Januaiy 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
43 
number of daj^s on which it fell "was also larger than usual. Sunshine 
was deficient throughout the summer, but was in excess in September 
and in the winter months. The brightest month was September, when 
the sun shone for 33 per cent, of the time it was above horizon, and the 
dullest was November, when the percentage was only 12°. The total 
for the year is 112 hours below the average.— Joseph Mallendeb. 
- Death of Mb. W. H. Fitch. —We hear with regret that the 
noted botanical artist, Mr. W. H. Fitch, died at Kew on January 14th 
last. Mr. Fitch was born at Paisley, and served as Assistant to Sir 
William Hooker in Glasgow, subsequently coming with him to Kew in 
1841. From that time until 1885 he illustrated all the important works 
dssued from Kew, with some others, of which the principal were 
Hooker's “Flora Antarctica,” in six volumes, 4to.; “HimalayanPlants,” 
■“Himalayan Rhododendrons,” “leones Plantarum” from the com¬ 
mencement in 1837, Bateman’s “ Odontoglossums,” Warner’s “ Select 
Orchidaceous Plants,” Elwes’ “ Lilies,” Saunders’ “ Eefugium Botani- 
•cum,” “Flora Vitiensis,” “Botany of the ‘Herald,’” Speke’s and 
Grant’s plants ; the Linnean Society’s Transactions and Journal. In 
recognition of his services Mr. Fitch was granted a pension of £100 
per annum a few years ago. 
- It will be learned with regret that the unexpec'ed death of 
Mr. Benjamin Coombe occurred at Victoria, Texas, U.S.A., on 
December 16th. Although comparatively a young man he had passed 
through several of the large nurseries, and held responsible charges in 
some of the best private establishments, including Chatsworth, Stancliff, 
and Aldebrook, which latter situation as head gardener he relinquished to 
take charge of the estate of Senor Dorado, Buenos Ayres, but owing to the 
revolutionary troubles he returned home, and had gone out again to Texas 
with the view to acquire a nursery business there, when the fever 
attacked him, and from which, after a short illness, he died. His strict 
integrity and unvarying urbanity gained him the respect and affec¬ 
tionate regard of all whom he came in contact with, and the fact of 
his untimely death will be keenly felt by a large circle of gardening 
friends. 
- The Oldest Living Florist. — The American Florists' 
Exchange says :—No doubt Mr. Zacharias Werney is the oldest living 
florist in the world. He is reported to have been born October 12th, 
1790, in Halberstadt, Germany. He is now 101 years old, and, cons'‘der- 
ing this unusual age, in pretty good health. On the occasion of his 
birthday, 12th October last, he was the recipient of many gifts from 
high officials in Germany, and the city of his birth made the day one of 
festivity and a general holiday ; for Mr. Werney was not only a bene¬ 
factor to his fellow man, by planning and planting the large Harmonie- 
garten of the city of Halberstadt, but he was also a soldier, and fought 
for his country in 1813. He was reported dead, and his name was 
carved on the marble slabs which hang in a church, and on which are 
all the names of those who have fallen in battle for their country. But 
in 1816 he returned home, to the surprise of his people. The name has 
never been taken from the slabs, and up to this day it still remains. 
Mr. Werney has been successful in his calling, and in consequence has 
been living for many years in a quiet way, satisfied that he had done 
his utmost, and enjoying the esteem and goodwill of fellow townsmen. 
- Gardening Appointments. — The following appointments 
have been recently made through Messrs. John Laing & Sons, The 
Nurseries, Forest Hill, S.E. Mr. W. Chisholm as head gardener to 
J. H. Sanders, Esq., Porters Park, Shenley, Herts; Mr. Wakefield as 
head gardener to C. S. Bass, Esq., Bound Hill House, Sydenham ; Mr. 
Young as head gardener to Sir Lewis Cave, The Manor House, Wood- 
mansterne, Epsom ; Mr. Lemaire as head gardener to W. Niven, Esq., 
Carswell Manor, Faringdon, Berks ; and Mr. Jas. Thorne as head 
gardener to W. G. Nelson, Esq., Woodford Road, Snaresbrook, Essex., 
Mr. Henry Purser, gardener to Lord Zouche, Eavenhill, Rugeley, is 
about to take charge of his Lordship’s gardens at Parham Park, 
Puloorough, Sussex, Eavenhill being let. Mr. W. H. Jones, late 
gardener to Ephraim Hallam, Esq., Oakwood Hall, Romiley, has been 
appointed gardener to Wm. Brockbank, Esq., Brockhurst, Didsbury, 
Manchester. Messis. William Cutbush & Son inform us that Mr. King, 
late gardener at Glenchess, Loud water, Rickmansworth, has been 
appointed gardener and bailiff to M. Jenks, Esq., Cannins Park, 
Edgware. Mr. J. Doe, late head gardener to H. W. Tugwell, Esq.^ 
Crowe Hall, Bath, has been appointed head gardener to H. O. Wills, 
Esq., Kelston Knoll, near Bath. Mr. J. T. Bant, foreman under Mr. 
H. Dunkin at Warwick Castle, has been appointed gardener to James 
Booth, Esq., Rowington Hall, near Warwick. 
- Celery and the Frosts. —The ridges of soil banked up 
against the rows of Celery were so badly saturated with moisture that 
the late December frosts penetrated to a great depth, or nearly down 
to the roots. When the Celery had to be lifted while the frost lasted, 
the soil moved in immense masses, a pickaxe being needed to break it 
up. This very unusual occurrence was very rough on the Celery, and 
any grown to a great size suffered badly. Already very many of the 
hearts are completely decayed, and it is scarcely possible to say which 
are sound and which are not without cutting them open. The later 
rows not being grown so strongly appear to be sound enough at the 
heart at present, but the outer stalks have been much crippled, and I 
shall be surprised if we have good Celery as late as April and May this 
season.—M. H., Somerset. 
-The most recent issue of Kew Bulletin contains articles 
and correspondence referring to the “ Chinese Fibres,” “ The Ipoh 
Poison of the Malay Peninsula,” the produce of Antiaris toxicaria ; 
‘‘ The Botany of the Gambia Delimitation Commission,” and a series of 
miscellaneous notes, chiefly news, relating to Kew Gardens, the receipt 
of additions to the Herbarium, and general items of interest. From 
these we extract the following:—"In connection with the botanical 
collections made by Mr. Antwerp B. Pratt, in Western China and 
Eastern Thibet, at elevations of 9000 to 13,500 feet, the Principal 
Assistant in the Herbarium, Mr. Hemsley, F.R.S., has visited Paris in 
order to study the novelties collected by Prince Henry of Orleans and 
published by Professor Bureau and Mr. Franchet. A considerable 
number of Mr. Pratt’s plants proved to be the same, yet the number of 
different species was even larger. These will be published as soon as 
possible. The keeper of the Herbarium, Mr. Baker, has lately proceeded 
to the Riviera to examine the fine collections of Yucca, Aloe, Agave, 
Dasylirion, &c., growing in the gardens of Mr. Thomas Hanbury, F.L.S., 
at La Mortola, near Mentone, and others, Mr, Baker has long made a 
special study of this class of plants, and his visit has proved very 
instructive. A detailed report of the results will appear in a future 
number of the Bulletin. An interesting series of apparatus and imple¬ 
ments connected with the Gambier industry (Uncaria Gambier, Boxb.') 
of the Straits Settlements has been received from Mr. H. N, Ridley, 
F.L.S,, Director of the Gardens and Forest Department, Singapore. It 
includes a model of a Gambier factory, with the following implements 
used in the cultivation and manufacture of Gambier.” 
- Imported Fruits. —A firm of salesmen in Covent Garden 
Market writes as follows in a London daily paper, “ About twelve 
months ago a writer in alluding to Peaches remarked that not for ten 
times their weight in gold could Peaches be delivered on the London 
market in the month of January, yet in the following week we ourselves 
had some Peaches from the Cape, and we are expecting large consign¬ 
ments here very shortly. Last week the first Apricots from Cape 
Town came forward. With regard to vegetables, we would remark that 
they have never been sold so cheap in the w^inter months as during the 
past four or five years. The immense tracts of land under cultivation 
in and around all large towns with vegetables of every description has 
brought forward a supply equal to the demand, at low prices ; and 
unless something exceptional occurs—very severe weather in winter or 
long droughts in summer—dear vegetables are a thing of the past. The 
bulk of the Tomatoes are now coming from the Canary Islands. 
Although it is now midwinter we are receiving from fifty to 100 tons of 
Tomatoes every week. This quantity will continue to increase from 
there and from ports of the Mediterranean until about June. when the 
supplies from Spain alone reach about 2000 tons per week. ^ Later 
on our supplies come from France in very large quantities, which are 
sold to the public at about 3d. to 4d, per lb., and still leave a profit to 
all concerned. Fruit and vegetables may be sold dear in certain parts 
of London, partly because customers in those districts insist upon 
having the very best of everything, and partly because the trade not 
being always steady some of the goods have to be spoiled. Outsi e o 
those districts goods can be ^d cheaply in most of the large retail 
establishments. Ordinary fruit and vegetables have never been sold 
cheaper than they are at the present time. Foreign produce has been 
sold by auction in Co vent Garden now for some thirty ^ years. We 
believe the time is not far off when the bulk of the English fruit wi 
have to be sold by auction. Only on one occasion previously have we 
had so many American Apples as have been received here this year. 
The total shipments to this country to the end of last month (in roun 
numbers) was about 2,940,000 bushels, the whole of which have sold at 
fair prices considering the large quantity, and the consumption as 
arisen entirely through their excellent quality.” 
