402 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK, 



[ May 21, 1874. 



roots until two or three jears old, but then they make up for 

 lost time. When grafted or budded upon strong JIanetti or 

 other free-growing stocks, the plants will bloom when only a 

 few months old ; but the jiovice in Eose culture is very likely 

 to allow suckers to grow from the roots of the stock, thereby 

 robbing the graft of sustenance, soon destroying it. If a person 

 can only have patience, and wait for a plant on its own roots 

 to attain age or size, he will be well repaid in abundance of 

 the most deliciously fragrant, large, pale lemon-yellow coloured 

 Eoses, that the most enthusiastic admirer of flowers could 

 desire. A six-year-old plant of this old Cloth of Gold Eose 

 has been perfuming my greenhouse for several weeks, and to- 

 day it is loaded with dozens of full-blown flowers and half- 

 opened buds ; and, upon the whole, it is as grand an ornament 

 as one could wish for conservatory or parlour. If a person has 

 no greenhouse in which to keep the plants in winter, they may 

 be bent down and covered with earth, or dug-up and heeled-in, 

 and then protected with coarse litter or manure. — {America7i 

 Horticulturist.) 



MR. JOHN SALTEB. 

 It is so much now the custom to drop a wreath into the 

 grave of those we love and respect, that I am sure I shall be 

 excused if metaphorically I do the same to the memory of one 

 ■who has so recently departed from among us, and whose gentle 

 and benevolent face we shall miss from amongst the few 

 gatherings of florists which the metropolis aiTords— my old and 

 valued friend Mr. John Salter. Like many an old florist, he 

 did not commence life in that calling, but having courted 

 Flora, he found, as many a one has done, that her seductive 

 smiles and winning ways lured him on further than he at first 

 intended. I never knew him when he was living at Versailles, 

 but I do know that his memory is cherished there by many 

 with whom he was associated either iu business or friendship. 

 When he removed, after 1848, to England and settled at Ham- 

 mersmith he carried on, as all florists know, most successfully 

 the culture of the Chrysanthemum ; and it was one of the 

 treats of the early winter iu London to go round with him 

 through his winter garden, and get him to expatiate on the 

 beauties of his favourites — a treat which, however, we have 

 missed for some years, owing to the nursery being occupied by 

 one of the numerous railways, which spare nothing. Besides 

 the Chrysanthemum, Mr. Salter cultivated successfully the 

 Pyrethrum and other herbaceous plants, especially those with 

 variegated foliage. Although he had retired from business he 

 still took an interest in all pertaining to horticulture, and was 

 a member of the Floral Committee of the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society. And now he is gone from us. Of the many men I 

 have known there were few who more thoroughly seemed to me 

 to fulfil the wish to "hurt nobody by word or deed;" and I 

 think if I had to select a wreath of flowers to place on his grave 

 I should like it to be made of one that would thoroughly ex- 

 press hia worth — " Golden John Salter." — D., Deal. 



To the above notice of the demise of this esteemed veteran 

 we will merely add a few facts as to the career of one of the 

 kindest and gentlest of men, and one to whom Chrysanthemum 

 growers are indebted for the present perfection of that flower. 



John Salter, who was born on January 27th, 1798, com- 

 menced his horticultural career as an amateur at Shepherd's 

 Bush, near London. Softwooded and herbaceous plants were 

 always his favourites. Auriculas, Eanunculuses, Dahlias, and 

 English Iris he cultivated with success. Eoses then flourished 

 near London, and he took several journeys to France to pro- 

 cure new varieties. Aim«'e Vibert and Janne Desprez opened 

 Ihf ir first flowers in this country in his garden. 



In the year 1838 he removed to Versailles, near Paris, and 

 there founded an establishment for the sale of English flowers. 

 Dahlias were but little grown in France. Such varieties as 

 Striata Formosissima were looked upon by our French friends 

 as floricultural wonders. It was about this time that ths 

 Chrysanthemum first occupied his attention. The Chinese 

 varieties were then growing at Chiswick, and his friend the 

 late Dr. Lindley gave him plants of all that could be spared. 

 They succeeded well at Versailles, and he soon had the plea- 

 sure of raising King of Crimsons, .\nnie Salter, and Madame 

 Toggi. Some French amateurs near Toulouse also grew them, 

 and for some years a rivalry was kept up between Messrs. 

 Bemet, Lebory, and Salter as to who should raise the best. 

 In 1848 he was compelled to leave his much-loved Versailles ; 

 the political changes of that year rendering his stay unad- 

 Tisable, a prosperous estabhshment was discontinued and he 



returned to England. Suitable premises having been found at 

 Hammersmith, the Versailles nursery took its rise, and there 

 the Chrysanthemum was made the plant par excellence. Queen 

 of England was the leading novelty in his first catalogue. 



Great difficulty having been experienced iu ripening seed 

 near London a remedy was soon found, and the best varieties 

 were sent to friends in Italy, the south of France, and the 

 Cape, and from thence he annually received seed ; and those 

 who were in the habit of visiting the autumn exhibitions at 

 Hammersmith will remember with what pleasure the seedlings 

 were shown, and what pains he took in pointing out all that 

 were gains, or likely to prove so. 



The Japanese varieties, introduced in 18G2 by Mr. Fortune, 

 were considered by some of the old growers as worthless ; but 

 Mr. Salter saw in them a new type, and his expectations were- 

 more than realised when the first seedlings flowered. Nearly 

 all the varieties now cultivated were raised by him. 



Mr. Salter was fond of collecting curious plants, and the 

 Versailles Nursery was often called the Horticultural Curiosity 

 Shop. Hardy variegated plants he largely cultivated, and 

 among them the Variegated Lily of the Valley, exhibited by 

 him at the International Exhibition in 1866, attracted much 

 attention. Among herbaceous plants, the single varieties of 

 Pyrethrum roseumhad been cultivated by him for some years ; 

 to increase the stock, plants were raised from seed, and a 

 tendency to produce double flowers having been observed, 

 much attention was paid to them, and simultaneously with 

 some double ones making their appearance in France, he 

 raised Alfred Salter and Princess Alexandra. 



Failing health obliged him to withdraw from the more 

 active duties of his business, which was latterly principally con- 

 ducted by his son Mr. Alfred Salter ; and in 1869, the Metro- 

 politan District Eailway requiring his land, he retired, but not 

 from the cultivation of flowers ; he loved his old favourites to. 

 the last. An attack of paralysis in the spring of 1873 so much 

 enfeebled him as to prevent even his attendance at the meet- 

 ing of the Floral Committee of Horticultural Society, of which 

 he was a member for m.any years. A second stroke which he 

 had in May, 1874, proved fatal, and after three weeks of almost 

 total unconsciousness he peacefully fell asleep, on the 10th 

 inst., at the age of 76. 



EOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SHOW. 



TJnouesiionaijly the best Show we have had at the Eegent'o 

 Park for some years was that held yesterday. The arrangement, 

 as usual, in the large tent was extremely effective ; the plants, 

 to which the Show was confined, were exquisite in their fresh- 

 ness, for the most part specimens of high cultivation, and, what 

 is of no small consequence iu such an exhibition, there wero 

 very few to which exception could be taken. We have only 

 space for a brief review. 



The stove and greenhouse classes presented very little differ- 

 ence in the kinds of plants shown from previous exhibitions. It 

 is high time something fresh should be imported into them to 

 give an interest, for one grows weary of the same plants year 

 after year. Mr. Ward, gardener to F. G. Wilkins, Esq., and Mr. 

 Chapman, gardener to J. Spode, Esq., Hawkesyard Park, carried 

 oft the chief honours for twelve with specimens which did them 

 much credit; whilst in the class for six the positions were re- 

 versed, the competition in both cases being close. In the nur- 

 serymen's classes Messrs. Jackson, of Kingston, and Mr. WiUiams 

 carried oft the chief prizes. 



Of Orchids Mr. Ward sent good groups of nine and six, in 

 each case taking the first place ; while Mr. Hill, gardener to 

 E. Hanbury, Esq., The Poles, Ware, was second in the latter 

 class with, among others, large Vandas and Phal:PDopsis Liidde- 

 manniana. The best specimen Orcliid (nurserymen) was Aeridea 

 Fieldingii from Mr. Williams ; from amateurs a variety of 

 Cattleya Mossim from Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, 

 Esq., isleworth ; Mr. Cole, gardener to J. Budgett, Esq., Ealing 

 Park, being second with a fine mass of Oncidium spbacelatum 

 majus. From Mr. J. Hill, gardener to Sir W. Marriott, Down 

 House, Blandford, came a fine specimen of Dendrobium Fal- 

 coneri, bearing a profusion of its beautiful blossoms. 



For Eoses in pots, both large and small specimens, tho 

 honours were divided between Messrs. Turner and Paul & Son, 

 the former being first for six, the latter for nine, and Mr. Turner 

 again first for twenty ; and where the one was not first the other 

 was a good second, the specimens in all cases being of the 

 highest merit. We also noticed an excellent group from 

 Mr. Terry, of Youngsbury. 



Azaleas were altogether better than at the Palace Show, but 

 not what they were some years ago. Messrs. Child, Williams, 

 Lane, J. Wheeler, Ivery. and Turner, well deserved their places 

 in the prize list. Mr. Ward, Mr. Kemp, and Messrs. Jackeoc 



