286 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 1, 1892. 
required medical advice. Much of this, doubtless, is to be attributed 
to the simplicity of his life, and to his regular and temperate habits. 
There he is: of medium height and agile frame; a fine head, once 
covered with fair hair, but now bald with the exception of a few thin 
white locks ; mild and meditative in expression ; the bloom still on his 
cheek, although eighty-five years of age by next birthday ; for many 
years a happy “ Benedict,” but now a widower and the father of a 
numerous family ; a good Christian man, and for a considerable time an 
esteemed elder in a Presbyterian church. 
Like his father, and like the inhabitants of Kilbarchan generally, 
John Love became in youth a handloom weaver, and diligently plied 
the shuttle till beyond the age of threescore and ten. But while busy 
at his trade during the time he resided under his father’s roof, he had 
parts of meal hours, and frequently half or whole days, occasioned by 
the change of one web for another, when he could gratify his taste for 
fioweis by cultivating them, and acquire also a knowledge of the habits 
and requirements of bees by watching and attending to those kept by 
his father—who was an enthusiastic bee-keeper, as was also his grand¬ 
father before him. 
In his love for flowers John Love was by no means singular amongst 
his fellow tradesmen, the handloom weavers of Kilbarchan having, in 
most cases, a garden attached to their dwelling house. There is found 
amongst them a common love for flowers, and no little skill and com¬ 
petition in their cultivation. This refined taste seems to be natural, 
and is possibly to be traced to the many exquisite patterns and fabrics 
on which they spend their daily labours, wdiereby they insensibly acquire 
a knowledge of the harmony of colours and a taste for the beautiful. 
Certain it is many of them are keen and successful cultivators of plants, 
and even very good judges of the merits of flowers which they them¬ 
selves have never grown and perhaps have seldom seen. 
John Love is a man of this stamp. Having by-and-by persuaded one 
of the other sex to cast in her lot with him as his wife, and got a house 
of his own, he could, now that he was his own master, follow out more 
freely the innocent and interesting hobby towards which his heart 
was drawn. He scon became acquainted with many plants, and not a 
few of them has he to some extent grown, such as Tulips, Pansies, Boses, 
Carnations, Auriculas, &c. ; but his favourite flower, his piece de resis¬ 
tance, has ever been the Pink. His bed of Pinks, when in its glory, has 
been generally a noteworthy sight. Looking at it over his garden wall 
at Mount Pleasant the bed at first glance may seem somewhat strange, 
and almost comical—short stakes at almost every plant, holding broken 
bowls and plates, and glass, and other ungainly contrivances ; shading 
and sheltering some plants from a scorching sun or possible rain, holding 
back others from a too early maturity, and stimulating some to a more 
forward growth. But turn in and inquire for the master, and ask him 
to show you his Pinks ; and he will cordially welcome you, and gladly, 
probably with head uncovered, lead you out, and with affectionate pride 
uncover, for your delighted inspection, his choice darlings. Probably he 
will tell you, “ These there are this year’s seedlings. This one here I 
think will do ; it is distinct from all others in the bed, and has qualities 
equal at least to any one of them. Here are also two or three which are 
very good, but before deciding what to do with them I must grow them 
another year. As for these other seedlings, they are below the mark and 
without promise, and must be cast out. These tallied ones are the 
named Pinks. This one— 1 Black-eyed Susan ’—is not a very large 
flower, but it is distinct, well laced, and pretty, and tells well in a 
stand, &c.” Before leaving him it is not unlikely he will say to you, 
“ If you grow Pinks I’ll give you, if I can spare it, a little grass of any 
one of them for pipings ; ” for John Love is a generous man, and likes 
to encourage others in the cultivation of his favourite flower. 
John Love’s Pink stands at a competitive exhibition are worthy of 
remark. Each flower is so neatly fixed in the centre of a circular piece 
of white paper a little larger than itself, and the petals so deftly spread 
as to show to the best advantage the build, and markings, and lacings of 
the flower ; and they are all so arranged on the stand, according to size 
and colour, as to present collectively to the eye a lovely and effective 
picture. Besides, after the judges have done their work you will 
commonly find attached to the stand a ticket, bearing in conspicuous 
print “ first prize,” and underneath this, in legible penmanship, “ John 
Love, Kilbarchan.” This has been repeated so frequently as to earn for 
him the soubriquet of “ Scottish Pink Champion.” John Love’s favour 
for the Pink has been a life-long one. It was cherished by him till lrs 
age extended beyond the threescore years and ten. It continued to be 
cherished by him even practically during his subsequent residence in 
Paisley for six years, and in Rothesay for five years more ; and when, at 
the end of these eleven years, he returned to his native town happily 
there was attached to the premises in which he took up his abode an 
excel ent garden, where he has given, and is still giving, abundant 
evidence that his love for his favourite flower has neither been 
extinguished or lessened by age nor superseded by a newer favourite, 
but is as enthusiastic as ever. His life now extends beyond the half of 
its ninth decade, but he still appears so strong, so active, so healthy, 
so cheerful, so much in the possession of every faculty with the excep¬ 
tion of hearing (whose gates are not now wide open) that he bids fair to 
see, if not the completion, at least the beginning of his tenth decade. 
It may be added that during all his long and active life John Love 
has been conversant, theoretically and practically, with bee-keeping ; 
but as the present writer is not very well acquainted with the plans and 
processes he followed in this kindred hobby he leaves it to some other, 
who is abundantly competent to write on the subject with intelligence 
and authority. 
Events of the Week. — To-day (Thursday, October 1st) the 
British Fruit Growers’ Association will hold a meeting in the Horti¬ 
cultural Club Boom, Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, at 5 P.M., when 
Mr. Goaring, Weald Hall Gardens, Brentwood, will read a paper on 
“ Apples for Gardens.” On Friday, October 2nd, a great sale of the old 
Cattleya labiata takes place at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms, Cheapside. 
The Boyal Horticultural Society’s Fruit, Floral, and Orchid Committees 
will meet at Chiswick on Tuesday, October 6th, and upon that and the- 
two following days the Exhibition and Conferences relating to Sun¬ 
flowers, Asters, and Coniferae will be held, the full programmes of which 
were published last week. There appears to be every prospect of the 
Conifer meeting being very successful, for many important exhibits are- 
promised. 
- The Weather in the Metropolitan District during 
the past few days has been extremely fine, the atmosphere clear, and 
the temperature high. On several mornings the thermometer in the- 
shade has registered 60° at 8 A.M. 
- The Kew Bulletin for September gives notes on the “ Orange 
Scale in Cyprus,” the “ Rediscovery of the Gutta Percha Tree in 
Singapore,” a chapter on the fodder plant Tagasaste (Cytisus proliferus), 
the Kangra Buckwheat, and some miscellaneous news from which we 
extract the undermentioned. 
- Indian and Colonial Appointments. — The Secretary of ? 
State for the Colonies has appointed, upon the nomination of Kew 
Mr. C. A. Barber, B.A., late scholar of Christ’s College, Cambridge, 
and University Demonstrator in Botany, to be Superintendent of the 
Botanical and Agricultural Department in the Leeward Islands. The 
Secretary of State for India in Council has appointed, on the 
nomination of Kew, Mr. A. B. Westland, late Assistant to the Superin¬ 
tendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department, Hong Kong, to 
be Superintendent of the Taj Gardens at Agra, N.W. Provinces, India.. 
The Secretary of State for the Colonies has appointed, on the nomina¬ 
tion of Kew, Mr. W. J. Tutcher, Sub-foreman in the Royal Gardens, to- 
succeed Mr. Westland as Assistant to the Superintendent of the Botanical 
and Afforestation Department, Hong Kong. 
- Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of- 
Manchester. —An Exhibition of hardy and other fruits will b"e 
held in the Town Hall, Manchester, on the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 
23rd October, 1891, and a Conference will take place, October 21st 
and 22nd, in the -Town Hall at twelve o’clock each day. On the first 
day of the Conference the Right Hon. the Earl of Derby will preside,, 
and on the second day Alderman Sir James Whitehead, Bart., Master of 
the Fruiterers’ Company, will take the chair. The following subjects 
will be introduced by the gentlemen whose names are appended :— 
Mr. Baillie of Chester : “ The Fruit Growing Movement: Present Day 
Features and Prospects.” Mr. Cheal of Crawley, Sussex : “ The 
Condition, Preparation, and After-Treatment of the Soil for Fruit 
Culture.” Mr. S. T. Wright of Hereford : “Fruit Growing for Profit.”' 
Mr. Crump of Madresfield : “ The Raising, Budding, Grafting, and 
Pruning of Apple Trees for Orchard and Estate Planting.” Mr. T. F„ 
Rivers of Sawbridgeworth : “ Orchard House Culture.” Mr. Edward 
Luckhurst of Romford : “ The Importance of Early Planting and 
Shelter in Fruit Culture.” 
- Prizes are also provided in Fruit Classes as follows :— 
Open classes : For the best exhibition of Apples (kitchen and dessert), 
six fruits of each variety, dissimilar, eighty dishes (fruit grown under 
glass excluded). First, the Society’s large gold medal; second, medium 
gold medal ; third, silver medal ; the same prizes being also offered for 
the best exhibition of Pears, six fruits of each variety, fifty dishes (fruit 
grown under glass excluded) ; for the best collection of Apples and 
Pears, six fruits of each variety, eighty dishes (for fruits grown under 
glass) ; and in the amateurs’ classes for a collection of Apples (kitchen 
and dessert), thirty-six dishes, dissimilar, six fruits of each variety (fruit- 
grown under glass excluded) ; for thirty-six dishes of Apples and Pears, 
six fruits of each variety, dissimilar (for fruits grown under glass) ; and 
for a collection of Grapes, to consist of ten bunches, in not less than 
