Jan. 17th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
313 
William Lee, the son of Charles, became associated 
with his father, and on the occasion of his lamented 
death a few years since, became the responsible 
manager of the business. 
Under the management of the brothers John and 
Charles the business grew in importance, and branches 
were established at Ealing, Isleworth, Hounslow, and 
Feltham. Years ago collectors were sent out to the 
Cape. One of these was sent up the coast with two 
waggons and six oxen to get Zamias, and succeeded in 
securing a large number, which were sent home in a 
vessel that was unfortunately wrecked on the Goodwin 
Sands and the consignment lost. A few were washed 
ashore on various parts of the south coast, and were, 
no doubt, regarded 'with something like wonder. Of 
business career extending to a period of fifty-three 
years. 
Though in his eightieth year Mr. John Lee is hale, 
hearty, and active, still able to take his share of work 
in matters affecting horticulture. On two occasions 
he has occupied a seat on the Council of the Eoyal 
Horticultural Society, he has been connected both 
with the Fruit and Floral Committees of that body. 
He was one of the founders of the Gardeners’ Eoyal 
Benevolent Institution; has been a subscriber to its 
funds from the first, and for many years has been 
Chairman of its Committee of Management, and 
one of its trustees and auditors. Indeed he is now 
regarded as the honoured father of the Institution. 
Both John and Charles Lee were active members of 
clearly the case with Epiphyllum truncatum, for in 
gardens of the most humble pretensions, a few plants 
were generally grown, together with various species 
and varieties of Cactus, which when in flower were 
sure to be greatly admired, but the great objection to 
Cactuses is, that their flowers are of such short 
duration. This, however, is not the case with 
Epiphyllums, for their flowers will continue in full 
beauty for several weeks—if kept in a suitable struc¬ 
ture—and they are altogether such useful plants that 
I think a few remarks on their cultivation may be of 
service to those who have not hitherto taken any 
special interest in them. 
These plants are grown under widely different 
conditions in various gardens. Occasionally they 
JOHN LEE, 
Father of the Gardeners’ Eoyal Benevolent Institution. 
the many valuable new plants sent out by the firm 
only a few can be named. To the founder of the 
nursery we owe the introduction of Fuchsia coecinea, 
the only species brought to this country during the 
last century. It had been brought home by a sailor 
who gave it to his wife, and James Lee, being one day 
at Wapping, saw it in flower in the window of a 
dwelling, and, after some difficulty, succeeded in 
securing it. The first China Eose came into their 
possession in 1787. They had a collector in the 
United States of America who sent them home several 
new Oaks and other notable subjects; from the Cape 
of Good Hope came many new Heaths, Ixias, and 
other South African plants. The well-known varie¬ 
gated Pelargonium, Lady Plymouth, still cultivated in 
many gardens, was sent out by John and Charles Lee, 
and later the equally popular Flower of the Day, 
raised by Mr. F. E. Kinghorn in 1848. It is given to 
but very few men to be able to boast of an active 
the executive Committee of the International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition held at South Kensington in 1866, 
and the former is associated with other horticultural 
institutions of a beneficial character. That his useful 
life may be spared to reach a yet greener old age is 
the hearty desire of a very large circle of attached 
friends. 
—— 
EPIPHYLLUM TRUNCATUM. 
The great demand that has sprung up during the 
last few years in gardens throughout the country for 
all kinds of plants suitable for house and conser¬ 
vatory decoration, has been the means of bringing 
many good old plants again into prominent notice, 
and which, although they had been under cultivation 
for many years, had not been grown in sufficient 
quantities to place them in so important a position 
as their intrinsic merits deserved. This, I think, is 
may be met with, doing well, when grown constantly 
in the tropical heat of a plant-ttove, and in other 
places they are grown in the intermediate greenhouse 
or vinery, but perhaps the latter structure is found 
the most convenient in which to grow them in the 
majority of gardens, because the varying conditions 
to which the vines are subjected from the time they 
are started, till they ripen their fruit, suit them 
admirably. The only time they require to be removed 
from the vinery is when they show their flower buds, 
which of course is regulated in some degree by the 
time the vines growing in the same house are started, 
but by keeping some in cool houses while others are 
being pushed on, their season of flowering may be 
extended from September to February. Those that 
are wanted to flower during the autumn months, 
should be transferred to a house where they can have 
a temperature ranging between 55 degs. to 70 degs., 
because vineries are at that season of the year kept 
