438 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 11, 1893. 
member contributes a small sum yearly, viz. 3s. on 
the 16s. scale, and 2s. on the 10s. 6d. This is entirely 
different and distinct from the Benefit Fund, and 
provides for such contingencies as accidents, long 
periods of sickness, giving relief to widows, and 
assisting the orphans of members. All these benefits 
are in addition to those derived from the Benefit 
Fund proper. 
Another and all important use of the Benevolent 
Fund is to give assistance to gardeners who have 
passed their seventieth birthday, as well as to help 
those who may have been ill for fifty-two weeks and 
then cease to have claims on the Benefit Funds. 
This is a happy arrangement as it does not tax that 
fund, being at the same time better provided by the 
Benevolent Fund. Subscribers of 21s. per annum, 
being gardeners, are also eligible as recipients from 
this fund should the emergency arise. 
Besides these two sections there is the Convales¬ 
cent Fund, which is a purely voluntary one on the 
part of the members, no payment thereto being at 
all compulsory. This fund, as its name denotes, 
provides for grants to members during convalescence, 
generally of 10s. per week for two or three weeks, 
the weekly payment from the Benefit Fund still 
continuing. This fund owes its origin to the far- 
seeing wisdom of Mr. N. N. Sherwood, a life 
member and a most generous supporter of the 
society, whose name will always be associated with 
this unique arrangement for the benefit of its 
members. To this fund the handsome donation of 
£ioo received from Mr. and Mrs. Veitch, on the 
occasion of their silver wedding celebration last 
August, was devoted by special request. The 
Management Fund has always been the weakest 
part of this admirable society. When it is bcrne in 
mind that each member only contributes 2s. 6d. per 
annum to this fund, this will readily be seen. With the 
large increase of members, however, the funds have 
been provided for working in a more efficient 
manner. 
In the limited space at our command we are 
unable to do more than indicate the main features of 
the society in a general way, but these are unques¬ 
tionably such as no gardener should lose sight of, 
for we know of no other society which offers the 
same advantages to members wljo desire to provide 
for the proverbial rainy day which overtakes so many 
of our order. So much for the society. What of its 
officers ? Well, it has for patron that large-hearted 
and most generous supporter of horticulture, Mr. 
Leopold de Rothschild , it has an able treasurer in 
Mr. Hudson ; a persevering and capable secretary 
in Mr. Collins; exceedingly safe and cautious 
trustees in Messrs, George and Joseph Wheeler and 
Mr. James George; and a committee of twelve 
members, four of whom are elected annually. 
Mr. James Hudson, the treasurer of the society, 
is the son of a well-known Sussex gardener, Mr. 
Samuel Hudson, and for the last seventeen years has 
been gardener at Gunnersbury House, Acton, for¬ 
merly with H. J. Atkinson, Esq., and latterly with the 
Messrs, de Rothschild. Our acquaintance with Mr. 
Hudson commenced in 1869, when he was foreman 
to that fine old gardener, the late Mr. J. B. Whiting, 
at The Deepdene, Dorking, and in which year he 
passed the examinations of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, coming out a " double first,” and 600 marks 
ahead of his competitors. On the death of Mr. 
Whiting he stayed on with his successor, Mr 
Burnett, who is now, we hope, making a fortune in 
California. In 1870 he became gardener to J. C. 
imThurn, Esq., at Champion Hill, S.E , and stayed 
there until he went to Gunnersbury House in 1876. 
At Champion Hill Mr. Hudson soon proved his 
claim to be called a gardener, growing everything 
well that he took in hand, and specially distinguishing 
himself as a grower and exhibitor of specimen stove 
and green house plants, and as a table decorator. Mr. 
Hudson has served ontheFruit and FloralCommittees 
of the R.H.S., and is a member of the committee of 
the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
Mr. William Collins, who succeeded the late 
Mr. McElroy as secretary, after being for some 
years a member of the committee, is gardener to 
A. A. Vlasto, Esq., at Clapham Park, S.W. He 
commenced his gardening career in a clergyman's 
garden at the age of twelve years, and subsequently 
served under the late Mr. John Wilson, at Arundel 
Castle, and the late Mr. Anthony Parsons, at Danes- 
bury, Welwyn. Then he became gardener in 
succession at Highbury Grange, N., Merton House, 
Surrey, and Lincoln House, Clapham Park, before 
entering upon his present employment, nearly ten 
years ago. A most assiduous, painstaking, and 
courteous officer is Mr. Collins ; it need hardly be 
said, therefore, that he enjoys the respect and esteem 
of all the members. 
Mr. James George, one of the trustees, is a born 
florist, and has been a most successful raiser of 
garden plants. He is the son of a nurseryman and 
florist, formerly in business at Faringdon, Berks, and 
carries his knowledge of floriculture back to the 
days when “ Springfield Rival,” “ Beeswing,” and 
Essex Triumph ” were the leading show' Dahlias. 
In early life he was employed at Faringdon House, 
and Warnford House, and in the nurseries of Mr. 
John Fraser, at Lea Bridge. In 1853 he became 
gardener to Mr. Nicholson, at Stamford Hill, and at 
his death went with the Misses Nicholson to Putney 
Heath, and remained in their service for some 30 
years. At Stamford Hill Mr. George made his mark 
as a Chrysanthemum grower at the old Stoke New¬ 
ington Chrysanthemum Society’s Shows. He was 
also the introducer of the compactum type of bed¬ 
ding Tropseolum, sent out from the old Wellington 
Road Nursery, St. John’s Wood, and which caused 
a sensation in the early days of the ribbon-border 
fever. Pie was also great as a raiser of zonal 
Pelargoniums, and quite a hundred of his seedlings 
must have been sent out at one time or another, by 
the Messrs. Paul, Turner, Cannell, Lee and others. 
Soon after Mr. John Wills brought out the ivy¬ 
leaved varieties, he turned his attention to them, and 
sent out some fifty or more seedlings through Messrs. 
Veitch, Osborn, Cannell, and Stevens. Subse¬ 
quently he turned his attention to Abutilons, with 
which he met with much success, and had, perhaps, 
the finest collection in the country when he left 
Putney Heath in 1884 to extend the business he had 
previously entered into as a Horticultural Sundries- 
man, and which he now carries on at 14, Redgrave 
Road, Putney. 
Mr. Joseph Wheeler, another trustee, is gar¬ 
dener at Barn Elms, Barnes. He began his working 
life as a garden boy, and spent two years with the 
late Mr. John Keynes, at Salisbury. Subsequently 
he entered the nursery of Messrs. Parker & 
Williams, in the Seven Sisters Road, long since 
passed away, and on the death of Mr. Osman Rhodes 
became gardener to J. Philpotts, Esq., at Stamford 
Hill. Some twenty years or more ago he was one of 
the leading metropolitan exhibitors of stove and 
greenhouse plants. On the death of Mr. Philpotts 
he became gardener to the late Sir Francis Gold- 
smid, at Rendcomb Park, Cirencester,and from there, 
on the death of Sir Francis, he went to Barn Elms. 
Mr. Wheeler, like Mr. George,was one of the founders 
of the “ United,” and these two, with Mr. Nathan 
Cole, were selected to sign the rules, and it is a 
singular fact that not one of them have since been 
really ill, or drawn one penny from the society’s 
funds. 
Mr. George Wheeler, the other trustee, was 
apprenticed in 1852 to Mr. Green, gardener and 
bailiff to the late Sir Edmund Antrobus, Cheam, 
Surrey, who was a constant exhibitor at that time at 
the London shows. Mr. Wheeler well remembers 
the first show held at the Crystal Palace, when Mr. 
Green staged twenty stove and greenhouse plants, 
twelve Azaleas, Orchids,and Cacti,and wonders where 
are those fine Epiphyllums now ? He was at Cheam 
ten years going through all the departments; then 
became gardener to W. Westcar, Esq., Hersham, 
whose garden he completely renovated. He then 
went as gardener to Sir Francis Goldsmid, at 
St. John’s Lodge, Regent's Park, where he remained 
twenty-four years until the place was sold to the 
Marquis of Bute. He was a constant exhibitor at 
the metropolitan shows of Azaleas, stove and green¬ 
house plants, and various other things. Mr. 
Wheeler is now manager to the Tongswood estate, 
near Hawkhurst, Kent, lately purchased by the 
Misses Goldsmid, sisters to Sir Julian Goldsmid, 
Bart., M.P., President of the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund. Mr. Wheeler was one of the original 
members of the ■' United,” and exhibited at the 
shows held in Finsbury Circus and the Guildhall, 
about 1866, to further the objects of the society. 
Mr. Nathan Cole’s name appears fourth on the 
roll of members. At the time the society was 
founded he was gardener to John Peters, Esq., The 
Grange, Kilburn, and he has been a member of the 
committee ever since. Some four years after the 
foundation of the society he was appointed by the 
then First Commissioner of Works, the present Duke 
of Rutland, to take charge of the plant department 
at Kensington Gardens, under the late Mr. John 
Mann. His duties were to propagate and grow the 
plants and flowers required for decorating the West- 
end Parks and the public offices, and to superintend 
the bedding-out. Mr. Mann loved trees and shrubs, 
and took little interest in bedding plants, so that 
Mr. Cole and Mr. Joseph Chamberlain were left 
during his reign pretty much to their own resources. 
Mr. Mann was a fine old Scotchman, kind and con¬ 
siderate to all employed under him. On his death 
he was succeeded by the late Mr. John Gibson, who 
was transferred from Battersea Park. With Mr. 
Gibson plants were a ruling passion, and as a 
landscape gardener in his day he had no equal. On 
his death he was succeeded by his son, the present 
superintendent of Victoria Park, and thus Mr. Cole 
served under three superintendents in fourteen years. 
Since Mr. Cole left the parks he has been his own 
gardener, has become a member of the Vestry 
of St. Marylebone, and naturally takes a 
lively interest in the management of the open 
spaces and gardens in the parish in which 
he resides. Mr. Cole has also been a contri¬ 
butor to periodical gardening literature for over 
thirty years, and in 1877 he published “ The Royal 
Parks and Gardens of London,” a very interesting 
work, dealing with the history of the Parks, and their 
mode of embellishment, with hints on the propagation 
and culture of the plants employed. . The book, 
originally published at five shillings, had a good sale, 
and is now in the third edition, which is being 
published at half-a-crown. 
Mr. William Marshall’s connection with the 
society also dates from its commencement. In con¬ 
junction with Mr. John Fraser, of Lea Bridge, and a 
number of gardeners, he rendered most valuable 
service in framing the rules and otherwise promoting 
the welfare of the society at the commencement, and 
for some years subsequently. Mr. Marshall was the 
first treasurer of the society, is a life member, and 
still continues to take a paternal interest in its 
welfare. Mr. Marshall is chairman of the 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, and of the Floral 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and 
as we pointed out in our number for December 3rd 
last, has a strong claim upon our respect and esteem 
for the valued services he has rendered to gardeners 
and gardening. Another of the founders of the 
society, is 
Mr. George Baker, gardener to Lord Revel- 
stoke, at Membland Hall, Devon. Mr. Baker was 
also treasurer of the society for several years 
previous to Mr. Hudson, resigning the office only on 
his leaving the metropolis some eleven years ago. 
Mr. Baker was born at Windrush, near Burford, and 
began his gardening career at Sherborne Castle, 
Gloucestershire, where his father was for many years 
gardener, and after serving his probation in several 
gardening establishments of repute, including that of 
Mr. Sigismund Rucker, at West Hill, Wandsworth, 
he became gardener to Ambrose Bassett, Esq., at 
Stamford Hill, some forty or more years ago, and 
quickly made a name for himself as one of the 
"Stamford Hill School” of exhibitors at the 
Metropolitan Shows. Orchids, stove and green¬ 
house plants, notably Azaleas, were all shown by 
him in rare style, and at a time when there were 
such giants as Barnes, Ayres, Wheeler, Rhodes 
and others were in the field. From Stamford 
Hill, Mr. Bassett removed to Sisters’ House, 
Clapham Common, and Mr. Baker with a good 
number of the specimen plants went with him, but 
he did no exhibiting after that. Subsequently Mr. 
Baker went to Combe Cottage, Kingston, for several 
years, and subsequently to Membland, where he has 
had plenty of scope for the display of his abilities as 
a gardener of the highest order. 
We would add one word in conclusion, i.e. that 
young gardeners in particular should look into the 
merits of this society before joining any other ; that 
they cannot join it too soon if above the age of 
eighteen years; and that we feelsure they will never 
regret taking such a step. The secretary’s address is 
9, Martindale Road, Balham, S.W., and he will be 
glad to give any information. 
--J-- 
Hardy Fernery. —The old fronds may now be 
cut away before the young ones commence to grow. 
This applies to the perfectly deciduous kinds. Those 
whose fronds are still green should not be cut away 
unless they are very much injured and brown. 
Except in the neighbourhood of smoky towns this 
will hardly be the case. 
