April  28  If-gS. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
367 
THE  ROYAL  GARDENERS’  ORPHAN  FUND 
ANNUAL  DINNER. 
The  annual  dinner  of  this  charitable  Institution  was  held,  as 
announced,  at  the  Hotel  Metropole  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  the 
20th  inst.  Eully  a  hundred  sat  down,  and  amongst  other  gentlemen  well 
known  in  the  horticultural  world  were  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  and 
W.  Marshall,  Esq.,  Mr.  J.  Smith  of  Mentmore,  Mr.  M.  Gleeson  of 
Stanmore,  Mr.  Geo.  Wythes  of  Syon,  Mr.  H.  J.  McLeod  of  Dover  House, 
and  Mr.  Geo.  Reynolds  of  Gunnersbury  Park,  with  the  genial  Curator  of 
Kew,  Mr.  Geo.  Nicholson.  English  botanists  were  represented  by  Mr. 
W.  B.  Hemsley  of  the  Kew  Herbarium,  and  the  trade  by  Messrs.  N.  N. 
Sherwood,  M.  J.  Sutton,  L.  Sutton,  P.  Kay,  T.  Rochford,  H.  B.  May, 
H.  Turner,  E.  M.  Seegar,  H.  J.  Jones,  R.  Cannell,  and  P.  R.  Barr. 
Chas.  E.  Keyser,  Esq.,  of  Aldermaston  Court,  Reading,  presided. 
After  the  viands  had  been  propeily  discussed  the  Chairman  rose  to 
propose  the  usual  loyal  toasts  of  “  The  Queen  ”  and  “  The  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  and  the  rest  of  the  Royal  Family.”  Her  Majesty,  he 
said,  was  interested  in  everythino:  that  interested  her  subjects,  and  he 
thought,  therefore,  that  horticulture  had  a  special  claim  upon  her.  The 
Princess  of  Wales,  their  Patroness,  was  probably  the  most  popular  lady 
in  the  land  next  to  the  Queen.  The  Prince  astonished  everyone  by  the 
amount  of  work  he  got  through,  and  indeed  the  whole  of  the  members 
of  the  Royal  Family  did  their  best  to  identify  themselves  with  all  classes 
of  society.  He  hoped  that  loyalty  would  long  be  a  characteristic  of 
Englishmen. 
These  toasts  having  been  done  due  justice  to,  the  Chairman  again 
rose  to  propose  the  toast  of  the  evening — “  The  Royal  Gardeners’ 
Orphan  Fund.”  He  said  he  felt  some  diffidence  in  coming  amongst  them 
that  evening  as  their  Chairman,  seeing  that  he  was  following  a  number  of 
eminent  noblemen  and  gentlemen.  His  audience,  too,  knew  fully  as 
much  concerning  alt  matters  connected  with  the  Fund  as  he  himself.  They 
knew  it  was  started  in  1887  in  commemoration  of  her  Majesty’s  Jubilee, 
and  that  there  were  n  iw  funds  invested  to  its  credit  amounting  in  value 
to  over  £10,000.  The  work  accom-  lished  by  the  Fund  was  an  estimable 
one,  for  it  was  charity  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  those  who  had  been 
fortunate  in  horticulture  combining  to  alleviate  the  distress  of  those  who 
had  been  unfortunate,  thus  often  enabling  the  mother  of  a  family,  in  the 
absence  of  the  breadwinner,  to  tide  over  the  critical  time.  He  thought 
the  Fund  was  not  so  well  known  as  its  sister  societ}*,  the  Gardeners’ 
Royal  Benevolent  Institution,  but  he  hoped  to  see  its  sphere  of  influence 
much  enlarged  in  the  near  future.  He  coup'ed  with  the  toast  the  name 
of  Mr.  N.  N.  Sherwood,  their  esteemed  Treasurer,  who  had  been  connected 
with  the  Association  from  the  commencement. 
The  toast  having  been  cordially  received,  Mr.  N.  N.  Sherwood  rose  to 
reply.  After  thanking  the  Chairman  for  associating  his  name  with  the 
toast,  he  said  that  they  had  much  to  be  thankful  for,  since  the  Fund  had 
met  with  a  considerable  share  of  prosperity  from  its  inception.  He 
regretted  to  say,  however,  that  last  year  the  annual  subscriptions  showed 
a  slight  falling  ofiF,  and  he  made  a  strong  appeal  to  all  to  open  their  purse 
strings.  He  suggested  that  the  children  of  noblemen  and  gentlemen 
owning  large  estates  should  be  encouraged  to  save  for  the  Society,  the 
money  thus  obtained  going  to  establish  funds  to  be  called  after  the  name 
of  the  houses  from  which  they  came,  or  of  the  children  supplying  the 
money.  He  hoped  to  see  in  the  near  future  all  the  orphans  who  came  up 
for  relief  elected,  and  that  they  would  not  have  to  turn  some  of  them 
away  as  they  were  obliged  to  do  now. 
The  toast  of  “  Gardeners  and  Gardening”  was  proposed  by  Mr.  Martin 
J.  Sutton,  who  coupled  with  it  the  name  ot  A,  W.  Weeks,  Esq.  He  said 
that  his  own  province  was  agriculture,  hut  he  was  sure  that  farmers  would 
have  to  take  a  lesson  in  thorough  and  careful  cultivation  from  the 
gardeners  if  they  were  to  make  their  land  pay.  Mr.  Weeks  responded, 
and  paid  a  high  tribute  to  the  uprightness  and  trustworthiness  of 
gardeners.  They  were,  he  said,  often  entrusted  with  goods  to  the  value 
of  many  thousands  of  pounds,  and  yet  he  had  never  known  a  dishonest 
gardener.  He  thought  this  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  their  employers 
treated  them  well. 
Mr.  Marshall  invited  the  assembly  to  drink  to  the  health  of  their 
worthy  Chairman,  who  had  honoured  them  with  his  presence  that  evening. 
No  half-hearted  response  was  made  to  this,  and  Mr.  Keyser,  when  he 
rose  to  reply,  received  another  cordial  greeting.  He  assured  the  company 
that  he  felt  it  an  honour  to  be  there,  for  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  every¬ 
thing  relating  to  gardening.  He  had  given  his  representative  at  Stanmore 
(Mr.  M.  Gleeson)  and  his  representative  at  Aldermaston  (Mr.  A.  Galt) 
the  opportunity  of  showing  what  they  could  do  in  competition,  and  he  had 
done  this  with  a  view  to  help  the  grand  exhibitions  of  horticultural  pro¬ 
duce  now  to  be  seen  in  this  country.  In  conclusion,  he  assured  them  that 
he  should  not  be  satisfied  unless  his  efforts  brought  in  an  accession  of 
interest  to  the  Society,  and  thanked  them  for  their  kindly  reception, 
“The  Press”  was  proposed  by  Mr.  R.  Dean,  who  endeavoured  to 
impress  upon  his  hearers  how  much  the  Society  owed  to  the  horticultural 
press  in  particular.  He  coupled  the  name  of  Mr.  Geo.  Gordon.  That 
gentleman,  in  replying,  averred  that  the  horticultural  press  was  unani¬ 
mous  in  endeavouring  to  assist  the  Fund,  and  they  had  felt  it  to  he  their 
duty  to  keep  its  claims  persistently  before  the  public.  He  called  attention 
to  the  revenue  that  might  be  obtained  for  the  Society  by  holding  concerts 
and  dedicating  the  proceeds  to  the  good  cause. 
When  the  evening’s  subscriptions  were  announced  it  was  found  that 
they  amounted  to  £51.5  in  all.  Included  in  this  total  there  Mere,  besides 
a  large  number  of  smaller  sums,  large  amounts  from  the  following  sources  : 
— C.  E.  Keyser,  Esq.,  £116  16s. ;  N.  N.  Sherwood,  Esq.,  £58  14s. ;  Mr. 
G.  Reynolds,  £32  18s.  ;  Mr.  Assbee,  £63  6s.  (including  £5  from  Mr* 
Rochford,  £5  from  Mr.  M.  J.  Sweet,  and  £5  from  Mr.  J.  Walker)  ; 
Baron  A.  de  Rothschild,  £10  10s.;  N.  M.  Rothschild,  Esq.,  £26  5s.  ; 
M.  J.  Sutton,  Esq.,  £25  ;  L.  J.  Sutton,  Esq.,  £25  ;  A.  W.  Sutton,  Esq.  ; 
£5;  S.  M.  Seegar,  Esq.,  £19  19s.;  A.  W.  Weeks,  Esq.,  £16  5s.;  W, 
Robinson,  Esq.,  £10  lOs. ;  Mr.  H.  J.  McLeod,  £10  16s.  6d.  ;  Mr.  J.  B. 
Stevenson,  £6  ;  Dicksons, Ltd.,  Chester,  £5,  and  Mr.  H.  J.  Adams,  £5  5s. 
Mr.  Keyser  subsequently  announced  that  a  number  of  his  friends  to 
whom  he  had  made  appeals  were  abroad,  and  he  hoped  to  be  able  to 
obtain  from  £50  to  £100  more  than  that  subscribed,  which  statement  was 
received  with  much  applause. 
During  the  evening  some  capital  songs  were  contributed  by  Miss 
Gertrude  Snow,  Miss  Emily  Foxcroft,  and  Mr.  Herbert  Schartau,  whilst 
a  humorous  recital,  given  by  Mr.  Harry  Hudson,  was  much  enjoyed.  The 
tables  were  prettily  decorated  with  Daffodils  and  other  flowers,  furnished 
by  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons,  and  other  nurserymen.  They  were  very  taste- 
fnlly  arranged  by  employes  of  Messrs.  Wills  &  Seegar  of  Onslow  Crescent, 
S.  Kensington. 
The  meeting  broke  up  wi  h  a  vigorous  rendering  of  “Auld  Lang 
Syne.” 
TOO  MUCH  OF  A  GOOD  THING. 
This  proverbial  saying  is  doubtless  admitted  universally.  Nature 
provides  bountifully  the  yellow  colour  in  flowers,  and  I  should  think 
somewhere  not  far  from  one-half  of  all  “  wild  flowers  ”  are  yellow,  and 
most  flowers  are  “  wild  ”  somewhere.  By  administering  artificially  to 
this  copiously  existing  colour,  as  we  do  with  a  vengeance  in  Daffodils,  we 
seem  to  get  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  and  some  balance  is  necessary. 
Has  anyone  seen  an  attempt  made  in  the  naturalisation  of  flowers  on 
principles  to  repress  the  uniformity  of  yellow  shades  1  Everybody  knows 
Daffodils,  but  not  one  in  a  hundred  knows  Anemone  apennina,  the 
original  pretty  blue  variety,  obtainable  at  a  ridiculously  low  price  by  the 
hundred  and  thousand.  It  will  increase  naturally,  and  does  not  want 
disturbing  for  a  generation,  if  ever ;  simply  leave  it  alone.  To  see  it 
flowering  on  sunny  days  in  April  is  truly  delightful  wherever  naturalised 
in  masses.  Such  should  be  placed  among  Daffodils,  M’hen  I  feel  sure  of 
the  extreme  satisfaction  that  will  be  provided.  Plant  in  September- 
October,  and  where  ground  is  heavy,  place  the  dry  tubers  in  some  sandy 
mixture.  There  is  the  white  variety  besides,  A.  a.  alba,  of  newer  intro¬ 
duction,  and  equally  pretty. 
After  yellow  we  have  white,  blue,  and  red  flowers  following  naturally 
in  this  order  of  frequency.  It  is  sometimes  possible  to  improve  upon 
Nature,  and  hence  the  suggestion.  If  the  unsurpassable  and  brilliant 
crimson  Anemone  fulgens  be  placed  among  Anemone  a.  alba,  the  result 
might  charm  many  flower-lovers.  For  other  charming  blue  flowers  to 
associate  with  the  preponderance  of  Daffodils,  we  must  not  forget  Scilla 
sibirica  and  Chionodoxa  Lucilise. — H.  H.  R.,  Forest  Hill. 
FLOWER  AND  GARDEN  PICTURES  AT  THE 
NEW  GALLERY. 
Being  at  the  New  Gallery  on  the  Press  Day.  I  could  not  but  be 
struck  with  the  very  large  proportion  of  the  exhibits  which  have  to  do 
with  gardens  and  flowers.  Thus  in  No.  11  Miss  E.  Stewart- Wood  has  a 
pleasing  picture  of  wild  Roses  ;  and  at  No.  32  Mr.  Alfred  Parsons,  A.R.A., 
has  what  is  unquestionably  one  of  the  gems  in  the  Gallery  in  his  picture 
of  Sweet  Williams,  wherein  we  are  introduced  to  a  pathway,  in  which  the 
sun  shines  through  the  bushes  and  flowers  which  bank  each  side.  The 
picture  is  marvellously  true  to  nature,  and  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind  ever 
exhibited.  At  No,  45  Mr.  Anderson  Hayne  shows  a  very  pleasant  and 
solidly  painted  cottage  garden  ;  at  No.  47  Mr.  A.  F.  Hayward  introduces 
the  visitor  to  some  red  Chrysanthemums  ;  and  at  No.  50  Mr.  Toystan 
Hetherington  has  a  capable  picture  of  a  garden  in  Surrey. 
Lender  the  title  ot  “  At  Eventime  they  Pass  Away,”  Mr.  J .  Fitz- 
Marshall  at  53  shows  a  clump  of  Convolvuli  just  at  the  time  when  they  are 
closing  up  for  their  night’s  repose.  At  No.  56,  Mrs.  Kate  Pengini  has 
the  flowers  that  hloom  in  the  spring  ;  at  No.  93  Mr.  Gaetano  Meo  has  a 
pretty  and  well-executed  view  of  an  old  Devonshire  orchard,  redolent  of 
cider  Apples;  at  No.  131  Mr.  Edward  Clifford  introduces  us  to  the 
ancient  garden  of  Moreby  Hall,  York,  wherein  we  are  thrown  back,  as  it 
were,  into  the  past  century  ;  at  No.  133  Mr.  Robert  Bateman  has  a  spray 
of  Carnations,  well  executed,  with  the  peculiar  title  of  “  Carnations  and 
Love  in  a  Mist at  138  Mr.  A.  F,  Hayward  has  a  picture  of  Chrysan¬ 
themums  ;  while  at  139  is  a  very  satisfactory  view  of  a  garden  by  Mr. 
Arthur  Lucas,  and  next  is  another  very  fine  flower  piece  by  Mr.  Parsons, 
the  subject  being  Larkspurs  and  Roses,  which  is  an  admirable  companion 
picture  to  his  Sweet  Williams  referred  to  above.  At  144  Mr.  A.  F.  \\ . 
Hayward  has  a  nice  collection  of  Japanese  Anemones  ;  at  No.  151  Mrs. 
Nora  Hartley  has  a  group  of  Roses  ;  and  at  No.  157  Mr.  Lance  Calkin 
gives  us  “  In  a  Garden  Gay.”  o  a:  n  i? 
Many  will  view  with  kindly  interest  the  Church  allotment,  Suffolk,  of 
Mr.  Toystan  Hetherington,  shown  at  No.  166,  and  at  19.3  Mr.  Bateman 
has  the  Pseony  pictorially  limned.  At  204  Mr.  Hayward  has  a  group  of 
Azaleas,  which,  with  a  view  of  a  Paris  garden,  shown  by  Mr.  Bernard 
Harrison  at  No.  315,  which  with  a  clump  of  Roses  by  IMr.  Hayward  at 
425,  completes  the  sum  total  of  those  pictures  which  may  reasonably  be 
expected  to  possess  a  particular  interest  for  gardeners  and  floriculturists. 
Altogether  the  exhibition  is  a  good  one,  and  well  worthy  a  visit. 
Wm.  Nokman  Brown. 
