January 3, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
5 
coming of the Winter Aconite with its cheery little flowers. It 
seems, however, to wish to remain “ dead to the world ” for a little 
longer. Among the precocious Primulas is a plant of Siebold’s 
Primrose, which from the middle of November has displayed a 
truss of flowers, that have withstood weather of a kind which 
would have destroyed them had it come in their due flowering 
season. 
Crocuses, of which there are a few in flower, and which, with 
a little shelter and when crowded together in a clump, stand the 
weather better than would be believed. To some the Crocus is 
only beautiful when expanded, and it is only on a few days at this 
season that their tastes can be gratified. The writer, by close 
companionship with this flower, has learned that even at other 
times a clump of their coloured cones is full of attraction. At the 
time of writing this two clumps of C. longiflorus are nearly all 
that are in flower, but the lilac and yellow displayed on the outer 
segments of the closed flowers give a bit of welcome colour ; while 
when open the bright lilac flowers are very beautiful, and are 
rendered more attractive by the scarlet anthers and yellow 
filament. 
One can hardly understand why it is the case, but if good 
authorities are to be believed, the Snowdrops of November and 
December bloom with us earlier than in their native lands, although 
these are much further south. I know there are some, as true 
lovers of flowers as myself, who look askance on these unseason¬ 
able flowers, as they call them. I think, however, if they could 
only see a few in their gardens in the last months of the year, 
their beauty would so appeal to them that these Greek Snowdrops 
would no longer be looked on as aliens, but become welcome 
friends. Very chaste and beautiful are those now in flower in my 
garden—harmonies of white and green we love to see as we stroll 
along the garden walks. 
With the passing remark that Helleborus niger, the Christmas 
Rose, and Erica carnea flowered before the end of December, it is 
needful to pen a few lines upon other features of interest, which 
depend not on beauty of flower, but of leaf, and are more in 
evidence in the rock garden than in the borders. The old wall 
behind one of the rockeries and the rockwork itself are marked 
with lichens and patches of mosses. The former are black and 
brown, grey of varying depth, and green of different tints, some 
almost orange in hue. The latter, too, are of different shades, and 
very beautiful with their velvet-like appearance. The hand of 
Nature has given us these things of beauty masked, and we have 
sought to rival or enhance them by our choice of these plants of 
larger growth with which the rock garden is furnished. Among 
these there are silver-greys, velvety-greys, and greys of duller 
tints. There are some well-nigh black and greens of all kinds, 
some so approaching blue or bronze that we are almost afraid to 
class them with the greens. Then we have variegated plants, and 
those which have the green of their leaves marked or zoned in 
different shades. Of some of these things I had intended to speak 
when I took up my pen, but other thoughts in connection with my 
theme have sprung into being, and taken too much space. There 
are, however, mounds of Mossy Saxifrages, as soft and velvety as 
the mosses themselves, and as bright in colour. There are blue- 
green Acsenas, silvery encrusted Saxifrages, glaucous Sedums, 
grey Alyssums, and glaucous tufts of spiny Pinks. Endless, 
indeed, are the tints which may be seen in fresh or in withered 
leaf. Equally unlimited are the forms of these leaves, which are 
of all manner of shapes, sizes, and variety of texture. Some are 
round, some pointed, some ovate, some are smooth, others rough, 
and others again wrinkled. To tell of all these things as we see 
them is, indeed, an impossible task, and would weary the reader. 
Say not, however, that hardy flowers have no interest in winter ! 
Skies may lower, winds be keen, and the sunlight be hidden from 
view, but among the plants, and only seen by those who love them, 
there is much to encourage. A calm delight they may give, but it 
is no fleeting one, and remains with us till the gloom of winter is 
past, and these plants now at rest have clothed themselves with 
blossoms of exquisite beauty.—S. Arnott. 
DEATH OF MR. CHARLES COLLINS. 
It is with extreme regret that we have to record in our first issue of 
the year the sudden death of an able, trusted, and respected member of 
our staff, Mr. Charles Collins. He was engaged in the preparation 
of the last issue of the Journal of Uorticulture on Monday, Decem¬ 
ber 24th, the pages of which were completed for press on that day, 
the articles having been placed in type on Saturday, in view of the 
Christmas holidays. Mr. Collins was in his usual health, happy and 
cheerful, looking forward to spending a pleasant Christmas-tide with 
his family. No doubt his hopes were realised on Christmas Day, the 
last day but one that he spent in life on earth. On the succeeding day, 
Wednesday, he with his wife’s parents, also two young children, went 
from Hornsey to Forest Gate to spend the day with a relative. On 
returning to the station at night he carried a child, and died as he was 
entering the train. He may have hastened somewhat, though he would 
not be likely to “ rush ” for the train, because he had been warned by a 
medical man not to do so, his (Mr. Collins’) father having died from 
heart disease ; but whether he hurried or not the exertion was too great 
for him, and hence this most grievous fatality. A gardener who knew 
our deceased coadjutor long and intimately has written to us as 
follows :— 
“ Charles Collins was a native of Hampshire (Otterbourne), and 
commenced his gardening career under Mr. Summers at Sandbeck Park, 
in the year 1880. After a stay of about three years he went to Wortley 
Hall, Sheffield, under Mr. Simpson; from there he went to Howick 
Castle, Northumberland, under Mr. Inglis. As a youth he was most 
energetic and painstaking, and a keen observer of everything connected 
with horticulture, always willing and anxious to assist in whatever was 
required of him. His motto was, ‘ Whatever thine hand findeth to do, 
do it with all thy might.’ This he acted up to through life, and what a 
lesson may be learned from his life 1 
“ He was left fatherless at an early age, and had to turn out in the 
world to earn his living, while having an impediment in his speech (result¬ 
ing from an attack of scarlet fever) he was placed at a disadvantage 
when compared with many other youths. He, however, made up his mind 
to overcome all difficulties. During the long winter evenings he devoted 
many hours to study—reading, writing, drawing, and arithmetic. This was 
in the early days of his bothy life. During the summer evenings he might 
be seen making notes in the kitchen garden of the cropping, and of 
whatever might possibly be useful. After a few years’ experience he 
was ambitious to be a journalist, and occasionally wrote for the garden¬ 
ing press. He learnt shorthand, and was a good verbatim reporter. He 
also studied French and German, so that he could decipher what was 
written horticulturally in either of those languages. He was ever 
mindful of others. The ink is scarcely dry on the letter received from 
him only a day or two since asking assistance with reference 
to a brother in the craft, and now the post brings word that the hand 
which wrote that letter is laid cold in death. Cut off in the prime of 
life, the memory of Charles Collins will be cherished by all who knew 
him.” 
We may add that Mr. J. Simpson, observing the young man’s 
aptitude with his pen, and recognising that the defect in speech must 
naturally prejudice him as a gardener, advised his assistant to make 
himself proficient as a writer for the press. The advice was good, 
and followed assiduously. He eventually obtained employment under 
Mr. T. W. Sanders on “ Amateur Gardening,” acquitting himself well. 
Mr. Collins then passed to a position on the “ Gardeners’ Chronicle,” 
by the kind and distinguished Editor of which paper he was recom¬ 
mended to fill a vacancy which occurred on the staff of the “Journal 
of Horticulture.” Here, for nearly three years, he gave complete 
satisfaction as a reporter, paragraphist, reviser of MSS., and proof 
reader, while now and then, as time permitted, he would write an 
admirable article on a seasonable subject worthy of a prominent 
position over his initial of “C,” He was, in a word, a true horticul¬ 
tural journalist. He had acquired the invaluable habit of taking pains 
and making his literary work as faultless as possible. 
After thoughtful and persevering practice in the choice of appropriate 
words for the construction of sentences he developed a style of writing 
at once accurate and “ readable ”—prime essentials in press work, for no 
matter how valuable may be the information contained in an article it 
is useless for publication if not conveyed in acceptable literary guise. 
It is most creditable to the intelligence and care of gardeners that so 
many of them approach the desideratum so nearly that it is a pleasure 
for editors to supply the finishing touches ; and we have never known 
a gardener who has mastered the art of imparting sound information in 
the most correct and agreeable way who has not benefited by the 
acquisition. Tedious the process may be at first to many, but every 
step in advance makes the next step easier, and eventually the position 
is won by those who persevere the same as Mr. Collins did. He 
habitually wrote his reports of shows quickly, fully, and accurately as 
he walked along by the side of the exhibits, and had only to tear the 
leaves out of his book, and send them to the printers, seldom any 
corrections being needed when in type. This is a habit that has to 
be acquired by all the staff reporters of the Journal of Horticulture., as 
the quickest method for getting the work out of hand and the easiest to 
the narrator. 
Thus, as the friend of Mr. Collins suggests, “lessons may be learned 
from his life ”—lessons in devotion to the attainment of an ideal, of 
diligence in duty, excellence in work, as the result of persevering 
endeavour, and in the end success. His work was his delight, and no 
man was happier in the discharge of his duties than he ; and now that 
his promising life is ended, at the turn of thirty years, it is pleasant for 
all his associates in it to feel that not one unpleasant word has passed 
between them and he who was called so suddenly away. Mr. Collins had 
a charming disposition. He thought no evil, and we venture to say that 
no one ever heard him utter a disrespectful word towards any person. One 
who constantly met him at the London shows and meetings undoubtedly 
expresses the sentiments of many in these words in a letter to hand :— 
“ Mr. Collins was one of the most gentle and kindly fellows I ever met, 
and everyone who knew him will mourn his loss most deeply.” Another 
justly describes him as “ a man of extreme kindheartedness, and though 
his life has been beset with illness at home he never complained.” 
The illness referred to in his family has been of the most serious 
