March 21,1895. 
JuGENAL OF HORTICULTURE AHD COTTAGE GARDENER. 
251 
-Natal Pine Apples. —A small consignment of Pine Apples 
arrived from Natal a few days since, and the fruits were offered at 
Covent Garden. Their condition left nothing to be desired, except 
that, having been gathered before they were ripe, and being brought 
over in cold-air chambers, many of them had a green and discoloured 
appearance. Consequently this experimental shipment did not prove 
altogether a pecuniary success, only Is. 3d. to 23. each being realised. 
THE LATE MR. JOSEPH LAKIN. 
Bt the death of Mr. Lakin on March 4th at the age of sixty-seven 
years, the little world of floriculture “ of the old school,” as it is now the 
fashion to call it, is distinctly the poorer, and his departure from our 
midst merits a further notice than that contained in the brief paragraph 
in the issue of the Journal of Horticulture for March 7th. 
Mr. Lakin from youth was an ardent admirer of all florist flowers, 
and although for many years prevented by the sterner duties of life 
from cultivating them to the extent of his desire, yet he never lost his 
early affection for them. When he was able to retire from the Oxford 
County Police, in which force he held at the time the position of 
Superintendent of the Chipping Norton division, his one idea was to 
devote himself to the cultivation of his favourite flowers. 
At the peaceful village of Temple Cowley, near Oxford, he found a 
congenial home, and soon made the half acre of ground behind his house 
one of the most interesting gardens in the country. Carnations, 
Picotees, Auriculas, Tulips, and Pinks were his prime favourites, but 
room was found for many other garden flowers. He was an enthusiastic 
and successful raiser of Carnation and Picotee seedlings, and many good 
new varieties have resulted from his labours. Amongst them may be 
mentioned 
Carnations.—Rose flakes : Mrs. May, Lovely Mary, and Erskine 
Wemyss. Pink and purple bizarre : Miss Annie. Selfs : Annie Lakin 
and Emma Lakin. Fancies ; Cowley Rose, Atalanta and Grandis. 
Picotees.—Heavy reds : Isabel Lakin, Ne Plus Ultra, and Mrs. Keen. 
Light purples : Elizabeth and Sarah Ann. 
In Pinks he raised Mrs. Lakin, white self; in my opinion the best 
variety we possess. 
For the Tulip Mr. Lakin had much love, bound up as it was with 
the associations of his youth, at which time he was on intimate terms 
with the best Midland growers and raisers, and many a racy old 
story was he able to relate of these worthies and their doings, 
Mr. Lakin loved his flowers, and like a true florist tended them with 
his own hands as long as he was able. None knew better than he 
their individual requirements ; none appreciated more clearly their 
capacity for improvement, and the lines on which the improvement 
ought to proceed. This was the steady light of the true florist, and he 
had no sympathy with those modern “ will o’ the wisps ” who are doing 
their best to lead us into floral quagmires. If he had been spared in 
health and strength he would doubtless have gone on adding to the 
number of the beautiful varieties which already bear his name. 
Humanly speaking it is matter for deep regret to his friends that 
further length of days was not given to him. Genial and good hearted, 
Joseph Lakin’s memory will remain green in the affections of his friends 
until they, in their turn, pass away and themselves become memories 
only.— James W. Bentley. 
EXAMINATIONS IN HORTICULTURE. 
On page 234, “ A Young Gardener ” called my attention to the fact 
that I did not mention in my reply to his (on page 214) how many of 
the forty-nine successful candidates (whose ages were under twenty-flve) 
obtained a flrst-class certificate. 
It seems as if " A Young Gardener ” thought in the first place that 
few under the age of twenty-five gained the Society’s certificate. When 
he was shown that more passed under that age than above it, he tries to 
pass it off by asking the above question, but he will find nothing in this 
to support him, but just the reverse. 
Last year ten candidates gained sufficient marks to be placed in the 
first class ; five of these ten were persons under twenty-five years of age, 
and only one of the remaining five was a gardener. Does this show 
that the successful candidates were those whom “ A Young Gardener ” 
calls our “ chiefs ? ” 
We may go even farther and see who are those which are placed in 
the second class. Taking the first fifteen for convenience, I find that 
out of that number twelve are under the above mentioned age (viz., 
twenty-five). 
The examination is as perfect as the Society can make it, and I 
think it would be very unfair to make any distinction in the ages of 
the candidates, for there are many gardeners above the age of twenty- 
five who do not know so much as younger men. 
I have generally found that anything which seems hard to do, is so 
because we know very little about it, and I would suggest that “ A Young 
Gardener” should make up his mind to try for a first-class certificate, 
and then perhaps he will not find it so hard to secure as he thought it 
would be. 
I may say that the lack of candidates for this examination is 
probably due to the fact that men know but very little about it. 
As an example, only two sat at the examination which was held in this 
district last year ; this year I know of thirteen who have given in their 
names, and probably some of the Society’s certificates may come this 
way, although we are only “ Young Gardeners.”—W. D., Turnford. 
[Young gardeners might take courage from the fact that the 
medallist last year was an amateur, and the student, only four marks 
behind him, a schoolmaster.] _ 
I GATHEE from what has been published in the Journal, and also from 
what I have heard in other directions, there is an impression abroad 
that these examinations are of a competitive nature. That is a mistake 
in a certain sense, for they differ appreciably from Civil Service 
examinations, that are really competitive, as all the candidates in these 
are of about the same age, and start from very similar bases. 
In the R.H.S. examinations, a well cultured youth of twenty, if he 
has, proportioned to his age, fair practical knowledge, may often do 
better than a candidate double or treble his age, because his academical 
education is to him so helpful in a paper examination. Of course we all 
have to admit that no mere literary examination ean furnish a true test 
of any person’s professional capacity, but at least it does to some extent, 
because it is very easy for any good examiner, if he be a practical man, 
to gather from paper answers how far the candidate knew thoroughly 
what he was writing about, or whether his knowledge was only of the 
perfunctory order. The practical answer usually goes direct to the 
subject, even though not always an ideal literary exercise, whilst the very 
amateurish answer dances, as it were, round the subject hesitatingly, 
then finally makes a dash, and sometimes misses the mark. 
It is of great value that anyone purposing to sit for the R.H.S. 
examinations should practise the art of answering questions on paper 
concisely and practically. It is an accomplishment only obtained by 
practice. Now here is a matter in which head gardeners should be 
able and willing to assist their juniors efficiently. Let them set on 
paper every week from now till May some nine or ten questions 
on gardening ; not long ones, but brief and practical, to which all 
their respective young men should be required to furnish replies. It 
should be made compulsory by the head gardener. Then he could 
examine, and point (i.e., award marks of merit for) the answers weekly, 
and it would be a capital plan if the young men in a garden would set 
apart at least one evening in a week to hear and discuss each other’s 
answers. The result could not be other than interesting and valuable. It is 
only by some such literary exercises and preparation that candidates can 
hope to cut a good figure in the examination returns. I do not approve of 
the creation of different grades of candidates, whether having regard to 
age or to occupation ; but I do think that when the lists of successful 
candidates are published both occupations and ages should be stated, as 
then the youth of twenty years, if somewhat below the man of fifty, 
would certainly occupy a not less meritorious position. All the same, 
this youth’s greater dexterity in composition and literary style may help 
him far more than he imagines. 
May I tell young gardeners that very many of them have not too 
well mastered the elementary knowledge called spelling, although 
that is a defect happily becoming less yearly ? Handwriting, too, 
may or may not be of the best. Then at all times and seasons the art 
of note-taking is a valuable aid. How many things seen or heard 
embodying most useful knowledge are soon forgotten, because Captain 
Cuttle’s famous practice is not followed. I have frequently at lectures 
watched with interest the attempt of members of the class to take notes, 
but they often signally fail. They come armed with pencil and paper, 
but seem entirely at a loss to make a note of the salient points of 
what they hear, and before they can make up their minds how to make 
a note the lecturer is some way further on. Elementary teachers can 
do this because they are trained to such work, but the young gardener 
and the amateur are too often from want of experience quite at sea. 
Hence the great necessity for practice. 
It may interest readers of the Journal of Horticulture to learn that 
in connection with the lectures on gardening being given in the 
county of Surrey under the Technical Education Committee, the 
lecturers have framed from out of each separate lecture a series of from 
ten to twelve questions. Copies of these questions are furnished to each 
person present. These questions are taken home, and those who care to 
do so furnish replies to as many as they can during the ensuing week, 
and return them to the instructor at the next lecture or send them 
by post. These are all subsequently pointed, and the results will be 
made known to the various candidates. In this way it is hoped many 
may be induced by a little training to sit for the R.H.S. examinations.— 
An Insteuctoe. _ 
An obstacle in the way of not a few men who would like to enter 
themselves for the R.H.S. examinations is the formidable array of books 
recommended to students. Some of these books are of a voluminous 
character. They cannot be purchased by many young gardeners, and as 
these think that others, to whom £2 or £3 are of small account, will 
buy them and “ read themselves up,” several of those who cannot do so 
simply hold aloof. I know of six men who, through no fault of their 
own, thus feel themselves handicapped, and are therefore not likely to 
enter. It may be foolish, but it is a fact. On the other hand I know of 
two men who bought all the books, and one of them said they bewildered 
him. It is certain that neither of these students gained a certificate, so 
this book question has two sides ; but still the recommendation of such 
works implies their necessity, with the results above stated.—A Student. 
[Another correspondent who intends trying for a certificate wriles 
“ Are there no means of borrowing some of the costly books recommended 
for the exam. ? It would ruin men like myself to buy all of them.”] 
