80 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  25,  1900. 
DEATH  OF  MR.  JOHN  FRASER,  V.M.H. 
Many  of  our  readers  who  have  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  John 
.Fraser  will  regret  to  learn  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  20th  inst., 
at  Woodford,  Essex.  Mr.  Fraser  was  one  of  the  best  known  of 
metropolitan  nurserymen  and  valuers  of  nursery  stock.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  ability  and  trusted  integrity,  while  the  genial  nature  of 
his  disposition  rendered  him  highly  popular.  In  years  gone  by  he  was 
a  famous  plantsman,  and  one  of  the  best  exponents  of  the  culture  of 
hardwooded  plants  in  the  kingdom.  Such  specimens  as  he  grew  are 
now  about  extinct,  and  could  only  have  been  produced  by  moi’e  patience 
than  appears  to  be  general  nowadays,  and  the  greatest  cultural  skill. 
For  several  years  his  chief  nursery  was  on  the  borders  of  Epping 
Forest.  For  some  time  we  believe  it  has  been  under  the  management 
of  his  son.  It  is  famed  for  hardy  trees  and  shrubs,  and  has  been  one 
of  the  chief  sources  of  supply  W  several  of  the  London  parks.  Of 
late  years  the  deceased  gentleman’s  services  were  in  great  demand  as 
a  valuer,  for  which  his  experience  admirably  fitted  him,  and  his 
uprightness  was  proverbial. 
He  was  also  for  a  long  time  a  leading  spirit  in  many  public  func¬ 
tions  connected  with  horticulture,  and  few  men  could  speak  more 
appropriately  and  effectively  on  the  subjects  that  might  be  under  con¬ 
sideration.  Mr.  Fraser  has  for  years  been  a  most  useful  man  in  the 
horticultural  world.  His  unassuming  manner  and  readiness  to  do  what 
he  could  for  any  worthy  object  rendered  him  a  general  favourite,  and 
his  memory  will  be  cherished  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  He  was  an 
old  member  of  the  Floral  Committee,  and  by  this  body  a  vote  of  con¬ 
dolence  was  passed  at  the  last  meeting  with  the  family  on  the  loss  of 
its  estimable  head.  Mr.  Fraser  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
A  SWEET  PEA  FESTIVAL. 
Few  persons  interested  in  gardening  will  venture  to  dispute  the 
popularity  of  Sweet  Peas,  or  to  question  their  right  to  hold  a  position 
in  the  front  rank  of  garden  flowers.  They  have  a  beauty,  a  grace  and 
a  charm  that  are  peculiarly  their  own,  and  when  to  those  most  desirable 
attributes  is  added  a  delicious  fragrance  we  find  a  combination  of 
virtues  that  is  not  to  be  commonly  found  amongst  plants.  Little 
wonder  then  that  they  have  grown  in  general  favour,  and  are  yearly 
becoming  more  and  more  appreciated,  especially  for  various  decorative 
purposes  to  which  they  are  so  admirably  adapted.  Not  only  are  Sweet 
Peas  held  in  high  esteem  by  professional  gardeners  but  also  by  every 
amateur  horticulturist  in  the  country,  while  the  rural  cottage  garden 
that  has  not  its  one  or  more  rows  is  a  striking  exception  to  the  general 
rule.  The  natural  result  of  this  extraordinary  popularity  has  been  that 
varieties  have  during  the  past  two  decades  multiplied  enormously, 
and  unfortunately  many  of  them  show  scarcely  any  perceptible 
difference  fiom  numbers  of  others.  This  is  most  regrettable  and  calls 
for  reform. 
To  meet  this  evident  want,  and  with  a  view  to  reducing  order  out 
of  chaos,  it  has  been  decided  to  hold  at  the  Crystal  Palace  this  year  an 
exhibition  of  Sweet  Peas.  The  occasion  of  having  so  many  varieties 
in  the  very  best  of  condition  exhibited  at  one  and  the  same  time  will 
be  seized  to  classify  the  varieties,  for  which  purpose  a  representative 
committee  of  experts  will  be  selected.  These  gentlemen  will  bring 
their  knowledge  to  bear  on  the  flowers,  and  the  result  of  their  efforts 
will  most  certainly  be  for  the  general  good.  But  it  has  been  decided 
to  go  further  than  this  and  to  have  a  conference  during  the  show,  when 
papers  will  be  read  which  will  treat  of  the  plant  from  various  stand¬ 
points,  and  these  alone  will  form  a  valuable  addition  to  horticultural 
literature. 
The  reason  this  particular  year  was  chosen  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  bi-centenary  of  the  introduction  of  the  Sweet  Pea  into  Great  Britain, 
and,  therefore,  no  better  time  could  be  chosen  for  the  celebration.  A 
Committee  has  been  formed  of  those  interested  in  the  movement,  and 
Mr.  Eichard  Dean,  V.M.H. ,  Eanelagh  Eoad,  Ealing,  has  consented  to 
act  as  Hon.  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
Executive  Committee  was  held  at  the  Horticultural  Club,  Hotel 
Windsor,  on  Friday  last,  and  we  subjoin  an  official  report  of  the  pro¬ 
ceedings.  _ 
The  first  General  Committee  meeting  in  connection  with  the 
Bicentenary  Celebration  of  the  Sweet  Pea  was  held,  by  kind  permission, 
in  the  Horticultural  Club  Eoom,  Hotel  Windsor,  on  Friday,  January  19th, 
when  Mr.  George  Gordon,  V.M.H.,  presided  over  a  very  representative 
gathering. 
Business  being  the  purpose  of  the  meeting  no  time  was  lost  in 
speechifying.  The  Chairman  briefly  alluded  to  the  desire  expressed  in 
1899  by  leading  amateurs,  nurserymen,  seedsmen,  and  market  growers 
that  a  comprehensive  exhibition  of  Sweet  Peas  should  be  held  during 
1900,  together  with  a  conference,  one  duty  of  which  should  be  the 
classification  and  selection  of  varieties.  This  desire  led  to  a  meeting 
in  Edinburgh  in  September  last,  when  Mr.  Gordon  (Chairman),  Mr. 
H.  J.  Jones,  and  Mr.  R.  Dean  (Secretary)  were  elected  as  a  preliminary 
committee  to  draw  up  a  scheme  for  the  celebration  and  submit  it  as 
early  as  possible  to  the  General  Committee.  After  this  brief  and 
formal  statement,  the  Chairman  requested  the  Secretary  (Mr.  R.  Dean, 
V.M.H.)  to  read  the  letters  received  from  the  Crystal  Palace  Company 
and  the  Royal  Aquarium  Company.  The  former  offered  to  accommo¬ 
date  the  exhibition,  provide  the  necessary  conveniences  for  a  conference 
meeting,  and  subscribe  £20  to  the  prize  fund.  This  being  the  best 
offer,  it  was  agreed,  on  the  proposal  of  Messrs.  H.  A.  Needs  and 
H.  J.  Wright,  that  the  Bicentenary  Celebration  be  held  at  the  Crystal 
Palace,  Sydenham,  on  July  20th  and  21st,  1900,  or  as  near  those  dates 
as  could  be  conveniently  arranged  without  clashing  with  other 
exhibitions. 
Having  settled  the  place  and  date  of  celebration  as  far  as  possible, 
the  next  point  for  discussion  was  the  schedule  of  prizes,  of  which  a 
preliminary  draft  had  previously  been  communicated  to  the  Vice- 
President  and  Committee.  Before  the  discussion  of  classes  and  prizes 
a  list  of  subscriptions  received  and  promised  up  to  date  was  submitted 
by  the  Secretary,  amounting  to  nearly  £90.  As  the  whole  of  the 
subscriptions  received  were  unsolicited,  the  Committee  felt  that  the 
success  of  the  undertaking  was  practically  assured,  believing  that  those 
interested  in  the  most  beautiful,  useful,  and  fragrant  of  annual  flowers, 
the  Sweet  Pea,  would  not  fail  to  show  their  practical  sympathy  with 
the  Committee’s  efforts  as  soon  as  affairs  had  received  definite  form- 
The  schedule  is  a  comprehensive  one  of  twenty-eight  classes,  each  with 
foirr,  and  some  with  fire  prizes,  offered  on  a  most  liberal  scale.  Class 
by  class  the  schedule  was  discussed,  and  numerous  minor  alterations 
made.  Nineteen  open  classes  are  provided  for  cut  blooms,  all  to  be 
shown  in  vases,  these  including  classes  for  forty-eight,  thirty-six,  and 
eighteen  bunches,  and  thirteen  classes  for  one  bunch  of  a  specified 
colour  or  colours.  Four  classes  are  limited  to  amateurs  employing 
either  one  or  no  regular  gardener,  and  then  there  is  a  division,  open  to 
all,  consisting  of  five  classes  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  demonstrat¬ 
ing  the  value  of  Sweet  Peas  in  all  forms  of  decoration  known  to  the 
florist’s  art.  The  total  amount  offered  in  prizes  in  the  preliminary 
schedule  exceeds  £90,  and  this  comparatively  large  sum  should  ensure 
a  display  of  the  most  beautiful  and  instructive  character. 
Special  prizes  are  invited,  but  they  must,  in  accordance  with  the 
resolution  passed  at  the  Edinburgh  meeting,  be  free  from  any  trade 
conditions.  Already  several  firms  have  intimated  their  intention  of 
providing  the  prizes  in  certain  classes,  and  at  this  meeting  it  was 
decided  to  accept  Mr.  Henry  Eckford’s  generous  offer  of  £15,  the  sum 
offered  in  Class  1  for  forty -eight  bunches  of  Sweet  Peas  in  not  less 
than  thirty-six  varieties,  an  offer  made  by  the  Wem  veteran  to  com¬ 
memorate  the  fact  that  this  is  the  twenty.first  year  of  his  work  in 
selecting  and  cross-fertilising  Sweet  Peas.  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones’  offer  to 
supply  the  prizes  in  Class  25,  for  an  epergne  of  Sweet  Peas,  £2  l7s. ; 
and  Mr.  R.  Sydenham’s  offer  to  supply  the  prizes  in  two  of  the 
amateur  classes,  amounting  to  upwards  of  £5,  were  accepted  and 
acknowledged.  With  reference  to  the  rules  and  regulations  for  com¬ 
petitors  it  is  worth  while  noting  that  from  subscribers  of  10s.  6d. 
and  upwards  no  entrance  fees  will  be  demanded,  but  non-subscribers 
must  pay  an  entrance  fee  of  5s.  to  entitle  them  to  compete  in  any  six 
classes  (subject  to  divisional  schedule  regulations),  but  a  further 
entrance  fee  of  6s.  must  be  paid  if  this  number  is  exceeded. 
Conference  proceedings,  subscribers’  tickets,  publication  of  report, 
and  other  matters  were  referred  to,  but  reserved  for  final  discussion 
and  settlement  at  the  Committee  meeting  to  be  held  on  Friday, 
February  23rd,  by  which  date  the  complete  schedules  and  regulations 
will  be  ready  for  acceptance  and  immediate  publication. 
Meanwhile  the  Committee  desires  the  sympathy  and  financial 
assistance  of  all  horticulturists,  so  that  the  forthcoming  celebration 
may  be  made  the  unqualified  success  its  interest  and  importance 
demands.  Any  surplus  funds  remaining  after  the  payment  of  prizes 
and  necessary  expenses  will  be  given  to  the  gardening  charities. 
Further  particulars  can  be  obtained  from  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr. 
R.  Dean,  V.M.H.,  Ranelagh  Road,  Ealing. 
Libonias. — In  the  middle  of  winter,  when  the  Chrysanthemum 
is  over,  and  forced  plants  are  scarce,  there  is  sometimes  a  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  conservatory  gay  until  spring  flowering  stock  puts  in  an 
appearance.  Among  those  that  might  be  successfully  grown  to  fill  the 
gap,  Libonias  take  a  prominent  place.  There  are  two  in  cultivation — i.e., 
floribunda  and  penrhosiensis.  The  former  is  a  Brazilian  species,  which 
makes  a  well  furnished  bush  from  1  to  2  feet  high,  thickly  clothed  with 
small,  light  green  leaves.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  abundance. 
They  are  about  1  inch  long,  and  scarlet  and  yellow  in  colour. 
L.  penrhosiensis  is  a  hybrid  between  the  above  mentioned  species 
and  Jacobinia  Ghiesbreghtiana,  inheriting  good  qualities  from  both 
parents.  It  is  sturdier  in  habit  than  L.  floribunda,  with  larger,  more 
acuminate  leaves  and  bright  red  flowers.  Libonias  can  be  readily 
grown  from  cuttings  in  spring.  From  cuttings  rooted  in  February 
good  bushy  plants  from  9  to  15  inches  high  can  be  had  by  autumn. 
A  mixture  of  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  decayed  manure  in  equal  proportions 
is  suitable  for  the  final  potting ;  loam,  leaf  soil  and  sand  for  the 
former.  By  the  beginning  of  June  plants  should  be  well  established  in 
flowering  pots,  when  they  ought  to  be  stood  outside  until  autumn.  If 
the  plants  are  cut  back  after  flowering  and  started  in  a  little  heat, 
they  can  be  kept  for  several  years  in  good  condition. — W.  D. 
