344 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
Mat in. 
United Horticultural Benefit 
and Provident Society. 
The adjourned annual meeting of this 
society was held at the Eoyal Horticultural 
Hall, Westminster, on Monday, May 5, at 8 
p.m. There was an excellent attendance, 
over which Mr. Chas. H. Curtis presided. 
After the usual form^ities had been dis¬ 
posed of, the report of the committee for 
1912 and the accounts for the year were 
presented, and these are given in abridged 
form; 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR 1912. 
The net number of members is 1,874; and 
the following table shows the additions made 
during each month: February (1912), 5; 
March, 0; April, 0; May, 1; June, 13; July, 
205; August, 93; September, 36; October’ 
136; November, 57; December, 7; January 
(1913), 5; making a total additional mem- 
Wship of 558. Of this number, 62 have 
jodi^ on the State side only; while 398 are 
ordinary or voluntary members only. 
The n^ber of lapsed members is 43, nine¬ 
teen being from the higher scale and 
twenty-four from the lower. It is interest¬ 
ing to record that the following sums, stand¬ 
ing in the name of members who have been 
lapsed for many years, and who have now 
reached the age of sixty, have been paid— 
viz., c£9 16s. 7d.; .£14 3s. 4d.; .£21 29. 5d. ; 
and .£26 146. 2d. 
Five members have died during the year, 
one who joined the society^ on September 9, 
1907, and whose young widow received as¬ 
sistance at a very critical time from the 
society’s Benevolent Fund; and others who 
left sums as follows: .£39 17s. 6d. ; d£29 
188. 5d.; ^62 4s. 4d.; d£10 13s. lid.; £5 
15s. lOd. The total amount paid out to the 
nominees of deceased members' was ^£148 10s. 
The totsd amount of sick pay to benefit 
members during the year was .£588 18s. lOd. 
as against .£507 12s., an increase of .£81 
6 s. lOd., but only .£27 8s. 4d. more than 
two years ago. The chronic sick pay 
counted to .£95 9e. 6d. The total paymento 
to the Benefit Fund were .£2,194 Os. 2d., 
and the disbursements .£1.400 7s. 2d. Seve¬ 
ral members who reached the age of seventy 
years withdrew from their deposit, under 
par 4 of rule xviii., leping .£10 in the 
funds to be paid to their nominees. One 
memW, who joined in 1869, withdrew .£130 
5s. 2d.; another withdrew .£61 76. 7d., leaving 
_j-i. _ .-I • t __i - o 
still to has crodit; a third, ^639 9s. lid. 
and a fourth, .£23 2s. 
Snbariptioms to the Benevolent Fund 
amounted to £232 3s. 4d., and the payments 
therefrom oj /_T 
n (against .£90 
11s. 6d. in 1911); these including the sums 
regul^ly paid to several members over 
seventy years of age, as well as a few grants 
^de to members or members’ widows in 
great distress. 
The strictest economy, consistent with the 
proper working of the society, has been ob¬ 
served in toe management. The total man¬ 
agement charges amounted to .£418 Os. 7d., 
^ against .£222 7s. 6d. in 1911, and .£222 
9s. 7d. in 1910. But a sum of .£128 16s. is 
r^verable from the Insurance Act Commis¬ 
sioners tor administration expenses incurred 
on the State side of the society’s busing, 
^e expenses for the ordinary business were 
therefore .£289 48. 7d. In April the new 
ledgers referred to in last year’s report were 
opened, and every balance from the old 
ledgers was transferred and checked by the 
auditors, it having been seven years since 
the work was necessary. 
suggestions to the members 
that those who are recovering from an illness 
should take advantage of t^ provisioiifi of 
the Convalescent Fund have been better 
acted upon in 1912 than in some previous 
years. The amount of assistance from this 
fund was £6 10s. and payments thereto dfi7 
12s. 3d. N. N. Shei-wood, Esq., founder of 
this fund, contributed five guineas as usual. 
The report for last year alluded to the 
work of the committee in regard to the 
National lusnranoe Bill then before Parlia¬ 
ment. Since this Bill became a law of the 
land, your committee had then to consider 
the advisability of making the society an 
Approved Society under the Act. The whole 
question was very cautiously and carefully 
proceeded with, six special committee meet¬ 
ings having bwn held, in addition to the 
ordinary monthly ones. A scheme had to be 
submit!^ for the sanction of the Insurance 
Commissioners, and fresh rules, in coil- 
formity with the model rules issued by the 
said Commissioners, had to be prepared, also 
new scales of sick pay for the ordinary 
side of the society’s work. Actuarial advice 
was taken, and a delegate from the Insur¬ 
ance Commissioners attonded at one of the 
committee meetings. Eventually, on June 
17, 1912, a special general meeting of the 
members was call^, and a resolution was 
then passed agreeing that approval should 
be sought and appointing a snb-oommittee 
to effect in the rules submitted such further 
amendments as might be found necessary by 
the Commissioners. The committee have fuUy 
The motion was then nut aiwt .. 
Mr. W. P. Thomson resFgnVtte 
ship.o^ng to pressure of busicess rfSa 
years hard work. He was hearWv’ 
and was unanimously granted £25 for- 
services rendered to the societv (roL 
management fund. Mr. Thos. , 
elected treasurer in place of Mr Tli» 
and Mr. A. C. Hill was elected secrets 
place of Mr. W. Collins, who 
after 25 years’ service. 
A delightful part of the prooeedinw t 
the presentation of a gold watch and chr 
and an illuminated address, to Mr W 
lins, subscribed for by members and frie 
as an expression of regard and appwriA. 
of 25 years’ service as secretarv. Mr. Ca 
made the presentation on behilf of the 
hers, and his kindly remarks evidentlj 
the sentiments of the members, as the? m 
heartily endorsed. Mr. Jas. Hudson^ ?? 
Mr. J. Wheeler added a few words, andS 
1912, but during the interim he has assisted 
Mr. A. C. Hill, whose appointment as secre- 
PTO. tern., was agreed to at the Au- 
gnet meeting. The committee desire to 
record their egression of the high respect 
in which Mr. Collins is held, of his unvary¬ 
ing courtesy, ever-willing service, and close 
application to his duties. 
Mr. Curtis reviewed the work of the society 
at some length, and moved the adoption of 
report and accounts. Mr. J. Harrison Dick 
sewnded the motion. Mr. J. Weathers paid 
tribute to the excellent management of the 
society, and expressed wonder that such an 
excellent institution should have so compara¬ 
tively few members, remembering what great 
advantages it offers. He minted out that 
as the society’s invested funds were all put in 
the balance-sheet at par value, it was likely 
to give a rather false idea of their value. 
There was about c£3 surplus assets over lia¬ 
bilities, as shown; but if the investments 
were quoted at market price instead of par 
value, the balance-sheet would show about 
<£3,000 on the wrong side. The Chairman 
pointed out that all the investments had 
been purchased well below par, and all were 
r^eemable at par, and only in the extraor- 
carried out the terms of this resolution, 
as soon as this certificate was obtained, the 
committee proceeded to advertise the advan¬ 
tages of the society, and chose the media of 
the Horticultural Press. This resulted in a 
considerable accretion to the membership. 
In future it will be necessary to bold two 
separate annual general business meetings, 
one for the ordinary membership business, 
the other for the State section. 
The committee, collectively, particularly 
desire to record their appreciation of the 
services of Mr. C. F. Harding and Mr. A. C. 
Hill in connection with the drafting of the 
new rules and tables of benefits. Mr. Hard¬ 
ing’s consistent assiduity deserves the 
warmest commendation. 
The investments made by the trustees dur¬ 
ing the year are as follows: ^£800 (New) 
Queensland 3f per cent.; <£500 Queensland 
4 per cent., and j£l,200 London and South 
Western Railway 3^ per cent., a total of 
<£2,500, the purchase price for same being 
<£2,333 15s. 
Owing to advancing years, and the heavy 
increase of clerical work that the business of 
the society now entails, the committee had 
reluctantly to accept the resignation from 
the secretaryship of Mr. William Collins, 
who celebrate his semi-jubilee in that office 
on February 12, 1912. Mr. Collins’ services 
as secretary terminated upon September 9, 
1010 T—A A -:-•_£_1-- if--_• 
Collins responded feelingly. 
Votes of thanks were accorded the tr*. ^ 
tees, the committee, the Frees, U Jp 
the auditors, toe latter being le-eM. Sj[ 
The retiring members of the conuBiiL S 
Messrs. J. H. Dick, E. M. Wilaoi,ll Si 
Campbell, and C. Harding, were ledoli £ 
and Mr. Thomson was elected to the it 
vacant by the elevation of Mr. T. WiA [E! 
Mr. Oxtoby made several suggestweni S 
further popularising the society, and »itj- 
of thanks to the Chairman, moved ' 
Frogbrook, brought the interesting ana W 
proceedings to a close after a sitdiyd 
nearly 2^ hours. 
Midland Auricula and Primula hi 
Society. 
APRIL 30. 
The Midland section of the NationdJ 
cula and Primula Society held their 
teenth annual exhibition at the Edgbn^ 
Botanical Gardens on the last daj of Ap 
under favourable climatic conditioni. fli 
weather was genial and bright; ^every^ 
possible was in favour of a good . 
plants were staged on this occasion t^ ^^ - 
any year since the society was foun^ » 
attendance also was very satisfactoryj 
throughout the afternoon a goodly nuawt 
visitors were seen admiring the flower*. ! p* 
Honorary exhibits were very 
groups being most artistically arrang*a Jit 
charming group of perpetual 
exhibited by fiessrrA. B. Bfo«, > !, 
King’s Norton. This fim I 
pot roses in fine condition, 
awarded the g(ild medal for the M 
The Lapworto Nurseries Com|^iiy,^ 
Heath, had a very fine ex^bit of J.l 
and alpine plants, the ^ M 
finest seen at the society’s Thihi** 
silver-gilt medal was award^ t^e 
Mrs. Richard Peyton, Edg^ffJp 
very fine gr^up h I* 
awarded a silver medal. Mr.^ „ 
West Bromwich, was award^ a *4^ 
for a very fine gT^oup of fe^ , ^ 
tastefully arranged, and afford , , lJ; 
«urn to iern lo^rs. Thf t,.. i *1* 
medal was made to Mr. ^ ^ 
Notts, for rustte flower hold^ 
otts. io>r iusi/ia; aav.,.— -- , ^ 
The Birmingham^ to tke •*' 
tnral Society offered two med^ ‘ 
exhibitors taking the ^.i 
points and the large do 
by Mr. Charles Winn 
Mr. W. M. Shipman won Ot 
Mr. W. C. G. Budford to 
dinary contingency of having to hurriedly 
realise any of its investments would any loss 
accrue. He promised, however, that an¬ 
other year the purchase price, and also the 
market value of the inveetments, should be 
set out in the report. In answer to ques- 
Mr. W. C. G. Eudiora 
large silver medals to ^ . 
largest 
tions, the Chairman said that, in connection 
With the business under the Insurance Act, 
an annual meeting would be held in the 
autumn; accounts for the year would close 
J ® July, and the meefting would be 
held as soon after as the Government audit 
was completed. 
exhibitor? taking J^^auricul**' ** 
points with show and alpi 
were won by Mr. 
Two large silver ^ for / 
by Mr. W.^H. P^rton, and th^% d* 
points for show auncmas i fof ^ 
Vae won by Mr. C. Wmn, tW 
points in the open classes fo P 
by Mr. W. M. Shipman. 
The premier award ^ 
J 
show auriculas was 
