346 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  22,  1897, 
to  lie.  Oh  I  it  was  a  nervous  quarter  of  an  hour.  But  the  rope  was 
made  secure  enough  on  the  two  remaining  trees,  you  may  depend. 
My  next  planting  exploit  took  place  upon  the  vicarage  lawn— six 
dwarf  Pear  trees  in  1838,  in  commemoration  of  Her  Majesty’s  coronation 
year  ;  and  next,  in  1840,  Hardwick  and  myself  transplanted  the  grafted 
trees  from  the  “  Hope  ”  into  the  vicarage  grounds,  in  commemoration  of 
the  Queen’s  marriage  year  ;  of  course,  without  thinking  that  I  should 
ever  live  to  record  their  history  at  this  time  of  day  ;  and  they  may  not, 
for  all  that  I  know,  be  even  growing  there  now.  At  any  rate,  I  left 
them  flourishing  in  1848.  I  have  not  visited  Stanton  Lacey  since,  and 
could  now  in  all  probability  stroll  through  the  village  without  being 
recognised.  I  fear  I  could  do  so  even  where  I  was  born.  I  am  harbour¬ 
ing  a  wish  that  I  may  be  able  to  visit  the  great  show  at  Shrewsbury  in 
the  autumn  and  take  Stanton  Lacey  on  my  way  thither,  to  see  how,  or 
if  any  of  my  commemorations  remain  to  tell  me  their  tale. — 
Robebt  Fenn. 
(To  b^  continued.) 
COLONEL  TREVOR  CLARKE. 
This  ardent  horticulturist  and  excellent  man  passed  over  to  the 
great  majority  at  Axminster  on  the  11th  inst.,  in  his  eighty-fourth 
year.  The  event  recalls  impressions  of  a  very  pleasant  visit  to  his 
ancestral  home,  Welton  Place,  Daventry,  Northamptonshire,  at  his 
special  invitation,  and  as  being  associated  with  his  esteemed  old  friend 
Dr.  Hogg.  The  cordiality  of  the  reception  shown  by  the  deceased 
gentleman  to  a  working  gardener  marks  the  kindred  spirit  that  knits 
together  those  engaged  in  horticultural  pursuits. 
Colonel  Trevor  Clarke  had  a  profound  respect  for  “  good  gardeners.” 
His  references  to  Mr.  Barron,  then  Superintendent  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society’s  Garden  at  Chiswick,  Mr.  R.  Gilbert,  and  other 
practical  gardeners  of  the  past  and  the  present,  showed  the  foremost 
place  cultivation  and  cultivators  had  in  his  estimation.  Like  the  real 
gardener  the  Colonel  himself  was  he  first  led  the  way  to  the  kitchen 
garden,  for  no  one  knew  better  than  be  the  importance  of  a  full  and 
successional  supply  of  first-class  vegetables  and  fruits,  and  he  recog¬ 
nised  the  value  of  a  good  understanding  between  the  worker  in  the 
garden  and  the  presider  at  the  dining  table. 
On  my  remarking  that  the  somewhat  heavy  and  red  nature  of  the 
land  at  Welton  Place  was  largely  responsible  for  the  excellence  of  the 
crops  his  retort  was,  “  Good  land  often  gives  that  to  a  gardener  to  which 
he  would  not  otherwise  be  entitled,  but  even  good  land  requires  a  good 
cultivator  to  take  advantage  of  its  stores.”  Trees — grand  specimens  of 
both  deciduous  and  evergreen,  indigenous  and  exotic — attested  the 
sound  staple  on  which  they  grew,  as  did  the  rich  green  sward  of  the 
lawn  and  the  park  land.  The  white  Water  Lily,  the  choicest  British 
aquatic  plant,  admitted  no  rival  in  the  lake,  but  crowded  it  with  its 
luxuriant  growth  of  green  and  reddish  purple  tinted  leaves  and  pure, 
starlike  fragrant  flowers.  So  dense  was  the  mass  of  these  Lilies,  the 
result  of  a  rich  sediment,  that  even  the  swans  were  unable  to  force  their 
way  through.  As  I  admired  the  beauty  of  the  scene  and  surroundings, 
the  Colonel  remarked,  “  Dr.  Hogg  was  enraptured  by  the  sight  of  the 
trees,  and  enchanted  with  the  wilderness  and  its  Swiss  cottage.”  Then 
there  was  a  sudden  pause,  for  which  I  could  not  account,  but  afterwards 
learned  from  the  butler  (Mr.  Nunn)  that  the  wilderness  and  Swiss 
cottage  were  the  work  and  delight  of  the  Colonel’s  late  wife,  and  that 
they  had  suffered  in  maintenance,  the  result  mainly  of  agricultural 
depression. 
On  nearing  the  glass  structures  the  Colonel’s  quaint  humour  and 
geniality  returned  in  full  force,  and  referring  to  Mr.  Burbidge  and  his 
“  Cultivated  Plants,”  waxed  eloquent  and  enthusiastic  over  his  own 
hybridising  work.  He  referred  also  to  the  importance  of  “  selection,”  of 
which  as  an  outcome  we  have  Major  Clarke’s  Solid  Red  Celery,  still 
unsurpassed  in  the  combined  properties  of  useful  size,  crispness, 
juiciness,  and  flavour.  As  a  result  of  his  hybridising  we  have  Begonia 
weltoniensis,  one  of  the  most  useful  of  window  and  decorative  plants  ; 
and  Mr.  Burbidge  gives  a  list  of  over  thirty  hybrid  Begonias  raised  by 
Colonel  Clarke.  Still  on  the  same  theme,  reference  was  made  to  his 
endeavours  to  produce  improved  varieties  of  cotcon.  This  entailed  a 
long  and  exhaustive  investigation  into  the  history  of  the  genus 
Gossypium.  In  connection  with  this  work  the  Colonel  expressed  his 
great  obligations  to  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  praised  the 
assistance  rendered  him  by  Mr.  Barron.  The  cotton  plants  were  shown 
me,  the  best  varieties  being  then  cherished  by  their  raiser,  also  many 
other  rare  and  valuable  plants. 
Butterfly  Orchids,  Phalasnopsis  species,  were  grown  in  quantities, 
and  throve  like  weeds  over  open  tanks,  and  perfectly  free  from  “spot.” 
Bulbous  plants  seemed  particular  favourites,  and  rare  ones,  difficult  to 
flower,  flourished,  for  their  owner  was  in  every  sense  a  cultivator — 
a  practical  as  well  as  a  scientific,  gardener.  Monstera  deliciosa, 
planted  at  the  foot  of  erectly  placed  tree  boles,  sent  their  long  aerial 
roots  into  the  open  tanks  of  water  at  their  foot,  and  bore  grand 
leaves,  with  the  finest  spikes  of  fruit  I  have  ever  seen.  Outdoor  plants, 
especially  herbaceous  and  alpine,  were  in  strong  force,  the  Colonel  giving 
his  attention  to  something  of  almost  everything. 
At  the  time  of  my  visit  the  Tobacco-growing  fever  in  England  had 
passed  its  height,  but  the  Colonel  had  been  smitten,  and  not  only  grew 
the  weed,  but  cured  and  prepared  it  for  use  in  the  form  of  pigtail, 
twist,  rough  cut  and  shag,  cigar  or  cigarette,  and  in  all  colours— black, 
brown,  and  golden,  with  all  strengths— mild,  medium,  and  strong.  The 
various  brands  of  the  Colonel’s  growth  and  manufacture  were  tried,  but 
all  of  them  proved  the  masters  of  even  seasoned  smokers,  and  the 
subject  was  changed,  the  Colonel  launching  out  into  the  depths  of 
chemistry. 
Colonel  Trevor  Clarke  was  a  gentleman  of  many  parts,  not  the  least 
of  these  a  chemist.  Things  liquid  and  solid  were  brought  out  of 
cabinets  and  explained.  The  colonel  made  his  own  superphosphate  by 
reducing  the  bones  of  the  house  with  wood  ashes  from  the  hall  fire  and 
brick  oven  ;  also  a  phospho-potassic  manure,  with  lime  and  other  substances 
thrown  in.  Nitrogen  and  mineral  matter  was  had  from  soot ;  while 
sewage  was  made  sweet  and  eminently  nutritions  to  crops  by  the  use  of 
sulphate  of  iron.  The  Colonel  was  an  excellent  botanist,  an  entomolo¬ 
gist  of  considerable  repute,  a  cultivator,  experimenter,  hybridiser, 
naturalist,  and  scientist.  Colonel  Trevor  Clarke  appeared  not  to  count 
these  as  accomplishments,  but  as  requirements  for  everyday  use  in  the 
successful  practice  of  horticulture. 
There  was  no  reference  on  his  part  to  the  gold  medal  awarded  to 
him  by  the  Cotton  Supply  Association  of  Manchester,  and  a  special  gift 
from  the  then  Emperor  of  Russia,  for  the  success  of  his  experiments 
in  hybridising  and  improving  the  varieties  of  cotton  of  the  genus 
Gossypium.  The  grand  old  gardener — man  of  science,  and  fine  old 
English  gentleman — was  as  modest  in  respect  ot  his  own  work  as  he  was 
entertaining  in  conversation  and  liberal  in  diffusing  information,  yet, 
like  other  accomplished  men,  was  ever  seekijg  advice  on  anything  of  a 
perplexing  nature  to  him.  As  an  instance  of  this,  he  had  a  difficulty 
in  getting  his  Melon  plants  to  set  their  fruit.  “  They  want  something 
we  are  not  giving  them,”  remarked  the  Colonel.  “  Can  you  tell  us  what 
it  is  1  ”  I  made  answer  that  they  needed  phosphorus  and  lime,  for  they 
were  gorged,  like  the  “  bacca,”  with  potash.  Without  saying  any¬ 
thing  more  we  passed  on,  but  next  morning  I  noticed  that  the  Colonel 
had  given  them  a  dressing  of  superphosphate  of  lime.  Months  after 
that  time  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  saying  that  I  was  right.  “The 
Melons  did  need  phosphoric  acid  and  lime.  I  gave  them  some  of  my 
superphosphate,  and  they  have  done  splendidly.  It  acted  promptly, 
both  on  the  first  and  second  crop.” 
The  Colonel  was  a  lover  of  music,  and  an  accomplished  player  on  the 
flute,  the  strains  of  which  continued  into  the  morning  hours,  and  then 
came  rest.  Such  is  a  reminiscence  of  my  brief  visit  to  Welton  Place, 
in  response  to  the  invitation  of  its  then  gallant  and  generous-hearted 
owner. — G.  Abbey. 
HOLLY  HEDGES. 
As  this  is  the  time  of  the  year  when  many  are  thinking  of  forming 
hedges  it  may  be  of  advantage  to  submit  a  few  practical  notes  to  the 
readers  of  our  Journal.  The  best  hedge  plant  is  certainly  the  common 
green  Holly,  as  it  forms  an  impenetrable  and  ornamental  fence,  and 
when  well  established  acts  as  a  capital  break  to  cold  winds.  The  results 
of  my  experience  here  given  have  been  bought  at  a  great  cost,  for  I  have 
had  hundreds  of  Hollies  killed  by  injudicious  or  careless  planting.  The 
most  important  matter  to  he  attended  to  is  the  purchasing  of  the  Hollies. 
It  is  a  wise  plan  to  purchase  the  plants  near  home,  and  to  see  and 
examine  them  before  buying. 
The  plants  which  are  most  suitable  for  moving  have  an  abundance 
of  fibrous  roots  ;  to  such  the  soil  adheres  well.  If  the  plants  have  long 
straggling  roots  from  which  the  soil  easily  falls  they  will  very  likely  be 
killed  by  removal.  Nurserymen  who  grow  Hollies  extensively  are 
careful  to  transplant  them  very  often,  so  as  to  encourage  the  formation 
of  fibres  at  the  root.  On  stiff  land  Hollies  cannot  be  grown  satisfac¬ 
torily  for  removal  unless  manure  and  peat  are  worked  well  into  the  soil. 
From  the  above  remarks  it  will  he  seen  that  a  judicious  buyer  will  have 
several  plants  taken  up  so  that  he  may  examine  the  roots.  Before  the 
plants  are  lifted  everything  should  be  prepared  so  that  they  can  be 
planted  in  the  required  positions  without  any  delay,  as  it  is  most  inju¬ 
rious  to  keep  Hollies  long  out  of  the  ground.  One  of  the  strongest 
points  in  my  made  of  procedure  is  to  transplant  quickly.  I  have  had 
Hollies  lifted  in  the  morning,  conveyed  ninety  miles  by  rail,  and  planted 
before  night.  There  is  the  great  danger  of  the  root#  becoming  dry, 
which  must  be  carefully  avoided.  If  by  accident  the  roots  do  become 
dry  it  is  a  wise  plan  to  dip  them  into  a  bucket  of  water.  In  planting 
the  soil  should  be  trodden  only  moderately  firm. 
The  best  compost  to  work  round  the  roots  to  assist  the  formation  of 
fibres  is  a  mixture  of  well  decayed  stable  manure  and  bog  or  peat ;  this 
worked  in  liberal  quantities  into  the  soil  as  the  work  of  planting  pro¬ 
ceeds  will  keep  the  roots  moist,  which  is  important,  especially  for  young 
plants.  I  prefer  the  months  of  April  or  May  for  planting,  but  I  am 
guided  generally  by  the  weather.  I  prefer  moist  weather  for  trans¬ 
planting  Hollies,  no  matter  what  time  of  the  year  it  be. 
In  suburban  districts  many  Holly  hedges  are  planted  in  the  front  of 
villa  gardens.  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  plants  killed  by  injudicious 
planting  in  such  positions.  Villa  gardens  of  the  class  I  refer  to  have 
usually  at  the  front  a  small  stone  wall  about  3.  feet  high.  The  border 
is  made  to  Blope  from  the  level  ground  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  top 
of  the  wall,  and  the  Holly  hedge  is  planted  so  that  it  shows  well  above 
the  wall  ;  it  is  thus  exposed  to  the  wind,  and  is  in  danger  of  becoming 
dry  at  the  roots.  In  such  a  position  the  wonder  is  that  the  plants  live 
at  all.  Any  danger  from  this  cause  is  easily  avoided  by  allowing  the 
soil  to  come  only  within  a  foot  of  the  top  of  the  wall.  The  appearance 
at  the  outset  is  not  so  striking,  but  in  a  few  seasons  the  gardener  so 
planting  will  be  gratified  by  seeing  a  well-established  hedge. 
Immediately  the  hedge  is  planted  the  soil  should  be  mulched  with 
manure  or  tan  to  keep  the  roots  moist.  If  very  dry  weather  follow  the 
