January  21,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
59 
After  the  balance  sheet  had  been  read  the  election  of  officers  for  the 
ensuing  year  was  proceeded  with,  and  it  is  needless  to  add  the  proposal 
that  Mr,  H.  J.  Yeitch  be  re-elected  Treasurer  was  received  with  accla¬ 
mation.  This  was  also  the  case  with  respect  to  a  similar  proposal 
regarding  Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram.  Bach  gentleman  briefly  responded.  The 
other  officers,  including  the  Auditors  and  the  Arbitrators,  remain  as 
before. 
Election  of  Pensioners. 
Owing  to  the  immense  number  of  votes  polled  on  this  occasion — 
nearly  70,000 — the  scrutineers  had  an  arduous  duty  to  perform,  and  it 
was  not  until  about  half-past  five  that  the  result  of  the  poll  was 
declared.  Mr.  G.  Munro  read  the  declaration,  showing  that  the  new 
pensioners  of  the  Institution  and  the  number  of  votes  gained  were  : — 
Joseph  Monk,  3957  ;  Charles  Smith,  3762 ;  William  Milne,  3651  ; 
Edmund  Papworth,  3395  ;  David  Davis,  3307  ;  George  Ashby,  3255 ; 
William  Lee,  3190;  Eliza  Webb,  3107;  Thomas  Simms,  2930;  and 
Rachel  Jefferson.  2802.  Immediately  Mr.  Munro  had  read  the  results  a 
second  time  Mr.  Ollerhead,  gardener  to  Sir  Henry  Peek,  Bart.,  Wimbledon 
House,  tendered  his  thanks  to  all  who  had  assisted  in  electing  Mr.  Milne 
as  a  pensioner  of  the  Institution,  and  Mr.  Ollerhead  showed  his  grati¬ 
tude  by  giving  a  donation  of  £20.  Votes  of  thanks  to  the  Scrutineers 
and  to  the  Chairman  for  presiding  brought  the  annual  mesting  to  a 
close. 
Lark  Pudding  Dinner. 
About  seventy  members  and  friends  of  the  Institution  gathered  at 
Simpson’s,  at  6  p.m.,  for  a  friendly  supper.  The  chair  was  taken  by 
H.  E.  Milner,  Esq.,  who  was  supported  by  Messrs.  H.  J.  Veitch,  N.  N. 
Sherwood,  H.  B.  May,  H.  Cutbush,  J.  Laing,  A.  Barron.  J.  Hudson, 
G.  Wythes,  A.  Outram,  Owen  Thomas,  G.  Monro,  J.  H.  Veitch,  J.  G. 
Veitch,  &c.,  &c.  After  supper,  or  lark  pudding  dinner,  as  the  function 
is  popularly  termed,  Mr.  Milner  gave  the. usual  loyal  toasts.  In  a  few 
well-chosen  words  the  Chairman  proposed  “  Success  to  the  Gardeners’ 
Royal  Benevolent  Institution.”  He  showed  how  membership  eventually 
entitled  the  subscriber  to  the  benefits  of  the  Institution  if  he  needed  such, 
and  he  advised  all  gardeners  to  endeavour  to  subscribe  1  guinea  per  year. 
The  Chairman  also  alluded  to  the  “  Victorian  Era  Fund  ”  as  an  admirable 
idea  for  celebrating  the  sixtieth  year  of  Her  Majesty’s  reign,  and  added, 
that  should  the  needed  £5000  be  forthcoming — and  of  this  he  had  little 
doubt — it  should  form  an  additional  attraction  to  gardeners,  as,  by  it, 
all  waiting  to  be  elected  as  pensioners  would  be  entitled  to  relief  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  number  of  years  they  had  been  members.  The  Chairman’s 
speech  was  applauded,  and  the  toast  duly  honoured. 
Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch,  in  responding,  expressed  the  pleasure  they 
felt  in  having  Mr.  Milner  as  Chairman.  He  eulogised  the  services 
rendered  to  the  Institution  by  the  late  Mr.  J.  Webber  during  his 
twenty-one  years’  connection  with  it  as  Committeeman.  As  Treasurer 
of  the  Institution  he  was  sorry  they  could  not  put  on  more  pensioners, 
but  he  was  pleased  that  in  no  year  had  they  put  on  so  many  as  in  the 
present,  while  to  all  unsuccessful  candidates  £5  would  be  given,  as  in 
the  Jubilee  year.  He  drew  the  attention  of  the  meeting  to  the  number 
of  unsigned  voting  papers  sent  in,  and  said  that  at  the  election  just 
held  no  less  than  eighty-two  papers,  containing  890  votes,  had  to  be 
cancelled  from  this  cause.  Mr.  H,  J.  Veitch  then  propounded  his 
scheme  for  celebrating  the  sixty  years’  reign  ;  this  to  be  devoted  to 
relieving  those  who  were  unsuccessful  in  becoming  elected  as  pensioners. 
They  needed  a  sum  of  £5000  for  investment,  and  the  interest  from  this 
would  be  divided  annually  according  to  the  number  of  applicants,  and 
in  proportion  to  the  length  of  membership  of  each  individual.  Not 
more  than  £1  per  annum  per  year  of  membership  would  be  given,  so 
that  no  one  would  receive  more  than  £14  in  one  year  without  becoming: 
a  pensioner,  which  be  could  do  as  a  matter  of  course  afteT  fifteen  years’ 
membership.  The  Victorian  Era  Fund  would  help  those  who  had  been 
provident.  Mr.  Veitch  instanced  a  case  of  husband  and  wife  who, 
between  them,  had  received  £584  from  the  Institution,  and  yet  had 
never  paid  a  penny  into  its  exchequer.  The  subscription  list  was  then 
read  showing  promises  of  over  £1500,  and  Mr.  Veitch  remarked  that  a 
circular  letter  would  be  sent  to  the  principal  gardeners  and  nurserymen 
throughout  the  kingdom  asking  for  help  in  furtherance  of  the  scheme. 
Mr.  Veitch  was  warmly  applauded. 
Mr.  H.  B.  May  proposed  the  “  Health  of  the  Committee,”  and  this  toast 
was  responded  to  by  Mr.  S.  M.  Segar  and  Mr.  J.  Hudson,  the  latter  remark¬ 
ing  that  gardeners  a9  a  body  did  not  help  the  Institution  as  they  should. 
The  task  of  proposing  “  The  Honorary  Secretaries  of  Auxiliaries  and 
Country  Friends  ”  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  G.  Monro.  He  considered 
the  establishment  of  auxiliaries  was  a  great  success  ;  there  were  now 
five  of  these,  and  the  income  from  them  amounted  to  £400.  Mr.  White 
of  the  Worcester  Auxiliary  had  sent  £165  in  1896,  and  already  had 
handed  in  a  cheque  for  25  guineas  as  the  result  of  his  1897  work.  Mr. 
White  was  well  received  and  suitably  responded.  Mr.  Drewitt  spoke 
on  behalf  of  country  friends. 
Mr.  N.  N.  Sherwood  gave  the  “  Health  of  the  Chairman,”  and 
expressed  the  pleasure  they  had  in  beiDg  presided  over  by  one  of  the 
ablest  gardeners  of  the  day.  Mr.  Sherwood  also  wished  success  to  the 
Victorian  Era  Fund.  The  toast  was  received  with  musical  honours,  and 
Mr.  Milner  having  responded  the  proceedings  were  brought  to  a  con¬ 
clusion.  During  the  evening  songs  and  instrumental  music  were 
rendered  by  Mr.  H.  Turner,  Mr.  Munro,  jun.,  Mr.  J.  White,  and  other 
friends. 
GASTROLOBIUM  VILLOSUM. 
This  is  a  very  pretty  shrubby  plant,  and  one  that  should  be  more 
generally  grown  for  the  embellishment  of  greenhouses  and  con¬ 
servatories.  As  will  be  seen  by  the  illustration  (fig.  17),  the  flowers 
are  on  small  racemes,  which  are  freely  produced  during  the  spring  and 
early  summer.  The  standard,  or  upper  portion  of  the  flower,  is  large 
and  of  a  dark  orange  colour,  while  the  wings  and  keel  are  claret 
coloured.  The  leaves  are  dark  green,  terminating  in  small  hooked 
spines.  The  stems  and  leaf  margins  are  thickly  set  with  hairs,  from 
which  character  the  specific  name  is  derived.  The  species  under 
notice,  as  indeed  do  all  the  Gastrolobiums,  require  similar  treatment  to 
that  generally  accorded  greenhouse  bardwooded  plants,  A  compost  of 
fibry  loam,  peat,  and  sand  will  suit  it  admirably,  and  rather  firm 
potting  is  essential.  Efficient  drainage  must  also  be  provided,  and 
careful  watering  is  of  the  greatest  importance. 
Australian  Forests.  —  The  forests  of  Western  Australia  are 
exceedingly  rich  in  trees  of  economic  importance,  among  which  the 
Jarrah,  or  Eucalyptus  marginata,  is  now  the  most  important.  In  con¬ 
structive  work,  where  wood  is  brought  into  contact  with  soil  and  water, 
this  timber  is  superior  to  that  of  any  other  wood  in  that  forest.  A 
healthy  tree  of  average  size  is  from  90  to  100  feet  high  and  from  2£  to 
3£  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  it  will  grow  so  as  to  produce  logs 
2  feet  through  at  the  base  in  about  fifty  years.  It  grows  in  sections 
where  the  rainfall  ranges  from  35  to  40  inches  in  the  year,  and  the 
wood  when  dried  weighs  60  lbs.  a  cubic  foot.  It  is  red  in  colour,  takes 
a  good  polish,  is  easily  worked,  and  is  good  for  piles,  bridges,  boats, 
furniture,  railway  sleepers,  and  charcoal.  It  is  usually  found  mixed 
with  or  near  the  Karri,  or  Eucalyptus  diversicolor,  a  giant  species, 
straight  and  regular  in  growth,  umbrageous  in  appearance,  good  speci¬ 
mens  being  200  feet  high,  4  feet  in  diameter  breast-high,  and  with  a 
stretch  of  120  to  150  feet  from  the  ground  to  the  first  branch.  It  is  a 
rapid  grower,  and  will  produce  marketable  timber  in  from  thirty  to  forty 
years.  This  wood  is  red  in  colour,  very  much  resembling  that  of  the 
Jarrah.  Its  texture  is  hard  and  heavy,  and  it  is  tough  and  not  easily 
dressed.  For  bridge  planking,  flooring,  and  beams  it  is  unequalled  by 
any  wood  in  the  colony.  Karri  timber  is  exported  to  London  for  paving 
the  streets,  since  its  surface  is  not  easily  rendered  slippery.— (”  Times.”) 
