December 5.J 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
143 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M 
D 
5 
DECEMBERS—11, 1850. 
Weather 
Barometer. 
near London 
Thermo. Wind. 
N 1849. 
Rain in In. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bef.Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
5 
Th 
29.379 — 
29.275 
47—29 
s. 
0.10 
51 a. 7 
50 a. 3 
5 
35 
2 
9 
11 
339 
6 
F 
Nicholas. 
29-722 — 
29.640 
52- 34 
s. 
— 
52 
50 
6 
25 
3 
8 
46 
340 
7 
S 
Skylarks flock. 
29.623 — 
29.372 
49—41 
S.E. 
0.11 
54 
50 
7 
22 
4 
8 
20 
341 
8 
Son 
2 S. in Advent. Conception B.V.M. 
29.622 — 
29.392 
49—25 
S.W. 
— 
55 
49 
8 
22 
5 
7 
54 
342 
9 
M 
30.018 — 
29.816 
45—26 
E. 
— 
56 
49 
9 
25 
6 
7 
27 
343 
10 
To 
30.139 — 
30.155 
39—35 
N.E. 
57 
49 
10 
30 
7 
7 
0 
344 
11 
W 
Grosbeak seen. 
30.129 — 
30.089 
41—34 
N.E. 
— [ 
58 
49 
11 
35 
3 
6 
32 
345 | 
Little does the world know—little does it think—of the sleep-robbed 
eyes and the aching brains—of the effort without relaxation, and of the mind 
without repose, on which, too often, that world is dependent for its daily, 
weekly, and monthly periodical literature. To live to write for the benefit 
of mankind is an enviable existence; but to write to live is one of the 
worst forms of the curse which bade man earn bread by the sweat of his 
brow. Let us try to unveil this truth by a sketch of the life of the late 
John Claudius Loudon, and let us at the same time bid our readers to 
learn from his example that difficulties apparently insurmountable are 
but as grass before the mower’s scythe when grappled with firmly and 
persevcringly. He was born at Cambuslang, in Lanarkshire, on the 8th of 
April, 1783 ; and it is worthy of remark, that Dr. Claudius Buchanan was 
the son of Loudon’s mother’s only sister—so that from the mothers’ side 
appears to have descended that indomitable energy so characteristic of 
these two eldest sons. Both mothers were left widows at an early age ; 
and both were indebted to those sons for the means of rearing their 
larger than ordinary families. Loudon was a gardener even in childhood— 
“ his principal pleasure being then in making walks and beds in a little 
garden his father had given him; ” and, fortunately, every encourage¬ 
ment was given to his taste, and every aid that could advance him on his 
selected course. He was sent to Edinburgh, and not only instructed in 
Latin—the language which placed the works of all botanists within his 
power—but he was well grounded in French and Italian—aids to continental 
intercourse—and he was also enrolled in the classes of Botany and 
Chemistry. Nor let it be supposed that, even at this early age, the spirit 
of independence, the firm resolve to obey the dictates of duty, did not 
manifest themselves. On the contrary, let it be told to his honour that 
he paid his masters out of the proceeds of the translations which he sold; 
and that when, at the age of fourteen, he was placed under a nurseryman 
and landscape gardener, he still continued to attend the university classes, 
and sat up two whole nights in every week, so that his hours of study 
might not be deducted from the more practical lessons available by day. 
In 1803 he proceeded to London, and, young as he was, readily obtained 
employment as a landscape gardener. He at once evinced that he had 
no fear to restrain him from attacking practices which his better judg¬ 
ment told him had no other support than their antiquity ; for finding 
the London squares had no more cheerful ornaments than the unvaryingly 
sombre yew and other “ nevergreens,” he published Observations on 
Laying Out the Public Squares of London , and heralded in the better 
taste which now characterizes the vegetation employed in them. Passing 
over some of his less important works, and his changes of residence 
between London and Edinburgh, we find that “ a mercy in disguise ” led 
to his first passage upwards on the ladder of life. In 1806, being an 
outside passenger on a night-coach, exposed to the inclemency of the 
weather, and unwisely regardless of changing his wet clothes, he was 
seized with rheumatic fever, from the effects of which he never entirely 
recovered. Debilitated by its severe onset, he occupied lodgings at 
Pinner, near Harrow, hoping that fresh air and change of scene would 
promote the return of strength. He here had abundant opportunity for 
observing how inferior was then the agriculture of England to that of his 
native country; and he successfully urged upon liis father the policy of 
renting a farm near London. Conjointly they occupied Wood Hall, and with 
such success, that the year following Loudon was justified in publishing a 
pamphlet, entitled, An Immediate and Effectual mode of Raising the 
Rental of the Landed Property in England. This naturally gained the 
attention of the landlords, and led to the author’s introduction to General 
Stratton, and, in 1809 , to his renting under this gentleman Tew Park, in 
Oxfordshire. Jn conjunction with an establishment for the education of 
agricultural pupils, he prosecuted farming so successfully, that in 1812 
he had realized £\ 5,000. To earn worthily and to retain wisely are 
' mental qualities not always united, and Loudon is an example in point. 
He rashly gave up his farm, dismissed his pupils, invested his money, and 
set forth upon a continental tour. Pleasant pastime this, and not alto- 
1 gether unprofitable, for he gathered stores of knowledge, which his pen 
and pencil turned to good account in after years. But when he reached 
England in 1814 the time of flowers was passed, and the bitter fruit 
appeared,—his investments had proved unsubstantial, his fortune was 
lost, and the harvest had again to he sown for. He was not the dastard 
who dares not face a difficulty, so he again addressed himself with energy 
to Landscape gardening. He now resolved to publish a comprehensive 
work on horticulture, and, it is said, visited France and Italy in 1819 for 
the purpose of completing his knowledge of the continental gardens. If 
this were his object, the result did not justify the outlay; for there is 
nothing in his Encyclopaedia of Gardening that required for its procuring 
a continental trip. This work appeared in 1822, and is aclcnowledgedly 
the best compilation, mixed with much original information, that has 
ever been added to our gardening literature. The success of this work 
prompted him to undertake a scries of Encyclopedias on Agriculture, 
Plants, and Architecture, the last of which appeared in 1832. “The 
labour,” says Mrs. Loudon, “was immense; and for several months he 
and I used to sit up the greater part of every night, never having more 
than four hours sleep, and drinking strong coffee to keep ourselves 
awake.” He then planned a new work, still more extensive and requiring 
still more labour—his Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum , embracing 
every particular relative to the trees and shrubs native or introduced into 
these islands. It appeared in 1838 ; and, publishing it at his own expense, 
he then found himself indebted about ten thousand pounds to his printer, 
paper-maker, and wood-engraver ! During the time that these vast works 
were going on, he edited several periodicals. In 1821) he established the 
Gardener's Magazine , and continued it until his death. In 1826 he com¬ 
menced his Magazine of Natural History , and edited it until in 1836 it 
passed into other hands. *In 1834 he commenced the Architectural 
Magazine, discontinuing it in 1838; but in 1836 had begun publishing 
his Suburban Gardener; so that at one and the same time, in addition to 
the Arboretum, he edited four monthly publications, and to produce them 
with due regularity “he literally worked night and day.” 
These labours would appear excessive even for a man in perfect health 
and with the vigorous use of his limbs, but they almost exceed belief 
when the circumstances under which they were carried on are known. 
His first attack of rheumatic fever in 1806 was so severe as to produce 
permanent stiffness of the left knee. Subsequently his right arm became 
affected; and the attack was so severe that, the usual remedies having 
failed, he submitted to shampooing. During the process his arm was 
broken so close to the shoulder as to render setting it in the usual mode 
impossible. Shortly after the arm was again broken, and then, in 1826, 
amputation became unavoidable. In this year it will be noticed, he esta¬ 
blished the Gardener's Magazine, and entered upon that career of her¬ 
culean mental effort we have detailed ; nor was it carried on without a 
still further shattering of his frame, for now his left hand became so dis¬ 
abled that the use of only the third and little finger remained. Maimed 
and infirm of body, his mind yet retained its vigour unabated, and he had 
recourse to the employment of an amanuensis and draftsman. Thus did 
he give ground only inch by inch as death advanced; and when the day 
arrived when to him “time must be no more,” death still found him 
labouring at his vocation, and “ he died standing on his feet.” Chronic 
inflammation of the lungs terminated his life on the 14th of December, 
1843. The work on which he was employed at the time of his death is 
entitled, Self-instruction for Young Gardeners —a class deeply indebted 
to him, for he laboured sedulously and effectively to elevate them and to 
promote their interests. Let her who knew him best utter his requiem— 
“ Never did any man possess more energy and determination ; whatever 
he began he pursued with enthusiasm, and carried out, nothwithstanding 
obstacles that would have discouraged any ordinary person. He was a 
warm friend; most affectionate in all his relations of son, husband, 
father, and brother; and never hesitated to sacrifice pecuniary con¬ 
siderations to what he considered his duty.” 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations 
during the last twenty-three years, it is found that the average highest 
and lowest temperatures of these days are 46.4° and 35.5°, respectively. 
The lowest eolef observed was 14° on the 6th in 1844. During the period 
there were 83 fine days, and on 78 days rain fell. 
Many years since when lecturing upon the sciences ap- < 
plicable to the cultivation of plants, we remember a gen¬ 
tleman's gardener asking us to suggest anything that 
we thought would assist him in obtaining forced aspa¬ 
ragus early in autumn, because his employer liked to 
; have it all the year. We suggested that the plants, in a 
very narrow open-ground bed, should be allowed to send 
up their stems, and when they had done blooming, say 
at the beginning of September, that the stems should be 
cut down, and a trench all round filled with hot, fer¬ 
menting dung. He adopted our suggestion with perfect 
success, and we thought no more about the matter, until 
a very clever gardener, the other day, sent us as a pro¬ 
blem in gardening, difficult to be solved, “ How can you 
easily obtain forced asparagus in October ? ” We replied 
as above, and he has, after acknowledging we were cor¬ 
rect in principle, stated his own practice, which requires, 
as in the usual modes of forcing asparagus, that plants 
be raised annually for the purpose. He says, “ There is 
much waste in forcing asparagus in the open-ground 
No. CX1V., Vo l V. 
