Mr. John Forbes published a 
catalogue. Dr. Masters possessed a copy 
of the Pinetum Woburnense which had been 
given to his father by the Duke of Bedford. 
This book contains many coloured plates, 
but unfortunately only 100 copies of it were 
published by Mr. Forbes. Of the Salictum 
Woburnense only 50 copies were published. 
The most famous and valuable work pub¬ 
lished under the auspices of the Duke was 
the Hortus Gvamineus Woburnensis, giving 
the structure, history &c., of the pasture 
grasses. It was prepared by Sinclair, and 
was not only the best of its day, but, 
making allowance for the vast strides which 
have been made in chemistry since then, 
it is still the most complete work of its kind 
at the present day. Other useful books 
alsoemanated from the same source, for the 
collection of Succulents and Heaths at 
Woburn in those days were marvels of 
assiduity in collecting. The speaker re¬ 
lated an anecdote about this family before 
resuming his seat. One of the Dukes of 
Bedford gave directions to his gardener to 
have some of his plantations thinned. The 
gardener demurred, and when asked for his 
reason, said, “ because it will be injurious 
to your property, _and my interest is at 
stake.” The Duke replied that he would 
take care of the gardener’s interest. The 
plantation was thinned and a notice board 
put up bearing the inscription, “ This plan¬ 
tation was thinned by the Duke of Bedford 
contrary to his gardener’s advice.” 
His Grace the Dukeof Bedford in respond¬ 
ing begged to thank Dr. Masters for the 
kindly reference to him, and for the appre¬ 
ciative allusions he made to his family. 
Mr. A. F. Barron was present, but being 
somewhat indisposed, the list of donations 
was read by Mr. B. Wynne The Duke of 
Bedford gave £200 and had collected an 
additional ^300 from his tenants. Amongst 
other donors, R. Tate Esq., Manchester 
gave ^"50 ; N. N. Sherwood, Esq., £25 ; 
Messrs. De Rothschild, 25gs.; Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, logs.; the Thames Bank 
Iron Co., 7gs.; The Nursery and Farmers 
Association, iogs.; Mr. R. Dean, 8gs.; Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., Baron Ferdinand 
de Rothschild, Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Messrs. Dicksons, Messrs. Barr & Son, 
Mr. J. Douglas, Mr. Wilmot, Mr. J. B. 
Thomas, Mr. G. Munro, Mr. G. Sweet, and 
others gave 5gs. each. The total sum 
collected was £8$^ 173. 6d. 
Arnold Moss, Esq., proposed the visitors, 
and coupled with the toast the name of the 
Right Hon. Sir Edward Malet, whose 
doings at Berlin everyone had heard of, and 
who he believed was related to the Duke of 
Bedford. Sir Edward Malet asked what 
the world would be without flowers, what 
the latter would be without gardeners ; 
therefore by the same hypothesis, what 
would the world be without gardeners ? In 
conclusion he hoped for prosperity to the 
Gardener’s Orphan Fund. 
-- 
Deeside Heather.—The beds of Deeside Heather 
which adorn the East Terrace at Windsor Castle are 
just beginning to redden. 
Cricket: Hurst & Son v. J, Carter & Co.—This 
match was played at Walthamstow on Wednesday, 
17th inst., and won by H. & S. Scores : Hurst 173 
for three wickets; Carter’s, 83. Swinfen, Portch. 
and Squire played well for Hurst & Son. Hurst & 
Son v. Spottiswood’s. A team of the H. & S. Club 
played at Walthamstow on Saturday last, and the 
match resulted in a draw in favour of Spottiswcod’s, 
after playing extra time. Hurst 120; Spcttiswood’s 
117 for six wickets. 
Fruit Prospects in the Blairgowrie District.—Whilst 
in many parts of the country Strawberries are cheap 
and plentiful, in Blairgowrie they are fetching a 
shilling a pint. On some farms the crop is an 
average one, on others it is very poor. A whole acre 
of plants was uprooted lately on one farm because 
there was no chance of obtaining anything like a 
crop. Late varieties, although greatly helped by the 
rains are not expected to yield even the average 
return. 
Brighton and Sussex Horticultural Society —The 
members of this society assembled at the Imperial 
Hotel, Brighton, on Thursday, June 18th, to hear a 
paper by Mr. Edwards on “ Propagation by Seeds 
and Cuttings." The essayist dwelt upon the 
necessity of seeds being protected from the direct 
rays of light, and spoke of the losses that were 
caused by variations of temperature. Mr. Edwards 
replied to questions, arising in the discussion, at the 
close. 
Gardeners’ Company.—The installation banquet of 
the Gardeners’ Company took place on Monday, 
June 15th, at the Royal Institute of Painters in 
Water Colours, the chair being taken by the newly- 
elected master, Mr. N. N. Sherwcod. Miss Sher¬ 
wood, Lord Amherst of Hackney, the Hon. Alicia 
Amherst, General Sir William Olpherts, V.C., Lady 
Olpherts, Sir Trevor and Lady Lawrence i 
Lieutenant-General Sir F. and Lady Norman, Mr. 
Alderman Samuel, Sir William Farmer, the Rev. W. 
Wilks, and other distinguished ladies and gentleman 
were present. Lord Amherst, of Hackney, proposed 
the toast of the " Worshipful Company of Gar¬ 
deners’," Sir Trevor Lawrence making a suitable 
reply. 
