2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 4, 18’,'4. 
might not do a little more to add interest to the meetings. There 
most be always many things in such an establishment to interest 
all lovers of plants, and although the officials occupy a high and 
serene position, they might sometimes condescend to consider the 
inferior mortals who lie outside their gate. 
The International Exhibitions at Earl’s Court, while not equal 
in point of interest to those of the preceding year, have yet on 
the whole been creditable, and advanced the interests of horti¬ 
culture. They have had the effect, as before, of interfering with 
the Crystal Palace Exhibition, and the loss of the Great Autumn 
Fruit Show held there in September has been widely felt and 
greatly mourned, and, as there does not seem to be much probability 
of the continuance of the Earl’s Court Exhibition, 1894 will no 
doubt see its revival. Of the Royal Botanic Society we hear but 
little ; its finances, however, do not seem to be in a too flourishing 
condition, but its exhibitions and fetes seem to attract many 
persons. 
I do not think either that the past year has been noted by any 
great horticultural or botanical novelty. The love of Orchids, or 
rather the taste for Orchids, seems to know no diminution. Not 
only is the world ransacked, the primeval forests penetrated in 
. search for them, but the successful efforts of the hybridiser are 
, adding fresh beauties to our collections and fresh perplexities to 
. the botanist, who, having been wont to scoff at the florists with 
=. their unscientific names, now find their sacred domain invaded in 
^ like manner. It will give some idea of the direction in which the 
taste runs, when we find that eighteen Cattleyas and thirty-four 
: Cypripediums have been either certificated or had awards of merit 
given to them, while amongst florists’ flowers thirty-two Carnations 
and sixty-two Chrysanthemums sharing the same honours are a 
pretty strong indication as to the popularity of these two classes j 
but where are places to be found for all these novelties, and will 
many of the older varieties survive? The past year has not been 
signalised by any new departure in horticultural literature, for we 
can hardly include in that description the commencement of the 
puhlication of the “ Index Kewensis,” a magnum opus indeed, of 
which two parts have already appeared—a work of immense 
. labour and research, and as a book of reference will be found 
invaluable. 
The death roll, though not so long as usual, contains the names 
of many for whom florists especially will mourn—men who have 
done good service to the classes of flowers over which they have 
been engaged. What a hearty florist, for instance, have we lost in 
“ Sam Barlow, to whom nothing that claimed to be a florist flower 
came strange, and who, first at Stakehill near Manchester, and 
afterwards in his beautiful garden near the Orme’s Head, cultivated 
-so many and such choice plants. The Rev. Frederick Tymons^ 
but little known on this side of the Channel, but a kind and 
genial florist, occupied in the sister Island the most prominent 
place as the cultivator and exhibitor of many florist flowers. Of 
the good service done by Mr. Thomas Laxton as a hybridiser in 
fruits, flowers, and vegetables it is hardly necessary to speak ; 
while the closing weeks of the year have removed from amongst 
us Mr. E. S. Dodwell, who during a long life has done more for the 
improvement of the Carnation and Picotee as a florist flower than 
perhaps any other person. Two well-known names amongst 
raisers of Roses abroad have passed away during the past year, 
Mens. Guillot of Lyons and Mons. Charles Verdier at Paris. The 
former, who has done more to enrich our Rose gardens than almost 
•any other raiser, the value of his introductions being testified by 
the fact that two of his Roses carried off the highest awards the 
very year he was taken from us. Mons. Charles Yerdier did not 
occupy perhaps so prominent a position ; in past years he gave us 
'many good Roses, which have been, however, superseded by other 
varieties. He was an estimable man, quiet, and business-like ; ho 
leaves no family, and I believe his business passes into the hands 
of his brother Eugene. Nor can I leave the record of our Rose 
losses without alluding to th§ loss we have sustained by the death 
of our Yice-President, the Rev. J. M. Fuller ; he will long be 
missed at the meetings of the Committee, over which as one of 
the Yice-Piesideuts of the Society he has so long and so ably 
presided. 
Such is a brief record of the past year. Of course it can only 
be a sketch, and that a very imperfect one, and now we have to 
look forward, uncertain in this as in everything else, to what a year 
may produce. We have fallen upon critical times; the continued 
depression in agriculture, stagnation in commercial enterprise, the 
disputes between capital and labour, have all had a depressing 
tendency, and their effects are being felt in many departments of 
horticulture. Still, we must try to look hopefully on; we must 
recollect how difficulties have been surmounted in the past, and 
that by the same energy they may be in the future. All we who 
are interested in the Journal must hail with satisfaction the many 
proofs that it gives of its vigour, its power of adaptation to the 
increasing exigencies of the times. We are all thankful to see the 
vigour of our venerated chief, and hope that he may long be spared 
to guide its ways. Some of us have grown old in its service, and 
must soon resign our pens to younger and abler hands, and so 
gladly welcome the appearance of fresh contributors, who may 
supply our places when we are gone. To the Royal Horticultural 
Society also we all look hopefully ; so long as its affairs are under 
the direction of its present Secretary, whose courteous and business¬ 
like habits have done so much to lift it out of the quagmire in 
which it was sunk, and so long as there is a Council which commands 
the confidence of horticulturists, we may hope success will attend | 
its efforts. 
Now, my brothers and sisters of the gentle craft, look hopefully 
on. We know not what new developments may take place, or in 
what direction. Some years ago a few horticulturists were met 
together, when the question arose, “ What flower shall be taken 
in hand to be improved ? ” It was said the Fuchsias, Pelargoniums* 
and Cinerarias had reached a standard which could not be surpassed. 
One of the company said, “ There is the Tuberous Begonia ! ” It 
was taken in hand, and with what marvellous results we all know. 
What is to be the flower of the future, who can tell ? But I would 
say to you. Press on ; there are triumphs to be won, and pleasures 
to be experienced. We need not fall back upon Lord Bacon’s 
apothegm, for we all know from experience the pleasures which a 
garden gives to us. Ever since my earliest days flowers have been 
my companions and friends ; in rain and sunshine, storm and calm, 
they have ever spoken to me, and now that I am old I can look 
back with thankfulness to the solace they have been to me during 
those dark and cloudy days which fall to the lot of everyone of us. 
They tell me, too, that in looking forward to what lies beyond this 
life the fairest idea that can be set before us is the new Eden into 
which sin and sorrow are never to enter. I ask you, then, not 
simply to believe -what experience has taught me, but try it more 
and more for yourselves, and I have no doubt the results will be 
to you what they have been to me. And now the year 1894 opens 
upon us may it be to you and all in the truest sense, a Happy 
New Year.—D., Deal. 
A RETROSPECT OF THE PAST YEAR IN 
IRELAND. 
In a slight retrcspect of the past year in Ireland I must claim 
the indulgence of those who read the little 1 am able to say on the 
subject, for my personal experience is limited to the county of 
Dublin ; but centrally situated as it is on the eastern seaboard it should 
give a fair average of the effects of the past year on our green little 
island. Is'either can I offer a mass of statistics. Why then, may be 
asked, do 1 obtrude in the pages of the Journal of Horticulture ? 
With the proverb in my mind that qui s'excuse s'accuse I offer 
instead of excuse a motive, viz., that of making the Journal a bridge 
over the seventy miles of sea on which we can communicate with 
you, gardeners of England, and that the ocean may not be a bar 
to a ‘* union of hearts and hands.” 
Taking it for granted that you are aware this land, known of old 
