390 



JOUBNAL OF HOETIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ Maj 18, 1876. 



macy years laboured with indomitable energy and herculean 

 Btrecsth. Alas ! that the cantral point of interest shonld be 

 now the " empty chair!" There the great man sat, epuming 

 a coat, even a vest, when in the discharge of his duties. With- 

 out rising from his chair he could by a system of wire com- 

 munication summon whom ha wanted from any part of his 

 nursery. There he sat with hi 5 several clerks before him en- 

 gaged in correspondence in every European language, himself 



guiding, directing, and transacting his large business, and con- 

 ducting his literary work. There he was surrounded by his 

 fine library of horticultural books, amongst which, of course, 

 a long series of volumes of the Journal of Horticntture and 

 GcirJfiters' Chroiiich' were arranged and referred to. But now 

 he is gone. An united family have lost an honoured head, 

 and horticulture has lost one of its brightest ornaments. 

 As the beat biography and greatest memorial of a man is 



Fii,'. 107. — M. VAN nODTTE, 



written in liis work, we have given this sketch as fiiutly 

 fbndowing the character of him whom many friends of many 

 nations mourn. JI. Van Iloutte has left behind him a rare 

 example of industry ; he was a man of great botanical and 

 literary ability, and his memory will be cherished at home and 

 abroad, and his name will be mentioned as one both honoured 

 and illustrious. 



He has left a widow, two daughters, and a son, who will 

 continue the management of his nursery. This son, M. Louis 

 A. Van Ilontte, has attained to manhood. He is a gentleman 

 of activity am' an accomplished linguist. 



Our portrait is engraved from a photograph which was taken 

 when M. Van Houtte was in full health and vigour, but for 

 some time prior to his lamented death he was a " mere shadow 

 of his former self." 



PEENANTHES ELEGANTISSIMA. 



MoEF, than a year ago we noticed this truly graceful Sonohns- 



like plant in the nursery of Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, 



Wellington Road, St. John's Wood. The courtesy of that 



firm now enables us to give an illustration of the plant as a 



