fi. dkr(i)ell Si S^loi^kl Griiitle. 
In 1866 I issued my first catalogue, and in it appeared the following : — “ Doctors 
have done awa}'^ with the knife as much as possible ; so must gardeners. Do not trim 
your vine-rods up every year as if they w'ere rafters ; if you do, prune the roots 
likewise, if not they will be sure to rot, and create all kinds of disease, and then you 
will wonder what is the cause of it. Cut the top of an oak tree after it has been 
planted ten years, and keep it so for another ten years, and see if you can make it 
young and vigorous again.” Immediately the editor of the (lanlericr’s Chronicle 
(T. Moore, Es(j.) saw this statement he wrote asking what I could say respecting it. 
I replied, showing the cause of the above-mentioned vines being in sucli a wretched 
condition by hard cutting and restricted growth, and how they could be re-invigorated, 
and even made fruitful again, by adopting the extension or the natural system of vine 
growing. This brought out the strongest and most animated discussion that ever 
appeared in the Curdeners Chronicle, and it brought to light many hidden or little 
understood facts. It showed grape growers the normal and correct system, and at the 
time I predicted it would reduce the price of 2Us. per lb. down to 2s. or Us. ; and it has 
done so, benetiting the sick and poor. The latter price was then deemed ridiculous, 
but we have only to' refer to the market prices to confirm the correctness of this 
])iophecy. I afterwards issued 1,000 copies of the whole discussion in book form, 
and sold all except two or three treasured copies. All this has long since been )iearly 
forgotten, and others have sprung into -existence, claiming the system u ho know 
nothing about my discussion. There are not many now living that hold the hono\ir 
of a first prize, as I do, for six splendid fuchsias from the first and only really 
creditable great International Jlorticultuml Exhibition in 1806, held on tlie very site 
of the present National Museum, South Kensington. 
The year after this I adopted the top system of heating — this is suspending the pipes 
from the rafters. In growing plants to the utmost perfection i)i winter it hs invaluable, 
and in colder climates, such as North America, and on the Continent it is generally- 
adopted, also at Kew and many other places. Indeed, so valuable is it considered 
that it is entered at the British Museum as a valuable invention. 1 soon afterwards 
assisted in bringing about the Pelargonium Society, which did splendid, useful work, 
and from which we are deriving b)’illiant results up to the present day. I offered 
.£5 for the best essay on the hi.story of the Zonal and other Pelargoniums, and which 
was read in the old council room at South Kensington. Jlad it not been tor the 
results of this, and the late Mr. Peter Grieve’s paper showing the origin of the Golden 
and Silver Tricolors, this information would have been lost, or parity so, to tlie world. 
These I sell at 6d. each, post free. 
1 can also lay claim to putting forward the advantages of disbudding the 
.lapanese Chrysanthemum (see my catalogues from 1807 to 1878). At that time they 
were considered jioor, loose, unattractive flowers, not worth the attention of anyone. 
My work amongst the Chrysanthemums commenced in 1 850. That year 1 visited 
the second sliow at Stoke Newington, and over since 1 have grown and sold ])robabl\ 
more than any other living person, and certainly raised and sent out some of the 
finest varieties in cultivation, having taken my lessons when visiting Messrs. Salter 
& Forsyth. 
1 was the first to break away and set up cut Chrysanthemum flowers difl'erent to 
that of the show boards. The late Shirley llibberd says as follows in 1884: — ‘"At 
the last meeting of the Floral Committee, Messrs. Cannell & Sons showed a lot of cut 
flowers of all the sections mounted on green moss in the manner of roses. About 
nine-tenths of the cultivators of these flowers would find it impossible to follow the 
excellent example, but the jvractical le.sson has its value, for if green moss is not 
everywhere obtainable there may be some suitable substitutes in the woidd that town 
( 229 ) 
