742 
tHE GARDENING WORLD 
July 21, 1900. 
offer Blue South Sea Pea. This is 
evidently the variety we know as Lord 
Anson's Pea, which is a perennial. Sweet 
Painted Ladies, purple, white, scarlet, black. 
This is the earliest reference I have been 
able to find of the white and black. 
1800. Mr John Mason, seedsman, of Fleet Street, 
offers Scarlet, Black, White, and Painted 
Ladies. 
——a®——— 
Mr. John Fleming. 
PEOPLE WE HAVE MET. 
Mr. John Fleming. 
Within the last year or two the subject of this 
sketch has made his presence felt at Windsor, the 
Drill Hall, and the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. 
Since he took charge of Lady Pigott’s fine collection 
of plants at Wexham Park, Slough, he has been in his 
element, for he delights in plants of a very varied 
character. 
Mr. John Fleming was born on the estate of 
Brucklay, Aberdeenshire, and probably first con¬ 
ceived the idea of being a gardener from seeing the 
beautiful gardens and grounds at Brucklay Castle. 
In any case, his father intended to make him serve 
an apprenticeship to an entirely different occupation, 
and a sense of filial duty had so firm a grip of him 
at that time that he agreed to serve as his father 
wished him, but gave the latter to understand that 
he would immediately afterward learn to be a gar¬ 
dener, That was sufficient for Mr. Fleming, senior, 
and taking a commonsense view of the situation he 
allowed his son to join the gardening profession at 
once, as the lad bad fully made up his mind as to 
his future occupation. 
In 1873 he was apprenticed under Mr. A. Coutts, 
who was then gardener at Kinsteary, Nairn, the seat 
of Lady Gordon Cathcart. After completing his 
apprenticeship he moved southward to Aberdeen, 
where he served as journeyman, under Mr. Middle- 
ton, at Balgownie House, the residence of J. 
Crombie, Esq. His next move was to the gardens, 
Donibristle, Inverkeithing, Fifeshire, the residence 
of the Earl of Moray, where he served under Mr. J. 
Proctor. 
After leaving Donibristle, he set his face to 
England, settling first at Heaton Park, Manchester, 
the residence of the Earl of Wilton, where he con¬ 
tinued his practical education under Mr. Baillie, 
who was gardener there at that time. He put in 
three years at this place, and, "aye haudin sooth," 
took charge of the glass department at Neville 
Court, Tunbridge Wells, which belonged to the 
late Mrs. R. B Byass. At that time Neville Court 
was one of the best places in Kent for plant and 
fruit growing under glass, so that Mr. Fleming had 
a grand opportunity of making a practical acquaint¬ 
ance with the indoor department, which is often 
weak in Scotland, in the case of plant culture. On 
leaviog Neville Court he went as head gardener to 
the late Mrs. Alcock, Eardemont, Crayford, Kent, 
where he spent six or seven years. Mrs. Alcock was 
fond of her gardens, especially of Orchids and 
carpet bedding. She was a most kind and con¬ 
siderate lady to those employed in the gardens. 
He next met with a kind and considerate employer 
in Col. Knox, at The Holt, Farnham, where he 
stayed about five years. It was the custom at The 
Holt to hold two private shows a year, one in the 
autumn when Chrysanthemums were the flower of 
the season ; and the other in spring when Camellias 
and other flowers special to that period were in their 
prime. His next move was as gardener to the late 
Mrs. Swells with whom he stayed about eighteen 
months before being appointed to his present situa¬ 
tion at Wexham Park, Slough, about three years 
ago. 
Since then he has met with every encouragement 
from Sir Charles and Lady Pigott, both of whom 
are interested in the gardens. Indeed, Lady Pigott 
is particularly fond of her gardens, in which she 
spends a great deal of time, and is liberal and indul¬ 
gent with her gardener. Plants rather than fruit 
appeal more especially to her liking ; and, conse¬ 
quently, we find them well represented at Wexham 
Park, where the houses are well filled with a wide 
range of subjects at all seasons of the year. Spring 
flowers receive particular attention, including Indian 
Azaleas, Chinese Primulas, Cinerarias, bulbs, Pelar¬ 
goniums, &c., the last named being flowered all the 
year round. 
Mr. Fleming gives close attention to all classes of 
plants he is called upon to grow, and makes good 
use of them at exhibitions. His groups of plants, 
arranged for effect, always secure the first position 
at Windsor Rose show. The public has also had the 
pleasure of inspecting his bold groups at the meetings 
ot the Royal Horticultural Society in the Drill Hall, 
Westminster, and at the Chrysanthemum Society’s 
autumn show in the Royal Aquarium. He is, there¬ 
fore, an expert in the art of arrangement, as well as 
in growing the plants which he so deftly handles. A 
great many would-be growers of Humea elegans find 
great difficulty in rearing and bringing it to per¬ 
fection, if, indeed, they succeed at all with it. Mr. 
Fleming is remarkably successful with this plant, as 
he has amply demonstrated at several shows where 
his stately specimens varied from 6 ft. to 9 ft. in 
height. The plants, he says, are not very particular 
in the matter of soil; but the watering must be 
carefully done, using rain water, if possible, as the 
roots are rather sensitive or tender, thus explaining 
why many of the plants die even after they have 
attained some size, if anything goes amiss in the 
treatment. 
The portrait we reproduce will enable many to 
recognise this relatively young and energetic gar¬ 
dener, who we wish may enjoy a long and success¬ 
ful career, with ample opportunities and scope to 
develop his talent in useful horticultural pursuits. 
He is courteous to and frank with all brought into 
contact with him in various phases of life. 
CAMELLIAS. 
It is pleasing to read in The Gardening World— 
lately- - such a sound defence of the grand old 
Camellia, which has done such excellent service as 
a flowering plant during the winter months. The 
favourite Chrysanthemum does not meet all require¬ 
ments, and, though we believe by its usefulness 
(while there is nothing extant to take its place) it will 
never become unpopular, we further believe it will 
not shunt the Camellia. I have noticed of late years 
that where there are collections of well-grown 
Camellias they are receiving extra care and proper 
attention, as it is believed they may yet hold their 
old place in public esteem. Where they are planted 
out in good soil in conservatories they make splendid 
growth and produce abundance of flowers. Strong 
loam of the quality, noted by your correspondent, 
gives extra fine foliage. In districts where lime is 
abundant in the soil it is seldom fine Camellias are 
seen ; but this can, of course, be remedied by bring¬ 
ing suitable soil from a distance, such as is often 
done for Rhododendrons (a class .of plants which do 
not thrive well in soil much charg ed with lime). 
I have seen in some parts of AA r ilts., Oxfordshire, 
and in the eastern counties of England, Rhododen¬ 
drons completely fail to grovr by reason of lime 
in the soil. Once it was part of our duty to unpack 
the plants which were consigned to a large London 
nursery from the Continent, aadl all the Camellias 
were in perfect health, growing in soil which seemed 
entirely of rotten wood. We have heard that this is 
used very extensively in Belgium. Camellias live 
many years in good health in tubs, untouched at the 
roots except good surfacings. We have a number 
which have been so for eighteen years.— M. Temple, 
Canon, N.B. 
BEGONIA GLOIRE DE LORRAINE. 
I regret to say that my experience in leaf propaga¬ 
tion of this plant was even worse than that of your 
correspondent, Mr. J. Mayne, Bicton. I inserted 
about twenty in 60-size pots, and placed them in a 
large pot partly filled with cocoa fibre ; this was 
plunged into a hot bed and covered with glass, 
which was frequently turned. They all rooted very 
freely from top to bottom of the petiole, and formed 
several buds at the top of the latter. The lamina 
then gradually decayed, but I could not induce the 
buds to make any further growth. On examination 
I found the petiole decaying from ihe base upwards. 
I had no more well matured leaves to try, but I in¬ 
tend next spring to try again by removing the 
petiole entirely from the lamina. This, I think, will 
cause roots and buds to spring from the same point. 
Your correspondent does not say how his leaves 
were cut.— F. G. Brewer, Terlings Park Gardens, near 
Harlow, July gth, 1900. 
-— 9 »- 
VEGETABLE AND FRUIT CROPS. 
Whatever may be said respecting the weather up 
to the present time, this summer is for culinary 
vegetables one of the very best seasons we have had 
for some time. Everything in the kitchen gardens 
is in the most flourishing condition. It rarely 
happens that we get this far on in the year, but that 
some one or other of the staple commodities, it falls 
to Adam’s ^disciples to raise and cultivate for the use 
and enjoyment of his fellows, goes amiss among 
them, either from adverse climatic influences or 
through their falling a prey to either fungoid or 
insect pests. Sometimes it may be, and too fre¬ 
quently is, Parsley, Carrots, or Onions. So far as 
my own observations go, there seems nothing for the 
most inveterate grumbler to complain about in 
relation to vegetables, Peas, Beans, and Carrots; in 
fact, everything in this connection is as good as it 
can well be. 
Oh! I fancy someone saying, what about the 
Strawberries ? Well, they are fruit, and a soft one 
to the bargain, and unfortunately they suffer for 
their comparative tenderness during spells of such 
showery weather as we had recently ; and in many 
instances they were, when only in the green state, 
rotting on the ground. This is very disappointing 
to all, and involves some in great financial loss. 
There are some few spots where the crop is limited 
owing to the plants not recovering from the extreme 
drought of last summer in time to plump the crowns 
up. Gooseberries are generally a heavy crop. Red 
and Black Currants the same. Raspberries look 
well in some places ; the promise of a heavy crop is 
most noticeable. I rarely see so much flower on the 
canes. 
Of stone fruit, Apricots will be the poorest crop ; 
yet at the same time we have seen some heavy crops 
of these. Peaches and Nectarines have set abun¬ 
dantly, and will require severe thinning. Of Apples 
there will be an abundance. Although in a few 
places they may not appear a full crop, in most in¬ 
stances, if circumstances permitted, a severe thin¬ 
ning would be most beneficial, for otherwise the 
produce will be poor in quality owing to its abun¬ 
dance ; but too many men are so circumstanced that 
the thinning of the Apple and Pear crop is a thing 
quite out of the question. Pears, in some cases, are 
a heavier crop this year than Apples. This is a 
great Plum year. Many trees will, if unsupported, 
break down with the load upon them. Of that good 
old Plum, Cox’s Golden Drop, I have seen, recently, 
the heaviest crop it has ever fallen to my lot to look 
upon. Cherries, too, are a good crop. The earliest 
I have come across is Rivers' Early. Should we be 
favoured with a warm sunny autumn, I think, from 
a purely gardening standpoint, 1900 will prove one of 
the best seasons we have had for some time. Recent 
summers have been most beautiful, and quite the 
ideal from a holiday standpoint; but almost heart¬ 
breaking in some instances to those whose lot it has 
fallen to week after week to gaze after the fitful 
clouds which have so often passed over without 
