554 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 30,1898. 
green, and helps to tone down the rather gaudy hues 
of the Tulips. 
From the Grosvenor Gate on to the Marble Arch 
both Tulips and Hyacinths are rather later, the 
heavier shade being no doubt accountable. There 
are here several fine beds of such Tulips as Moliere, 
Murillo, Rosa Mundi, Rex Rubrorum, and Yellow 
Tournesol, while we must not forget to mention a 
grand bed of Hyacinth King of Blues on the Park 
Lane side, certainly one of the best examples of 
Hyacinths in the whole of the park. Some mixed 
beds of Polyanthuses are also very gay here, as they 
are in other parts of the park 
On the northern side, west of the Marble Arch, we 
find one of the prettiest pictures to be found in the 
whole of the park. The crest of the mound which 
is terminated by, and runs parallel to, the Bayswater 
Road, is clothed with various shrubs, and in front of 
these and facing full south is a border which runs 
westward in a series of graceful curves until it is 
terminated by a mass of Narcissi which have been 
naturalised in the grass. In this border a large num¬ 
ber of varieties of Hyacinths and Tulips has been 
planted, each variety forming a distinct block of 
colour that stands out freely by itself, and helps to 
forma very vivid, and showily varied whole. The 
illustration, to which we are indebted to the kindness 
of Messrs. J. Carter & Co., depicts one of the most 
imposing of these curves. Our readers will have no 
difficulty in recognising Keizer’s Kroon Tulip in the 
foreground, and will be able to gain a good idea of 
the general arrangement, which is well worth imita¬ 
tion. 
-4.- 
ROYAL GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
Chas. E. Keyser, Esq., of Aldermaston Court, 
Reading, presided at the annual dinner of this 
charity, which took place at the Hotel Metropole on 
the evening of Wednesday, the 20th inst. The 
chairman was supported by a strong gathering of 
gentlemen well known in horticultural circles, in¬ 
cluding Sir Trevor Lawrence, and Messrs. N. N. 
Sherwood, Martin J. Sutton, Leonard G. Sutton, W. 
Marshall, W. B. Hemsley, Geo. Nicholson, H. B. 
May, J. Assbee. H. J. Jones, R. Dsan, G. Wythes, G. 
Reynolds, M. Gleeson, J. Smith, H. J. Adams, 
J. Gould Veitch, H. Hicks, W. Sherwood, E. Sher¬ 
wood, W. H. White, W. R. Alderson. W. Y. Baker, 
A. J. Baker, P. R. Barr, J. W. Barr, G. H. Barr, H. 
J. Balderson, W. J. Brewer, J. Butler, G. Bick, A. 
B. Crichton, J. N. Cox, W. Cox, Geo. Cuthbert, G. 
H. Cuthbert, G. Dean, E. T. Cook, C. H. Curtis, 
Geo. Featherby, Geo. Gordon, R. P. Glendinning, 
Harris, G. J. Ingram, J. Kay, Peter Kay, Rev. 
Mayall, J. A. Laing, D. P. Laird, Stuart H. Low, 
J. F. McLeod, A. Marshall, A. J. Monro, E. 
Feathers, E. Mott, W. Moore, W. J. Nutting, W. 
Nutting, J. Odell, C. E. Osman, A. Outram, 
F. Penney, J. Poupart, H. Rides, J. Russell, 
E. Rochford, Jos. Rochford, John Rochford, G. H. 
Richards, D. Pell Smith, T. W. Sanders, J. Smith, 
T. Speller, J. Stephens, J. B. Stevenson, J. Sweet, 
S. M. Segar, T. Swift, J. Tiffin, H. Tellman, J. G. 
Taylor, J. Walker, W. Woodman, H. P. Wooderson, 
Wheatley, B. Wynne, T. C. Ward, A. W. G. Weeks, 
and the secretary, A. F. Barron. 
After a plentiful repast had been discussed, the 
chairman rose to propose the customary loyal toasts 
of ‘‘The Queen,” and the " Prince and Princess of 
Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family.” In 
speaking of Her Majesty he said that she interested 
herself in everything in which her subjects were in¬ 
terested, and he thought that horticulture had a 
special claim upon her regard. The Princess of 
Wales was, next to Her Majesty, probably the most 
beloved lady in the land, whilst the Prince aston¬ 
ished everyone by the amount of work he accom¬ 
plished ; in short, the Royal Family always sought 
to identify itself as closely as possible with all 
classes of the people, and he hoped it would be long 
before loyalty ceased to be an essential characteristic 
of an Englishman. Both toasts were enthusiastically 
received. 
The toast of the evening, •• Success to the Royal 
Gardeners' Orphan Fund,” was a'so given by the 
chairman, who said he felt much diffidence in 
occupying a position as their chairman, which had 
been previously filled by eminent noblemen and 
gentlemen. He had felt that he was not an inappro¬ 
priate person to propose the loyal toasts since he was 
High Sheriff for the Royal County of Berkshire. 
His audience knew fully as much of the ** Fund ” as 
he. They knew it was started in 1387, in commemor¬ 
ation of Her Majesty’s Jubilee, that it had made good 
progress since then,and that it now had invested funds 
to the value of £io,ooo. During the past year help 
had been given to nearly ioo orphans. He, with 
others, regretted that the charity was not able to do 
more, seeing how valuable was the work it was doing 
— those who had been fortunate in horticulture try¬ 
ing to alleviate the distress of those who had been 
unfortunate. He thought the “ Fund ” was not so 
well known as its foster association, the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution, and hoped that when 
it became better known its sphere of influence for 
good would be widely extended. He coupled with 
the toast the name of Mr. N. N. Sherwood, their 
treasurer. The toast was enthusiastically drunk. 
Mr. Sherwood, in replying, said that, as a society, 
they had much to be thankful for, but it was a 
matter of regret that last year the annual subscrip¬ 
tions showed a slight falling off. He hoped that in 
the near future they would be able to elect all those 
who applied for assistance, and that they would not, 
as now, have to send some away. He suggested, as 
a means of increasing the income of the “Fund,” 
that the children of noblemen and gentlemen who 
had large estates should be invited to save for the 
purpose of founding special funds for the benefit of 
the orphans, these funds to be called by the name of 
the house, or of the children supplying them. He 
thanked the company for receiving his name so 
heartily. 
Mr. Martin J. Sutton proposed " Gardeners and 
Gardening." He said that he himself was not, in 
business, strictly connected with gardening, but his 
two brothers, Mr. Leonard G. Sutton and Mr. A. W. 
Sutton were. His province was agriculture, but he 
thought that farmers would have to take a lesson in 
thorough cultivation from gardeners before they 
could get their land to pay. He coupled the name 
of Mr. A. W. G. Weeks with the toast. After the 
reception of the latter by the audience Mr. Weeks 
responded, saying that he had a great respect for 
gardeners, for be had ever found them to be an 
honest, praiseworthy, body of men, who were often 
trusted by their employers with many thousands of 
pounds worth of goods. 
Mr. R. Dean, in a humorous speech, proposed 
“ The tress.” He laid particular stress upon their 
indebtedness to the horticultural Press, and associ¬ 
ated with the toast the name of Mr. George Gordon. 
That gentlemen, in replying, assured the company 
that the Press had been closely associated with the 
“ Fund” since its inauguration, and that its merits 
had been kept persistently before the public. 
The chairman was heartily received at the invita¬ 
tion of Mr. W. Marshall. Mr. Keyser replied at 
some length, thanking them all for the reception 
they had given him, and the manner in which they 
had shown their appreciation of bis humble services. 
He took a great interest in gardening, and he had 
given his representative at Stanmore (Mr. M. Glee- 
son), and his representative at Aldermaston (Mr. A. 
Gall), a chance of showing what they could do in 
horticultural exhibitions. This he had done with a 
view to helping the magnificent exhibitions of plants, 
flowers, fruits, and vegetables now held in this 
country. 
It was announced that the evening’s subscriptions 
amounted to £559 6s. 
This was made up of the following large subscrip¬ 
tions:—C. E. Keyser, Esq., £116 16s. (including 
Baron Schroder, £10 10s.; G. W. Palmer, £10 \ T. 
F. Blackwell, £10 10s.; and J. H. Benyon, £10) ; 
Mr. Assbee, £63 6s. (including ^5 from Mr. E. Roch¬ 
ford. £5 from Mr. J. Sweet, £3 3s. from Mr. John 
Rochford, £3 3s. from G. Monro, £3 3s. from Mr. 
Jos. Rochford, £3 3s. from J. G. Taylor, £3 3s. from 
C. P. Kinnell, and £3 from Mr. J. Walker); N. N. 
Sherwood, Esq., £58 14s. (including J. Veitch & 
Sons, £\o 10s.) ; Mr. G. Reynolds, £32 18s.; Baron 
A. de Rothschild, £21 ; N. M. Rothschild, Esq., 
£26 5s.; M. J. Sutton, Esq., £23 ; L. G. Sutton, 
Esq , £23 ; A. W. Sutton, Esq., £3 ; S. M. Segar, 
Esq., £19 19s.; A. W. Weeks, Esq.,/165s.; W. 
Robinson, Esq , £\o 10s. ; Mr. J. F. McLeod, 
£10 i6s. 6d.; Mr. J. B. Stevenson, £6\ Messrs. 
Dickson (Chester) £3 ; Mr. H. J. Adams, £3 5s.; Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., £10 10s.; P. Rudolph 
Barr, £10 7s.; Thames Bank Iron Co., £7 7s.; 
Hugh Low & Co., £3 5s.; H. J. Clayton, £t, 10s.; 
C. J. Denning, £4 2s.; Mrs. Head, Sydenham, £10 
H. Hicks, £3 ; W. J. Nutting, £6 6s.; Dr. Masters, 
£3 3s.; J. Godseff, £3 ; H. Balderson, £3 3s.; G. 
Cuthbert, £3 5s.; T. Whiflans, £2 8s.; M. Gleeson, 
£2 12s. 6d.; and £2 2s. each from W. J. Brewer, T. 
C. Ward, R. P. Glendinning, P. Crowley, H. J. 
Wimsett, W. Marshall, A. Marshall, R. Dean, G. 
H. Richards, F. Blackwood, J. Russell, and J. 
Speller. 
The evening’s proceedings were much enlivened by 
Songs from Miss Gertrude Snow, Miss Foxcroft, 
and Mr. H. Schartau, whilst a recitation by Mr. H. 
Hudson excited a good deal of laughter. 
The singing of “ Auld Lang Syne” in demonstra¬ 
tive fashion terminated the proceedings. 
BELGIAN NURSERIES. 
I. —M. Ed. Pynaert-Van Geert, Ghent. 
One of the most easily accessible nurseries in the 
city of Ghent, and one of the nearest to the principal 
railway station is that of M. Ed. Pynaert-Van Geert. 
It occupies an island between two arms of the River 
Escaut, at Port Bruxelles, an ancieDt gate of the city, 
at the outer end of the Rue Bruxelles. Beds of 
Hyacinths, and single and double Tulips on the lawns 
around the dwelling house make the place gay at the 
present time. 
Having announced our arrival we were soon led 
into the propagating pit, where a varied assortment 
of plants is being reared from seeds and cuttings. The 
broad pinnae of the new Adiantum claesianum have 
a broad silvery centre from whence radiate numerous 
silvery veins, making a highly ornamental Maiden¬ 
hair Fern. Here we noted a remarkable variety of 
Kentia balmoreana, five years old, yet only 6 in. high, 
and having a very compact arrangement of the 
pinnae. Small plants of Pandanus utilis, having red 
edges to the leaves are highly ornamental, and 
reminded us of a time when the plant was more 
common in this country than it is at present. A 
compact growing subject is Pitcairnia tabulaeformis, 
having a rosette of leaves lying close upon the soil. 
A rare plant is Labisia pothoiana having olive- 
coloured leaves with white edges and midrib, and 
suitable for stove culture. A curious Aroid is Crypto- 
sperma ferox, having its petioles marbled like a 
snake. 
M. Pynaert-Van Geert is a successful cultivator of 
Anoectochilus, as it may be remembered he took the 
first prize at the Ghent Show for this class of plants, 
which he grows in frames in the propagating pit. The 
golden tracery of lines on the leaves of A. Petola is 
well known. The velvety-olive leaves of A. Dawsonr 
iana are netted with red. Yellowish and creamy 
lines on the leaves of A. sanderianus make this 
another very handsome species. These three are 
grown in quantity and all are very vigorous and 
healthy. Other species are cultivated in smaller 
quantities. 
Azaleas of all sizes in the nursery number some 
30,000, most of which consist of the finest modern 
varieties of A. indica. Those of market size and 
under are planted out in leaf soil upon the benches 
of the house, but presently they will be planted in 
beds in the open-air for the summer months. Here 
again leaves, scarcely half-decayed, constitute the 
staple of the material in which they are to be planted, 
say about a fortnight hence. They were all cut back 
some time ago and the prunings used as cuttings or 
grafts. Azalea mollis is also grown in great quantity 
and variety, the larger specimens taking the first 
prize for this class of plants at the great show. In 
another part of the nursery we passed through a 
block of houses entirely filled with Indian Azaleas 
about ready to be planted outside. Amongst flowering 
specimens a very fine new variety is A. indica 
Souvenir de Madame Francois Vervaene. The 
flowers are large, double, and pink, fading to silvery 
margins. 
In the cool corridor is a collection of hybrid 
Rhododendrons of the ponticum type. Large speci¬ 
men plants are also grown in tubs, producing a very 
fine display when in bloom. Particularly interesting 
is the hybrid Azaleodendron, the parents being a 
variety of R. ponticum and Azalea mollis. The 
leaves are evergeeen and intermediate between the 
parents. The oldest plant is laden with blush flowers 
beautifully spotted upon the upper segments, so that 
this triumph of the skill of the hybridist is ornamen¬ 
tal as well as botanically interesting. 
Many of the best of the Orchids were at the exhi¬ 
bition on the occasion of our visit to the nursery. 
