July 9, 1904. 
The Gardening World 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“ When I was last in Holborn I saw good Strawberries in your garden tlo.exe.”Shakspeare. 
Views and Reviews. 
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The following Coloured 
Plates have appeared in 
recent numbers:— 
July 4 —APHELANDRA AURANTIACA 
ROEZLII. 
August 1.— BORONIA HETEROPHYLLA. 
September 12.— SIX NEW DAFFODILS. 
October 3— LILIUM AURATUM PLA- 
IYPHYLLUM SHIRLEY VAR. 
Novembei 14. —ROSE MME. N. LEVA- 
VASSEUR 
January ’ 2.— HYBRID TEA-SCENTED 
ROSE IRENE. 
Januarv TO. — TUBEROUS BEGONIA 
COUNTESS OF WARWICK. 
February 27.— A FINE STRAIN OF 
GLOXINIAS. 
April 2. — WISTARIA MULTIJUGA 
RUSSELLIANA. 
May 7 — CACTUS DAHLIA DAINTY. 
June 4.— CACTUS DAHLIA SPITFIRE. 
Back numbers may be obtained from the 
publishers, price 2^d. post free. 
This week we present a Half-tone 
Plate of 
ANEMONE NEMOROSA MAJOR. 
Next week we shall give a Coloured 
Plate of 
ROSE LADY BATTERSEA. 
The prize last week in the Readers’ 
Competition was awarded to “ J. W. J.,” 
for his article oa “ Fresh Vegetables,” 
p. 546. 
The Gardeners Royal Benevolent 
Institution. 
After sixty-five years of existence, it has 
dow been deemed expedient to write up the 
history of this useful institution. No doubt 
many of our readers will have by this time 
obtained a copy of it ; nevertheless, a.s 
several others may have been overlooked, we 
take this opportunity of glancing between 
its pages. The pamphlet runs to seventy 
pages, including a preface by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart. It contains portraits of 
many of its more important benefactors and 
patrons, including the King, the Queen, Her 
late Majesty Queen Victoria, and the Prince 
and Princess of Wales. The first Duke of 
Cambridge was the first president of the asso¬ 
ciation, and his portrait appears here. The 
late Mr. Edward Roger Cutler also appears 
here, and his portrait will recall a face that 
was familiar with many about eighteen or 
twenty years ago. Other portraits of not¬ 
able men include the Very Rev. Dean Hole, 
V.M.H., Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., the late 
John Leigh, Esq., the Hon. Walter Roth¬ 
schild, V.M.H., Bruno Schoder, Esq., and 
N. N. Sherwood, Esq. The three latter are 
the trustees. The chairman and treasurer, 
H. J. Veitch, Esq., who presided at the recent 
dinner, and the secretary, Geo'. J. Ingram, 
Esq., are also' represented here on this fitting 
occasion. 
Every beginning is difficult, and the Gar¬ 
deners’ Royal Benevolent Institution was no 
exception to the general rule. It lias been 
stated that the institution was founded in 
1838, hut the records preserved in the office 
of the institution do not quite confirm this 
view. It is certain, however, that a, meeting 
of nurserymen, florists, and amateurs was 
held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in 
the Strand in 1839, and that the institution 
was practically inaugurated. London was 
relatively a small place then by comparison 
with what- it. is now, but it appears that the 
institution has held its meetings mostly, if 
not. always, in the same street in which ’t 
originated sixty-five years ago. Those who 
were gardeners twenty or thirty years ago 
were familiar with the name of George 
Glenny in connection with garden literature 
and plants of a varied character, and accord¬ 
ing to the pamphlet before' us he was the 
active man in those days in the horticul¬ 
tural world who' put forward a motion for 
establishing the “ Benevolent. Fund ” for the 
relief of destitute gardeners. A committee 
was immediately appointed and a subscrip¬ 
tion list started. Since then the institution 
has distributed ,£100,000 for the benefit of 
distressed gardeners and their widows. 
The committee appointed were evidently 
very energetic, for they held the first meet¬ 
ing twelve days after the inaugural one, and 
repeated it fortnightly until July, after which 
they adjourned till autumn. In the mean¬ 
time they evidently had been active in secur¬ 
ing help, for we find that at the first annual 
meeting it was announced they were pos¬ 
sessed of the sum of £74 8s. 7d., available for 
pensions, and raised the question of electing 
three pensioners, hut the resolution was not 
immediately adopted. The committee, how¬ 
ever, proceeded with their work, and pur¬ 
chased stock to the value of £100, doubling 
this at the meeting a month afterwards, and 
this has become the nucleus of all funds that 
have been invested since then. In the 
course' of a little more than a year after the 
founding of the institution the first pensioner 
was elected. The testimonials of others were 
not. satisfactory, so that the first pensioner 
was put on the list by vote without election. 
In 1841 the January meeting was worthy 
of note, from the fact that prominent, horti¬ 
culturists showed a. disposition to' support 
the institution financially. In January, 
1842, at the annual meeting, it .was an¬ 
nounced that £33 8s. lOd. had been paid n 
pensions, and two more pensioners would be 
elected in June. During the next few years 
vigorous efforts were made by the committee 
to place the institution on a. firm basis, and 
in 1843 it was resolved to appoint a paid 
secretary. Their choice fell upon the late 
Mr. Edward Roger Cutler, who carried on the 
work of the' institution so> successfully to his 
death. Notwithstanding the age' of the asso¬ 
ciation, it has only had two secretaries in its 
service during sixty-five years. 
The first annual festival dinner, under‘he 
auspices and for the benefit of the institu¬ 
tion, was held on January 11th, 1844, and 
these dinners have been continued uninter¬ 
ruptedly till the present time. This is shown 
bv the list of noblemen and gentlemen who 
have presided at the festivals. The dates 
of- these are given together with the names 
of those who presided, and this will he in¬ 
teresting to> those who are in any way con¬ 
nected with the institution. Besides the 
above, it will be found that many notable 
men in their day helped to settle the institu¬ 
tion on a durable basis, including such names 
