Jana 28, 1877. J 



jjoaj^iL OF aoartoooTORE a^d carriGS gabdemer. 



work of procuring and cnltivating exotics have largely aided 

 in the advance of botany and physiology. 



To James Lee belongs the honour of having established the 

 Hammersmith Nursery, and Caledonia claims him as her 

 offspring, for ha was born at Selkirk in 1713. Receiving 

 encoaragfment from the Duke of Arayle, he ohtained emplov- 

 meut at Syon, and eubaequently at Whitton ; and during 1760, 

 being acquainted with Mr. L. Kennedy, then gardener to Lord 

 Bolton at Chiswick, the two commenced a nureery at Ham- 

 mor^mith on a fine piece of land with a substratum of gravel, 

 wh' re there was at the time a vineyard, from which the esta- 

 blishment took its name. A little earlier in the century this 

 vineyard had produced annually a quantity of wine which was 

 sold as "Burgundy" in an antique thatched house attached 

 to the premises. Lee, however, had aspirations beyond wine- 

 making or Vme-growing simply. He had become acquainted 

 with Linnaeus and other botanists, and he opened-up com- 

 mnnications with persons resident in various countries, who 

 forwarded to his establishment new and rare plants ; he also 

 kept hia eyes open for the chances of getting specimens from 

 occasional travellers. The story has recently been reprinted in 

 this Journal about James Lee's purchase of the first Fuchsia 

 from the sailor's mother at Wappiug, and the celerity with 

 which he made some hundred guineas out of a small invest- 

 ment on the solitary plant he saw in a window in that un- 

 savory locality. That there was once a doubt appears from 

 Faulkner's hint that the story is apocryphal, and that the 

 Fuchsia was sent home in the ordinary way by a collector in 

 the employ of the firm. From personal inquiries I am now 

 able to confirm the narration so often published, which is 

 exceptional, since so few anecdotes are true. One curious 

 circumstance in the history of the Vineyard Nurseries was that 

 at one time, in partnership with the Empress Josephine, the 

 proprietors had a collector in Africa who sent to England many 

 new Ericas, Ixias, and other plants of tropical regions. It 

 belongs also to the history of the nnrserv that the first China 

 Rose was there exhibited in 1787 or 1788 ; from this also a 

 handsome sum was realised. 



The worthy nurseryman James Lee, sen., lived to the age of 

 eighty, surviving his partner Mr. Kennedy ; but the establish- 

 ment was carried on under the joint names by descendants of 

 the two founders until 1818, when it became the sole property 

 of James Lee, jun., and it is still in the hands of members of 

 the family. Nor can it be said that its horticultural fame has 

 declined since it has passed its centenary, but it remains the 

 head-quarters of an extensive industry. — C. 



EXETER BOSE SHOW. 



June 26th. 



"Abe there any Rose shows in November?" was the question 

 put by an amateur on a certain occasion to Mr. GeorRe Paul. 

 " Well," answered that genial rosarian with a knowing look, 

 "not, as a geueral rule, but perhaps there may be this year." 

 "Ah! I am glad of that, for perhaps my Ma: eltis may be in 

 bloom by then." I am sure this question, absurd though it may 

 appear at first sight, is not so very wide of the mark, Lr many 

 rosariaus have no blooms out. I saw Mr. Caut when in Lon- 

 don, and he had scarcely a bloom ou his maidens. In the large 

 piece that I mainly relied for my show blooroB this year I only 

 cut one bloom this morning, and that "was a Tea. So I was in 

 fear and trembling for the success <i the Exeter Ruse Show ; 

 and a first view <A the tent increased my forebodings, whilst 

 the gloom by the weather, which at one time was very threaten- 

 ing, deepened them. But happily as soon as thn time for judg- 

 ing came on all one's fears were dissipated. The rain left oil, the 

 sun fhone out, and the covers were taken off a glorious lot of 

 Roses. 



I do not say that we have not had larcfr and perhaps better 

 shows at Exeter, for the year of the contest for Mr. Baker and 

 my prize no less than seven nurserymen c inpeted, whilst to- 

 day there were only three, but I do not think that ever fresher, 

 cleaner, prettier stands of blooms were exhibited here than on 

 this occasion. The Showws infinitely better than the one at 

 the Crystal Palace, and I do not think that any future show 

 will sarpasa it in excellence, provided that numbers of exhi- 

 bitors and stands are excluded from comparison. 



The inrserymen exhibitors were Mr. Charles Turner, Mr. 

 Curtis of Ti rquay, and Dr. Woodman, or, as perhaps we ought 

 to say, " Messrs. Lucombe it Pince." The last-named gentle- 

 man has not competed before, and gladly do I for one welcome 

 the advf nt of a new nurseryman to our Rose contests. He, how- 

 ever, did not compete in the larger classes, only for twenty-four 

 single blooms, where he had no competitors, and for Tea Roses, 

 which were very fair. 



I was very much pleased with Mr. Turner's seventy-two. I 

 do not for one moment wish it to be understood that these were 

 up to that great rosarian'a usual form, but they were very good 

 indeed when the season is taken into consideration. Many of 

 the blooms he showed, which were pre-eminently good, are the 

 tame as those shown at the Crystal Palace, and it is not neces- 

 sary to repeat their names. Ho was first both for seveuty-two 

 and flirty-eight trebles, and showed some blooms of older varie- 

 ties which were extra good. Among others I must name Ma- 

 dame George Paul, which wa^ equal to Camille do Rohan or any 

 of the darker varieties. Julia i'ouvais, again, was exceedingly 

 fine, as were Monsieur Boncenne and Souvenir de William Wood. 

 He showed all his own setdliugs vt-ry fine, and a new one which 

 I had not seen IJefore — the Dean of Wibdaor. Mr. Curtis (Tor- 

 quaj), who was second in the two clasbes, had some lovely Teas, 

 but he was not op to Mr. Turner's form. Hia boxes pleased me 

 exceedingly; but they were uneven, and some blooms, notably 

 Madame C.emence Joigoeaux, were all abroad. But he made 

 up for all shoitcomings in his box of Teas. This was a superb 

 Bland, quite equal to Mr. Mitcht U's at the Crystal Palace last 

 Saturday. Mr. Curtis's blooms of Devouieusis, Catherine Mermet, 

 Homere, Souvenir d'un Ami, Maruchal Niel, and Socrates were 

 glorious; he had also a flue bloom of the old Tea Victoria, which 

 was hke a novelty to most of us. Mr. Baker (Hercules the 

 second) was second for Teas, and hia box undoubtedly contained 

 the bloom of the Show. Its name was (hear it, ' Parson's Gab- 

 DENEH,") Marie Van Houtte. Mr. Curtis said of this bloom that 

 if the Queen of England could only possess it, and I added if 

 some fairy could preserve it from decay, it would be a far finer 

 oruament than the koh-i-noor. It simply was perfection both 

 in form, delicate colouring, freshness, and every good quaUty 

 which a Rose could possess. Dr. Woodman was the only other 

 competitor in Teas. He had some fine blooms, but one or two 

 were very ragged. 



Mr. T. Jowitt of Hereford was first for forty-eight. He had 

 some splendid blooms, mostly cut from maiden plants. He had 

 a bloom of General Jacqueminot which was a perfect wonder, 

 and Marie Baumann, Maile. Marie Coiniet, Mons. Noman,and 

 a little gem of a Tea rarely seen— Reine du Portugal, were all 

 coDspio lous for their excellence. 



For thirty-six Mr. Baker was first with some splendid blooms, 

 including Charles Lefebvre, Marguerite de St. Amand, Xavier 

 Olibo, Madame Lacharme, Marquise de Castellane, Madame 

 Bravy, Duke of Edinburgh, and numbers of others, all spleodid. 

 This gentleman surpassfd himself in the class for twenty-Jour 

 blooms of one variety. He actually put up twenty-four blooms 

 of Marie Van Houtte I Think of ihatl All splendid; not of 

 course equal to the one in his box of Teas, for I do not think 

 he will ever have such another, hut only second to it. " That 

 stand," said Mr. Curtis, who was competing in the same class, 

 "ought to have had a double first prize." It was glorious. Very 

 interesting to "A Parson's Gakde.nek," too, besides the above 

 fact, will be the information thai the Rose which was se- 

 cond in this class was Jules Margottin, shown by Mr. Curtis. 

 These were remarkably fineaidheld their own against anything 

 in the Show except Marie Van Houtte. The same firm were 

 first lor new Roses, which were mostly good. The best were 

 Mdlle. Emilia Verdier, and which is very like Marie Baumann; 

 Ahel Carnfire, a grand dark Rose, somowhat like Camille de 

 Rohan; Duchesse de Vallombroaa, and Henry Bennett, which, 

 however, is too like Lord Macaalay. Mr. Baker showed also 

 lovely stands of Charles Lefebvre and Duke of WeUington. He 

 was the making of the Show. All his blooms were fresh as the 

 mcruing dew, set up aa if still growing on the plants, and to 

 whatever part of the tent you turned tnere you found Roses of 

 his to delight your eyes— Rosea to think of by day and dream 

 of by night— Roses which prove more than anyihiug else that I 

 have seen how grateful a mother ia Nature, how kindly she re- 

 sponda to our labour and care, and with what blessings she 

 covers the heads of those who, like Mr. Baker, throw heart and 

 soul into the glorious work of cnltivating ihe queen of flowers. 

 — Wyld Savaoe. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WOBK FOB 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HABUY FRUIT GARDEN. 



The recent hot weather has caused a luxuriant and rapid 

 growth in all trees, especially in those against walls. It is a 

 sign either of bad management or want of time to have the 

 young wood dangling about owing to neglect in thinning and 

 nailing Than that nothing can be more untidy; and besides, 

 the superfluous branches shade the fruit and otherwise injure 

 the trees. Ou a wall facing west Knight's Early Black Cherry 

 is approaching the ripening atag.s and ihe birds attacked them 

 long I.efore they had any flavour. We thought it best to cut 

 off the eupeifluous young wood and to nail-in the remainder 

 to the wall, afterwards fastening a net to the wall at top and 

 bottom, placing sticks to tighten the net about a foot from the 

 wall. If the net ia left to hang near the Cherries the birds wiU 



