THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
33 
October 17. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
OCTOBER 17—23, 1851. 
Weather nj 
Barometer. 
ar London in 
Thermo. Wind. 
1853. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of I 
Year. | 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
To 
W 
Th 
F 
S 
Sdn 
hr 
Mallow Moth. 
St. Luke. 
Red-green Carpet Moth. 
Streak Moth. 
Sun’s declination, 10° 42's. 
18 Sunday after Trinity. 
Autumnal Dagger Moth. 
29.242—29.070 
29.447—29.396 
29.152—29.940 
29.810— 29.373 
29.845—29.753 
29.937—29.814 
30.080—29.970 
56 — 33 
57 — 34 
53—46 
56—32 
60—50 
64— 53 
65— 42 
S.W. 
W. 
E. 
N.W. 
S.W. 
S.W. 
S.W. 
31 
36 
08 
29 a 6 
31 
32 
34 
36 
38 
39 
2 a 5 
0 
IY 
56 
54 
52 
50 
0 46 
2 0 
3 13 
4 28 
sets. 
5a 13 
5 33 
25 
26 
2 7 
28 
© 
1 
2 
14 33 
14 44 
14 55 
15 6 
15 16 
15 25 
15 33 
290 ; 
291 
292 , 
293 
294 
295 
296 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-seven years, the average highest and lowest tem. 
° f i ‘’(O' 8 are £ 8 - 5 > -d4.4 > respectively. The greatest heat, 73°, occurred on the 21st, in 1830 j and the lowest cold, 20°, on 
the 21st, in 1842. During the period 99 days were fine, and on 90 rain fell. ’ ’ uu 
“Few men are alike in their general views, and few 
men combine with genius the clear comprehensiveness 
of common sense. Genius is too apt to soar above 
matter-of-fact duties, forgetting, in the realms of 
ideal conceptions, that the necessary and instructive 
lessons ot every-day-lifo are those by which we are 
mostly governed, known, and distinguished; those by 
which the application of human attainments is con¬ 
verted into a moral, a fame, or a disgrace. 
A man, gifted with the combination of genius, with a 
sound, practical knowledge of his avocation, is an excep¬ 
tion to the common rule of life, and assumes a special 
position, influencing and controling in ordinary trans¬ 
actions all those within its sphere. 
In studying the history of Mr. Fleming, we shall find 
a singular instance of the truth of these remarks; a 
history abounding, as it does, in examples of integrity, 
energy, and intellectual discrimination, which in our 
pilgrimage so rarely visit us united. 
Mr. George Fleming was bom at Dunrobiu, in 
Sutherlandshire, on the 15th January, 1809. His 
1 father, who originally came from Fifeshire, thon held 
the situation of head - gardener to the (late) Duke of 
Sutherland, then Marquis of Stafford, and in which 
situation he died, in 1824, having filled it for a period of 
nearly thirty years. 
He was a man of great taste and energetic character; 
and was so well versed in the duties of his profession as 
to obtain the reputation of being one of the first 
practical gardeners in Scotland; added to which, the 
kindness, urbanity, and moral habits of his private life, 
gained him the esteem and confidence of his superiors ; 
as well as the sincere friendship of all dwelling in the 
neighbourhood. He never visited England; but lived 
and died among the mountains and fertile valleys of 
his native land. When about seven years of age his 
son George, the subject of this memoir, was put to a 
school at Golspie, near to Dunrobin; which he attended, 
but not regularly, till his twelfth year. During this time 
his talents appeared of a very ordinary kind, giving no 
evidence of any of those qualifications by which he has 
since been distinguished. On leaving school, he first 
entered fully into the duties of his choice of profession 
under his father’s able tuition ; but, being of a delicate 
constitution, it was only (at first) in the summer months 
that he was able to attend regularly to them. As time, 
however, wore on, his strength gradually increased, and 
when in his fourteenth year, on the death of his father, 
he went to Trentham, by the express desire of the late 
Duke and Duchess, for improvement in the gardens— 
Mr. Woolley being then the head-gardener. He re¬ 
mained there four years, working carefully and steadily 
through every department, and at last became such a 
proficient, that Mr. Woolley told her Grace, the late 
Duchess-Countoss, who never visited Trentham without 
kindly enquiring for him—“ He could teach him no 
more.” 
This remark seemed to justify her Grace’s opinion of 
his character when ahoy at the Dunrobin Gardens ; and 
accordingly she intimated her wish to have him sent to 
the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick. 
The kind intention, however, was, for some reason, never 
realised, but the same year Mr. Woolley obtained em¬ 
ployment for him at Messrs. Buchanan and Co.’s 
Nursery, Camberwell. He there, by his industrious 
conduct, and intelligent manner, secured the interest 
and friendship of that eminent firm, and at the end of 
two years he was appointed by them as foreman of 
twenty-two men, to assist Mr. Buchanan, jun., in plant¬ 
ing and improving the estate of Charles Ranken, Esq., 
situate at Dulwich, where that gentleman is still living. 
This undertaking, which occupied from November to 
March 1830-1, furnished ample scope for the em¬ 
ployment of his dawning genius, which so struck the 
attention of Mr. Ranken, that he at once offered him 
the situation of head-gardener. Mr. Fleming at first 
declined the kind offer, in consequence of hopes held 
out of his services being required as foreman at Tren¬ 
tham. These hopes proving abortive, he ultimately 
acceded to Mr. Ranken’s wishes, and was installed in 
his first situation, as principal, at the early age of 
twenty-two. He remained there eight years, to the 
great satisfaction of that gentleman, who easily per¬ 
ceived his worth, and unhesitatingly bestowed upon 
him the credit and kindness it deserved. As an ex¬ 
hibitor, he was very fortunate, having obtained during 
that time upwards of thirty prizes at the Chiswick and 
Metropolitan Exhibitions. 
Being desirous of having the management of more 
extensive operations, Mr. Ranken did all in his power to 
assist him, and hearing that the Duke of Buccleuch 
required a head - gardener at Dalkeith, he gave him 
some excellent testimonials to forward with his own 
application. His Grace the (present) Duke of Suther¬ 
land, likewise interceded in his favour. On the receipt 
of the Duke of Buccleuch’s answer, which was a very 
No. CCCXVI., Vol. XIII. 
