June  18,  1896. 
Journal  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener, 
565 
THE  ROYAL  GARDENERS’  ORPHAN  FUND 
Having  consented  to  occupy  the  chair  on  June  18th  at  the 
anniversary  dinner  of  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,  I  wish  to 
appeal  to  all  lovers  of  gardens  and  gardening  to  assist  me  in  making  the 
occasion  a  great  financial  benefit  to  the  funds  of  this  Institution.  From 
my  knowledge  of  the  management  of  this  Charity  I  can  confidently 
speak  of  the  excellent  work  it  is  doing  amongst  a  deserving  class,  and 
of  the  economical  way  in  which  that  work  is  carried  out. 
Nearly  the  entire  income  is  available  for  the  maintenance  and 
education  of  the  orphan  children  of  gardeners  until  they  attain  the  age 
of  fourteen  years.  At  present  seventy  children  are  being  assisted  by  an 
allowance  of  5s.  per  week,  and  the  greatest  possible  care  is  taken  in  the 
selection  of  candidates  for  election,  and  in  securing  suitable  supervision 
over  their  welfare  during  the  time  they  are  recipients  of  the  Fund. 
Except  in  very  few  instances 
the  remuneration  of  gardeners  is 
insufficient  to  enable  them  to 
make  adequate  provision  for  their 
families  in  the  event  of  premature 
decease,  and  it  is  to  aid  such 
cases  that  this  Fund  has  been 
established.  —  Bedford,  Woburn 
Abbey ,  May  30th,  1S96. 
v-'-r  • 
The  new  President  of  this 
admirable  Charity  has  placed  its 
object,  working,  and  claims  for 
support  so  clearly  that  no  words 
of  ours  could  add  weight  to  the 
appeal,  and  we  can  only  express 
the  hope,  which  we  do  most 
sincerely,  that  the  annual  dinner 
on  the  18th  inst.  (the  evening  of 
our  day  of  publication)  will  result 
in  a  substantial  addition  to  the 
Funds  of  the  Institution.  We 
anticipate  a  large  attendance  on 
the  occasion.  Many  of  the  leading 
growers  of  produce  for  Covent 
Garden  Market, as  well  as  salesmen 
and  others,  have  always  been  well 
disposed  towards  the  Royal  Gar¬ 
deners’  Orphan  Fund,  and  have 
given  to  it  gratifying  support. 
They  will  in  all  probability  attend 
the  dinner  in  considerable  numbers, 
and  may  be  relied  on  to  contribute 
a  full  share  to  the  success  of  the 
evening.  We  think  the  occasion 
appropriate  for  giving  the  por¬ 
trait  of  the  new  President  of  the 
youngest  of  our  gardening  charities, 
and  it  is  certain  to  be  acceptable 
to  the  readers  of  the  Journal  oj 
Horticulture ,  with  brief  refer¬ 
ences  to  the  Duke  and  his  noble 
predecessors. 
Herbrand  Arthur  Russell, 
eleventh  Duke  of  Bedford,  was 
born  in  1858,  and  succeeded  to  the 
title  on  the  death  of  his  brother, 
Duke  Sackville,  in  1893.  Brief  as 
is  the  period  during  which  he  has  ruled  over  his  great  estates,  abundant 
proof  has  been  already  given  that  His  Grace  possesses  both  the  ability 
and  the  will  to  maintain  the  best  traditions  of  a  noble  and  historic 
family.  Far-seeing,  practical,  and  wishful  to  render  help  in  times  of 
difficulty,  he  has  taken  a  prominent  interest  in  the  extension  of  technical 
education,  a  fact  that  was  fully  recognised  recently  by  his  unanimous 
election  to  the  office  of  Chairman  of  the  Bedfordshire  County  Council. 
The  establishment  of  the  Woburn  Experimental  Fruit  Farm,  the  first 
institution  of  its  kind  in  England,  has  been  due  to  his  liberality.  The 
Beds  County  Council  School  Farm,  also  at  Ridgmont,  commenced  in 
the  present  year,  owes  its  origin  to  his  generous  offer  of  some  200  acres 
of  land,  which,  with  a  substantial  farmhouse,  since  enlarged  and 
adapted  to  the  special  purpose  at  the  Duke’s  expense,  completes  a  very 
interesting  and  useful  institution.  Extensive  work  has  further  been 
undertaken  in  the  park  and  on  the  estate,  mainly  with  the  object  of 
finding  useful  work  for  the  local  labourers  during  the  winter  months  ; 
this,  too,  with  liberal  concessions  to  tenants,  and  general  kindliness  and 
concern  for  the  welfare  of  all  on  the  estate,  in  which  good  work  the 
Duchess  of  Bedford  takes  a  prominent  part,  has  raised  them  high  in  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  are  more  or  less  dependent  upon  them. 
Most  of  the  preceding  Dukes  have  distinguished  themselves  in  some 
special  way,  generally  in  connection  with  education,  art,  or  literature  ; 
but  John,  the  sixth  Duke  of  Bedford,  applied  himself  more  particularly 
to  horticulture,  agriculture,  and  allied  subjects.  Wonderful  collections 
of  plants  were  formed  at  Woburn  in  those  dayB,  which  have  been 
described  in  several  elaborate  works  ;  but  perhaps  most  interesting  in 
regard  to  this  is  the  following  passage  from  a  letter  addressed  by 
Duke  John  to  the  late  Sir  William  Jackson  Hooker.  “  To  botany,”  he 
wrote,  “  I  am  more  indebted  than  it  is  possible  for  me  to  express. 
From  that  pursuit,  under  the 
blessing  of  God,  have  mainly  been 
deiived  to  me  the  health  of  my 
body,  the  culture  of  my  mind,  my 
relaxation  at  home  ;  my  enjoyment 
in  the  fields  ;  many  of  my  most 
agreeable  and  honoured  acquaint¬ 
ances  ;  and  several  of  my  dearest 
friends.” 
The  present  Duke  may  be  com¬ 
pelled  to  spread  his  energies  over 
a  wider  field  of  labour,  but  all 
interested  in  horticulture  must 
rejoice  that  his  acceptance  of  the 
post  of  President  of  the  Gardeners’ 
Orphan  Fund  will  biing  such  a 
nobleman  more  closely  in  touch 
with  an  art  which  combines  so 
much  that  is  pleasurable  with 
practical  utility  of  high  import¬ 
ance.  His  Grace  is  a  young  man, 
and  every  horticulturist  will  wish 
him  a  long  life  in  which  to  extend 
and  see  tbe  results  of  work  he  has 
so  well  commenced. 
«KHal 
- 
We  should,  after  all,  like  on  our 
own  account  to  plead  the  cause 
of  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan 
Fund  once  more,  as  an  institution 
than  which  none,  however  worthy, 
is  more  deserving  of  favourable 
consideration  and  support. 
By  the  small  amount  of  con* 
tribution  entitling  to  a  vote  we 
had  hoped  that  a  much  larger 
number  of  persons  engaged  in 
gardening  would  have  placed 
themselves  on  the  honoured  roll 
of  subscribers.  We  are  aware  that 
the  majority  of  gardeners  have 
many  home  claims,  and  that  after 
these  are  met  there  can  be  but  a 
Bmall  margin  of  means  for  support¬ 
ing  even  such  an  excellent  organisa¬ 
tion  as  this  Charity.  Still  we  be¬ 
lieve  if  the  great  need  for  its  aid 
were  fully  known,  and  the  benefit* 
it  has  conferred  on  fatherless  children  adequately  appreciated,  that 
ways  and  means  would  be  found,  individually  or  collectively,  to  enable 
it  to  meet  practically  all  demands  on  its  benefactions. 
We  suspect  if  its  nature  and  objects  were  brought  personally  to  the 
notice  of  the  comparatively  well-to-do  who  delight  in  gardening  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  that  they  would  be  glad  to  give  a  measure 
of  support  to  the  Institution.  Already  it  is  affording  the  means  of 
sustenance  to  between  seventy  and  eighty  children  at  an  annual  cost  of 
nearly  a  thousand  pounds — *a  fact  which  shows  the  urgent  need  that 
existed  for  its  establishment,  and  as  every  year  brings  fresh  calamities 
and  new  appeals  for  help,  we  bespeak  uhe  practical  sympathy  of  all 
who  can  extend  it  on  behalf  of  the  widows  and  children  of  gardeners 
who  are  struggling  with  adversity.  Let  all  who  can  then  help  them 
through  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. 
