588 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 12, 1900. 
elude Ribes, Lilacs, Coruus, Deutzias, Diervillas, 
Prunuses, Genistas, Berberis, and other things. 
Roses in all sections, but particularly Tea Roses, 
thrive amazingly well in the good loamy soil. They 
are well attended to, and in their season they draw 
many visitors to admire them. We shall probably 
have more to say on the flowering subjects (the 
Carnations especially) when their flowering season 
arrives. 
ROYAL GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FOND. 
Annual Dinner. 
The annual dinner of this institution was held in the 
International Hall at the Monico, Piccadilly Circus, 
on the 8th inst., when about 120 sat down to dinner 
under the presidency of the Right Hon. Lord 
Battersea. Amongst those present were Messrs. N. 
N. Sherwood (the treasurer), Leonard G. Sutton, 
M. H. F. Sutton, William Marshall, James H. Veitch, 
J. G. Veitch, D. Pell-Smith, G. H. Richards, J. W. 
Moorman, Thos. Bevan, E. Ranger Johnson, W. Y. 
Baker, A. J. Baker, J. F. McLeod, S. T. Wright, 
Geo. Reynolds, W. J. Brewer, Ward, R. B. Gilson, 
F. Q. Lane, H. B. May (chairman of committee), 
W. E. Bilney, H. Hicks, R. Deane, Arnold Moss, J. 
Assbee, George Monro, T. A. Morris, H. E. Williams, 
P. Rudolph Barr, G. H. Barr, T. Rochford, Wm. 
Sherwood, E. Sherwood, P. C. M. Veitch, H. J. Cut- 
bush, H. J. Jones, G. H. Cuthbert, W. Cobb, G. J. 
Ingram, Glendinning, S. M. Segar, J. T. Anderson, 
G. Anderson, R. J. Day, R. Gofton Salmond, A. 
Turner, H. J. Wimsett, W. Nutting, J. Moss, G. 
Gordon, Bryan Wynne, C. H. Curtis, Cove, Horace 
Wright, A. S. Galt, T. G. Swales, J. Fraser, &c. 
After the usual loyal toasts, which were heartily 
responded to, the Chairman introduced the subject 
of the evening “ The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund.” He said the cause had his sincere sympathy 
and respect. At the approach of the 20th century 
people were enjoying privileges that the people of 
olden times had no conception of, and the increased 
cultivation of flowers was one of them. In every 
city, town, and village,the cultivation of flowers went 
on increasing every year. He visited the Drill Hall 
meetings, the Temple Show, Covent Garden, and 
there also he saw the same elevating influences at 
work. He could observe everywhere a rising intelli¬ 
gence amongst the people. He advised those who 
cultivated flowers for themselves or for employers to 
take increased interest in the welfare of the Gar¬ 
deners’ Orphan Fund. It is true there is an older 
institution, the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion, and it also served a useful but different purpose. 
There were many calls for similar or such institu¬ 
tions ; and in the gathering that night he saw a vast 
concourse of men interested in plants and in the 
welfare of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. He 
remembered that Lord Bacon laid aside the hurly- 
burly of politics and active life to take refuge from 
their cares in a orchard. He himself (Lord Batter¬ 
sea) took the same pleasure in his garden. He was 
reminded by the flowers present that certain poli¬ 
ticians of the present day took an interest in certain 
flowers. No names were mentioned, but the assem¬ 
bled diners took it for granted. Orchids, to-day, 
filled him with surprise. A friend of his had an 
Orchid, not from Birmingham, which he sold for 
400 gs. to 500 gs. Those who spent so much money 
on flowers and Orchids might give more to such insti¬ 
tutions as this. People in the country enjoyed their 
gardens, and had the privilege of conversing with 
their gardeners, who often knew more than their 
employers. It was good to study plants botanically 
and commercially. He himself was most attached 
to Roses, hardy herbaceous plants, &c. He had 
taken some trouble to get together a library of the 
old herbals and books on botany, and he was 
astonished at the prices they commanded. When 
he was a boy there was a system of gardening, 
namely, "bedding out,” he could neither understand 
nor admire, but it is swept away. If one goes into 
the country to study gardens now, it is found that 
much broader views are taken. Men study garden¬ 
ing, ay, and women, too. He himself studied Greek 
and Latin lexicons to help him where he did not 
understand, as well as the lists of nurserymen who 
delighted in adding " iana ’’ to their names in 
christening their new plants. In concluding he- 
advised all to give the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund in¬ 
creasing attention. 
N. N. Sherwood, Esq., replied to the above toast c 
and said that the Fund had been in existence thirteen 
years, and had accumulated .£10,000, but he hoped to 
double it. Gardeners were well-educated but under¬ 
paid men, but he hoped more of them would become 
subscribers. They gave children 5s. a week and £13 
kept one for a year. They did not spend money in 
building large and useless houses, and when over the 
age the children had some assistance in starting life 
on their own account. A little over a penny a week 
was not much for gardeners to lay aside so that they 
could give 5s. a year to the Fund. He advised gar¬ 
deners to start subscriptions amongst their men. 
The children of noblemen might have a collecting 
box so that they might assist the Fund. They gave 
away £1,000 a year, but only received £350 in sub¬ 
scriptions. He referred to the loss the institution 
had suffered through the resignation of Mr. Wm. 
Marshall who had too great a distance to travel to 
London to the meetings. There were many funds 
this year, but he hoped they would not forget the 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
James H. Veitch, Esq., proposed "Gardeners and 
Gardening,” and said that gardeners had to devote 
their whole working hours to the raising of flowers 
and vegetables, of which he was expected to keep up 
a supply all the year round. He referred also to the 
progress of horticulture during past years. Mr. R. 
Dean replied, stating that the subject was so compre¬ 
hensive and ramified that he had no time to do it 
justice. There was an enormous amount of interest 
attaching to gardening, and gave a number of 
instances, alluding to the work done by Mr. J. W. 
Moorman, of Victoria Park; Mr. Jordan, of 
Regent’s Park; and Mr. Brown, of Hyde Park. 
The duty of a gardener is not only to cultivate but 
to improve plants, and he hoped that gardening 
would be more successful in the future than it had 
been in the past. 
Mr. Herbert Schartau, who had charge of the 
musical entertainments, gave a very amusing sketch 
of the amateur and his troubles in gardening, being 
a clever parody on R. Kipling’s style. 
Mr. B. Wynne, said that the subscription list had 
greatly exceeded his expectations. The chairman 
had given £23 ; Messrs. Rothschild & Sons, 50 gs.; 
N N. Sherwood, Esq., £50; Messrs. J. Assbee, J. 
Rochford, T. Rochford, G. Monro and other Covent 
Garden men, £75 15s.; Messrs. Barr & Sons, 
£28 16s. 6d.; Martin H. Sutton, £25 ; Leonard G. 
Sutton, £25; Sir Trevor Lawrence Bart., Baron 
Schroder and H. J. Veitch, each 10 gs.; R. Dean, 
15 gs.; Thames Bank Iron Co. and Mr. G. Reynolds, 
each 7 gs.; Messrs. R. G. Cuthbert, Dicksons 
(Chester), H. B. May, and Protheroe & Morris, each 
5 gs. Other sums made the total up to £595. 
Mr. H. B. May proposed "The Chairman,” and 
said he had one of the finest gardens in the kingdom. 
The chairman was grateful that the list of subscrip¬ 
tions had been so great a success. He wished to 
become a member of the association. Mr. B. Wynne 
replied and thanked the chairman for the acknow¬ 
ledgment of his services, and said that last year’s list 
was only £620, being a little higher than the present 
one. 
Mr. William Marshall proposed “The Press,” 
which had helped them so freely and readily. Mr. 
George Gordon replied in suitable terms. 
BARR’S DAFFODILS. 
[Continued, from p. 556). 
Though the Narcissi are now past their hey-day of 
beauty, the Nelsoni varieties, also some of the Silver- 
star Narcissi, and numerous varieties of Jonquils 
are yet aglow in their splendour. N. Nelsoni 
aurantlus and N. N. pulchellus are two of the finest 
in their section. The former has a well expanded 
orange-red cup, and broad white perianth. Mrs. 
E. G. Knight, which is one of the newer ones, is 
certainly a splendid variety. The perianth is broad 
and pure white ; the cup, clear yellow. 
Then there is that fine Burbidgei variety, John 
Bain, with a citron cup, a very handsome flower. 
The perianth is broad and of good substance. 
N. M. J. Berkeley is a general favourite. It, with 
Maximus and obvallaris, form a trio of the best 
large yellow Daffodils we have. N. Ada Brook is 
also exceedingly good, although it will not bear com¬ 
parison with Empress. It can still be a good 
Daffodil without rivaling the well known Empress. 
N. grandis is later than Empress and has a some¬ 
what paler trumpet. It fs one of the dwarfest of the 
bicolors. N. Countess of Annesley, one of the 
earliest, has a large pale yellow trumpet, and a 
finely expanded perianth. 
We have not yet referred to the double Daffodils, 
the old favourites of rural gardens, where little else 
than themselves and Crocuses and Snowdrops are 
grown in springtime. They are well liked yet by our 
older aunties and uncles who take their recreation 
from gardening. 
The "Butter and Eggs” (N. incomparabilis 
plenus), the “ Eggs and Bacon ” (N. i. Orange 
Phoenix), and the " Codlins and Cream ” (N. i. 
Sulphur Phoenix), with the commoner Telamonius 
plenus), were all seen at Long Ditton in great array. 
Not less pleasing, in fact for grace and beauty they 
are more so, are the Cyclamen-flowered Narcissi, the 
Triandrus section. Those who love and grow 
Narcissi most, prefer to have a potful or two of these 
exceedingly pretty varieties. N. triandrus albus, 
popularly titled “ Angel’s Tears,” captivates the 
least enthusiastic admirer of flowers. The flowers 
are white having a beautifully reflexed perianth, 
by which they are likened to Cyclamen. When 
good bulbs of N. t. calathinus are obtained and are 
properly potted up, they furnish a subject equally as 
elegant as triandrus albus. N. t. pulchellus might 
also be more largely grown. These valuable 
varieties were collected by Mr. Peter Barr himself, 
in mountainous parts of Spain. They grow in hard, 
gritty soils, and sometimes in fissures of the rocks. 
N. odorus and others of the Campernelle section, 
are now regarded as indispensable for pot work. In 
the grass, or under clumps of trees, they very 
speedily establish themselves, and certainly present 
a beautiful composition. N. odorus (the Cam¬ 
pernelle), and the tree N. o rugulosus throw up tall 
stalks crowned with the deepest of yellow, fragrant 
flowers. The following lists enumerate varieties 
which are particularly suitable, though not ex¬ 
clusively so, for culture as per headings :— 
For Pots. 
Narcissus maximus, Barrii conspicuus, poeticus 
ornatus, Horsefieldii, C. J. Backhouse, odorus, 
amabilis, Frank Miles, Duchess of Westminster, 
triandrus albus, triandrus calathinus, princeps, 
Johnston! Queen of Spain, obvallaris, and Countess 
of Annesley. 
For Beds. 
N. Emperor, Empress, Horsefieldii, Sir Watkin, 
maximus, Golden Spur, grandis, J. B. M. Camm, 
Ard Rigb, Barrii conspicuus, pallidus praecox, 
M. J. Berkeley. 
For Planting in Grass. 
N. obvallaris, cabeceiras, princeps, Sir Watkin, 
Empress, Emperor, Horsefieldii, Telamonius plenus, 
poeticus ornatus, C. J. Backhouse, Barrii conspicuus, 
odorus rugulosus, Stella, Minnie Hume, Maurice 
Vilmorin, Cynosure, and Frank Miles. 
For the Rock-Garden. 
N. cernuus pulcher, moschatus, muticus, Queen 
of Spain, poeticus ornatus, poeticus poetarum, 
triandrus calathinus. 
-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
FORSYTHIAS. 
Now that these very handsome and beautiful spring 
flowering shrubs are past flower they should have 
this year’s flowering wood pruned hard back. Strong 
shoots for next year’s flower display will then start 
up. 
THRYSAGANTHUS RUTILANS. 
This beautiful stove flowering plant or sub-shrub is 
so handsome and ornamental when well grown that 
It certainly is a thing to be wondered at, why it has 
not found its way into many more gardens than is 
the case. The flowers are of a bright ruby-crimson 
colour, tubular, velvety in appearance, borne on short 
stalks on a drooping axis, which forms a long raceme 
from the axil of a leaf. Many racemes may be seen 
on one plant. The plant itself attains ft. to 2 ft. 
in height, and bears oblong lanceolate leaves which 
are shining and dark green. It can be propagated 
by cuttings or by seeds. A warm house is what it 
needs. Flowering as it does at this time it should 
secure all the greater appreciation. 
