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READING DIRECTORY— 1919.

IS

remainder of the building comprises a lodge room, committee and council
rooms, which are chiefly devoted to the meetings of various temperance
and benefit societies. The feature of the institution is the Palm er Club,
which has refreshment, games, smoking, reading and bath rooms.
The Reading Athletic Club, established in 1883, has its head quarters
at the Great W estern Hotel, Station road ; there are upwards of 300
members ; annual minimum subscription, 2s. 6d.
T he Reading Row ing Club, established in 1867, has its boat-house on
F ry’s island.
The Reading Am ateur Regatta usually takes place on A ugust Bank
Holiday.
The Reading; N atural H istory Society w as formed in 1881 to promote
the study of the natural history of its ow n districit ; fortnightly meet­
ings are keld from October to March, on Thursdays, at W illiso n ’s
hotel ; and from M ay to August, fortnightly, field meetings are held generally on Wednesday
A nnual subscription, 3s. 6d.
Reading was formerly dependent on the country around for its trade,
and being situated in the midst of an agricultural district, the supplies
of the neighbouring population are still chiefly drawn from the town.
As a manufacturing place its chief business is to be found in biscuit
making, iron foundries and engine works, and extensive printing and
lithographic works ; and in seed growing, malting and brewing ; the sale
of corn, cattle and flour is also carried on upon an extensive scale ;
there are boat building establishments and pottery and brick works,
and rope, mats, twine, sacks, brushes, broom handles, broom stocks
ind staves are made.
The large biscuit factory of Messrs. Huntley and Palm ers Lim ited, in
the
road, covers many acres, and is the most extensive establish­
ment -.oi the kind in the kingdom ; more than 6,000 hands meet
with com “ "mus employment in making the celebrated “ Reading biscuits ”
and pfepai.'!“ g and packing them for the home trade and for exportation ;
attached to * i ^ e factory are reading-rooms with a well-stocked library.
The Royal Seeo1-.establishment of Messrs. Sutton and Sons, whose head
quarters are here.^tuçupies more than 10,000 acres of land in various
parts of the U nited lfe>gdom and on the continent, wherever the soil
and circumstances are mCSt favourable to seed-farming ; there is an
experimental farm of 110 acr'tfs on the London road, and flower seed
grounds and a fine range of g la s i houses on land adjoining the railways ;
there are also extensive trial grounds situated at Southcote, at the
western end of the town ; the principal entrance to the business premises
is in the Market place ; here a large home and foreign trade is carried
on by a staff of nearly 500 clerks and warehousemen ; a reading room
and library, for the use of the members of the establishment, also forms
part of the premises. A t the top of London street are the tin works
of Messrs. Huntley, B oom e and Stevens Lim ited, where plain and
ornamental tin boxes of all descriptions are made b y over 800 work­
people. Am ong the breweries those of H . and G. Simonds Limited,
Dymore B row n and Son Limited, Messrs. Blandy, H aw kins and Co.
and Fergusons Limited, are perhaps the most extensive ; and the oldest
and not least famous of Reading manufactures is its well-known “ «sauce,”
made b y Messrs. Cocks for nearly a century. P etty’s L im it'd ar.d
Wyman and Son Limited have extensive printing and lithographic uynkr
in the town.