32 
THE FLOBIST AND POIIOIjOGIST. 
[ Fehui ary, 
high as a rabbit can reach will run down the stem 
and preserve it from rabbits for several mouths. If 
it becomes too thick, it may be thinned with paraffin 
oil. Half a hundredweight (costing, he thinks, 
18s,) is sufficient to preserve 20,000 trees for a 
season. It Seems not to injure the growth of the 
trees. Daring snow, when the rabbits were hard 
pinched for food, they avoided all the trees in his 
plantations which had been dressed in the summer 
with this preparation. 
— ®lNDEBtlie pseudonym of “Abel Doubla- 
way,” Mr. John Smitb, formerly Curator of 
Kew Gardens, has written a little sliilling book, 
entitled Adah Spade, the Gaedeneb (Hardwicke 
and Bogue), in which ho has sot down the extra¬ 
ordinary accpxiremeuts and duties of this old 
“ horter,” by stringing together, in such a xvay that 
they bear a double meaning, a long array of the 
names, popular and scientilio, borne by plants. An 
alphabetical index is added, giving the explanation 
of the words which arc parodied in the text. The 
attempt is amusing, though some of the allusions 
are a little far-fetched. 
— SMb have before us Nos. 1 and 2 of 
New Commercial Plants, by T. Christy, 
F.L.S., published by Christy and Co. No. 1 
contains an account of the Liberian Cofico (Cnffea 
liberica), African Kubber (Landolphia fioridaj, 
Turkish Tobacco, and the Prickly Comfrey, all 
illustrated, the two former by large, well-executed 
plates. No. 2 contains Gynocardia odorata, the 
Chaulmugra, with plate; Vogel’s African Rubber, 
(Uvosficptia Fo^fehi), with plate; Bassia latifolia, the 
Mahwah tree ; and a brief note on the Cocoa (Theo- 
hroma CacaoJ. The text gives a description of the 
plants referred to, an account of their products, 
medicinal or economical, and such other information 
concerning them as may be obtainable, the whole 
forming a series of interesting chapters on the use¬ 
ful products of some of the little-known members 
of the vegetable kingdom. Mr. Christy is highly to 
be commended for making tliis information more 
generally accessible. 
©ftttttavi). 
— 2Hilliam Essington Essington, Esep, 
of Eibbesford House, Bewdley, died, after a 
lingering illness, on December 24th. By his 
decease wo have lost an ardent horticulturist, 
one whoso garden showed evidence of taste and 
practical discrimination. He grew all the better 
kinds of herbaceous plants; florists’ flowers re¬ 
ceived cai'e and attention ; and Mr. Essington was 
amongst the first who encouraged the planting of 
the Clematis in masses, which has rendered that 
gorgeous flower so popular. Emits of all kinds 
were specially cared for and studied by him. Of 
Pears especially he was fortunate in raising several 
superior varieties, including Autumn Josephine, a 
valuable acquisition, and several others, of which 
great hopes are entertained. Mr. Essington was 
one of the truest patrons of horticulture, and in him 
the science has lost a gifted member, and gardeners 
a genial and valued friend. 
— ftlR. Charles J. Higgs, for the past nine 
years gardener to Mrs. Crawshay, at Caversham 
Park, near Beading, died on December 26th, 
aged 36. Mr. Higgs for several years was in 
charge of the gardens at Crabwood, near South¬ 
ampton, the residence of Mr. Rolles Driver, w'here 
he was enabled to display his energies in many and 
varied improvements. He subsequently took charge 
of the gardens at Caversham Park, where he also 
made a good reputation, and was widely known and 
deservedly esteemed. 
- |{lR. John Holmes died at .Whittington 
Hill, near Lichfield, on January 4th, in his 
81st year. He was related to Mr. Edward 
Holmes, of the Whittington Nursery, and was for 
upwards of twenty years a partner in the firm of 
Fisher, Holmes, and Co., of the Handsworth Nursery, 
near Sheffield. 
- ftJR. Thomas Methven, founder and 
senior partner of the firm of Methven and 
Sons, nurserymen and seedsmen, of Edinburgh, 
died on January 13th, in his 60th year. Ho was a 
native of Kennoway, in Fifeshire, served an appren¬ 
ticeship as a gardener at Leslie House, under the 
Dowager-Countess of Rothes, and while still young 
commenced business for himself as a nurseryman. 
The great experience he acquired in matters con¬ 
nected with arboriculture and horticulture led to his 
advice being sought by the large landed jn’oprietors 
of the country, in connection with the laying-out of 
their grounds. Hn was one of the founders of the 
Scottish Arboricultural Society and of the Scottish 
Horticultural Association; also an active member 
of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. In 
1866 he was elected Councillor for the Calton Ward, 
and continued to represent it in the Corporation 
until 1877, when he retired, but not before he had 
been elevated to the magistracy, a position which 
he enjoyed for four years, before he again returned 
into more private life. The nursery business is 
carried on by his family. 
— IKr. Thomas Sage (father of Mr. G. 
Sage, gardener to Lord Brownlow, at Ash- 
ridge), died at Camberwell on January 12th, in 
his 90th year. He was born at Caine, in Wiltshire, 
and began work in the garden at Bowood ; while 
still young, he left, for the nurseries of Mr. Ronalds, 
at Brentford ; he subsequently became gardener to 
Mr. Moss, at Drayton Green, near Ealing, where ho 
remained for some years; and then entered the ser¬ 
vice of Lady Hazlerigg, at Hillingdon Heath, with 
whom he stayed twenty-nine years, and retired on 
a pension, in consequence of her ladyship giving up 
her country residence. For some years afterwards 
he was employed at the Crystal Palace. 
- Joseph Dale, gardener lo the 
Hon. Society of the Middle Temple, died at 
Leyton on December 30th, in his G4th year. 
Mr. Dale was born on June 29th, 1815, and was in 
his younger days employed in Mr. Groom’s then 
famous nursery at Walworth. He was appointed 
gardener to the Hon. Society of the Middle Temjfie 
in 1843. During the thirty-five years he had charge 
of the Temple Gardens, he gained and held the 
esteem of a very wide circle of friends; and was 
so successful in the cultivation of the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum, that some years ago he published a small 
book on the subject. I 71 1857, at a Special Parlia¬ 
ment of the Bench of the Middle Temple, “it was 
ordered that a testimonial be presented to the 
gardener, Joseph Dale, as a token of the great 
satisfaction which his very successful show of 
Chrysanthemums has given to the Bench ;’’ and it 
was only in February, 1878, that he was presented 
with a handsome timepiece and a parse of fifty 
guineas, “ by friends who esteem his worth, and 
apjjreciate his labours in the cultivation of the 
Chrysanthemum,” 
