788 
August 11, 1894, 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
DEATH OF MR. GEORGE MEDLAND. 
A Retrospect. 
This patriarchal Florist and Hybridiser passed 
away at noon on Friday, August 3rd, 1894, in his 
eighty-seventh year, from sudden failure of the 
heart—and thus the wheels of life stood still. 
He was the best example of a gardener in humble 
life, possessing both practical and theoretical 
knowledge of gardening known to me, and will 
most certainly shine out among the foremost 
in the gardening world of the present century, 
for he studied his profession with the greatest 
enthusiasm from “the cradle to the grave,” and 
could even speak of that successful and veteran 
horticulturist, the late Mr. John Dominy, as a 
young friend. Seventy-two years ago George Med- 
land commenced a seven years’ apprenticeship with 
the late Mr. Charles Sclater, at the Old Summer- 
lands Nursery, Exeter, and remained in his service 
for over twenty years. In one of his many 
intellectual notes to me on gardening, he refers to 
that far-off period, speaking of Sclater’s Gardens on 
Southernhay, where they grew fruit, flowers, and 
vegetables for market, and also of other gardens in 
Holloway Street, where they had a fine stretch of 
brick walls, on which Apricots, Nectarines and 
Peaches, were in full vigour, producing splendid 
fruit, and even at that time fetching good prices 
(3d., 4d., and 6d.). Salading was also a paying 
crop. 
One of his favourite flowers—the Carnation—was 
cultivated extensively, for he remarks that every 
year several hundreds in pots were grown for bloom¬ 
ing, and there was a canvas screen lor sheltering 
them when needed, also all the leading kinds of 
named Auriculas, Polyanthuses, and Pinks. North 
Country Pinks were small and thin, but beautifully 
laced, yet were inferior to the larger and fuller 
flowers of the southern growers—Barrett’s Con¬ 
queror, Davey’s Britannia, Lady Albemarle, and 
Davey’s Earl of Uxbridge were great favourites— 
Davey of Chelsea was a florist of some note. At 
that time Mr. Sclater visited London, and made a 
selection of Pelargoniums, which were then quite 
unknown in the Exeter district, as only some Cape 
Scarlets, and Zonales, with a few tuberous rooted 
kinds were grown. These new Pelargoniums created 
a great sensation in Devonshire, and many of them 
were Davey’s seedlings. Thomson, of Mile End, 
about the year 1828 was selling off his fine collection 
of Camellias, and Mr. Sclater bought many of them, 
including fine specimens of Double White and 
Chandleri. How to get them to Exeter was a 
difficulty, the only conveyances being wagons and 
stage coaches, so he went to Topping’s Wharf and 
arranged with the captain of an Exeter trading ship. 
Fortunately the wind was fair, and the passage 
quick, and so all arrived safe and sound. I merely 
mention this to show the advantages we have 
nowadays. 
With regard to gardening at Exeter, Mr. Medland 
has stated that there were amateur growers of Tulips, 
Auriculas, Carnations, Polyanthuses, double Prim¬ 
roses, Turban and Persian Ranunculi, and 
Hyacinths, and that in the upper part of the city 
lived numerous serge weavers, most of them having 
nice kept gardens behind their houses. These old 
weavers, it seems, were regular devotees, and had a 
real love for their pets. Messrs. Ford & Please had 
a large nursery in Okehampton Street, afterwards 
known as Dymond’s Nursery. Mr. William Ford 
also had a large nursery in Longbrooke Street, 
another at Lion’s Holt, and one near the Cavalry 
Barracks. iLucombe, Pince & Co.’s nursery was 
the oldest, dating from 1720, and so long ago as 1840 
that great gardener, the late Mr. Pince, had a rich 
and varied collection of stove and greenhouse plants 
and Orchids, etc., including some splendid speci¬ 
mens. He observes that he could remember the old 
John Lucombe, who had retired from the business 
many years. 
The other nurseries are of recent date, except 
Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, at the Mount Radford 
Nursery, but now of the Royal Exotic Nursery, 
Chelsea. When the Mount Radford Nursery closed, 
the present nursery in the New North Road was 
opened by the late Mr. Robt. Veitch, and is now 
carried on by his son, Mr. Peter Veitch, and known 
as Veitch's Royal Exotic Nursery, Exeter. But of 
private gardens there were only a few cultivators of 
hot-house plants, such as the late Mr. Chas. Booth, 
gardener to Mrs. Johnes, of Hills Court, and after¬ 
wards gardener at Downes, Crediton, who had a 
good knowledge of plant growing. Mrs. Johnes had 
a fine lot of stove and greenhouse plants as well as 
ornamental trees and shrubs. The late Mr. John 
Milford, of Coaver House, a famous banker o^ 
Exeter, was also a great enthusiast and pioneer of 
horticulture in those parts, and his gardener, Mr. 
Cable, used to do Grapes, Pineapples, and stove 
plants well. It was in this garden that Mr. Medland 
first saw Azalea indica alba. An old lady named 
Miss Weston had nice gardens on Southernhay also, 
and used to visit her brother in London, and return 
with new and rare plants obtained from Loddige’s 
once famous nurseries. 
Mr. Medland further observed that dung beds, 
leaves, and tanners’ bark, with the old smoke flues, 
were in those days the heating mediums, and that the 
first hot-water apparatus known to him in the West 
of England was by Corbett, gardener at Pencarrow, 
Cornwall, which was the open trough system, flow 
and return, and very useful in many ways, and that 
Mr. Milford aforesaid had steam for heating his 
plant houses at Coavey, but eventually hot-water 
pipes for heating purposes soon became general. 
With regard to gardeners of that period, after the 
Exeter Horticultural Society was formed in 1829 or 
1830, Mr. Medland gradually scraped acquaintance 
with many of them, and on the whole they were a 
respectable, intelligent lot of men, for there were 
very few changes, and so most of them remained in 
their situations to the last. He could, however, 
only remember two who were able to retire on their 
own means, viz., Mr. May, gardener at Haldon 
House; and Mr. Willis, gardener at Mamhead Park. 
A few of the oldest gardeners were Hall, at Powder- 
ham Castle; Lawrie and Cleall, Nut well Court; 
Lowe, Bystock; Saunders, Luscombe Castle; 
Saunders, Kitley; Craggs, Jun., Killerton Park; 
Craggs, Sen., Weare House; Nicholls, Winslade 
Park; Griffin and Yole, Cowley House; Kemp, 
Rockbeare Court; Mason, Escott Park; and 
Anderson, Glendenning, and Barnes, of Bicton. 
Mr. Medland was born on February i8th, 1808, 
and was employed in Sclater’sNursery for over twenty 
years, in Russell’s Nursery at Sidmouth two years, 
in Mount Radford Nursery with the late Mr. James 
Veitch, six years, in Addiscott’s Nursery at St. 
Thomas’ 17 years, and from 1875 to 1890 with the 
late Messrs. Lucombe, Pince & Co., of the great 
Exeter Nursery, when from sheer infirmities of old 
age he gave up and became a pensioner of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. He was 
naturally a retiring and modest man, kind-hearted, 
and a firm friend, and knew more trees, shrubs, 
fruits, and flowers at sight than any man I have so 
far met with ; was in point of fact a walking 
dictionary of gardening to the end, and his knowledge 
of herbaceous and border plants in particular was 
profound. Those who can remember Messrs. 
Lucombe, Pince & Co.’s magnificent floral displays 
at most of the more important flower shows, during 
Dr. Woodman’s proprietorship, will recall their 
skilfully grown prize winners in stove and greenhouse 
plants and Orchids, &c., and also their gorgeous 
trays of Carnations, Dahlias, Delphiniums. Gaillar- 
dias. Hollyhocks, Irises, Pansies, Paeonias, Pen- 
stemons. Phloxes, Picotees, Pinks, Pyrethrums, 
Roses, &c. The whole of the latter section were 
under Mr. Medland’s entire control and manage¬ 
ment. Moreover, the annual exhibition of 500 
specimen chrysanthemums at the Exeter Nursery 
was also his handicraft and glory. 
Having known him all my life, I have written this 
simple notice as a humble tribute to the memory of 
a very dear friend, and those of the present gener¬ 
ation of gardeners who have had an experience of 
the Exeter Nurseries, will always feel grateful for the 
light of his brilliant intellect, for his extraordinary 
experience of every branch of gardening, and for his 
advice—at all times freely given. His last com¬ 
munication to me is dated June 28th, last, and 
remarks:—“You purpose coming down in August. 
I shall be exceedingly glad to see you and have a 
chat over old times and old notions.” Alas! my 
only comfort now will be to visit his grave.— IV. 
Napper, Royal Ashbimiham Park Nursery, Chelsea, 
S. IF., August ^th, 1894. 
Chrysanthemums and their Culture. By Edwin 
Molyneux. Sixth Edition. By far the best practical work yet 
written on this subject. Price, is.; post free, is. 2d. Publisher 
Gxsdening World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDS.=^ 
This is the third work we have reviewed on the 
subject of Orchids within the past few weeks, inde¬ 
pendently of the smaller books especially addressed 
to the amateur, and those who are simply commenc¬ 
ing to form an acquaintance with this popular and 
extensive family. This comprehensive work, which 
has now been on our table for some few weeks, runs 
to 1,019 pages, and measures about ii in. in length 
by 2 in. in thickness. It is printed in the French 
language, so that those having an acquaintance with 
that tongue, whether in this country or upon the 
Continent, will find a great amount of information 
within the covers. There is also some amount of 
originality in M. Lucien Linden's volume, which we 
seldom or never see attempted in this country. It is 
divided into four books, the first three of which are 
again divided into thirty-four chapters dealing with 
Orchid lore in its modern and multitudinous aspects. 
The fourth book is solely occupied with descriptions 
of the principal Orchids cultivated in European 
collections. It is impossible in a short article to 
enter seriatim into the subjects passed under review 
here, so that we can only indicate some of the general 
features of the work. 
Chapter iii. deals with Geographical Distribution, 
and in this we have a complete list of all the genera 
of Orchids admitted by the authors of the Genera 
Plantarum. A number of the genera present no 
horticultural interest, yet the author could not 
exclude them without running the risk of being con¬ 
sidered arbitrary and of rendering the list defective 
through new discoveries. The most important 
genera from a horticultural point of view are 
indicated, however, by small capitals, and in this 
method we agree with the author. The object of the 
list is to indicate the number of species belonging to 
each genus, their native countries, and the division 
of the Orchid houses in which they should be grown. 
Then follows a synopsis or analytical key to the 
tribes and genera, in which we feel greatly interested, 
inasmuch as it facilitates the work of determining 
the genus to which any particular or specified Orchid 
may belong. From what we have seen of it, this 
key will work when put into practice. A synopsis on 
the same basis is seldom adopted in this country, but 
we could wish it were more often attempted in books 
dealing with large families of plants. 
The fourth chapter begins with a vocabulary or 
glossary of technical terms used in botany, and the 
young student will doubtless find this useful. A 
separate list gives the principal words or roots drawn 
from the Greek or Latin languages, and used in the 
formation of names, and the meanings of the same 
are given. Independently of this a copious index is 
given at the end of the work, as well as an alpha¬ 
betical table of the subjects dealt with in the body of 
the book, and to which the reader may at any time 
wish to refer. This is a matter of great importance 
to those who have no time to waste in referring to 
the information given on any particular theme. 
In a chapter devoted to diseases and insect enemies 
of Orchids, we have some interesting information on 
the methods of extirpating the insects or keeping 
them at bay. The author says that the best 
practical means yet discovered of driving away 
insects from hothouses, is to make a shallow bed of 
the dried ribs of tobacco leaves over the hot 
water pipes, and to water them occasionally. This 
produces a real intoxication of the atmosphere (!) and 
without being objectionable to visitors, effectually 
drives away insects such as thrips, red spider and 
aphides. The Cattleya fly, here named Isosoma 
Cattleyae, is kept in check by much the same means 
as we adopt here; but the author insists on par¬ 
ticular care being taken to guard against fresh 
introductions of the fly along with importations of 
Orchids, and to burn any pseudo-bulbs that contain 
the fly, rather than get the whole collection, it may 
be, spoiled. The use of manure for Orchids is 
severely attacked and condemned in every way as ex¬ 
tremely dangerous to the life of the plants. This 
applies more particularly to epiphytical Orchids. He 
says the practice leads to abuse. The experimenting 
cultivator at first finds that Orchids respond to the 
stimulant, but that they expend in one year the forces 
of three. When the plants begin to show a bene¬ 
ficial effect, the cultivator is tempted to try a double 
*Le$ Orchidtes Kxotiqucs^ ct leur Culture en Europe^ par 
Lucien Linden, A. Cogniaus and G. Grignan. Bruxelles chez 
I’Auteur, loo, rue Beliiard. Paris, Octave Doin, Editeur, 8 
Place de I'Odeon. 
