February  18,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  ASD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
147 
rendered  in  an  equally  charming  way,  both  in  the  shape  of 
quartettes  and  solos,  jovial  and  serious.  Mr.  C.  T.  Druerv, 
V.M.H.,  gave  a  humorous  reading  of  his  own,  entitled  “  Modein 
Chivalry,”  which  was  e.xtremely  well  received,  and  in  every 
way  the  meeting  was  pronounced  to  be  one  of  the  greatest 
social  sticces-ses  of  the  club.  After  the  usual  patriotic  toasts, 
Mr.  George  Gordon,  V.iM.H.,  in  a  felicitous  speech,  proposed 
the  toast  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  depicting  in 
graphic  terms  its  vicis.situdes  in  the  past  and  its  triumphant 
progress  of  recent  years,  as  atte.sted  at  the  annual  meeting 
held  that  day  at  the  Drill  Hall,  and  the  credit  was  given  which 
was  certainly  due  to  the  Horticultural  Club,  that  at  the  dai’kest 
period  in  the  liistory  of  the  society  it  was  within  the  walls  of 
that  club  that  a  scheme  of  regeneration  was  formulated  and 
started  with  the  brilliant  results  in  question.  Mr.  A.  H.  Pear¬ 
son  responded  in  an  equally  happy  vein. 
The  toast  of  the  club  itself,  proposed  by  the  pre.sident. 
Sir  John  IJewellyn,  Bart.,  was  naturally  both  well  proposed 
and  well  received.  Mr.  George  Monro  responding  in  a 
liumorously  humble  way  as  an  outsider,  which  could  hardly 
fail  to  tickle  the  fancy  of  all  present  who  recognised  his  value 
as  a  member  and  his  general  position  in  the  horticultural  world. 
Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch  proposed  the  health  of  the  president  in 
his  genial  way,  and  the  president  responding,  took  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  referring  to  Mr  E.  T.  Cook’s  invaluable  services  as 
hon.  secretary,  and  proposing  a  special  toast  on  his  behalf 
which  was  coi'dially  received  with  the  usual  honours.  A  heaity 
vote  of  thanks  was  finally  accorded  to  Mr.  Harry  J.  \  eitcn 
and  :Mr.  George  Monro  for  the  lavish  provision  by  the  former 
of  floral  table  decorations,  and  by  the  latter  of  a  generous  supply 
of  fruit,  embracing  Peaches,  Nectarines,  and  Plums  from  the 
Cape,  which  were  of  considerable  interest  as  regards  then 
novelty  as  well  as  merely  gastronomically. 
Ipswich :  Floral  Organs  and  Structures.  . 
The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  Ip.swich  Mutual  Imimove- 
meiit  Society  was  held  on  February  4,  the  president  (Mr.  R.  C  . 
Notcutt)  occupying  the  clxair.  X  nder  the  title  of  floral  Organs 
and  Structures,”  Mr.  S.  J.  Batchelder,  lecturer  on  botany  at  the 
Ipswich  Higher  Grade  School,  gave  an  interesting  address  on  the 
classification  of  plants.  The  lecturer  first  of  all  briefly  re\ioi\ed 
the  earlier  attempts  at  classification  down  to  the  time  of  Dinmeus, 
who  he  said  was  the  first  to  introduce  a  system  of  any  nieiit. 
The  Linnaian  system,  however,  was  of  an  entirely  artificial 
character,  and  had  now  been  superseded  by  a  natural  system  of 
classification,  founded  u])on  the  systems  originated  liy  Jussieu 
and  De  Candolle.  Mr.  Batchelder  then  proceeded  to  expound, 
by  the  aid  of  diagraims,  blackboard  illustrations,  and  actual 
specimens  of  flowers,  the  differentiations  of  floral  structuie  exist¬ 
ing  in  the  classes,  sub-classe.s,  series,  and  natural  orders,  and 
endeavoured  to  show  the  means  by  which  a  botanical  student 
could  by  the  aid  of  works  of  reference,  succeed  in  finding  the 
natural  order,  and  ultimately  tlie  genus  and  species  of  a  plant 
previously  unknown  to  him.  In  the  discussion  which  followed 
it  w'as  evident  that  the  botanical  knowledge  of  the  members  was 
not  in  a  very  advanced  state — a  state  of  affair.s  which,  considering 
the  facilities  existing  in  the  town  for  acquiring  that  knowledge, 
is  much  to  be  deplored.  The  meeting  concluded  with  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Batchelder.  Ipswuch  summer  show'  i.s 
definitely  fixed  for  July  (j. — E.  C. 
Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution  (Liverpool  Auxiliary). 
Seldom  has  a  function  pas.sed  off  more  successfully  than  the 
annual  smoking  concert  organi.sed  by  the  excellent  committee, 
and  which  was  held  in  the  famed  Bear’s  Paw  Restaurant,  Lord 
Street,  Liverpool,  on  Saturday  evening  last.  Mr.  C.  A.  Young, 
of  the  Floral  Nur, series.  West  Derby  (who 
is  chairman  of  management),  occupied  the 
chair,  and  was  sujiported  by  Mr.  John 
Dickson  (Mes.srs.  Dicksons,  Chester),  Mr. 
N.  T.  Barnes  (Eaton  Hall),  Mr.  B.  W.  Ker, 
Mr.  H.  Ranger  (Me.ssrs.  R.  P.  Ker  and 
Soils),  Mr.  H.  Middlehur.st,  Mr.  J. 
Fiiinigan,  Mr.  T.  Foster  and  Mr.  W.  Mercer 
(chairman  and  vice-chairman  Ijiverpool 
Horticultural  Association),  Mr.  A.  J. 
Crippin  (treasurer),  Mr.  R.  G.  Waterman 
(secretary),  and  IMr.  R.  Pinnington  (repre¬ 
senting  the  Horticultural  Press),  Mr.  B. 
Ashton  (Lathom  Hou.se),  Mr.  J.  Gibbiius 
(Croxteth  Hall),  Mr.  ,1.  (luttridge  (Mhiver- 
tree  Botanical  Gardens),  Mr.  B.  Cromwell, 
Mr.  J.  Stoney,  Mr.  G.  Haigh,  Mr.  T. 
Carling,  and  a  very  excellent  attendance  of 
gaideners,  trade,  and  friends. 
A  portion  of  the  progi'amme  having 
been  gone  through,  the  chair  was  occupied 
by  Councillor  W.  Watson  Rutherford,  Es(i., 
iM.P.,  ex-Lord  (Mayor  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Rutherford  made  a  most  forcible  and 
spirited  appeal  on  behalf  of  the  Institu¬ 
tion,  .stating  that  there  was  no  business 
where  organisation  was  not  beneficial,  and 
there  should  be  no  need  for  people  to  go 
to  the  workhotise.  He  was  somewhat  sur- 
pri.sed  that  so  few  pensioners  were  on  the 
books,  and  that  there  were  some  twenty 
pi'rsons  (some  blind)  who  could  only  be 
temporardy  I'elieved  at  the  last  election 
iiLstead  of  at  once  being  fully  relieved. 
This  he  considered  wrong,  and  for  that 
I'ea.son  it  gave  him  the  greate.st  iJeasure  to 
be  present  as  their  chairman  to  plead  for  all  po.ssible  help  from 
the  Liverpool  centre.  He  considered  it  the  duty  of  gardeners 
and  their  employers  to  take  a  greater  interest  in  the  work.  If 
he  could  only  see  more  w'orking  gardeners  subscribing  he  would 
considerably  increase  his  own  quota  at  the  end  of  twelve  months. 
Mr.  R.  G.  Waterman  propo.sed  thanks  to  the  chairman,  which 
was  seconded  by  (Mr.  J.  Dickson  and  Mr.  H.  Middlehurst. 
The  statement  of  accounts  for  the  year  1903  showed  a  balance 
of  £2  19s.  8d.  in  treasurer’s  hands  after  remitting  to  the  Insti¬ 
tution  a  sum  of  £37  17s.  The  new'  subscribers  announced  are 
Lady  Tate,  F.  H.  Gossage,  Esq.,  Councillor  Utley,  Hull  Chemical 
Company,  a  further  donation  of  one  guinea  from  Mr.  R.  W. 
Ker  (w'hom  many  were  sorry  to  see  absent),  and  three  guineas 
from  the  chairman,  W.  Watson  Rutherford,  E-sq.,  M.P.  Ihe 
programme  was  a  high  class  one,  and  reflected  much  credit  on 
Messrs.  Young,  Waterman,  Finnigan,  and  the  excellent  work¬ 
ing  committee.  Mr.  C.  A.  Young  presented  Mrs.  Rutherford 
with  a  handsome  bouquet. — R.  P.  R. 
.  .  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. 
,  The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  Orphan  Fund  was  held 
at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel,  London,  on  February  12.  In  the 
absence  of  (Mr.  H.  B.  May,  of  Edmonton,  Mr.  W.  Poupart. 
Tw'ickenham,  was  voted  to  the  chaii'.  He  first  of  all  expressed 
the  sympathy  of  the  meeting  for  the  absent  chairman,  and 
after  the  business;  part  was  completed  Mr.  H.  J.  Veitch  i)ro- 
po.sed  that  a  telegram  be  despatched  to  Mr.  (May,  and  this 
was  done. 
The  formal  business  having  been  transacted,  the  chairman 
briefly  commented  on  the  report,  and  proposed  the  adoption 
of  it  and  the  statements  of  accounts.  He  legretted  that  con- 
ti'ibutions  had  fallen  off,  and  mentioned  that  the  objection  was 
.sometimes  raised  that  there  was  no  election  ;  but  he  failed  to 
see  what  difference  it  made  to  exercise  the  right  of  voting  so 
long  as  the  orphans  were  elected.  The  expenses  of  an  election 
xx'ould  almost  keep  another  child.  Mr.  Harry  J.  \  eitch,  who 
•seconded,  .said  that  200  children  had  benefited  since  the  Fund  was 
inaugurated,  and  so  much  a.s  £12,000  had  been  expended.  Ihe 
I  report  was  carried  unanimously. 
Fear,  Eeurre  Ranee, 
