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TEE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



I September, 



Marent.o (Ili-S.) Nurserymkn. — The Commer- 

 cial Adrertim^ spoaks well of the prosperity of the 

 Maroiigo nurserymen, and names Messrs. Peck, 

 Woodard, Roi;ers, Gilkerson, and Prescott, and 

 Norris it Vasey as especially entitled to praise. 



R. R. Scott. — The death of R. Robinson Scott, 

 briefly referred to in our last, deserves more than 

 a passing notice. He was a native of Belfast, in 

 the north of Ireland, and he numbers among his 

 relatives and kinsfolk some of the leading citi- 

 zens of that city. He received a lirst-class edu- 

 cation, and in the knowledge of ancient and 

 modern languages he particularly excelled. In- 

 deed, in every branch of learning he had few 

 superiors. He was in very early life fond of 

 flowers, and he determined to devote his life to 

 botany and horticulture. He went through a 

 course of studies in these branches at the Botanic 

 Garden of Glasneven, near Dublin, from whence, 

 under the patronage of Dr. Mitten, a celebrated 

 Irish botanist, he was advanced to Kew, in Eng- 

 land. Before he had been there many months, 

 he was acquainted with every plant in that large 

 collection, and the botanical relations of en- 

 tirely unknown plants would be at once recog- 

 nized by him. Those who knew him well, 

 looked forward to a career for him of the highest 

 usefulness to his fellows. Unfortunately, amidst 

 all this brilliant promise, there was a sort of 

 chlvalric recklessness, which indicated an un- 

 balanced mind, and which was deemed eccen- 

 tric, and interfered with the efforts of his friends 

 for his advancement. On the breaking out of 

 Smith O'Brien's rebellion, he abandoned all his 

 botanical studies, and took an active part in the 

 struggle. An oration on "What has England 

 done for Ireland," delivered to an excited throng 

 of some thousands, and in the poetic language 

 of which he was so complete a master, was pro- 

 nounced one of the most wonderful pieces of 

 oratory of the time. It was the more remark- 

 able as coming from one hardly out of his teens, 

 and of so small a stature and juvenile appear- 

 ance as to appear much younger than he really 

 was. On the conclusion of the rebellion he 

 came to Philadelphia, and resumed the profes- 

 sion of horticulture, and in spite of his numerous 

 eccentricities, made many friends by his won- 

 derful knowledge, his industry and energy, and 

 indeed by his many virtues, for his faults were 

 always on the side of what he imagined to be 

 duty and right. He discovered and described a 

 new American Fern, Asplenium ehenoides, which 



is yet a source of great interest to botanists. In 

 keeping with his other eccentricities, to the sur- 

 prise of all his friends, who knew he had not 

 one dollar in his pocket, and no prospects of 

 getting one, he started the Floritt, a monthly 

 magazine with very expensive colored jjlates, 

 the first number of which appeared on the 1st of 

 of Maj', 1852. It was a greater surprise how 

 near that venture became a complete success. 

 Eventually the eccentricities made enemies 

 faster than friends; the mind which guided it, in 

 some respects iiaturally weak, gave way under 

 its labors; and he had to take refuge in an asy- 

 lum. The Philadelphia Florist lived three years, 

 and any one can see by a reference to its pages, 

 that had its editor been as gifted physically as 

 he was mentally — had intellect and body been 

 better matched — there would never have been 

 occasion for any other horticultural paper in 

 America to this day. The later years of his life 

 fluctuated between his malady and occasional 

 periods when he could work at his profession. 

 His death at Harrisburg has been already re- 

 corded. It is often said there is but a hair 

 between life and death; and one may as truly say 

 there is as narrow a line between a fame almost 

 undying, and an utter blank. This much must 

 be said for our friend, that if he failed to make 

 his mark on humanity's illustrated page, it was 

 by no fault of his own. What faculties his 

 Maker gave him, he used to the fullest extent 

 that he knew how, and in very many instances 

 to the pleasure and profit of his fellow-men. 



He leaves a wife and two children — a son and 

 daughter. 



Death of T. T. Mather. — A Montgomery Co., 

 Pa., correspondent sends us the following extract 

 from his local paper: "On Thursday morning 

 last, Thomas T. Mather died at his residence in 

 Cheltenham. He had been suffering from can- 

 cer of the throat for several months, but was 

 well enough to be about and attend to his busi- 

 ness. The immediate cause of his death was 

 hemorrhage. He was a director of the Jenkin- 

 town National Bank, and was an upright, pub- 

 lic-spirited man. He died in the 64th year of 

 his age," — and very justly adds: "Mr. Mather 

 was well known for his endeavors to advance 

 fruit culture. He was always an exhibitor at all 

 shows within reach, never repining, indeed he 

 probably never thought that he may not some- 

 times have had justice done him. He was working 

 for the public good, and not merely in justice to 

 self. The Mather Pear is named for him." 



