February 24, 1S00. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
403 
BEST OF ALL. 
Flesh of a deep green colour, verv thick, and 
rich in flavour. Per packet, 2 / 6 , post free. 
SUTTON'S NE PLUS ULTRA. 
(Illustrated above.) Flesh white, exceedingly 
thick, and of superb flivnur. 
Per packet, 1 / 6 , post free. 
SUTTON’S SOARLET. 
Fruit large, with a pale skin, densely netted ; 
flesh thick, of a rich scarlet colour 
Per packet, 1 / 6 , post free. 
Sutton’s Seeds] 
GENUINE ONLY FROM SUTTON S SONS,READING. 
—- - - - 1 
To OBTAIN the 
BEST MELONS 
PARAGON. 
A compact growing variety, which stands a long 
time and forms large solid heads, which are re¬ 
markably crisp and tender. 
1/- per packet, post free. 
EXHIBITION. 
The heads, which require no tying, are of im¬ 
mense size, solid, crisp, and of the finest quality. 
6cf. & I/- per packet; 2/6 per oz , post free. 
See Webbs’ Spring Catalogue, post free, Is. 
WORDSlTeY, STOURBRIDGE. 
H. J. JONES’ 
Ryecroft Collections of Vegetable Seeds conlaia a 
very liberal quantity of all the most approved kinds 
to give a supply of Vegetables throughout the year. 
<3T Try my 12/6 Collection, 
Smaller Collections, 5/-and 7,6. 
Ryecroft Co lections of the most advanced types 
in Sweet Peas 
36 Beautiful Yars , named, 100 seeds of each, 5 - 
24 „ .. 100 „ „ 3/6 
18 „ „ „ 100 „ ,, 2/6 
12 . 100 „ „ 1/9 
Carriage free on receipt of remittance. 
Catalogues free on application. 
Ryecroft Nursery, Hither Green, LEWISHAM. 
DANIELS BROS., 
Seed Growers, NORWICH, 
Offer One Hundred Guineas for Competition 
during igoo, and have selected such subjects as 
can be easily grown by amateurs, Peas, Broad 
and Runner Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, 
Po:atos, Parsnips, Carrots, Beet, Leeks, Onions, 
and Tomatos; Asters, African Marigolds, and 
Stccks. 
Before purchasing Garden Seeds, send for 
Catalogue (post free), which gives full informa¬ 
tion as to theaboie Prizes, which are in addition 
to the very large number given by the Firm 
through the numerous Shows. 
DANIELS BROS. 
Seed Growers, NORWICH. 
CUTHBERT’S GARDEN GUIDE 
And Illustrated Seed Catalogue for 1900 
Is now ready, and may be had free on application. 
R. & G. CUTHBERT, Seed Merchants, 
SOUTHGATE. N. 
ESTABLISHED 7787, 
“ Gardening is the purest of humin pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshn-eut to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 24 th , 1900 . 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Tuesday, February 27th. —R.H.S. Meeting in Drill Hall, West¬ 
minster. 
T>oyal Gardeners’ Orphan F und.— Those 
who are interested in this charity 
throughout the country will be pleased to 
learn of its continued success; for notwith¬ 
standing the fact that money for charitable 
purposes is being diverted from the channels 
into which it ordinarily flows to meet a 
national emergency, the Royal Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, with some degree of satis¬ 
faction and thankfulness, announces an in¬ 
crease, from al' resources of a little over 
^"75, as compared with previous years. 
The local secretaries have not been so 
successful as formerly, hut that may be due 
to causes affecting most other charities at 
the present time. From various sources we 
hear it declared that gardeners themselves 
do not subscribe as they ought, nor to such 
an extent as they are believed to be capable. 
While that may be so, it is also a well estab¬ 
lished fact that gardeners, as a class, are 
poorly paid by comparison with mechanics, 
for instance, or even with ordinary labourers. 
The capalulities required of h ad gardeners 
at the present da) are out of all proportion 
10 th ir emoluments. Tne pleasantness of 
the occupation is often brought forward as 
a receipt against the lack of remuneration 
in kind, hut that is very much like a return 
m honour lor services rendered and goes 
hut a poor way towards paying the inevit¬ 
able expenses. 
Most gardeners get into situations as head 
gardener at an advanced stage of life ; and 
the prospects of journeymen are seldom 
sufficient to induce them to undertake 
matrimo ial responsibilities. Under such 
circumstances the fear of leaving orphans 
does not trouble them till later on, when 
tne parents of increasing families, they have 
no surplus to devote to charity. The un¬ 
certainly of retaining positions as head 
gardeners, and the difficulty of s curing 
fresh appointments weigh more heavily 
upon the mind of the average gardener, 
than the possibility of any future need for 
charitable support. We recommend garden¬ 
ers’ however, in the heyday of prosperity to 
use every exertion in promoting the welfare 
of such a useful charity as the Royal 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. We consider 
also that it would give gardeners greater 
encouragement to subscribe, if they had 
definite assurance that whateverthey might 
hand over to the fund would be credited to 
their families'in the event of their having the 
misfortune to be left as orphans. This 
might be rendered in the form of votes at 
the annual election, as in the case of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
The prosperity of the Fund during the 
past year, combined with the generosity of 
the executive committee, has rendered any 
such scheme as the above quite unnecessary; 
but the committee and those who take an 
active part in the proceedings at the annual 
general election are resoked to act 
cautiously, so that it may not be possible 
in future years to be so generous as to place 
the whole of the candidates on the resources 
of the Fund. This must depend upon the 
number of orphans requiring assistance for 
any one year, and the provision the Fund 
has at disposal for such wholesale relief. 
Eleven candidates were placed upon the 
voting paper, and of this number the com¬ 
mittee had resolved to elect nine. This 
was duly done, but finding themselves able 
to support all of the candidates they 
suggested as much, and the subscribers en¬ 
dorsed the idea. Since the voting paper 
was published, however, three more very 
urgent cases were brought to the notice of 
the charity, and they also were placed upon 
the Fund by the same generous resolution, 
thus making a grand total of fourteen, the 
largest number in any one year that has 
ever been placed upon this gardening 
charity. This fact, in itself, should con¬ 
vince gardeners throughout the country 
that the Fund to its utmost extent is to be 
devoted to the sole purpose for which it was 
created. The charity has enjoyed consider¬ 
able and wide reputation almost from its 
commencement, and the latest achievement 
should insure for all time the support it 
amply deserves. On this occasion there 
were five fresh applications, besides the 
three subsequently made. Two had applied 
a second time ; and four for the third time, 
having thus waited one and two years re¬ 
spectively for the much needed relief. 
Many adverse things might have happened 
in that time. 
There is one very comforting reflection 
in respect to the responsibilities attaching 
to the support of orphans, and that is the 
cost of maintaining any given child can be 
