260 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Mi’. William Walters, sub-foreman in the Orchid 
houses, Kew, has received an appointment with 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co , St. Albans. 
Mr. James Rourke, who came from Glasnevin 
Botanic Gardens to the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 
March 1894, has received an appointment in Glasgow 
Botanic Gardens. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—We 
intimated in our last issue that Lord Rothschild had 
fixed Wednesday, 26th May next, for the celebration 
of the 58th Anniversary Festival of this Institution ; 
and we are now enabled to state that the date given 
coincides with the first day of the Temple Show. 
The Death is Announced, at the age of eighty-four, 
of the Rev. Charles Fellowes, M.A..rector of Mautby, 
vicar of Shotesham St. Mary's, and rector of Shotes- 
ham All Saints, Norfolk. The deceased was 
appointed to his livings fifty-eight years ago, and he 
had been a prominent figure in East Anglian life. 
He was a magistrate for the county, and filled many 
positions of public usefulness. His hobby was 
horticulture, and he was well k nown to florists and 
growers all over England. 
The Ayrshire Gardeners' Mutual Improvement 
Association meets on the first Thursday of every 
month, in the Carrick Street Hall, Ayr, to read 
papers and conduct discussions on subjects pertain- 
taining to horticulture. Some of the papers for the 
ensuing year are “ Hardy Climbers,” by Mr. T. 
Bryden, Dennison Nursery ; “ Forest Trees,” by Mr. 
A. Taylor, Seafield Gardens ; “ Roses: How to 
Grow and Show,” by Mr. J. Thomson, Airlie Gar¬ 
dens ; “The Eucharis and Pancratium,” by Mr. A. 
Henderson, Fullarton Gardens; “Popular Flower¬ 
ing Plants,” by Mr. W. M’Connochie, Doonside 
Gardens; "The Beauty and Order of Garden 
Scenery,” by Mr. J. Good, Auchendrane Gardens ; 
and “Fruit Growing for Profit,” by Mr. D. 
M’Cutcheon, Doonfoot. Prizes are offered for com¬ 
petitions by members. 
Concerts at Altrincham.—The annual concerts in 
aid of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution 
and Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, given 
under the auspices of the concert committee of the 
Altrincham and District Gardeners’ Improvement 
Society, took place on the 1st and 2nd inst. in the 
Literary Institute, Altrincham. A most attractive 
programme of vocal and instrument music was pro¬ 
vided each evening, and on both occasions the large 
hall was well filled with an appreciative audience. 
After paying all expenses the balance left is £62, 
which the committee propose to divide as follows :— 
£31 10s. to the Gardeners’Royal Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion, and /30 10s. to the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund. This is the fifth season of these concerts in 
Altrincham, and the total amount raised by the 
committee now reaches £220, a result far beyond 
our expectations. Last year the amount was 
£56 10s., and this year we have gone one better. I 
am sure Mr. Barron and Mr. Ingram, the esteemed 
secretaries of the respective societies, would gladly 
welcome similar achievements by gardeners in other 
districts throughout the United Kingdom.— Chas. 
Hewitt (Hon. Sec. and Treasurer). 
Destruction of Larks. — What can the wanton 
destruction of larks to the point of extermination 
end in but economic injury ? Larks are valuable 
friends of the farmer, and their destruction will 
undoubtedly result in a loss to the community. 
They hang everywhere about the poulterers’ shops 
in festoons and garlands ! In this connection, the 
statemsnt that the British Produce Supply Associa¬ 
tion have refused to trade in 1 arks will give satisfac¬ 
tion to many people. A correspondent to the Daily 
Chronicle, after paying a visit to the^ London market, 
wrote : — “ The sight of the little songsters all trussed 
up in the approved way for cookiDg seemed to be 
such an unnecessary act of cruelty that one is bound 
to raise one’s voice in protest. Surely there are 
sufficient varieties both of gams and of wild birds (?) 
to allow of these little creatures being spared. It is 
pleasant to be able to state that the British Produce 
Supply Association have in a way protested against 
this outrage by stating in their price lists that larks 
are not to be supplied. This is a step in the right 
direction ; the next should be the total prohibition 
of the slaughter of these small singers”’ — Joseph 
Collinson, Wolsingliam, Co. Durham, December 19th, 
1896. 
The local distribution of plants depends largely 
upon the nature of the soil. Moisture is another 
factor of great importance in the case. 
Cactus Dahlia Miss Webster.—It will only be 
giving “ honour to whom honour is due,” if we say 
that the new white Dahlia, “Miss Webster”—the 
greatest advance in the white Cactus class yet seen— 
was raised by Mr. William A. Kent, Newchurch, 
Sandown, Isle of Wight. It has received many 
certificates of merit, and an Award of Merit from 
the R. H. S.; and the whole stock has passed into 
our hands.— Dobbie & Co. 
Chrysanthemums at Dunmail.—Archibald M’Kenzie, 
Esq., at - his fine establishment at Dunmail, 
Cults, is credited with having one of the finest collec¬ 
tions of ’Mums north of the Tweed. Mr. W. 
Morgan, the gardener, carried off first honours at 
the recent Aberdeen show. Amongst the many 
fine samples to be seen at Dunmail are four grand 
blooms of Dorothy Shea, in both the red and yellow 
shades. Three blooms of Van den Heede are, if 
anything, even more conspicuous. Florence 
Davis, Mrs. C. H. Payne, Vivian 1 Morel, and Mrs. 
W. E Clark have all done remarkably well. 
Death of Mr. Robert Warner.—We regret to 
announce the death of this eminent gentleman, well 
known in the annals of horticulture in connection 
with his writings on Orchids, including Warner's 
Select Orchids, and articles in Williams' Orchid Album. 
His name is commemorated by the valuable, but not 
over-plentiful, Cattleya Warneri, which flowers 
during summer. Mr. Robert Wai ner, F.L.S , was 
a member of the firm of Messrs. John Warner 
& Sons, Limited, engineers of Jewin Cres¬ 
cent, Cripplegate, London, E C. His residence 
was Widford Lodge, Chelmsford, and formerly 
at Broomfield, in the same locality. Cattleya 
Warneri flowered for the first time in this 
country, at Broomfield, in i860. Mr. Warner had 
in fact been a noted grower of Orchids, and an 
enthusiastic writer about them in his younger days. 
He died at his residence on Thursday, the 17th inst., 
at the advanced of 81, and was conveyed to his last 
resting place on Wednesday, the 23rd inst. 
Chester Paxton Society.—The annual general meet¬ 
ing was held in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, on 
Saturday, the 12th inst., the president of the society, 
Mr. N. F. Barnes, Eaton Gardens, occupying the 
chair. The hon. secretary, Mr. G. P. Miln, in sub¬ 
mitting his report for the past year, pointed out that 
since the last general meeting twenty-six new mem¬ 
bers have been added to the society as well as an 
additional number of subscribers The finances of 
the society were also reported to be in a satisfactory 
condition, a substantial balance being carried forward 
to next year's account. The chairman and other 
gentlemen afterwards commented upon the flourish¬ 
ing condition of the society, and it was eventually 
agreed to enlarge the committee, the following being 
duly elected :—Messrs. John Taylor, J. D. Siddall, 
Yeats, Weaver, Brain, Wynne, Mosford, Edge, 
Wynne-Ffoulkes, Stubbs, Hitchcock, Pierce, Flack, 
Forsyth, Gray, Breen, Jackson, and Whitaker. Mr. 
Barnes was re-elected president; Messrs. Thomas 
Weaver and R. Wakefield, vice-presidents ; and G 
P. Miln as hon. secretary. 
Propostd Photographic Guild.—We call the atten¬ 
tion of our readers, who are amateur photographers, 
to the attempt to form a pbotograpic guild to pro¬ 
vide the advantages of a society for* isolated photo¬ 
graphic workers all over the world. At present no 
admission fee will be charged, but there will be an 
annual subscription of five shillngs, payable in 
advance. Some of the advantages are that every 
member shall be supplied with a badge of member¬ 
ship as a means of identification and introduction ; 
his name will be published in the quarterly list to be 
issued to all members ; to form a list of professional 
photographers who may be prepared to supply 
prints for re-production in newspapers, books, &c., 
to arrange a list of hotels willing to accept a uniform 
tariff ; to secure reduced rail vay rates for members 
travelling and carrying their badge and apparatus : 
to provide suitable, but not expensive, offices as a 
guild hall, with reading-room, library, dark rooms, 
&c., in London ; to provide a circulating library of 
reference books on photography, especially of those 
that are difficult to procure, rare or expensive ; to 
obtain permissions to photograph in private domains, 
&c. The temporary offices of the proposed guild 
are at 6, Farringdon Avenue, London, E C. 
December 26, 1896. 
Christrms Wi ldow Decorations —An original idea 
of window decoration has been executed by the 
well-known florist and seedsman, Mr. John E. 
Knight, of Dudley Street, Wolverhampton, at the 
establishment of a local clothier. The whole 
window has been utilised, and presents the appear¬ 
ance of a forest scene in September. A charming 
arrangement has been made of Palms, Ferns, Fir 
trees, bark, and a variety of plants ; and a fox and 
couple of badgers add to the realism of what consti¬ 
tutes a verypretty and novel picture, bearing strik¬ 
ing testimony to the artistic ingenuity of the 
arranger. 
Messrs. William and Edward Sherwood.—Last 
Saturday evening, Mr. N. N. Sherwood gave a 
dinner in the Royal Venetian Chamber, the Holborn 
Restaurant, London, to celebrate the introduction of 
his sons, Messrs. William and Edward Sherwood, 
to the firm of Messrs. Hurst and Son, Houndsditch, 
London. More than 100 men of the staff of the 
firm were present, besides a number of friends and 
visitors, who filled the large chamber above men- 
tiored. Old and trusted servants and managers of 
departments were present in strong force, including 
Mr. John Key, Mr. Titt (manager of the shop), Mr. 
Hodgson (superintendent in the warehouses), Mr. T. 
N. Cox (manager of another department), Mr. V. F. 
Cummings (warehouse clerk), Mr. Hugh Aiton (the 
well-known traveller for the firm), Mr. D. Fairley, 
Mr. J. E. Dixon, Mr. E. Griffiths, Mr. Crichton, Mr. 
A. Cox, Mr. R. C. Tucker, Mr. T. A. Baldwin, Mr. 
R. Cameron Tanner, Mr. A. Spencer, Mr. J. N. 
Sampson, and Mr. T. A. Washington. Many of the 
above have been in the service of the firm for periods 
varying between 20 and 32 years. All sat down to 
an excellently got up and well-served menu, under 
the presidency of Mr. N. N. Sherwood. After the 
usual loyal toasts were proposed by the chairman, 
" The Health of Mr. William and Mr. Edward Sher¬ 
wood ” was proposed byMr.HarryJ.Veitch, who said 
that the young gentlemen in question were called 
upon to inherit a great name by their connection 
with the firm of Hurst and Son, a name that was 
known all over the world. He spoke at some length, 
giving the young men much advice and encour¬ 
agement, and concluded by wishing them long 
life, health, and prosperity, and numerous friends. 
Mr. William Sherwood suitably replied, and his 
brother, Mr. Edward Sherwood, then responded, 
thanking all present for their good wishes expressed 
through Mr. H. J. Veitcb, and hoping that his 
father’s friends would also be his brother’s and his. 
“ The Visitors ” was proposed by Mr. T. N. Cox. 
“ The Press ” was next proposed by Mr George J. 
Ingram, and the toast was responded to by Mr. G. 
Gordon. Mr. Hugh Aiton next proposed “The 
Chairman and Success to the Firm of Hurst and 
Son," and spoke at some length, and with feeling, con¬ 
cerning the cordiality that existed between the 
principal of the great firm of Hurst and Son and the 
employees, inserting some humorous statements now 
and again, for which he was applauded by his 
fellow-workers. In speaking of Mr. N N. Sherwood 
Mr. Aiton said that he not only held the purse 
strings, but the hearts of his men as well. Mr. N, 
N. Sherwood replied, and said that he intended 
always to deal with his staff as he had done in the past, 
maintaining the present good relationships between 
employer and employed, and hoped that his sons 
after him would do 1 kewise. He also hoped that 
he and his staff would pull through as they had done 
during the past 34 years of his service with the firm. 
He thanked them for the hearty way they had re¬ 
ceived his sons. “ Tne Employees ” was proposed 
by the chairman in a way that showed the excellent 
relationships existing between the chief and his staff. 
Mr. Hodgson and Mr. Titt, two members of the 
staff of long standing, responded. Mr Edward Sher¬ 
wood proposed " The Ladies," including wives and 
sweethearts, to the great delight of the employees. 
There were several other speakers, the visitors in¬ 
cluding Mr. James Herbert Veitcb, of Messrs. Veitch 
and Sons, Chelsea, The toast list and programme 
was a long one, consisting of songs, solos, and re¬ 
citations, the musical talent, vocal and instrumental, 
being mostly supplied by members of the staff, 
including Messrs. D. Fairley, J. E. Dixon, Griffiths, 
CrichtOD, T. N. Cox, V. F. Cummings, A. Cox, R.C. 
Tucker, J. A. Baldwin, R. Cameron Tanner, T. A. 
Washington, and A, Spencer, the latter of whom 
gave a recitation. A long and very enjoyable evening 
was finished up by the singing of “ Auld lang syne.” 
