March  18,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
235 
artistic  arrangement  afforded  a  magnificent  spectacle,  giving  a  great 
impetus  to  extension  of  the  now  familiar  classes  of  “groups  of 
plants  arranged  for  effect  ”  at  most  exhibitions. 
Dr.  Hogg  only  retained  his  position  as  Honorary  Secretary  of  the 
R.H.S,  for  a  few  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Major  Mason,  but 
continued  on  the  Council  till  his  resignation  in  1889.  Dr.  Hogg 
remained  a  member  of  the  Fruit  Committee,  and  was  thns  closely 
connected  with  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  for  thirty-seven 
years.  He  watched  with  increasing  pleasure  the  growing  prosperity 
of  the  Society  during  his  latter  days,  and  had  the  fullest  confidence 
in  its  Council  and  officials  who  have  done  so  much  for  its  advance¬ 
ment  on  true  horticultural  lines. 
9 
He  provided  for  the  Society  the  great  collection  of  Pears  which 
Mr.  Barron  grew  and  trained  so  well,  many  of  the  sturdy  pyramids 
still  remaining.  Dr.  Hogg  also  collected  during  one  of  his  continen¬ 
tal  visits  the  present  splendid  collection  of  Figs  at  Chiswick,  probably 
the  finest  assortment  to  be  found  in  any  garden  in  the  world. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Johnson  Dr.  Hogg  took  a  very  smn.ll  share 
in  the  editorial  conduct  of  the  Journal,  and  during  recent  years 
practically  none.  He  had  enough  to  do,  and  often  more  than 
enough,  in  the  business  department,  and  more  than  a  year  ago  he 
relieved  himself  of  all  responsibility  in  favour  of  his  son,  Mr. 
R.  Milligan  Hogg,  who  then  became  the  proprietor  ;  but  his  father’s 
honoured  name  remained  till  the  last  at  the  head  of  the  Journal  in 
the  place  it  occupied  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  all  connected 
with  their  revered  chief  regret  that  it  could  not  have  continued  for 
many  years  more. 
When  Dr.  Hogg’s  actual  retirement  became  known,  which  wag 
some  time  after  the  event,  his  distinguished  friend  made  his  desire 
known  in  a  confidential  way  to  collect  the  portraits  of  such  of 
Dr.  Hogg’s  friends  and  associates  as  he  could  obtain  (apart  from  the 
staff  of  the  Journal)  for  presentation  to  him  in  the  form  of  an  album. 
It  was  to  have  been  a  surprise  presentation,  and  the  secret  was  so 
well  kept  that  not  one  out  of  the  hundred  who  so  readily  c<  ntributed 
photographs  made  the  fact  known.  Dr.  Masters,  feeling  the  time 
was  short,  acted  with  all  possible  speed,  but  those  in  whose  hands 
was  placed  the  preparation  of  the  album  failed  to  complete  it  by 
the  date  expected,  and  which  would  have  been  just  in  time  for 
acceptance  by  its  intended  recipient ;  but  as  the  end  was  evidently 
approaching,  and  before  the  strong  brain  became  clouded,  the  dear 
old  Doctor  was  informed  of  what  was  in  progress,  and  smiled  in 
grateful  recognition  of  an  act  as  graceful  as  friends  could  bestow, 
and  than  which  none  could  have  been  more  deeply  appreciated  by  a 
naturally  warm  heart.  The  memento  will  be  treasured  by  the  family 
in  memory  of  the  revered  head. 
All  who  enjoyed  the  intimacy  and  friendship  of  Dr.  Hogg  will 
admit  his  warm  geniality.  They  will  not  soon  forget  the  heartiness 
of  his  double  handshake  in  taking  and  holding  their  hand  in  both  of 
his  ;  while  all  who  have  worked  with  him  and  under  him  will  feel 
the  impossibility  of  having  a  more  kind  and  considerate  colleague  or 
chief.  He  has  been  a  good  friend  to  many  by  placing  not  a  few 
gardeners  in  excellent  situations,  and  assisting  many  more  in  sickness 
and  adversity — not  unfrequently  in  a  way  by  which  they  could  not 
know  the  source  of  the  aid  of  which  they  were  grateful  recipients. 
Dr.  Hogg  was  an  old  supporter  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent 
Institution.  He  became  a  subscriber  to  its  funds  in  1842,  occupied 
the  chair  at  the  Anniversary  Festival  Dinner  in  1876,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  Vice-President  and  Trustee.  Mr.  Ingram  writes  : — 
“  The  Institution  always  occupied  a  warm  place  in  his  heart,  and  it 
will  greatly  miss  his  interest  and  support.” 
When  Dr.  Hogg  was  well  he  spent  all  the  time  he  could  spare  on 
his  Sussex  estate.  He  was  rather  fond  of  building.  He  first  erected 
a  large  house,  and  formed  and  planted  the  garden.  This,  as  his 
family  dispersed,  became  too  large,  and  he  built  himself  another, 
forming  another  garden,  planting  collections  of  fruits,  hardy  trees, 
and  shrubs,  also  hardy  flowers.  He  was  always  his  own  architect 
and  landscape  gardener.  He  really  built  himself  four  considerable 
sized  homes,  and  also  found  occupation  in  erecting  and  repairing 
cottages.  This  was  his  relaxation  when  in  health  ;  but  eventually 
his  strong  constitution  became  undermined  by  oft  recurring  and 
increasingly  serious  attacks  of  gout.  His  recuperative  powers  became 
less  and  less,  and  for  about  three  years  he  seemed  to  have  been  getting 
slowly  but  surely  weaker.  He  was  more  or  less  an  invalid  during  the 
whole  of  last  year,  and  towards  the  end  of  it  unable  to  leave  his  house. 
When  last  seen  by  the  writer  a  month  ago  in  his  library  he  was 
very  feeble,  and  there  was  something  in  the  long  retention  of  the 
hand  in  both  of  his  that  seemed  premonitory  as  he  said,  “Ah,  Mr. 
Wright,  if  I  should  live  to  get  out  in  the  spring  the  sun  and  the 
flowers  would  do  me  good.”  Then  a  pause  and  penetrating  glance, 
and  in  voice  more  firm,  “  But  you  know  I  have  had  a  good  innings. 
I  have  much  to  be  thankful  for,  and  am  thankful  I  assure  you,  and 
shall  be  whenever  I  may  go  to  sleep.” 
His  look  of  resignation  was  impressive,  and  an  affectionate 
“  Good  night  and  God  bless  you  ”  closed  this  last  interview  with 
Dr.  Hogg.  The  portrait  (fig.  52)  represents  him  much  as  he  was 
then,  age  nearly  seventy-nine ;  that  in  fig.  51  when  he  was  in  the 
matured  prime  of  life,  age  about  fifty-six. 
His  last  days  were  as  he  and  all  his  friends  would  wish — painless 
and  calm,  deepening  to  the  end.  This  end  seemed  the  embodiment  of 
Richard  Le  Gallienne’s  lines,  which  appeared  a  few  weeks  prior  to  the 
memorable  event : — 
Soft  sleep,  sweet  sleep ;  a  little  soothing  psalm 
Of  slumber  from  Thy  sanctuaries  of  calm. 
***** 
Of  all  Thy  good,  great  Lord,  deep  sleep  is  best. 
About  the  time  when  many  of  our  readers  will  be  perusing  this 
memoir  the  funeral  cortege  will  be  at  the  station  of  the  London 
Necropolis  Company,  preparatory  to  leaving  Waterloo  by  the  train 
for  Brookwood  Cemetery,  Woking,  at  11.30  A  M. 
As  we  are  preparing  for  press  we  receive  the  following  communi¬ 
cations.  Rev.  H.  H.  D'Orabrain  writes  : — “  To  what  a  [large  circle 
of  earnest  and  sincere  friends  will  the  news  come,  filled  with  deepest 
regret  that  the  valued  and  much-loved  Editor  of  th e*  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  Dr.  Robert  Hogg,  has  closed  his  honourabletand  useful 
life  1  Among  the  number  of  horticulturists  of  the  present  day  there 
is  no  one  whose  name  has  been  more  before  the  horticultural  public, 
and  no  one  whese  memory  will  be  cherished  with  deeper]  feelings  of 
affection  and  regard.  Associated  as  I  have  been  with  him  for  the 
last  five-and-thirty  years,  I  long  ago  learned  to  respect  him  in  the 
various  ways  in  which  I  was  brought  into  contact  with  him.  A  man 
full  of  wisdom,  penetration,  and  courage,  ever  taking  sound  views  of 
things  happening  around  him,  intercourse  with  him  was  always  full 
of  teaching  and  information,  while  his  genial  disposition  always 
evinced  itself  in  his  kindliness  of  expression  and  ready  sympathy. 
“  All  the  readers  of  the  Journal  know  full  well  how  all  his  excel¬ 
lent  qualities  have  impressed  themselves  on  the  paper  over  which  he 
for  so  many  years  presided,  and  so  in  his  private  life  it  may  well  be 
believed  that  the  ties  of  affection  strongly  knit  him  to  those  dear 
to  him.  Others  will  doubtless  be  willing  to  enter  more  fully  into 
such  details  as  may  interest  the  public,  but  I  could  not  forbear  from 
giving  my  testimony  to  the  memory  of  one  whom  I  have  always 
regarded  as  a  sincere  friend,  and  whose  death  leaves  a  blank  which  it 
will  be  impossible  to  fill.” 
Mr.  L.  Castle  writes:— “By  the  lamented  death  of  Dr.  Hogg 
a  noble  mind  is  no  longer  at  the  service  of  the  world.  Many  will 
hear  the  tidings  with  the  heartfelt  sorrow  that  attends  the  loss  of 
a  dear  friend.  A  gentleman  in  spirit  and  deed,  he  set  up  a  high 
standard  of  conduct  even  in  the  most  ordinary  everyday  affairs. 
Extremely  painstaking  in  his  own  work,  one  of  his  characteristics 
was  that  thoroughness  which  is  so  essential  in  life,  and  the  possession 
of  this  quality  by  others  was  the  surest  passport  to  his  regard.  Such 
a  man  must  leave  his  impress  for  good  upon  his  contemporaries, 
helping  to  mould  the  thoughts  and  acts  of  many.  Friends  and 
associates  who  fully  realise  the  loss  sustained  have  still  the  great 
satisfaction  of  looking  back  upon  ‘  a  life  well  spent.’  Long  and 
varied  experience,  keen  and  critical  observation,  aided  by  a  retentive 
memory,  had  furnished  the  Doctor  with  an  encyclopaedic  knowledge, 
especially  on  horticultural  matters,  which  those  who  have  ever  had 
the  privilege  of  listening  to  his  reminiscences  could  duly  appreciate. 
The  powers  of  his  mind  are  well  shown  in  his  works  ;  and  the  ‘  Fruit 
Manual,’  which  is  a  monumental  Work  of  close  observation,  with 
careful  analysis  and  classification,  is  without  a  rival  in  the  English 
language,  and  with  it  the  name  of  Dr.  Robert  Hogg  will  go 
down  to  posterity  as  the  foremost  authority  on  fruits  of  the 
Victorian  age.” 
