September 27, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
57 
had commenced to undertake contracts for laying out 
grounds, and his son developed this feature to a con¬ 
siderable extent. Among many completed works of 
this character may be mentioned the extensive grounds 
in connection with Dr. Barnard o's Home, at Barking- 
side ; The Gardens on Tower Hill ; Vauxhall Park ; 
the Bloomsbury Cemetery, at the back of the Foundling 
Hospital; the Cancer Hospital; the Bancroft Schools, 
at Woodford ; the Drapers’ Hall Gardens, &c. He 
also carried out many works for the Metropolitan 
Asylums’ Board. 
About the time of his father’s death he became the 
secretary of the Stoke Newington, subsequently the 
Borough of Hackney Chrysanthemum Society, and a 
few years since he invited me to join the society, 
which I did. I cordially supported his policy in making 
it a National Society, and the success which followed 
the change more than realised his most confident 
anticipations. It is not too much to say that its 
ramifications—reaching to many parts of the world — 
and its influence on matters horticultural, is second to 
those of no other society in the United Kingdom. 
The superabundant energy of William Holmes ; his 
great capacity for work ; his remarkable grasp of the 
subject ; his mastery over details, and his method of 
conducting business has 
made the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society what it is. 
I do not wish to underrate 
the great and valuable assis¬ 
tance he had received from 
many fellow workers; but 
he originated the idea of a 
National Society, and his 
force of character and native 
energy gave the idea life, 
activity, and undreamed-of 
realisation. He was not 
without some failings—the 
best of us have these ; but 
they were trifles compared 
to the business virtues he 
possessed and exercised in 
such a remarkable degree. 
Would that he could have 
lived to have witnessed the 
holding of the great cen¬ 
tenary festival, at the Royal 
Aquarium, in November 
next! The scheme was 
largely his own, and his 
desire that it should be em¬ 
inently successful was near to 
his heart. His foresight and 
the assistance he received 
from a centenary committee 
have happily laid down 
the lines upon which the 
celebration will be carried 
out, and many important 
details are already arranged. 
But who is there, having 
his grasp of the subject, that 
can take up the work and 
carry it on ? It is as if the 
commander of an advancing 
army had been shot down 
within sight of the last victorious charge. The 
committee of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
have a great responsibility thrown upon them by the 
untimely death of our friend. 
He had already carried out to a successful issue, and 
with great credit to himself, five of a series of six 
exhibitions at the Royal Aquarium, under the auspices 
of the Royal Aquarium Summer and Winter Garden 
Society. As an organiser he had very few equals, 
and it was this capacity that helped to make this 
series of exhibitions so popular. The great autumn 
fruit show on October 15th, 16th, and 17th, must now 
be entrusted to other hands. 
Our departed friend was a member of the floral 
committee of the Royal Horticultural Society ; a sup¬ 
porter of the charitable institutions connected with 
gardening, and his services were largely in request as 
a judge at Chrysanthemum shows—perhaps no man 
more so. 
He followed the example of his father in taking a 
warm interest in local affairs. He was a member of 
the vestry of Hackney, of the board of works, and of 
the board of trustees ; a director of one of the largest 
building societies in Hackney ; the chairman of the 
Conservative association of the central division of 
Hackney, &c., and held office in the Earl of Zetland 
lodge of Freemasons. He was one of the best known 
men in Hackney, and the briskness of the social side 
of his character made him popular with all classes. 
He leaves behind him a mother, sister, wife, and young 
family, all of whom mourn him with an exceeding 
great and enduring sorrow. He was buried in Abney 
Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, on Wednesday after¬ 
noon, in the presence of a large number of relatives and 
friends .—It D. -— 
At the meeting of the Floral Committee on Tuesday 
last, on the motion of Mr. Shirley Ilibberd, seconded 
by Mr. Richard Dean, it was unanimously resolved :— 
“ That having been informed of the death, on the 18 th 
inst., of their friend and fellow labourer, Mr. William 
Holmes, this Committee desires to convey to Mrs. 
Holmes and her family, a message of sympathy and 
condolence, assuring them that by reason of his personal 
merits and distinguished services to horticulture, the 
loss of their late associate is by them deeply regretted.” 
-- 
A WILLIAM HOLMES 
MEMORIAL. 
It is not at all unlikely, I should imagine, that the 
horticultural press will be inundated with suggestions 
with respect to the founding of a memorial to the late 
Mr. Holmes, so long the able, efficient and affable 
secretary of the National Chrysanthemum Society. 
The more suggestions the better, because it will 
show how wide-spread is the feeling of regret at our 
late dear friend’s too untimely death. But it seems 
absolutely certain that the ultimate decision as to the 
form any memorial should assume will rest with the 
National Chrysanthemum Society, and I hope that as 
early as possible a general meeting of the members of 
that society will be convened for the respective pur¬ 
poses : first, of enabling the members to express their 
deep and earnest sympathy with the relatives of their 
late secretary, and intense sadness at the loss the 
society has sustained ; secondly, to resolve that 
through the society a worthy and fitting memorial to 
the deceased shall be promoted, and thirdly, as far as 
possible, the nature of the memorial, and the appoint¬ 
ment of a special committee to carry it out. 
It seems most obvious that the memorial should be 
from the society, and that it should be associated with 
the society, and specially the Chrysanthemum. Much 
as we may favour philanthropic memorials, yet this is 
a case in which all proclivities in that direction must 
be made subservient to the great fact that William 
Holmes was the great organiser of the National Chry¬ 
santhemum Society, that his chief work was for the 
Chrysanthemum, and that any memorial must be 
designed to commemorate that work. Now, so far I 
have no doubt that what I have written will receive 
unanimous approval, but beyond that all is chaos, for 
amidst the probable legion of proposals, I here submit 
two which may but serve to provoke hostile criticism. 
The first is the breaking away from the ordinary 
form that memorial prizes assume, presuming that the 
project should ultimately take that form, that the 
memorial shall be of a terminable kind, enduring, say, 
for twenty years, and that from the amount raised a 
certain sum be set apart for providing yearly—to be 
awarded at the shows of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society—very finely mounted and framed enlarged 
photographic portraits of the late Mr. Holmes. 
Assuming that as much as £200 were raised, and that 
three superbly finished and framed pictures could be 
provided at a cost of £10, there could be three of these 
beautiful objects awarded annually for twenty years ; 
the interest on the sum total going to pay the expenses 
incidental to the memorial. I would not have these 
portraits, which would, I am sure, be eagerly sought 
for, awarded as prizes to any ordinary class at the shows, 
but should be given by the whole body of the judges 
to the most meritorious 
exhibits, and never twice 
to the same exhibitor. 
My second suggestion is 
that the memorial be a 
special William Holmes 
Chrysanthemum album, to 
take the form of a beau¬ 
tifully illustrated book, con¬ 
stituting an exquisite work 
of art. The book, which 
should be about the page 
size of The Gardening 
Would, and handsomely 
and wholly bound, should 
contain a superb engraved 
portrait of Mr. Holmes, and 
such other illustrations— 
coloured, if possible — as 
the memorial committee 
may determine, together 
with a biographical sketch 
of the deceased secretary, 
and a short history of 
the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society. No worthier 
editor for such a work of 
love could be found 
than Mr. Harman Payne, 
and no doubt there 
would be found plenty 
of first-class publishing 
houses willing to under¬ 
take the production of 
such a work. The sub¬ 
scription to the album 
should be ten shilliugs, so 
as to ensure that it was 
of a first-class character ; 
and there can be no doubt 
but that if some 300 or 400 
were subscribed for, the 
album would constitute one of the most beautiful 
memorials ever raised to the honour of a horti¬ 
culturist. 
We do not want a portrait hung up somewhere where 
it will be seldom or never seen. It may be pleaded 
that perhaps all who may wish to honour Mr. Holmes’ 
memory could not afford the sum of ten shillings ; in 
such cases there could be a cheaper edition furnished no 
doubt, priced five shillings, but the higher the price 
the more beautiful the book. Were this proposal 
adopted it would be obvious that no subscription below 
five shillings could be received, whilst richer people 
could subscribe for as many copies as they may desire 
to have. The books must in no case be disfigured by 
advertisements, or be made a medium for grinding pro¬ 
fessional or trade axes. 
I submit these proposals to the consideration of 'Mr. 
Holmes’ many warm friends and admirers, with confi¬ 
dence that they will receive due consideration, and 
certainly believe that they are far more meritorious than 
medals, money prizes, tablets, or other of the common 
formula of horticultural memorials .—A Member of the 
N. O. S. [We favour most our correspondent’s second 
suggestion, and especially if it could be made a magnum 
opus on the Chrysanthemum, which has not yet had 
lull justice done to it; but such a work would cost 
more than ten shillings a copy.—E d.] 
