340 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 25, 1896. 
GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT 
INSTITUTION. 
Statutory General Meeting. 
A general meeting of the members of the Gardeners 
Royal Benevolent Institution was held at 
" Simpson’s,” ioi, Strand, on the 16th inst., to 
consider and adopt partial alterations and additions 
to the existing rules of the Institution, recommended 
by the Committee of Management ; Mr. Harry J. 
Veitch presided. The principal alterations were to 
insert the words “ market growers ” between 
11 gardeners and nurserymen,” so as to include that 
class ; that “ thirty ” instead of " twenty ” years be 
the time necessary to make nurserymen eligible for 
the pensions of the Institution ; that there shall be 
a Committee of Management of “ thirty-six ” instead 
of " twenty-four,” as heretofore, "twelve of whom 
shall be resident fifty miles or more from the 
registered office of the Institution, and one-third of 
whom shall be practical gardeners ” ; and " that 
Messrs. W. Atkinson, F. Bedford, P. Blair, H. J. 
Clayton, W. Crump, G. A. Dickson, M. Dunn, R. 
McKellar, R. Piper, R. Tait, J. H. Vallance, and 
P. C. M. Veitch, who are resident fifty miles from 
the registered office of the Institution, shall continue 
part of the committee, and hold office as members 
thereof until the next general annual meeting.” 
Other alterations were of less importance. There 
was some discussion on certain points raised, but 
the above resolutions and the others were adopted, in 
most cases unanimously. 
Annual General Meeting. 
The fifty-seventh annual general meeting of the 
members of the Institution followed immediately 
after the conclusion of the statutory general meeting, 
Mr. Harry J. Veitch presiding. After the Chairman 
had explained the object of the meeting and spoken 
of other matters relating to the Institution, he called 
upon the Secretary, Mr. Geo. J. Ingram, to read the 
report of the committee and the accounts for the 
last year, which proved to be of a highly satisfactory 
character. 
The accounts show that the annual subscriptions 
amounted to £1,337 Ss. 6d., the donations to 
£1,948 12s. nd., and receipts from other sources, 
including dividends, to £1,132 17s. 3d., which, with 
the £(,400 on deposit and the £902 rgs. iod., bank 
balance at beginning of year, bring the Dr. total to 
£6,721 16s. 8d. 
£2,663 2S - tod. was distributed in pensions and 
gratuities, £686 6s. in executive and other expenses, 
£2,466 14s. yd. in investments and on deposit, whilst 
£905 15s. 3d. remained as balance with the treasurer 
and secretary. 
Dr. Masters proposed “ that the report and state¬ 
ment of accounts be adopted and that the best 
thanks of the meeting be accorded the committee.’’ 
Mr. Geo. Wythes proposed " that Mr. H. J. Veitch 
be re-elected as Treasurer.” Mr. A. F. Barron 
proposed “ that Messrs. Baker, Hudson, Laing, 
Osborn, Turner, and Webber, who retire by rotation, 
be re-elected members of the committee for the next 
four years ; and that Messrs. Iceton, Segar, and R. M. 
Hogg be elected as committeemen in places of Sir 
A. Arbuthnot, Mr. W. Nutting, and Mr. John Lee.” 
Mr. P. C. M. Veitch proposed " that Mr. Geo. J. 
Ingram be re-elected as secretary.” Mr. Melady 
moved "that Messrs. Manning, T. Swift, and Jesse 
Willard be re-elected auditors for the ensuing year.” 
Mr. James Hudson proposed ' that Messrs. Beste, 
W. Crane, H. Higgins, W. Johnson, and R. A. Jack, 
be appointed arbitrators for the ensuing year.” Mr. 
Denning proposed “ that in consequence of S. 
Chinery, of Boxford, Suffolk, aged seventy-one, 
gardener, a yearly subscriber of £1 is. for fifteen 
years; A. H. Holmes, of Balham, aged seventy-four, 
gardener, a yearly subscriber of £1 is. for twenty- 
five years ; W. Plester, of Elsenham, aged seventy- 
two, gardener, a life member for twenty-four years ; 
Mr. Bridger, of Finsbury Park, aged seventy-nine, 
gardener, a yearly subscriber of £1 is. for fifteen 
years; and Elizabeth Simpson, of Slough, aged 
sixty, whose late husband was a yearly subscriber of 
£1 is. for nineteen years, being in distress, and 
having in every w ay complied with the regulations, 
the committee will recommend that these five 
applicants be placed on the pension list without the 
trouble or expense of an election in accordance with' 
Rule III., 5.” All of the above propositions were 
seconded and adopted unanimously. 
Then Messrs. A. Outram, J. Webber, and G. 
Monro were appointed scrutineers of the ballot for 
the election of the other ten pensioners to be placed 
on the fund. The results of the ballot were as 
follow :—William Bishop, 4,021 ; John Ewing, 3,834 ; 
George Fletcher, 3,530; Hester Falconer, 3,227; 
Henry Wood, 3,131; Thomas Bannister, 2,946 ; John 
Pearcey, 2,800; Samuel Pickstone, 2,315 ; James 
Field, 2,487 ; William Croshier, 2,466. These candi¬ 
dates, having the highest number of votes on the 
declaration of the poll, were thus placed on the fund. 
Mr. Wynne proposed a vote of thanks to the 
scrutineers, and a similar vote to the chairman 
concluded the proceedings. 
Annual Friendly Supper. 
This was also held at " Simpson's,” 101, Strand, and 
was to have commenced at 6pm., but was delayed 
on account of the exceptionally heavy work in 
connection with the poll. Mr. P. C. M. Veitch, of 
Exeter, presided over a large attendance of members 
and their friends. An excellent menu was well served. 
After the usual preliminary toasts had been 
rendered the Chairman rose and spoke as follows:— 
" I have the honour to call your attention to the 
toast of the evening, ‘ The Gardeners’ Royal Benevo¬ 
lent Institution,’ and in doing so I feel confident that 
those present will drink it most cordially. Why 
should I feel so confident ? Because there are those 
around me whom I have seen before at this gather¬ 
ing, and, of course, they come here not for Simpson's 
Lark Supper, though that would draw a sybarite out 
of his cell, but because they are deeply interested in 
the concerns of this noble institution, and desire to 
wish it God speed on every possible occasion. I 
say, gentlemen, that is the position that should be 
taken up by the 10,000 gardeners of Great Britain. 
They should one and all put 4fd. in a box every 
Saturday night as their weekly subscription to this 
institution, and when they have done that they 
should rise and drink ‘ Sweethearts and Wives,' and 
they would have a right to do so, because they 
would have done something in their interests and in 
their own. Why is this not the case ? Are gar¬ 
deners so thoughtless that they cannot think out for 
themselves the merits of this institution ? 
“ They may say 'Oh, I shall never need it for myself,’ 
but are they so sure of that ? I would in any case 
like to preach to them from the text, ' In the morn¬ 
ing sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not 
thy hand, for thou knowest not which shall prosper, 
either this or that,' and I would point them to noble 
names in the gardening world who sowed the seeds 
of this institution, never expecting a harvest for 
themselves, but believing that they were at least 
sowing for others. ‘ But lo, and behold the harvest 
has been returned tenfold into their own bosom.’ 
Yes, gentlemen, it is a grand return given by this 
society to those who need its help in after years. 
See the record of men and women (155 pensioners) 
getting £20 and £16 a year for their subscription of 
ten guineas or so a year, for fifteen years ; and some 
have drawn for this original outlay £300 or £400, 
or even £500, out of the funds of the institution. 
“ If it is not thoughtlessness or carelessness on their 
behalf, or on that of their neighbours, is it that they 
think the rules are not broad enough ? To my mind 
they are broad enough ; they touch every gardener, 
without consideration of position or creed, nursery¬ 
men, their assistants and market gardeners, and what 
should be pariicularly noted is that their wives are 
included too. 
" The instituiion is not confined to London. It 
may be that the preponderance of these elected live 
in or near London, but that is simply a natural law 
of gravitation. Examine carefully into their 
positions, and it will be found that the greater por¬ 
tion came from all quarters of the kingdom. For 
my own part I am satisfied with the position of the 
West of England— men and women. I am certain 
that in proportion to the gardeners of that district 
they have their fair proportion of pensioners. The 
present committee look at their position in a broad 
way, and they have no idea of allowing people in the 
country to think that this is a London institution. 
They have to-day decided to elect on the committee 
twelve gentlemen from the country, and whose 
qualification is that they shall live at least fifty miles 
from London. Gentlemen, they are so broad that 
they want to take me into the fold. 
“ Then to show further how broad the present 
administration is they have instituted the establish¬ 
ment of auxiliaries in various parts of the country— 
Bristol, Bath, Wolverhampton, and Worcester. 
The latter was established this year, and there they 
have already thirty-five annual subscribers, besides 
life subscribers and donors. 
" I am glad to be able to announce that the Gar¬ 
deners' Society of Exeter authorises me to-day to 
invite Mr. H J. Veitch, Mr. Ingram, and any others 
who like to come, to a meeting to be held in Exeter 
Guildhall, on March 4th, to consider the question of 
starting an auxiliary. 
" Now the next consideration is whether the institu¬ 
tion is safe enough. Well, it is more safe than 
Balfour Shares, Titchborn Bonds, or that of many 
a Forester or Odd Fellows’ Lodge. There is 
£28,000 pounds invested, producing £800 a year, 
and then during the past year the income has 
increased in annual subscriptions, donations, 
dividends, and your treasurer, who is such a ‘ safe ' 
man, has, with the concurrence of the committee, 
decided that all life subscriptions shall be invested 
(an old rule and a right one), and he has accordingly 
invested £409 from life subscriptions. Then £535 
has been taken from the Deposit Account (mostly 
the result of donations) for investment. It is also a 
great pleasure to me that the name of such a good 
gardener as Wm. Thomson should be associated 
with this institution, and that a memorial fund to 
his memory, amounting to £257, has also been 
invested. Though Wm. Thomson will have many 
memorials, especially in the hearts of those who 
knew him, none will be so lasting as this. 
" The more I look into the affairs of this institution 
the more am I astonished that more gardeners do 
not join it. Why is this ? Are there better institu¬ 
tions where they can invest their money with more 
certainty—Foresters, Odd Fellows, or anything in 
that way ? If such is the case, why should not the 
committee face the matter at once ? Could they not 
add a lodge to this institution, so as to enlist the 
young gardeners’ sympathy ? Or, if that is im. 
possible, could they not arrange with one of the 
Insurance Companies to take over their members in 
block and insure them against accidents, many 
diseases, and even death for a very small sum per 
annum ? 
“ TheD, toof-but I am treading on thin ice—why 
should not that useful, young, and vigorous institu¬ 
tion, the Orphan Fund, be approached with a view 
of amalgamation? The expenses would be saved, 
and more good would undoubtedly be done.” 
Before resuming his seat the Chairman coupled 
with ihe toast he had just proposed the name of Mr. 
Harry J. Veitch. The latter, in suitable terms, 
replied, and mentioned some of the more important 
transactions which had been made in connection 
with the Institution during the past year, including 
the annual festival dinner, which was very successful. 
The heavy voting for the election of ten pensioners 
showed the increasing interest taken by members in 
the affairs of the Institution—61.520 votes being 
recorded; but he regretted that 60 papers had been 
spoiled, and 830 votes lost through the absence of 
signatures. Mr. Piper proposed the " Honorary 
Members of the Institution,” amongst whom were 
included men of influence and business capacity and 
men of character. With this toast he coupled the 
names of Mr. James Webber, Mr. Owen Thomas, 
(Her Majesty's gardener), and Mr. Peacock, all of 
whom replied in suitable terms. Mr. Webber 
thanked the chairman for the provincial support 
which he promised to enlist. Mr. Arnold Moss, in a 
humorous speech, proposed "Country Friends," 
coupling with this the names of Mr. P. C. M. Veitch, 
Mr. J. H. Vallance, Mr. Joseph White, and Mr. T. 
L. Smith, of Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, Cape 
Colony. Mr. Vallance is the secretary and treasurer 
of the Bristol Auxiliary Branch of the Institution, 
the first of its kind ever organised. Three of these 
made suitable replies. The Chairman then proposed 
" The Secretary," to which Mr. Geo. J. Ingram 
replied. 
The intervals between the speeches were filled up 
with vocal and instrumental music, and a very 
eojoyable evening was spent. 
--*•- 
BEGONIA VEITCHII. 
Whilst reciprocating Mr. Outram's kindly note of 
interrogation, it does seem odd that dated introduc¬ 
tions to the Chelsea firm, and again from them into 
the country, are so conflicting. Yet a few more 
such " dates” and I shall palm them off this side 
Jordan’s River, and if possible, see the explorer 
myself. However, my informant does not sa when 
