July i 8. 1903 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
V. 
AUGUST—continued. 
Rothesay Flower Show. 
Royal Oxfordshire Show. 
26th.—King’s Lynn Summer 
Show (two days). Harpenden 
Show. Bath Show (two 
days). 
1st.—R.H.S. Committees and 
National Dahlia Society at 
the Drill Hall (two days). 
3rd.—Warley Cottage Garden 
Show. Welshampton Flower 
Show. Alnwick Show. Pais¬ 
ley Show (two days). 
5th.—French Horticultural So¬ 
ciety of London meet. 
9th.—Ancient Society of York 
Florists. Royal Caledonian 
27th.—Dundee Floral Fete and 
Grand Exhibition (three 
days). Sandy and District 
Show. Stirling Flower Show 
(two days). 
Autumn Show (two days). 
York Dahlia Show. 
11th.—Manchester Dahlia Show 
(two days). 
15th.—R.H.S. Committees. 
16th.—London Dahlia Union 
Show (two days). 
29tb.—R.H.S. British Fruit and 
Vegetable Show at Chiswick 
(three da* si 
SEPTEMBER. 
OCTOBER. 
3rd.—French Horticultural So¬ 
ciety of London. 
6th.—National Chrysanthemum 
Society’s Exhibition (three 
days). 
13th.—R.H.S. Committees. 
15th.—Jersey Fruit and Vege¬ 
table Show. 
19th.—National Chrysanthemum 
Society Committees meet. 
26th.—National Chrysanthemum 
Society Floral Committee 
meet. 
27th.—R.H.S. Committees. 
Obituary. 
The Late William Thompson. 
In accordance with our promise on page 605, we now refer 
to the career of the above notable seedsman. When quite a 
young man he always felt a great interest in scientific subjects, 
and was one of the earliest promoters of the old daguerreotype 
method of photography, in which subject he acquired consider¬ 
able skill and notoriety. 
After a time, his health being not very satisfactory, he gave 
his attention to botany as a- hobby. In a practical way he 
began the sale and exchange of rare seeds in a small way. In 
1855 he sent out his first catalogue. Herbaceous and alpine 
plants, chiefly those that are hardy, always excited his keenest 
attention. Gradually he acquired a connection with many 
correspondents in all parts of the world. 
One of the earliest successes he had was the introduction 
of Rhodanthe Manglesii maculata from the Swan River in 
1863, and which is still in cultivation. Other varieties of this 
everlasting* followed next year. He acquired considerable 
notoriety when he introduced the Rocky Mountain Aquilegia, 
caerulea. and A. chrysantha. Other notable introductions were 
Godetia Whitneyi, and Leptosiphon roseus in 1871, Phacelia 
campanularia in 1885, and Clematis eoccinea about the same 
time. 
. As an instance of the popularity he acquired, we find that 
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1876 dedicated Vol. XXXII. of 
the “ Botanical Magazine” to Mr. William Thompson, of Ips- 
wioh, for his zeal in introducing, and skill in liaising hardy 
American, plants. The deceased gentleman was in close touch 
with Charles Darwin, Sir Michael Foster, Dr. Asa. Gray, and 
other men, many of whom visited him at Ipswich. In 1897 
he was made a V.M.H. for his services to botany and horticul¬ 
ture. 
In 1852 he edited a monthly magazine called the “English 
Flower Garden,” illustrated with reproductions from hand 
paintings by Fitch. This was too elaborate to* leave any profit, 
SO’ he abandoned it. In 1855 he published the “ Gardening 
Book of Annuals,” with a Supplement the following year. Lat¬ 
terly he was preparing a much finer edition. 
Being very fond of reading, lie was widely informed, had a 
good memory, and was a good linguist. In his early career he 
started with a small garden, which, after half a century, has 
developed into a large and widely known business. Mr. John 
Morgan had been with him for over thirty years, and when the 
business got too large to manage he took Mr. Morgan into 
partnership. There are now three large nurseries belonging 
to the firm at Ipswich. Mr. Thompson was buried at Ipswich 
Cemetery on the 8th inst. 
World’s Fair Rose Garden. 
A million Roses will bloom at once in the vast Rose garden 
at the St. Louis World’s Fair. That is guessing, of course, 
but the foundation of the guess is this : Four acres are set to 
strong and vigorous Rose trees. Thirty of the largest exhi¬ 
bitors have sent their choicest stock, and each will strive for 
first place in the judgment of the jury and people. This vast 
Rose garden, with its 50,000 bushes, lies east of the great 
Palace of Agriculture. The warm eastern slope has been made 
fertile with rich compost, and it will be a sight worth travel¬ 
ling far to see when the glorious colours make bright the beds 
and fragrance spreads far beyond the boundaries that have 
now been set. 
This Rose garden, the planting of which was begun early 
in April, occupies one of the conspicuous sites. The centre 
of the garden is at the main entrance to the Palace of Agri¬ 
culture, a grand structure 1,600 ft. long and 500 ft. deep. It 
is on high elevation overlooking the group of main buildings 
of the Exposition, and, looking to the north-east, a splendid 
view of one of St. Louis’ most attractive residence districts 
is spread out before the eye. When the graders finished their 
work, and turned the site over to the gardeners, every vestige 
of soil had been removed, and a broad expanse of sticky, 
yellow clay remained—surely, to the layman, a most unfavour¬ 
able location for a flower garden ; but to the practical Rose 
grower it was an ideal spot. The ground was planted with a 
series of eight collections, forming a great oval, 150 ft. long and 
100 ft. wide, as the central picture. In the centre of this oval 
is erected a statue of the goddess of flowers in heroic size. 
Flanking this oval on the north and south are two great col¬ 
lections, triangular in form. Scores of other collections laid 
out in plots of ground in various shapes, but all conforming 
with the general harmony of the main picture, have been pro¬ 
vided. 
Each collection, while separate and distinct in itself, forms 
a part of a great and artistic whole, and a belt of beautiful 
green lawn, from 4 ft. to 8 ft, wide, surrounds each collec¬ 
tion. Spacious gravel walks are provided throughout the 
entire four acres of Roses, and at various intersections beauti¬ 
ful fountains, sending up streams of crystal water and cooling 
the atmosphere, are to he met. Seats to accommodate thou¬ 
sands of visitors have 'been provided, and the seats are so dis¬ 
tributed as not to interfere with the free passage through the 
gardens. The work of planting the 50,000 Roses already 
growing in this mammoth garden, the largest of its kind ever 
conceived, occupies the time of scores of expert gardeners and 
hosts of labourers. For each collection excavations 18 in. 
deep, of the form and size required for the collection, were dug 
in the sticky clay soil. Then the excavations were filled in 
with rich top soil and sandy loam. A dressing of fertiliser, of 
the kind best adapted to the requirements of the particular 
collection, was spread, and then came the work of putting 
in the young plants. 
Most of the 50,000 Roses now planted are of the hardy or 
semi-hardy varieties that are not supposed to stand the rigours 
of a St. Louis winter, and are among the specimens shown in the 
garden. The planting of the mammoth Rose garden was done 
under the personal supervision of Joseph H. Hadkinson, who, 
under Frederick W. Taylor, Chief of Agriculture, has charge 
of this outdoor exhibit,—“ The American Florist.” 
