80 
January  23,  1H96. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
of  the  concerts  held  at  Altrincham  in  aid  of  the  funds.  They  would 
also  cordially  thank  other  friends  throughout  the  country  who  have 
in  any  way  afforded  help  to  the  Institution  during  the  past  year. 
“  To  increase,  as  they  believe,  the  usefulness  of  the  Institution  the 
Committee  have  recommended  partial  alteration  and  additions  to  the 
existing  rules,  one  of  which  they  desire  to  specially  mention,  namely, 
the  addition  of  twelve  gentlemen  to  their  body,  to  be  known  as 
‘  country  members,’  and  who  are  resident  more  than  fifty  miles  from 
London.  They  trust  that  this  will  tend  to  create  a  greater  and  more 
widely  diffused  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  Institution  amongst 
gardeners  and  horticulturists  generally,  as  different  parts  of  the  country 
will  now  be  directly  represented  od  the  Committee  of  Management. 
They  would  also  point  out  that  they  have  recommended  that  market 
growers  should  be  included  amongst  those  who  are  eligible  to  participate 
in  the  benefits  of  the  Institution.  It  is  with  regret  that  the  Committee 
have  to  announce  the  resignation  of  their  Chairman,  Sir  Alexander 
Arbuthnot,  K.C.S.I.,  who,  through  ill  health,  has  been  compelled  to 
relinquish  the  position.  They  are  glad,  however,  to  know  that  he  will 
still  retain  a  warm  interest  in  the  Institution,  and  they  trust  he  will  be 
long  spared  to  do  so.  The  Committee  are  sincerely  pleased  to  announce 
that  Mr.  Harry  J.  Yeitch  has  been  unanimously  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 
“  In  conclusion  the  Committee  would  again  remind  their  friends  and 
supporters  that  for  fifty-seven  years  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent 
Institution  has  dispensed  its  benefits  throughout  the  United  Kingdom, 
and  the  heartfelt  gratitude  of  those  who  have  been  assisted  from  its 
funds  shows  how  highly  its  help  is  valued.  The  Committee  earnestly 
desire  to  help  more  of  the  numerous  applicants  awaiting  aid,  and  they 
therefore  urgently  appeal  for  additional  support,  so  that  the  present 
income  may  be  augmented,  and  the  work  which  has  been  carried  on 
with  such  signal  success  for  so  long  a  period  and  the  beneficial  effects  of 
which  cannot  be  over-estimated,  may  be  extended  and  enlarged.” 
Balance-sheet  for  1895. 
Dr. 
To  Balance  . 
,,  Deposit  account  .  . 
,,  Annual  subscriptions  . 
,,  Donations  at,  and  in  consequence  of,  annual 
dinner,  including  stewards’  list,  and  collecting 
card  . .  . 
,,  William  Thomson  Memorial  Fund  . 
,,  Return  of  Income  Tax  . 
,,  Advertisements  in  annual  list  . 
,,  Dividends  and  interests  on  deposits  . 
£1337  8  6 
1948  12  11 
257  3  5 
22  13  5 
40  3  0 
812  17  7 
£902  19  10 
1400  0  0 
4418  18  10 
Cr. 
By  Pensions  and  gratuities  . 
„  Expenses  of  election  and  annual  meeting... 
„  Secretary’s  salary 
,,  Office  assistance  ...  .  . 
„  Rent  of  offices . 
,,  Marion  &  Co.,  for  vellum  address  ...  . 
„  Printing,  general,  including  annual  reports  and 
list  of  subscribers...  . 
„  Stationery  .  . 
„  Book  of  cheques  . 
„  Expenses  of  annual  dinner . £174  10  0 
Less  tickets  sold  ...  ..  ...  82  19  0 
„  Cost  of  appeals  . 
„  Postage  of  annual  reports  and  list  of 
subscribers,  ordinary  postages,  and 
incidental  expenses .  67  17  10 
,,  Deputation  and  travelling  expenses  5  8  9 
,,  Investments  : 
William  Thomson  Memorial  Fund — Liverpool 
Corporation  3^  per  cent.  Stock . 
Cardiff  Corporation  3  per  cent.  Stock  . 
„  Life  subscriptions  : 
Liverpool  Corporation  3^  per  cent.  Stock 
„  On  deposit  . 
,,  Balance  with  Treasurer  . 
,,  Balance  with  Secretary  . 
£6721  18  8 
. £2663  2  10 
.  16  1  5 
£250  0  0 
26  0  0 
62  10  0 
-  338  10  0 
10  10  0 
119  0  8 
21  10  5 
3  0  8 
91  11  0 
12  15  8 
73  6  7 
331  14  7 
257 
3 
5 
535 
1 
0 
409 
10 
0 
1265 
0 
0 
2466 
14 
5 
905 
9 
5 
0 
6 
0 
905 
15 
5 
£6721 
18 
8 
We  have  audited  the  accounts  and  have  much  pleasure  in  stating 
that  we  have  found  everything  correct,  and  the  books  well  kept.  We 
also  certify  that  the  whole  of  the  invested  funds  of  the  Institution  are 
as  stated,  the  securities  being  in  the  possession  of  Messrs.  Glyn,  Mills 
and  Co.  at  the  Bank  of  England, 
(Signed)  Thomas  Manning  ) 
Thomas  Swift  t  Auditors. 
January  HtJi.  1S96.  J.  Willard  ) 
A  motion  was  put  forward  by  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  to  the  effect  that  the 
above  report  and  balance-sheet  be  adopted  and  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks 
be  accorded  to  the  Committee  for  its  able  management  of  the  business 
throughout  the  past  year.  The  motion  was  received  with  much  appro¬ 
bation  and  carried  unanimously.  . 
It  was  proposed  by  Mr.  G.  Wythes  that  Mr.  H.  J.  Veitch  be  re-elected 
Treasurer,  and  that  the  best  thanks  of  the  meeting  be  accorded  to  him 
for  his  strenuous  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  Institution,  which  proposition 
was  unanimously  agreed  to. 
Mr.  A.  F.  Barron  moved,  “That  Messrs.  Baker,  Hudson,  Laing, 
Osborn,  Turner,  and  Webber,  who  retire  by  rotation  be  re-elected 
members  of  Committee  for  the  next  four  years,”  and  “  Messrs.  Iceton, 
Segar,  R.  Milligan  Hogg  be  elected  members  of  Committee  in  place  of 
Sir  Alexander  Arbuthnot,  Mr.  W.  J.  Nutting  and  Mr.  J.  Lee.”  Carried. 
On  the  proposition  of  Mr.  Melady  it  was  agreed  “  That  Messrs. 
Manning,  Thomas  Swift,  and  Jesse  Willard  be  re-elected  auditors  for  the 
ensuing  year,  and  that  the  best  thanks  of  this  meeting  be  presented  to 
them  for  their  kind  services  during  the  past  year.” 
Mr.  J.  Hudson  moved  the  resolution,  which  was  unanimously  carried, 
“  That  Messrs.  W.  Beste,  W.  Crane,  H.  Higgins,  W.  Johnson,  and 
R.  A.  Jack  be  appointed  arbitrators  for  the  ensuing  year.” 
Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram  was  again  elected  Secretary  of  the  Institution 
on  the  motion  of  Mr.  P.  C.  M.  Yeitch,  and  Mr.  Denning  moved, 
“  That  S.  Chinery  of  Boxford,  Suffolk,  aged  seventy-one,  gardener,  a 
yearly  subscriber  of  £1  Is.  for  fifteen  years  ;  A.  H.  Holmes  of  Balham, 
aged  seventy-four,  gardener,  a  yearly  subscriber  of  £1  Is.  for  twenty - 
five  years  ;  W.  Plester  of  Elsenham,  aged  seventy-two,  gardener,  a  life 
member  for  twenty-four  years  ;  M.  Bridger  of  Finsbury  Park,  aged 
seventy,  gardener,  a  yearly  subscriber  of  £1  Is.  for  fifteen  years  ;  and 
Elizabeth  Simpson  of  Slough,  aged  sixty,  whose  late  husband  was  a 
yearly  subscriber  of  £1  Is.  for  nineteen  year*  ;  whose  cases  have 
been  investigated  and  come  within  the  terms  of  Rule  III.,  5,  be  placed 
on  the  pension  list  without  election  from  January  1st,  1896.”  This 
motion,  on  being  put  to  the  meeting,  was  carried  unanimously.  With 
the  election  of  Messrs.  A.  Outram,  J.  Webber,  and  G.  Monro  as  scrutineers 
of  the  ballot  for  the  election  of  ten  candidates  for  pensions,  the  business 
of  the  meeting  concluded. 
Result  of  Ballot. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  candidates  for  pensions,  and  an  asterisk 
is  placed  against  the  names  of  the  ten  who  were  successful,  together 
with  the  number  of  votes  recorded  in  each  case.  The  scrutineers  found 
their  task  a  heavy  one,  and  it  was  a  quarter-past  six  before  the  poll  was 
declared.  It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  61,520  votes  were  recorded, 
and  it  is  also  a  disappointing  fact  that  from  various  causes  830  votes 
were  spoiled.  Thomas  Bundy,  1327 ;  David  Cornell,  816';  Hester 
Falconer.  3227*  ;  Ambrose  Minty,  727 ;  John  Pearcy,  2800* ;  Eliza 
Webb,  1985  ;  Thomas  Bannister,  2946*  ;  Robert  Begbie,  1325  ;  Thomas 
Cawley.  1861 ;  William  Croshier.  2466*  ;  Samuel  Hicks,  161  ;  Joseph 
Monk,  914;  Joseph  Shearn,  1441;  Charles  Smith,  2347  ;  J.  Akehurst, 
615;  H.  C.  Allman,  229;  Geo.  Ashby,  1633;  William  Bishop,  4021*  ; 
James  Field,  2487*  ;  George  Fletcher,  3530*  ;  Eliza  Gardner,  113  ; 
Elizabeth  Hepburn,  1217  ;  Rachael  Jefferson,  1592  ;  William  Lee,  1539  ; 
Samuel  Pickstone,  2515*  ;  Caroline  Wood,  1012  ;  Henry  Wood,  3131*  ; 
William  Wood,  1560 ;  James  Baker,  886  ;  Andrew  Bryan,  381 ;  George 
Cragg,  62  ;  David  Davis,  1074  ;  John  Ewing,  3834*  ;  James  Finch,  572  ; 
William  Freeman,  212;  John  Gibbons,  422;  Henry  Hughes,  798; 
Edmund  Papworth,  1187  ;  Lydia  Rose,  1380  ;  Thomas  Simms,  906  ; 
William  Thomas,  269. 
A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  scrutineers  for  the  trouble  they  had  taken 
was  carried  on  the  proposal  of  Mr.  B.  Wynne,  and  a  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  to  the  Treasurer,  Mr.  H.  J.  Veitch,  was  moved  by  Mr.  G.  Head 
and  carried  amidst  applause. 
The  Dinner. 
As  a  conclusion  of  the  afternoon’s  proceedings  the  members  and 
friends  of  the  Institution  partook  of  what  has  been  termed  the  “  lark 
pudding  ”  dinner,  owing  to  the  presence  of  that  dish  on  the  occasion. 
A  large  company  sat  down  under  the  presidency  of  Mr.  P.  C.  M.  Veitch 
of  Exeter.  After  the  usual  loyal  toasts  had  been  given,  the  Chairman 
rose  and  asked  the  company  to  drink  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Society, 
remarking  that  he  was  confident  they  would  receive  it  with  acclamation. 
He  could  not  understand  why  gardeners  generally  do  not  study  it  more 
than  they  do.  It  was  estimated  that  there  were  about  10,000  gardeners 
in  Great  Britain,  and  yet  what  a  small  number  of  these  subscribed  to 
the  Society.  If  every  gardener  in  the  kingdom  would  put  4fd.  away 
every  Saturday  night  for  future  benefits,  and  pay  it  into  the  Society, 
how  greatly  it  would  be  augmented.  On  board  ship  it  was  customary 
to  drink  on  Saturday  nights  the  toast  of  “  Sweethearts  and  Wives,”  as 
then  it  is  a  rule  to  put  so  much  aside  for  those  dependent  on  them  at 
home.  He  thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  gardeners  to  follow  this 
example,  and,  figuratively  at  least,  give  this  toast  by  putting  that  small 
sum  on  one  side  for  emergencies  that  might  arise.  There  were  many 
who  held  high  positions  in  the  gardening  world  whom  he  would  like  to 
remind  that  they  should  support  the  Society.  They  may  say,  “  Oh,  I 
shall  never  need  it  for  myself  ;  ”  but  are  they  so  sure  of  that  ?  He 
would  in  any  case  like  to  preach  to  them  from  the  text,  “  In  the  morning 
sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  withhold  not  thy  hand,  for  thou 
knowest  not  which  shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that ;  ”  and  he  could 
point  them  to  noble  names  in  the  gardening  world  Who  sowed  the  seeds 
of  this  Institution,  never  expecting  a  harvest  for  themselves,  but 
believing  that  they  were  at  least  sowing  for  others.  “  But  lo,  and  behold 
the  harvest  has  been  returned  tenfold  into  their  own  bosom.”  Yes,  gentle¬ 
men,  said  Mr.  Veitch,  it  is  a  grand  return  given  by  this  Society  to  those 
who  need  its  help  in  after  years.  See  the  record  of  men  and  women 
(155  pensioners)  getting  £20  and  £16  a  year  for  their  subscription  of 
