138 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 16, 1883 
the study of botany and horticulture, in order to qualify himself for the 
position of a skilled gardener. Some time after this his father removed 
to Inverkeithing in Fifeshire, and the young man obtained employment 
in the gardens of the Earl of Moray, at Donibristle House, in the same 
county. There he remained for some time, and then accepted a situa¬ 
tion in Cheshire which had been offered him, continuing there two or 
three years, all the time pursuing his botanical and horticultural studies 
with the greatest avidity. But while so engaged a desire came upon 
him to become a missionary to the heathen, and in October, 1810, he 
(with eight other young men accepted as missionaries by the London 
Missionary Society) was ordained in Surrey Chapel, Blackfriars Road. 
With four of these eight he sailed to the Cape on the last day of the 
month. Ultimately settling at Kuruman (New Lattakoo), Dr. Moffat 
commenced what was his great life-work. He thoroughly mastered the 
Bechuana language, reduced it to written characters, compiled a 
grammar, school books, and a dictionary, finally translated the Bible 
into what was practically a new tongue, and as printers were scarce 
volunteered himself to compose the type at the Government Printing 
Office, the type being kindly placed at his disposal by the Governor. He 
proceeded with his task, and before he had completed it had the pleasure 
of receiving from England a supply of type, a press, paper, and ink, 
which had been forwarded for his use by his friends in the mother 
country. These, with the newly acquired skill to use them, he returned 
with to his home at Kuruman, thus possessing the means of supplying 
the long-needed knowledge to the natives. After some fifty years’ 
labour in South Africa Dr. Moffatt was compelled by ailing health to 
leave Kuruman and to return to England. To smooth his declining years 
his friends presented him in 1873 with a sum of £5800 in recognition 
of his services, and some two years later, on St. Andrew’s Day, 1875, to 
show the great respect in which he was held by other communions, he, 
at the request of the late broad-hearted Dean Stanley, lectured in the 
nave of Westminster Abbey on African Missions. On December 20th, 
1877, he was presented with the freedom and livery of the Turners’ 
Company, and on May 7th, 1881, a crowning honour was offered to him 
in a banquet at the Mansion House, given by Lord Mayor McArthur, and 
attended by the late Archbishop Tait and a large number of Bishops. 
He was born at Ormeston near Haddington, East Lothian, on December 
21st, 1795, and died at Leigh, Kent, on the 9th inst., having thus attained 
the ripe age of eighty-eight years. This remarkable career of a “ garden 
boy ” deserves record in our columns. 
TOMATOES. 
In reply to Mr. Cakebread and “ R. M., Sivanley ” on page 118, let me 
say that the Tomato we grow is Hathaway’s Excelsior. They will find a 
compost made up of, say, two good barrowfuls of maiden loam, one large 
shovelful of bone ash, one of dissolved bones, half the quantity of finely 
ground bones, and 2 lbs. of muriate of potash, or, instead of the latter, a 
shovelful of wood ashes, will grow splendid Tomatoes, far finer than can 
be produced by horse manure or any nitrogenous manure ; at least such is 
my experience. I send by this post to Mr. Cakebread two Tomatoes, 
one weighing about 1 lb. from a cluster of fine fiuit, and one from a plant 
grown in the loam and horse droppings, which he will find diseased, and 
small compared with the other. The fruit that weighed 21 ozs. had all 
the others cut from the cluster except itself. We have had scores about 
and over 1 lb. weight from those grown with phosphates, but not one half 
that weight from the other compost.—W m. Thomson, Clovenfords. 
A GIGANTIC FLOWER GARDEN. 
The extensive seed farms of Messrs. J. Carter & Co. at Dedham and St. 
Osyth, in Essex, have during the summer months an appearance which 
well entitles them to the above designation, and the present season is no 
exception to the rule, for brilliant masses of colour are distributed most 
liberally over an estate of about 1500 acres, forming a flower garden of 
surprising dimensions and beauty. Scarlet, crimson, pink, yellow, blue, and 
purple are all represented in countless varying shades, and, set in a frame¬ 
work of rich green meadows, fields of waving grain, and a charmingly 
picturesque landscape, the effect is most impressive. It has, too, the 
additional recommendation of comparative novelty to the floriculturist, 
who may be, perhaps, in some degree wearied of the monotony of conven¬ 
tional flower gardens, and -who gladly welcomes any departure from the 
prevailing combinations of Zonal Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, and Lobelias. 
But of course this beautiful effect which is so striking to the visitor is 
unstudied; the object of this “flower garden” is more utilitarian than is 
usually the case, and the magnificent beds of annuals and other plants 
have a value which to the uninitiated would appear enormous. Hundreds 
of acres of the best and most carefully selected varieties or strains, each as 
true as unwearying attention and skilled experience can render it, the 
plants vigorous and the flowers large, giving reliable promise of bountiful 
crops of well-developed and matured seeds that will possess a monetary 
value that it would be difficult to estimate. But flowers are by no means 
the only occupants of these farms, as standard vegetables, especially Peas, 
are grown in large quantities, and amongst the general farm crops Wheat 
and other cereals form an important feature—fine selections being grown 
very extensively. Flowers, however, were the most conspicuous, and we 
may therefore briefly point out some of the best of those which contributed 
chiefly to display at the various farms visited. 
TROPJEOLUMS. 
Uncommonly brilliant were these, and one of the first indications we 
had of the proximity of the flower beds was a grand band of a dwarf 
scarlet variety upon the side of a hill, which proved to be the Tom Thumb 
Scarlet, a most floriferous form, glowing in colour, and w r hen seen covering a 
space of nearly 1J acre it was positively dazzling. Elsewhere Tom Thumb 
Spotted was a notable variety, the flowers bright yellow spotted with 
maroon. Spotted King is another magnificent variety, wonderfully free, 
dwarf and compact, the flowers brilliant clear yellow with rich maroon 
blotches. King of Tom Thumbs is perhaps the finest of the dark scarlet 
varieties, intensely rich in colour, and with very dark green foliage ; this 
is an established favourite, and can be safely recommended as thoroughly 
reliable and satisfactory. But a superb selection from this is being 
grown, and as a later-flowering variety is undoubtedly superior: this 
is denominated Empress of India, and has even darker flowers than its 
parent. Golden King of Tom Thumbs, Crystal Palace Gem, and other 
favourites are similarly largely grown ; hut one of the most remarkable oi 
all was a novelty named cscruleum roseum, a: dwarf, free and beautiful 
variety, with bold flowers of a curious and striking combination of ruby 
and scarlet, the former having a slight tendency towards “ cserulean, 
almost sufficient to justify the title. 
GODETIAS. 
Very beautiful were the beds of these upon the St. Osyth farm, where- 
they are grown in great numbers. They are charming plants, and it 
is not surprising that they are fast becoming so popular wherever the 
really handsome annuals are appreciated. Easily grown, not particular 
as to soil or site, they are both accommodating and attractive as border 
plants, and should have a place in every garden. The lovely Satin Rose, 
which was deservedly certificated last year, was in grand condition, and 
amply proved that too high an opinion had not been formed of its 
merits. It is very compact in habit, and for this reason is admirably 
adapted for culture in pots, the flowers being large and of a bright rose 
colour, possessing quite a satin-like gloss, as the name implies. _ 
Godetia Spotted Carpet is a distinct novelty, very dwarf and free, with 
large white flowers spotted with scarlet, which produces a most peculiar 
hut pleasing effect when viewed in a mass. This variety is likely to 
become a great favourite, and should be certainly added to every collection 
of hardy plants. Godetia Whitneyi striata is an exceedingly pretty form 
of a well-known type, the flowers of great size, very freely produced,, 
pale rose with rich crimson stripes. The charming pure white. Godetia 
Duchess of Albany, which is already so popular, is grown in large 
quantities, and well deserves the attention it receives, for it is one of the- 
best of the group. 
SWEET PEAS. 
Another telling feature was formed by the broad patches of Sweet 
Peas, that not only presented a great number of varied soft and brilliant 
shades, but also loaded the air with a most delicious perfume that was 
noticeable at a considerable distance, though in this respect they were- 
outrivalled by the beds of bright flowering Stock, Mathiola bicornis, the 
fragrance of which is perceptible at a distance of half a mile or more 
indeed, the whole village of St. Osyth seems as if it had been converted, 
into a Rimmel’s manufactory when this plant is in flower and the wind is 
the right direction to carry the perfume over the houses. The Sweet Peas,, 
however, possess a most pleasing fragrance, and the careful attention that 
has been paid to selection has resulted in obtaining a series of superb- 
varieties that cannot be excelled. The Invincible Black, really a very 
dark purple, and the Invincible Scarlet are still to the fore as leading 
varieties, the latter being one of the brightest coloured and most floriferous 
forms in cultivation. Adonis is a newer one, with soft pure pink flowers of 
great size, and very free—a charming delicate variety, with everything to- 
recommend it to favour. Painted Lady presents an agreeable combination 
of pink and white, which has a fine effect in a mass, a good companion 
for this being found in Butterfly, the flowers of which are blue and white 
and as freely produced as the others. There are a few only, for the unnamed 
varieties, which are kept in separate beds, representing nearly every imaginable 
shade of colour from pure white to the darkest purple, are very handsome, 
as was recently proved by the collection staged by Messrs. Carter at South 
Kensington, when they were admired by all who saw them. 
ESCHSCHOLTZIAS. 
Large space is devoted to these beautiful and showy annuals, and the 
effect they produced fully equalled that of many others already noted. 
Particularly handsome was Rose Cardinal, a lovely variety with bright 
rose-tinted flowers, large and profuse, perhaps the most charming of all. 
Mandarin is, however, a grand variety, with rich orange-red flowers, the 
outer surface of the petals being much darker than the inner, and having a 
peculiar appearance when some of the flowers are partly turned on one side. 
The ordinary yellow crocea and californica are grown in proportionate 
quantities, as the demand is very great for them, and they seem to thrive- 
remarkably well at St. Osyth. 
„ MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS. 
It would fill a volume to enumerate in detail all the beautiful flowera 
