J aly 23, 189L ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
65 
- We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Frank Miles, 
a gentleman well known in the horticultural world, and who, during a 
portion of his too short life, did much to diffuse and foster the returning 
taste for the cultivation of the hardy perennial flowers of the garden, 
and especially for bulbous rooted plants. Mr. Miles was born at Bing¬ 
ham Rectory, near Nottingham, where his father, Canon Miles, was for 
many years rector, and in the same house which gave birth to Lord 
Sherbrooke, better known as Mr. Robert Lowe, the distinguished par¬ 
liamentary debater. From his youth he was an ardent florist. When we 
first met him at his father’s rectory we found him driving a wheelbarrow, 
doing the work with as great, if not greater, zest as any hired workman, 
and his father humorously introduced him as “ the head gardener.” 
Inheriting the genius of his gifted and accomplished mother, he miDgled 
with his love of gardening a passion for art. After finishing his school 
career he was articled to Mr. Butterfield, the eminent architect, in whose 
office he spent some time ; but architecture was not his forte, and 
having relinquished any intention of making it his profession, he devoted 
himself to the art of design. About this time he made a happy hit 
when he published that series of drawings which seemed to charm the 
public as if by magic. Go where one would there were “ The Gardener’s 
Daughter ” and the accompanying series of Frank Miles’ sketches. 
In barristers’ chambers and in the rooms of the Universities as well as 
in those of refined households Frank Miles’ name was familiar through 
his pictorial sketches. In conjunction with his friend, Mr. Oscar Wilde, 
he for a time acquired some notoriety in connection with the aesthetic 
movement in art when it was thought the right thing to glorify Sun¬ 
flowers, to dress oddly, and to eschew all that had before been considered 
beautiful as a remnant of barbarism and bad taste. But it was at the 
shrines of Art and Horticulture that Mr. Miles worshipped. Mr. Frank 
Miles was born on the 22nd April, 1852. He died at the Manor House 
Abbots Leigh, near Bristol, on Wednesday, the 15th inst., and was buried 
at Almondsbury, near Bristol, where his brother is vicar, on Saturday 
last. He had been in weak health for some time, and the immediate 
cause of his death was paralysis. He was one of the most loveable and 
loving of men, and all who had the privilege of his friendship will long 
regret his early death. 
- Preserving Flowers. —The following ancient method which 
comes from America as new may be worth repeating and trying:— 
Take very fine sand, wash it perfectly clean, and when dry sift it through 
a fine sieve into a pan. When the sand is deep enough to hold the 
flowers in an upright position, take some more sifted sand and carefully 
cover them. A spoon is a good thing to take for this, as it fills in every 
chink and cranny without breaking or bending the leaves. When the 
pan is filled solidly leave the flowers to dry for several days. It is a 
good plan to warm the sand in the oven before using it, as the flowers 
will then dry more thoroughly. In taking the sand off great care must 
be taken not to break the leaves, as they are now dry and brittle. 
Pansies preserved in this way will keep their shape and brilliancy of 
colour all winter, and many other flowers can be equally successfully 
treated—anything, in fact, where the full pressure of the sand comes on 
both sides of the leaf; otherwise they will shrivel. To fill in flowers 
with cup-like shapes it is better to lay them on the sand, and with a 
small spoon fill in and around each flower. Ferns when preserved in 
this way have a more natural look than -when pressed, and the Maiden¬ 
hair Fern looks almost as well as when it is freshly gathered. 
- Bothwell Bank and Dr. Livingstone Strawberry.— 
There is within half a mile of my place, at the seat of J. C. Burns, Esq., 
of Glenlee, a plantation of Strawberries which were sent from Castle 
Wemyss as pure Bothwell Bank. There are, however, a few plants of 
Keens’ Seedling and one or two others. The main body of them, 
however, are distinct, and in habit, fruitfulness, and fruit, &c., identical 
with Dr. Livingstone Strawberry. That does not justify me saying it 
is Dr. Livingstone, as I have frequently raised seedlings that could not 
be distinguished from previous ex is ing varieties ; besides mistakes may 
occur in the execution of orders and the exact variety wanted not be 
obtained. Dr. Livingstone was extensively grown within a few yards 
of that distinguished traveller’s birthplace, as well as on the opposite 
side of the Clyde, close to where the Bothwell Bank was said to be 
found growing beneath a Gooseberry bush. New Strawberry plants 
growing out of the plantation may or may not be seedlings. Jackdaws 
are numerous in the district, Bothwell Castle being one of their 
retreats. These birds are proverbial for carrying things from one 
place to another, and it is not unlikely that a plant of Dr. Livingstone 
was dropped by them at Bothwell Bank, and taking root might be 
thought a seedling.—W. T., Blantyve. 
- Royal Counties Agricultural Society's Show at 
Portsmouth. —We are informed that the Council of the Royal Counties 
Agricultural Society accepted the offer made by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, to gratuitously undertake the floral decorations of the Royal 
box in the grand stand, and the whole interior of the box was taste¬ 
fully decorated with flowers consisting of Calendulas, Canterbury Bells, 
annual Chrysanthemums, Clarkias, Delphiniums, Hawkweeds, Linarias, 
Sweet Peas, and Sweet Williams, from Messrs. Sutton’s Seed Trial 
Farm at Reading. In front of the Royal visitors was a charming dis¬ 
play of new Begonia raised by the firm, named the Duchess of Edin¬ 
burgh, colour white suffused with pink, this being the first time of its 
exhibition. 
- Fruit Prospects. —The promise of spring was most hopeful 
of abundant crops of all kinds of hardy fruit. The Whitsuntide frosts 
did us a little damage, but not much. It thinned the Gooseberries, but 
still left a good crop on the bushes, which are free from caterpillars» 
Currants are a heavy crop of all kinds ; Strawberries are, and have 
been, a fine crop, not so large as usual owing to the absence of June 
rains, but of excellent flavour. The rains seem to have been very 
partial. We had only 0 89 inch fur the month of June, and up to this 
(20tli of July) barely an inch in the twenty days. Cherries are a very 
good crop ; More los on walls abundant. Raspberries are very good. 
Plums most abundant, some trees of Victoria Winesour and Damsons 
we are having staked and tied to prevent the trees breakiDg. App’es are 
only a moderate crop. They generally set well, but many fell in the 
June drought. Pears a moderate crop, trees fairly healthy, sprayed with 
quassia and softsoap. The flavour of the new Strawberries—Noble, 
John Ruskin, and A. F. Barron—with me is most disappointing.— 
R. Maher, Yattenden Court, Newbury, 
-Ealing Horticultural Society.— Thetwenty-seventhannual 
Exhibition of this Society took place on 15th inst. in the beautiful grounds 
of Hanger Hill House, by kind permission of E. M. Nelson, Esq., J.P., 
whose gardens, under the able management of Mr. E. Chadwick, are 
just now in grand order. Some pretty groups of plants, arranged for 
effect, were displayed. The most successful exhibitors in this depart¬ 
ment were Mr. Denison, gardener to T. A. Gledstanes, Esq., Old Manor 
House ; Mr. H. Viner, gardener to R. Dawe3, Esq , Edmondscote, &e,. 
Mr. E. Chadwick, as usual, came well to the front in the cut flower 
section, whilst Miss Lilian Hudson, Gunnersbury, was simply invincible 
in the stands of flowers and foliage for dinner table decorations. In 
this department very beautiful were the bouquets, showing much taste 
in composition, contributed by Mrs. H. B. Smith, Court florist, Broad¬ 
way, Ealing, not for competition. The cottagers, as is always the-case 
here, made a good display of flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Non¬ 
competitive groups of plants and flowers, forming distinct and attractive 
features, were sent by Messrs. C. Lee & Son, Hammersmith, the cut 
Roses from their Ealing branch being universally admired ; Mr. Reynold,, 
gardener to the Messrs, de Rothschild, Gunnersbury Park; Mr. 
G, Weeden, St. John’s Nursery, Ealing; and Mr. Holden, florist, &c,, 
Acton. The management of the Show reflected the highest credit on 
the courteous Hon. Secretaries, Messrs. Cannon and Dawes, who worked 
hard to render the Exhibition a great success, as it undoubtedly was ? 
both horticulturally and financially. 
- Pinks and Peas at Chiswick. —On the occasion of the 
Chiswick Conference in July a 6ub-committee se’ected from the FLoral 
Committee examined the collection of border Pinks growing in the garden r 
and awarded three marks (xxx) to each of the following varieties :—Her 
Majesty (Hooper), Beauty of Bath (Hooper), Modesty (Turner), Hettie 
Dean (Dean), Charmer (Dean), Mrs. Dark (Dean). The Fruit and 
Vegetable Committee examined the collection of Peas growing in the 
garden, and awarded three marks (xxx) to the following sorts Ameer 
(Harrison & Sons), Early Green Marrow, Sutton’s Empress of India 
(Sutton & Sons), Early Green Wrinkled. This Committee met again on 
14th inst.., when three marks (xxx) were awarded to the following, 
varieties of Peas, as representing the best types in the collection :—Duke 
of Albany (Veitch), tall Green Marrow ; Telephone (Veitch), tall Green 
Marrow ; Chelsonian (Veitch), tall Green Marrow ; Extra Dwarf Daisy 
(Carter & Co.), Green Marrow ; Critic (Eckford), tall ; Essential 
(Eckford), tall; Epicure (Eckford), tall; The Echo (Eckford), dwarf; 
Alderman (Laxton), tall; The Marquis (Laxton), tall. Two marts 
(xx) were awarded to the following varieties : — Sutton s Early Marrow¬ 
fat (Sutton & Sons), dwarf ; Optimum (Laxton), tall. A first class- 
certificate was awarded to Potato Early Short Top, provisionally named 
•‘Laxton,” a remarkably fine and early variety. Tubers large, fully 
grown, greatly in advance of any other variety. 
