330 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( October 30, 1873. 



ground ,Vwhere they very soon grew again, and flowered a 

 second Jtime the same year. — J. Down, Gardener, Ashdoicn 

 Park, Sussex. 



MR. ROBERT FISH. 



In the morning of the 23rd lust, died Robert Fish, our able, 

 kind-hearted, and judicious correspondent and friend during 

 nearly the whole of the twenty-five years this .Journal has 

 existed. A few sentences in his first communication addressed 

 exclusively to amateurs indicated the man — " What is beauti- 

 ful in plants should be admired for its beauty alone. The 

 pleasure arising from producing and tending that beauty is a 

 different thing. Whether the plant be grown in hothouse, 

 greenhouse, garden, or field, its peculiar beauty should at ouco 

 be recognised. Cultirate plants with such a spirit, and they 

 ■wiU promote that which is civilising, soul-elevating, and good- 

 ness-tending." In conclusion, after giving good practical 

 advice, he added — "Amid many, or, at least, some failures, 

 there will be acquired that general practical knowledge, the 

 safest companion and the best testing agent of science." 



From a near relative we learn that Mr. Fish was born in the 

 village of New Scone, in Perthshire. He was educated at the 

 parish school, and, we believe, finished his education at a 

 seminary in Perth. It is certain that he received a good ele- 

 mentary education, and even what was then considered a 

 classical one, so far as that means a knowledge of the rudi- 

 ments of Greek and the capacity to read and understand Latin. 

 These acquirements had an important bearing upon his early 

 life. From his youth he was a careful observer of nature, and 

 grew a diligent student of general literature, though devoting 

 himself to his profession with an energy seldom equalled. 



He served his apprenticeship under the late Mr. Beattie in 

 the gardens of the Earl of Mansfield at Scone Palace, and was 

 distinguished for industry in the garden and his devotion to 

 study in his leisure. His practice was always to have a book 

 at meal times and to read a portion to think upon when de- 

 voting the day to heavy manual or other labour. He was a 

 contemporary and a personal friend of David Douglas the 

 botanical collector, and took a lively interest, with the late 

 Mr. Loudon, in the erection of a monument to his memory in 

 the churchyard of New Scone. 



From Scone Mr. Fish went to the gardens of Sir Robert 

 Preston, of Valleyfield, in Perthshire, the same habits of dili- 

 gence continuing to distinguish him ; there he formed friend- 

 ships that endured for life. From Valleyfield Mr. Fish went to 

 Caenwood, Hampstead, and from thence to Plucklaugh in 

 Staffordshire, and the Horticultural Society's gardens at Chis- 

 wick. During all these changes he was earnestly employed in 

 mastering his profession, forming congenial friendships, and 

 storing his mind with those almost inexhaustible resources of 

 knowledge which he shortly afterwards began to pour forth 

 through the public press, and that continued to flow almost 

 without interruption to his death. 



From the time of his having launched as a master gardener 

 in that most unlikely of all spheres for the display of ability, 

 culture, and genius, the Messrs. Tattersall's, at Hyde Park 

 Corner, Loudon, till within a few months of his sudden end, 

 he contributed to the horticultural literature of the times. Ho 

 was a devoted admirer of the late Mr. Loudon, who, with that 

 noble generosity that ever distinguished him, heartily welcomed 

 the young writer in the only possible place at that time, the 

 " Gardener's Magazine." His first essay was on " The Coihng 

 System of Vine Culture." It appeared in the Magazine in 

 .July, 1833. He was then at Mr. Tattersall's. He formed a 

 friendship with Mr. Loudon that only ended with life. He 

 originated mutual improvement societies, and his pen, his 

 power, his purse were ever ready when horticulture made a 

 call on these. He was Secretary to the West London Gar- 

 deners' Association in 1837. At Mr. Tattersall's he heard that 

 Col. Sowerby had called on Dr. Lindley to inquu-e about Mr. 

 Fish. This was in 1840. Dr. Lindley had not at that time 

 known him personally ; his words were characteristic — " Oh ! 

 you are Mr. Fish, are you? WeU, if a tithe of what I have 

 heard of you be true you are worthy of any place." He was 

 sent down to Putteridgebury. 



^ Any resume of Mr. Fish's labours is impo.«sible within the 

 limits of a notice like this. His worth as a man is a jewel 

 hidden deep in the hearts of all who knew him. His literary 

 contributions appeared in nearly all the gardening periodicals 

 until he joined the staff of this Journal, and he employed his 

 pen for this until it dropped from his hand owing to « partial 



paralysis. His skill as a gardener is evidenced by every feature 

 of the gardens of Putteridge Park, which he may be said to 

 have, out of a common field, constructed and furnished with 

 a care, a zeal, and a success seldom equalled, perhaps never 

 excelled, to the last moment of his life. 



From 1840 until his death Mr. Fish remained at Putteridge- 

 bury, and for twenty-five years of that period we knew him, 

 and now record that in every relation of life he was excellent. 

 As gardener, his skill, and good taste, and care for his em- 

 ployer's interest were prominently apparent. As son, husband, 

 aud brother he was deeply loved. His brothers owed him 

 much, and delight to acknowledge the debt ; for, as one of 

 them in a note before us declares, " He was brother, father, 

 and truest friend to me." His " genial writing," as it was 

 well described by one of our readers, was justly appreciated 

 by them ; and we readily and unreservedly acknowledge, that 

 during the long period he was united to us we ever found him 

 one of the most cordial, ablest, and soundest of counsellors. 



NOTES ON LILIES.— No. 5. 



LILIUM TIGRINUM EEECTUM. 



This is a Tiger Lily not much grown, a neglect which I think 

 is to be regretted. It is very distinct from all other members 

 of its family. The spots are rather small and the flowers not 

 very large, but the erect habit and rather dwarf growth are 



productive of a pleasing contrast when it is grouped in the 

 conservatory with L. tigvinum splendens and L. tigrinum flore- 

 pleno. Our first bulb was given by Mr. Leichtlin. We took 

 up a cut flower-stem to South Kensington ; but partly owing 

 to the flowers being overblown, and partly from their being 

 shown in company with more showy Tiger Lilies, the Committee 

 was not much impressed with it. The photograph, as will be 

 seen, hardly does it justice; it shows the habit, snl that is all. 

 At the time when the photographs of the Lilies had to be taken 

 the only pot of this species in bloom had lost most of its 

 flowers. Its height was 3J feet. It had six blooms to a stem. 

 The leaves were 5 inches long. It, like other Tiger Lilies, pro- 

 duces many stem-bulbs, aud therefore can be easily increased. 

 We purpose trying a clump in the border, which ought to 

 have a good effect. — George F. Wilson. 



Promoting the Clinging of Iw. — If " F. G. W." would 

 make the border for his Ivy of good compost, say a foot wide, 

 and peg all the shoots down to the ground, just nailing 2 or 



