November  5,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTA  IE  GABDENER. 
427 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident. 
The  seventeenth  anniversary 
dinner  was  lield  in  London  on  Octo¬ 
ber  27th  ult.,  when  Mr.  Peter  Ban- 
presided  over  111  members  and  visi¬ 
tors.  Having  honoured  the  loyal 
toasts,  Mr.  Barr  proposed^  success 
to  the  .society.  He  observed  that 
the  membership  was  now  1,040; 
what  would  the  work  be  when  the 
numbers  amounted  to  10,000?  He' 
thought  it  probable  that  the  society 
might  some  day  have  rooms  of  their 
own  in  the  City  [why  not  in  the 
new  horticultural  hallp — Ed.],  with 
a  large  staff  of  clerks  doing  the 
work.  He  had  gone  through  the 
rules,  and  thought  some  of  them 
obscured ;  but  having  brought  the 
matter  forward,  these  rules  were 
now  in  proce.ss  of  being  re-Avritten. 
IMr.  Barr,  as  a  nurseryman,  had 
never  known  before  that  this  branch 
of  the  horticultural  army  of  workers 
were  entitled  to  join  the  society. 
In  order  that  the  nursery  employes 
at  Long  Ditton  might  have  the 
matter  brought  before  them,  he  had 
caused  the  rules  to  be  sent  to  the 
foreman  there,  and  had  asked  him 
to  explain  them  to  the  other 
workers  Mr.  Barr  suggested  that 
a  leaflet  be  prepared  and  sent  to 
tne  various  seedsmen  and  nursery¬ 
men  throughout  the  country,  stat- 
derivable,  and  that  nursery  employes  ivere 
clexoTniicn  gardeners  might  be  reached  through 
sun^ntPTi’rl^f other  leaflets  might  be  sent  direct  to  park 
prLarecf  Having  had  statistics 
FnJlanrl  ’  aIo-p+p.  ^  ^  members  Avere  in 
Irefaiifl  ’an  f  Walas,  seventeen  in  Scotland,  twelve  in 
in  America^  Africa  and  Germany,  and  four 
“  ^^^1^  oflicials  to  work  Scotland  more,  even  though 
..  ^  AA  eakness  AA-as  to  have  societies  of  his  oaa’ii.  The 
chairman  went  on  to.  say  tliat  noAvhere  during  his  travels  had  he 
eardmifim  self-help  society.  However,  as  the  English 
garclen  ng  papers  are  read  m  various  parts  of  America  and 
abroad  A  ^  self-help  society  will  be  carried  far 
aoroad.  And  the  Avomen  gardeners  are  equally  eligible  Avith 
men  to  become  members  of  the  “  United.” 
tr  A[j.  James  Hudson,  the  treasurer,  responded. 
fr  1  1  the  Scots  AAere  likely  to.  form  a  gardeners’ 
se  f-help  society,  as  had  been  hinted.  They  were  too  canny  for 
tJiat,  and  preferred  to  join  one  that  had  money.  The  “  United  ” 
(tlie  good  ship  “  United,”  as  lie  called  it)  had  sailed  since  I860 
and  though  progress  was  for  a  long  time  slow,  its  advance  wa.4 
noAV  ensured.  The  officers  had  it  well  equipped,  and  managed 
it  tc.  the  interests  of  all,  and  the  sum  of  £22,000  (invested 
capital)  as  ballast,  Avould  keep  it  steady.  Mr.  Hudson  Avas  glad 
to  know  that  gardeners,  especially  young  gardeners,  Avere 
making  use  or  its  advantages,  and  he  urged  them  more  and  more 
to  give  it  consideration.  It  had  been  a  common  excuse  Avith 
some  that  they  had  never  heard  of  it.  All  he  could  say  was 
lat  it  that  were  so,  they  did  not  read  the  gardening  papers. 
He  wished  tliem  to  con^are  the  “United  Horticultural”  with 
the  Hearts  of  Oak,  the  Oddfellows,  and  others. 
A  considered  and  admirably  delivered  speech  Mr 
A  J.  Brown  of  the  School  of  Handicrafts,  Chertsey,  introduced 
a  toast  to  the  Honorary  and  Life  Members.  He  had  attended 
the  annual  meeting  in  the  spring,  and  Avas  much  surprised  to 
hnd  only  a  very  few  members  there.  It  were  well  if  benefit 
members  Avould  take  greater  interest  themselves,  and  he  feJt 
sure  that  honorary  members  would  not  be  a-wantino-.  Mr 
Shemood,  Avho  founded  the  Good  Samaritan  Fund  Avas^an  ex¬ 
emplary  honorary  member,  and  that  act  of  generosity  Avas  a 
grand  testimonial  to  a  gO'od  man. 
The  remaining  toasts  having  been  given,  the  meeting  dis¬ 
persed  at  ten  o’clock. 
Pear,  Passe  Colmar.  (See  page  422.) 
cordially  Aveleomed  by  his  felloAV  gardeners  of  Bristol.  Prizes 
for  six  culinary  Apples  Avere  awarded  to,  first,  Mr.  J.  B.  Brain 
(gardener,  Mr.  Atwell);  slecond.  Lady  CaA-e  (gardener,  Mr. 
Poole);  third,  Mr.  G.  A.  Wills  (gardener,  Mr.  BarAvell) ;  and  an 
extra  one  to  Mr.  Gilbert  HoAves  (gardener,  Mr.  White).  A 
certificate  of  merit  Avas  also  aAvarded  to  Mr.  Gilbert  HoAves  for 
three  Odontoglossum  grande.  Mr.  Basham  staged  a  collection 
of  a  score  or  more  dishes  of  Apples,  Avhich  Avere  much  admired 
and  appreciated.  The  chairman  for  the  evening  Avas  Mr.  E.  H. 
Poole. — H.  K. 
Newport  (Moo.)  Gardeners’. 
The  usual  meeting  of  the  aboA’e  association  Avas  held  on 
Wednesday  last,  when  Mr.  J.  Reece,  of  WonastoAv  Court, 
Monmouth,  read  a  very  interesting  paper  on  “  LeaA-es  and  Their 
Functions.”  Mr.  Reece,  in  his  paper,  said  that  leaves  played 
a  very  important  part  in  decoration,  and  AA’ere  of  many  forms, 
the  simplest  being  found  amongst  Mosses,  A-arying  in  colour  from 
shades  of  green  to  Avhite,  yelloAv  and  red.  Small  leaves  were 
produced  in  the  greatest  profusion.  Leaves  acted  as  lungs  to 
the  plant,  absorbing  carbonic  acid  and  Avater  from  the  atmo¬ 
sphere,  and  exhaling  oxygen,  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf  doing 
most  of  the  Avork,  and  the  sap  supplied  by  the  roots  being 
elaborated  by  the  leaves  and  returned  to  the  stem.  Mr.  Reece 
illustrated  his  paper  by  diagrams  of  the  cells  of  leaAms,  also  of 
the  different  forms  of  the  veins,  also  of  the  leaves  shoAving  the 
various  shapes.  A  discussion  folloAved,  in  Avhich  Messrs.  Wood- 
AA-ard,  Wiggins,  Daniels,  Taylor,  PoAvell,  and  others  took  part. 
Mr.  Reece  Avas  accorded  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks  for  his  able 
and  interesting  paper.  Mr.  J.  Duff  presided  OA-er  a  good  attend¬ 
ance. — J.  Pkgler,  Hon.  Sec. 
Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. 
“  Florists  and  Floriculture  of  the  Past  Fifty  Years  ”  AA-as  the 
title  of  a  very  interesting  lecture  on  the  19th  inst.,  by  Mr. 
Richard  Dean,  V.M.H.  Mr.  Dean,  in  his  cu-stomary  graphic 
style,  gave  a  revicAV  of  the  principal  florists  of  the  past  half 
century,  coupled  with  the  special  productions  of  each.  A  report 
of  a  lecture  on  this  subject  aiipeared  in  the  Journal  a  year  ago, 
extending  to  tAvo  or  three  issues. 
Cardiff  Gardeners. 
Bristol  Gardeners’. 
“  Hardy  Fruit  Culture,  Past  and  Present,”  was  the  subject 
of  a  lecture  given  before  the  Bristol  Gardeners’  Association  on 
Ihursday  last,  the  lecturer  being  Mr.  J.  Basham,  jun.,  repre¬ 
senting  the  Newport  Gardeners’  Society.  A  goodly  number  of 
the  Bristol  gardening  fraternity  aA-ailed  themsehms  of  the 
opportunity  to  hear  such  an  authority  on  hardy  fruits.  Mr. 
Basham,  sen.,  occupied  a  seat  on  the  platform,  anil  Avas 
The  second  meeting  of  session  took  place  at  the  Grand  Hotel, 
on  Tuesday,  October  20,  Mr.  H.  R.  Farmer  presiding  over  a 
large  attendance.  Mr.  F.  W.  F.  ShriA-ell,  F.L.S.,  deliA-ered  a 
lecture  entitled  “The  Use  of  Chemical  and  other  Manures  in 
Horticulture,”  illustrated  Avith  lime-light  slides.  The  best  thanks 
of  the  meeting  was  accorded  Mr.  Shrivell  for  his  most  interest- 
ingli  lecture,  to  Avhich  he  briefly  responded.  It  AAas  announced 
that  on  November  10,  Mr.  H.  R.  Farmer,  Cardiff  Castle  Gardens, 
Avould  deliver  a  lecture  on  “Vines.” — J.  J. 
