May 3, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLT0KE AND COXTAQE QAaUBNER. 



335 



before, bnt had been stopped on accoaut of bis illness in 

 Scotland ; and this work was published by Mr. Smith of Fleet 

 Street, all his other works, from the appearanoe of the " En- 

 cyclopaedia of Gardening," having been published by Messrs. 

 Longman. 



In 1843 his time was chiefly occupied by his work on Ceme- 

 teries, with which he took extraordinary pains, and which was 

 very expensive from the number of the engravings. In August 

 we were invited to Derby to pay another visit to Mr. Strutt, 

 but he was too ill to go, and the doctors pronounced his com- 

 plaint to be a second attack of inflammation of the lungs. 



Previously to Mr. Loudon's illness I had agreed to write a 

 Uttle book on the Isle of Wight, and to visit it for this purpose. 

 When we reached the Isle of Wight I was struck with a degree 

 of listlessness and want of energy about him that I had never 

 seen before. He became rapidly worse while we were in the 

 island, and most eager to leave it. On our arrival at South- 

 ampton, where he was laying out a cemetery, he felt better, 

 and, taking a lodging there, he sent Agnes and myself back to 

 town. In a fortnight I went down to see him, and I shall 

 never forget the change I found in him. The first look told 

 me he was dying. His energy of mind had now returned. 

 He not only attended to the laying-ont of the cemetery at 

 Southampton, but during his stay in that town he corrected 

 the proofs of the second " Supplement to bis Encyolopffidia 

 of Agricalture," and then went alone to Bath, in spite of my 

 earnest entreaties to be permitted to accompany him. At 

 Bath he inspected the ground for another cemetery, and also 

 the grounds of a gentleman named Finder, though he was 

 obliged to be wheeled about in a Bath chair. He then went, 

 still alone, to Kiddington, the seat of Mortimer Eicardo, Esq., 

 near Enstone, in Oxfordshire, where he was also obliged to be 

 wheeled round the gardens in a chair. When about to leave 

 Kiddington he appeared so ill that Mr. Kicardo oHered to send 

 a servant with him to town. 



He returned to Bayswater on the 30th of September, 1843, 

 and at last consented to call in medical aid, though he was 

 by no means aware of his dangerous state. On the 2nd of 

 October I went with him to call on Mr. Lawrence, in whom 

 he had the greatest confidence, and that gentleman told him 

 without hesitation that hie disease was in his lungs. He 

 was evidently very much struck at this announcement, but 

 as he had the fullest reliance on Mr. Lawrence's judgment he 

 was instantly convinced that he was right, and I think from 

 that moment he had no hope of his ultimate recovery, though, 

 in compliance with the wishes of different friends, he after- 

 wards consulted several other eminent medical men, of whom 

 Dr. Chambers and Mr. Bichardson attended him to the last. 



As soon as Mr. Loudon found that his disease was likely te 

 prove fatal he determined if possible to finish the works he 

 had in hand, and he laboured almost night and day to do so. 

 He first, with the assistance of hie draughtsman, finished a 

 plan for Baron Bothscbild ; then one for Mr. Bicardo, another 

 for Mr. Finder, and finally a plan for the cemetery at Bath. 

 He had also engaged to make eome additional alterations in 

 the grounds of Mr. Fuller at Streatham, and he went there on 

 the 11th of October, but he was unable to go into the garden ; 

 and this was the last time he ever attempted to visit any place 

 professionally. He continued, however, to walk in the open 

 air in his own garden, and in the grounds of Mr. Hopgood, 

 nurseryman at Craven Hill, for two or three days longer, 

 though his strength was fast decreasing ; and after the IGth 

 of October he did not leave the house, bnt confined himself to 

 his bedroom and a drawing-room on the same floor. About 

 the middle of November the medical men pronounced his 

 disease to have become chronic bronchitis, and this informa- 

 tion combined with a pressure of pecuniary difficulties had a 

 powerful effect upon him. He now made an effort that can 

 only be estimated by those who know the natural indepen- 

 dence of his mind and the pain it gave him to ask even a 

 trifling favour. He wrote a letter stating his situation, and 

 that the sale of 330 copies of the "Arboretum" would free 

 him from all his embarrassments. This letter he had litho- 

 graphed, and he sent copies of it to all the nobility who took 

 an interest in gardening. The result was most gratifying. 

 The letter was only dated the 1st of December, and be died on 

 the 14th of that month ; and yet in that short space of time 

 the noblemen be appealed to, with that kindness which always 

 distingnifhes the English aristocracy, purchased books to the 

 amount of £360. 



It was on the anniversary of the death of Washington (the 

 14th of December, 1843) that Mr. Loudon died, and he was 



buried on the 21st of December in the cemetery at Keasal 

 Green. When the coffin was lowered into the grave a stranger 

 stepped forward from the crowd and threw in a few sprays of 

 Ivy. This person was an artificial flower maker, who felt 

 grateful to Mr. London for having given him, though a stranger, 

 tickets for admission to the Horticultural Gardens, and who, 

 never having been able to thank Mr. London in person, took 

 this opportunity of paying a tribute to his memory. 

 The following is the inscription on his monument — 



Sacred to the memory of 



JOHN CLAUDIUS LOUDON, 



Bom April 8th, 1783, at CambaBlaog, in Lanarkshire. 



Died December 14th, 1843, at hie houee at Bayswater. 



'* His works are his best monament." 



— (Mrs, Loudon's Self -Instruction.) 



CAMELLIAS FOE BACK WALLS OF VINEEIES: 



All gardeners know how suitable are vineries lor Camellias 

 when the plants are making their growth in the spring. The 

 moisture of the house and the temperature necessary for the 

 Vines are exactly suited to the well-doing of Camellias, and 

 the shade from the roof afforded by the foliage of the Vines 

 prevents the sun scorching the tender foliage of the plants. 

 Remembering this, and having failed to clothe the back wall 

 of the vinery satisfactorily with various other plants, I some 

 years ago planted near it some Camellias. Their growth was 

 rather slow for a time, but it was sure, and now the wall is 

 covered in every part with the healthy foliage of Camellias 

 which annually produce hundreds of handsome flowers for 

 cutting. So numerous are these flowers and so fine, and so 

 valuable are they from Christmas onwards, that I believe if 

 the produce of the Camellias and that of the Vines were sold 

 in Covent Garden, that the flowers would realise as much as 

 the fruit, although the Vines yield satisfactory crops. 



Were I planting a vinery for profit I should cover the back 

 wall with Camellias, but I should not plant them until the 

 roof was covered with foliage, and when the shade became too 

 dense for such crops as Cucumbers and Tomatoes. The most 

 valuable Camellias, because free growers and producing splen- 

 did pure white flowers, which I have found for the back wall of 

 a vinery, are the old Alba Plena and Mathotiana Alba. The 

 beet red in my small collection is Imbricata, and the best pink 

 Saocoi nova ; but the whites are the best. Can anyone re- 

 commend better plants for the back wall of a vinery than 

 Camellias ? Many walls are bare and unsightly, and the best 

 plants for covering them might with advantage be recorded in 

 the Journal. — J. Stevens. 



HARDY EVERGREENS AND FLOWERING 

 TREES AND SHRUBS 



WHICH FLOURISH IN THE LONDON PARKS AND GARDENS. 



A WELL-PLANTED shrubbery — where judicious grouping has 

 been observed both as regards height, form, and colour of foliage 

 and blossoms — is always attractive ; bnt all kinds of trees and 

 shrubs do not thrive in a murky atmosphere, and it may be 

 inetrnctive to note such as give satisfaction in the parks and 

 gardens of Loudon. Although the collection is necsssarily 

 restricted, still the best is made of what will grow, no matter 

 to what genera they belong ; and those which flourish the best 

 in London will be the best for town gardens generally. In 

 town gardens especially it is true wisdom not to plant for the 

 sake of novelty, but rather to plant for effect those shrubs 

 which are eaey to obtain and which are good for the purpose 

 required. A fine specimen of an ordinary shrub is more ad- 

 mired than a shabby example of a rare shrnb, and a collection 

 of fine well-giown specimens is more satisfying than a col- 

 lection of novelties, however distant may be their native homes, 

 or however much money they may have cost. It is gratifying 

 to know that there are a goodly number of all kinds of orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs which will flourish in town and country 

 alike, and will suit the taste of most persons. To those who 

 have the means and the desire to make attractive shrubberies 

 the following evergreens will give satisfaction : — 



Aucnba japonioa, with olive green and spotted leaves, 

 decked with a profusion of Cherry-hke berries, is a con- 

 spicuous object. It has a tender look, but is more hardy than 

 the common Laurel and stands smoke better. 



Arbutus or Strawberry Tree. — Indigenous in Ireland, but 

 quite at home in London. The bark is red the flowers are 

 yellowish white and red, hanging like little wax bells ; the 



