June J, 1893, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
4C1 
more worthy of an award than others which come more properly 
under the category of alpines, and although less showy would com¬ 
mend themselves to a connoisseur—a word I do not care for in 
this connection, but which expresses better than any other my 
meaning. 
Now the consideration of these remarks leads me to what is I 
think a natural conclusion, i.e., that the conditions on the exhibition 
schedules must be so expressed as to guide both judges and ex¬ 
hibitors in their work. May I thus submit for consideration 
and amendment, in a similar way as we had recently done in the 
discussion on the showing of hardy border flowers, the following ? 
“ Best - pots or pans of alpine flowers of neat and dwarf 
habit; to be arranged in a natural and artistic manner.” I do not 
consider this absolutely perfect, but submit it for the freest 
criticism and comment, 
I now come to what is perhaps the most delicate portion of my 
subject, inasmuch as it may be held to imply a meaning which 1 do 
not intend to convey. I refer to the appointment of judges for 
alpine flowers. It is evident to all devoted growers of herbaceous 
border flowers—where there is less chance of making a mistake 
than with alpines—that in many districts profound dissatisfaction 
exists with regard to the awards in connection with these flowers. 
Let me carefully guard myself by saying that I refer to no district 
in particular, nor do I single out any show ; but I know that this 
statement will be approved by many who, like myself, have “ no 
axe to grind.” The truth is that horticulture has, like everything 
else, become specialised, and it is too much to expect that our 
udges should be all-round men, who have a critical knowledge of 
every branch of floriculture, not to speak of horticulture ; yet this 
is what is expected of judges, and they are often called upon to 
give awards in classes which would require experts. How many of 
our judges—honourable, intelligent, and highly competent men as 
most of them are—have the technical knowledge required to enable 
them to judge a class of alpines ? How many are so intimate with 
alpines that they can tell whether some are well or ill-grown, 
and how many know a rare plant or one excessively difficult 
to grow ? 
No one would expect a hardy plantsman to be a qualified man 
to judge at a Rose or a Chrysauthemum show, nor vice versa, is it 
reasonable to expect a man other than a specialist to judge alpines 
(which are far more difficult to judge than border flowers). It is 
true we have such men, but where we have one such rara avis we 
have twenty or thirty others who, if you speak to them, make no 
secret of the fact that they would much prefer that such classes 
should not be submitted to them but handed over to someone 
who has special knowledge of the plants. 
I have stated my case in as temperate a manner as possible, 
and can only express a hope that in any correspondence which 
follows we may have a full and free expression of opinion which 
may lead to some practical end.— S. Arnott. 
MR. WILLIAM HENRY PROTHEROE. 
We are privileged by the courtesy of the comparatively new weekly 
paper London, which is making its way in the City and surroundings, 
to publish the excellent portrait of a gentleman who is widely known 
and respected in the horticultural world, and to make the following extract 
concerning him. 
“ Of the many thousands who, on business or pleasure intent, crowd 
hourly along that busy City thoroughfare, Cheapside, how few are 
aware that, down a quiet passage, about midway between ‘ Sir John’s’ 
clock and the top of Queen Street, they can, almost every day of the 
year if so disposed, regale their organs of sight and smell with the lovely 
forms and exquisite fragrance of those weird yet beautiful tropical 
products known as Orchids. Here, day after day, only a few steps from 
one of the busiest and most bustling streets of the Metropolis, is to be 
found a veritable Temple of Flora, glowing with Nature’s most brilliant 
colours, and fragrant with her choicest perfumes, having for its high 
priest the very pleasant personality whose form and features are 
depicted on this page. It is concerning this floral hierarch, known 
among his fellow citizens and throughout the horticultural world 
as William Henry Protheroe, that we purpose telling the readers of 
London somewhat to-day. Mr. W. H. Protheroe is an instance of 
hereditary predilections, for his father was the originator of that 
special combination of aptitudes of which the product is the horti¬ 
cultural auctioneer. 
“After passing through a course of private tuition, the classic portion 
of which enabled him to articulate with fluency and ease these poly¬ 
syllabic appellations with which the scientific botanist delights ‘ to paint 
the Lily and add a perfume to the Violet,’ the younger Protheroe was, 
at the age of sixteen, sent to complete his technical education at the 
Government Horticultural College at Ghent. Thence, after a lapse of 
three years, he returned to his native soil, bringing with him his diploma 
and the highest honours his foreign nhna mater could bestow. 
“ Shortly after his return he took the first step in the career which 
he has since so successfully pursued, commencing with a s x-days sale 
of nursery stock at Chester, and upon the re'iremtnt of his father, after 
forty years of active business life, he founded, in conjunc i n with Mr. 
G. Morris, one of his present partners, the now well-known firm of 
Protheroe & Morris. Very soon the necessity of obtaining spacious 
premises for the daily exhibition and sale of horticultural produce 
became pressing, and ultimately, some ten years ago, the firm settled 
down in the commodious quarters at Nos. 67 and 68, Cheapside, which 
they now occupy. This occupation was inaugurated by a sale of 
imported Orchids, the result proving that the success of the new ex¬ 
periment was assured. Next followed the institution of Dutch bulb 
sales, which have become so popular that the extraordinary quantity of 
an average of 15 tons per week passed under the hammer during last 
season, with the certain prospect that even this record will be beaten 
later on. 
“ As before mentioned. Orchids are sold here all the year round, 
and, inasmuch as the imported Orchid on its arrival is far from being a 
thing of beauty, presenting to the uneducated eye a decided similarity 
to a ipartly decayed Cabbage stalk, it very wisely occurred to Mr. 
Protheroe to introduce at his sales, by way of object lessons, a number 
of these plants in the full glory of their bloom, thereby giving to 
the uninitiated a practical illustration of the remarkable types of 
beauty that could be obtained from such apparently unpromising 
FIG. 77.— MR. WILLIAM HENRY PROTHEROE. 
materials. By this happy thought many persons who otherwise would’ 
probably never have turned their attention to the subject, became 
interested, made purchases, and are now the proud possessors of valu¬ 
able collections. 
“One feature which cannot fail to strike the visitor for the first time 
to one of these sales is the quiet conversational tone which prevails and 
the evident feeling of thorough good understanding which exists 
between the auctioneer and his company. Questions are freely asked 
and courteously answered, opinions mooted and views exchanged with an 
utter absence of the conventional ‘ rostrum ’ style, and with pronounced 
advantage to such intending purchasers as do not happen to be possessed 
of any considerable stock of special knowledge. Mr. Protheroe, who is 
always willing to enlighten inquiring minds, recently expressed an 
opinion that although there is a falling off in the price of the commoner 
class of Orchids, fine varieties and rare hybrids would find as eager 
buyers to-day as formerly. In reply to a further query he stated that 
the highest prices obtained at any sale ever held was at Downside, 
Leatherhead, when Mr. William Lee sold off his fine collection in 1887. 
The first two days’ sale contained exactly 600 plants, and the amount 
realised was £6000, the highest price obtained for a single plant being 
£326 10s. for a Cypripedium Stonei platytaenium, which had been 
purchased two years previously for £60, and which Mr. Protheroe 
thinks would now bring over £500 if offered for sale. Mr. Protheroe 
confines himself exclusively to the horticultural branch of the business, 
leaving to his four partners the land agency and other important 
departments. 
“ Being still on the right side of fifty, with plenty of health an^ 
energy, the subject of this sketch is likely to be heard of for many years 
to come in connection with his favourite pursuit.’’ 
