174 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  20,  1902. 
Ro}al  GardfcDers'  Orphan  Fund. 
The  annual  general  meeting  was  held  on  Friday  last, 
February  14,  in  Essex  Hall,  Essex  Street,  Strand,  London.  Mr. 
H.  B.  May  occupied  the  chair,  there  being  present,  among  others. 
Sir  J.  Llewelyn,  Dr.  Masters,  H.  J.  Veitch,  G.  Gordon,  G.  Cuth- 
bert.  R.  and  A.  Dean,  W.  Cutbush,  H.  J.  Jones,  —  Assbee, 
W.  Roupell,  C.  J.  Salter,  and  J.  W.  Moorman.  The  minutes  of 
last  annual  general  meeting  having  been  read,  the  report  of  the 
executive  committee  was  read  by  the  secretary,  as  follows:  — 
Report  and  Statement  of  Accounts  for  1901. 
“  In  presenting  their  fourteenth  annual  report  the  executive 
eommittee  once  more  congratulates  the  supporters  of  the  Fund 
upon  its  continued  prosperity  and  usefulness,  as,  although  un¬ 
fortunately,  in  common  with  many  other  charitable  institutions, 
the  total  receipts  for  the  year  show  a  slight  falling  off,  the  com¬ 
mittee  has  been  enabled  to  meet  all  claims  upon  the  Eund,  and 
to  expend  in  regular  allowances  to  orphans  duly  elected  to  receive 
the  same,  an  increase  on  the  disbursements  of  the  previous  year, 
as  well  as  to  expend  a  larger  amount  in  the  form  of  grants  in  aid, 
the  total  amount  disbursed  being  £1,099  17s.  6d.,  or  an  excess  of 
£66  5s.  over  any  previous  year.  The  committee'  has  the  greatest 
satisfaction  in  making  the  announcement  that  Her  Most  Gracious 
Majesty  Queen  Alexandra  has  kindly  consented  to  continue  to 
the  Fund  the  patronage  which  Her  Majesty  previously  accorded 
to  it  as  Princess  of  Wales. 
“  By  the  generosity  of  the  subscribers  attending  the  last  annual 
general  meeting,  when,  as  in  the  previous  year,  all  the  candidates 
were  elected,  the  committee  was  placed  in  the  gratifying  position 
of  being  able  to  commence  the  ne  vv  century,  and  the  first  year  of  the 
reign  of  His  Majesty  King  Edward  VII.,  without  any  candidates 
waiting  election.  With  regard  to  the  grants  in  aid,  the  committee 
feels  certain  that  in  this  beneficent  branch  of  the  Fund’s  operations 
they  will  have  the  sympathetic  support  of  all  subscribers  in  the 
good  work  that  is  being  done  in  helping  to  give  a  useful  start  in 
life  to  those  poor  orphans,  who,  by  virtue  of  the  age  limit,  cease 
to  receive  regular  assistance,  by  helping  to  lengthen  the  period  of 
schooling  in  some  cases,  and  by  the  provision  of  clothing  and  tools 
in  others ;  while  candidates  awaiting  election  are  frequently 
assisted  by  means  of  allowances  of  2s.  6d.  per  week.  The  number 
of  orphans  who  have  been  elected  to  receive  the  benefits  of  the 
Fund  during  the  past  thirteen  years  is  143,  and  the  total  amount 
expended  in  allowances  during  the  same  period  is  £9,844  12s.  6d. 
The  number  now  on  the  Fund  is  seventy-five,  and  twelve  will  be 
added  this  day  (February  14). 
“  The  committee  still  deplores  the  fact  that  there  are  many 
gardening  centres  in  the  country  from  which  the  Fund  receives 
little  or  nO'  support,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  efforts  made  by 
good  friends  and  fellow-workers  in  such  districts  as  Altrincham, 
Boumemouth,  Bradford,  Bristol,  Chesterfield,  Chislehurst, 
Reigate,  Richmond,  Rugby,  Sevenoaks,  Wimbledon,  c%c.  (who, 
by  means  of  local  collections,  concerts,  and  the  sale  of.  surplus 
flowers  at  exhibitions,  annually  raise  amounts  which  greatly  assist 
the  Fund),  are  gratefully  acknowledged  by  the  committee.  The 
annual  festival,  held  at  the  Hotel  Cecil,  on  May  7,  under  the 
presidency  of  the  Hon.  W.  F.  D.  Smith,  M.P.,  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  most  successful  of  the  series,  and  the  committee  has  the 
gratifying  fact  to  record  that  the  earnest  and  sympathetic  appeal 
made  by  the  chairman  on  that  occasion  resulted  in  a  subscription 
list  amounting  to  £648  17s.  Id.  Most  gratefully  do  the  committee 
acknowledge  the  great  service  rendered  to  the  institution  by 
the  Hon.  W.  F.  D.  Smith,  and  they  have  the  greatest  pleasure 
in  recommending  that  he  be  elected  a  vice-president  of  the  Fund. 
It  IS  With  the  liveliest  satisfaction  that  the  committee  makes 
the  announcement  that  Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Esq.,  has  most 
kindly  consented  to  preside  at  the  next  Festival,  which  will  take 
place  at  the  Hotel  Cecil  on  Thursday,  May  8,  and  they  trust 
that  all  friends  of  the  Charity  will  assist  them  in  making  the 
presidency  of  this  princely  patron  of  Horticulture,  in  Coronation 
Year,  a  memorable  one  in  the  annals  of  the  Fund.  In 
the  month  of  May,  a  favourable  opportunity  offering, 
your  committee  made  an  addition  to  the  invested  funds  by  the 
purchase  of  £514  Great  Indian  Peninsular  Railway  guaranteed 
3  per  cent,  stock,  at  a  cost  of  £499  18s.  8d. 
“  With  deep  regret  the  committee  has  to  record  the  death  of 
Mr.  Alfred  H.  Smee,  who,  on  the  establishment  of  the  Fund, 
readily  gave  his  consent  to  act  as  one  of  the  trustees,  and  subse¬ 
quently  not  only  assisted  the  institution  with  generous  financial 
support,  but  also  most  readily  afforded  the  management  the 
benefit  of  his  ripe  financial  experience  in  dealing  with  the  Fund’s 
investments.  In  life  warmly  interested  in  the  success  of  the 
Fund,  Mr.  Smee  did  not  forget  the  poor  orphans  in  death, 
having  bequeathed  to  the  institution  £250  free  of  legacy  duty. 
Other  valued  supporters  have  also  passed  away  in  the  persons  of 
Sir  Edwin  Saunders,  one  of  the  vice-presidents ;  Mr.  Martin  Hope 
Sutton,  Mr.  D.  T.  Fish,  Mr.  A.  Henderson,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Rochford.  In  the  early  days  of  the  institution,  Mr.  Fish  was 
most  strenuous  in  his  efforts  to  gain  support  for  the  Fund,  and 
helped  materially  to  establish  it  on  a  sound  financial  basis ;  while 
by  the  lamented  death  of  INIr.  Rochford  the  Fund  has  lost  the 
open-handed  and  most  sympathetic  support  of  one  of  the  most 
kindly-natured  of  men,  and  British  Horticulture  one  of  its  most 
enterprising  and  skilful  exponents.  The  committee  have  pleasure 
in  recommending  that  Mr.  Leonard  G.  Sutton,  of  Reading,  be 
elected  a  trustee  in  the  place  of  the  late  Mr.  Smee. 
“  The  members  of  the  committee  who  retire  by  rotation  are 
Messrs.  W.  R.  Alderson,  A.  F.  Barron,  G.  Cuthbert,  W.  Howe, 
J.  Lyne,  C.  E.  Osman,  W.  Poupart,  and  J.  Walker;  and  Messrs. 
Alderson,  Cuthbert,  Howe,  Lyne,  and  Poupart,  being  eligible, 
offer  themselves  for  re-election.  Mr.  George  H.  Barr,  King 
Street,  Covent  Garden ;  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  Lewisham ;  and 
Mr.  G.  Nicholson,  Richmond,  are  nominated  by  the  committee 
for  election  to  the  seats  vacated  by  the  retirement  of  Messrs. 
Barron,  Osman,  and  Walker.  By  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Barron, 
on  account  of  continued  ill-health,  which  all  who  know  him  deeply 
deplore,  the  committee  desire  not  only  to  assure  him  of  their 
warmest  sympathy  and  best  wishes  for  his  restoration  to  health, 
but  also  to  place  on  record  their  high  appreciation  of  the  in¬ 
valuable  services  which  he  rendered  to  the  Fund  at  its  founda¬ 
tion,  and  subsequently  as  its  secretary,  and  their  sense  of  the 
loss  which  it  sustains  by  its  retirement  from  active  participation 
in  its  management. 
“  The  committee,  keenly  sympathising  with  Mr.  Sherwood  in 
his  recent  severe  illness,  and  heartily  hoping  that  he  may  be 
speedily  restored  to  health,,  again  most  warmly  acknowledges  the 
great  personal  interest  which,  as  treasurer,  he  has  taken  in  the 
management  of  the  Fund,  and  the  munificent  financial  support 
which  he  has  continued  to  accord  to  it.  Mr.  Sherwood’s  re- 
election  this  day,  the  committee  feels  assureo,,  will  afford  the 
highest  gratification  to  all  well-wishers  of  the  Fund.  To  the 
auditors,  Mr.  Martin  Rowan  and  Mr.  P.  Rudolph  Barr,  the 
committee  also  tender  hearty  thanks  for  their  valued  services  in 
auditing  the  accounts — a  labour  of  love,  most  conscientiously 
carried  out.  Mr.  Rowan  is  the  retiring  auditor,  and  is  nominated 
by  the  committee  for  re-election. 
CASH  STATEMENT  for  the  Year  ending  December  31,  1901. 
Receipts. 
£  s.  d.  £  s.  d. 
To  Balance  last  Account .  1,173  4  3 
,,  Subscriptions,  General .  283  7  9 
,,  ,,  Local  Secretaries  .  56  19  6 
-  340  7  3 
,,  Donations,  General  ..  . 145  12  8 
,,  Local  Secretaries .  16  0  10 
-  161  13  6 
,,  Kmma  Sherwood  Memorial .  ..  13  0  0 
,,  Annual  Dinner  .  648  17  1 
,,  Advertisements  in  List  of  Subscribers  ..  .  ..  30  13  0 
.,  Dividends  on  Stock  and  Interest  on  Deposit  .  302  4  8 
Income  Tax  returned .  13  10  8 
£2.683  0  5 
Expenditure. 
£  s.  d. 
By  Allowances  to  Orphans .  1,028  10  0 
„  Emma  Sherwood  Memorial  .  13  0  0 
,,  Grants  in  Aid  .  68  7  6 
,  Annual  Dinner 
))  X  IJllL/lllg  <1114  lAA/Sl'lU^J-iSaL'Ul  OUUnLllUclo  ••  ••  ••  ..  .. 
,,  Printing  and  Stationery ..  .  17  1  11 
,,  Annual  General  Meetina:  and  Audit .  16  6  11 
,,  Hire  of  Room  for  Meetings  ..  ..  . .  2  2  0 
,,  Purcha.se  of  Furniture .  676 
,,  Postages  .  747 
,,  Bank  Charges  .  166 
,,  Sundry  Expenses,  Petty  Cash .  638 
,,  Purchase  of  £514  Great  Indian  Peninsular  Railway  Guaranteed 
3  per  cent.  Stock . 
„  Balance — 
Cash  at  Bank .  360  6  2 
Cash  on  Deposit  .  300  0  0 
Cash  in  Hand .  68  9  7 
£  s.  d. 
1,099  17  6 
162  16  4 
100  0  0 
35  9  1 
56  13  1 
499  18  8 
728  15  9 
IVoTE.— Investments  : 
3  per  cent.  London  and  County  Consolidated  Stock . £7,240  15  10 
3  per  cent.  Canada  Stock  .  2,000  0  0 
L.  and  N.  W.  Railway  Preference  Stock .  310  0  0 
Great  Indian  Peninsular  Railway  Guaranteed  8  per  cent.  Stock  ..  514  0  0 
Thomson  Memorial  Trust : 
East  Indian  Railway  B.  Annuity  of  £14,  cost .  430  11  0 
£2.683  10  5 
Having  inspected  the  Securities  and  examined  the  Books  and  Vouchers 
supplied  to  us,  we  hereby  certify  the  above  Account  to  be  correct. 
P.  Kudolh  Barr)  , 
M.  Row.an  I  Auditors. 
February  11,  1902. 
