54 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
July  18, 1895. 
gardens  inside  the  walls,  4  acres  in  extent,  drained  to  my  entire  satisfac¬ 
tion.  As  the  foundations  of  the  walls  were  very  deep,  I  found  it 
necessary  to  go  below  them  with  my  drains  ;  I,  therefore,  had  to  put  in 
drains  6  feet  deep  all  round  by  the  walls,  and  as  I  had  a  large  quantity  of 
old  brickbats  that  had  come  out  of  some  walls  which  had  been  pulled  down, 
I  had  18  inches  of  these  laid  on  the  pipes,  and  in  such  a  manner  that 
no  two  pieces  should  lie  flat  together — i.e.,  there  was  a  space  of  an  inch 
or  more  left  between  all  the  pieces.  These,  as  well  as  the  pipes,  I  laid 
myself  for  a  length  of  drains  altogether  amounting  to  nearly  a  thousand 
yards.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  the  improvement  the  draining  made  in 
the  growth  of  everything  that  was  planted  in  the  gardens.  The  fruit 
trees  soon  lost  their  mossy  appearance,  and  instead  of  their,  in  some 
cases,  making  long  and  sappy  shoots,  and  in  others  dying  prematurely, 
they  have  been  steadily  improving  in  appearance  in  every  way,  and  are 
now  perfect  models,  being  literally  covered  with  bloom  buds.” 
This  is  cited  to  show  that  Mr.  "Wills  was  something  more  than  an 
ornamental  gardener  ;  he  was,  in  fact,  severely  practical  in  the  days  of 
his  working  career,  and  nothing  pleased  him  better  than  doing  or 
inspecting  good  work,  and  describing  it  for  the  beneflt  of  his  fellow 
men.  He  used  to  say  that  one  of  the  most  useful  articles  he  ever  wrote 
was  describing  a  system  of  Horseradish  culture,  totally  different  from 
the  plan  generally  adopted  in  gardens,  to  which  article  a  leading 
position  was  accorded  in  our  columns  in  1867. 
We  have  dwelt  more  particularly,  and  we  think  not  inappropriately, 
on  Mr.  Wills  as  a  gardener  who  co-operated  with  us,  as  he  did  most 
creditably  and  effectively,  for  some  years.  We  do  not  remember  when 
he  came  to  London  and  joined  Mr.  Wimsett  as  a  floral  decorator.  He 
was  not  very  long,  however,  before  he  commenced  business  on  his  own 
account.  He  adopted  a  bolder  and  more  picturesque  style  than  had 
hitherto  prevailed  in  arranging  plants  for  effect,  and  in  this  work  made 
himself  famous.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  him  at  one  time  to  have 
three  “  £500  jobs”  in  a  week,  and  some  of  his  decorations  on  ceremonial 
occasions  cost  a  great  deal  more.  Mr.  Wills  also  exhibited  extensively 
at  the  shows  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  South  Kensington. 
On  one  occasion  (1875)  he  produced  something  like  a  tropical  forest, 
and  another  year  an  iceberg — a  ponderous  mass,  composed  of  many  tons 
of  glistening  ice.  When  the  Westminster  Aquarium,  and  as  it  was  then 
called  Summer  and  Winter  Garden  Society,  was  opened,  Mr.  Wills 
transformed  the  building  into  something  like  a  floral  paradise.  He  also 
organised  costly  shows,  but  the  London  populace  did  not  respond 
in  sufficient  numbers  to  make  the  garden  project  a  success,  and  it  was 
abandoned.  Imbued  with  great  ideas,  however,  the  active  mind  could 
not  rest,  and  Mr.  Wills  conceived  a  method  and  prepared  ela'borate 
plans  for  making  the  Albert  Memorial  the  central  object  in  a  new 
Crystal  Palace  ;  but  the  project  was  too  big— except  for  him.  He 
established  a  nursery  company  and  horticultural  emporium  ;  but 
“  companies  ”  of  this  nature  do  not  seem  to  flourish  in  our  hard-headed 
and  cold-hearted  community.  Mr.  Wills  was  not  cold-hearted,  but 
warm — a  man  of  bold  enterprise  and  generous  impulse  —  sanguine 
under  all  circumstances,  and  always  firm  in  the  belief  that  whatever 
might  in  his  view  go  wrong  at  the  moment,  would  be  sure  to  come  right 
in  the  end. 
He  acquired  a  nursery  at  Hammersmith  and  another  at  Anerley,  also 
the  services  of  one  of  the  most  successful  raisers  and  growers  of  plants 
in  the  kingdom,  Mr.  C.  F.  Bause.  And  here  he  made  a  “  hit,”  for  Mr. 
Bause  found  some  old  Dracaena  stumps  on  a  rubbish  heap.  He  thought 
if  he  could  bring  them  round  they  would  flower,  and  they  did.  He  turned 
the  pollen  to  account,  and  raised  the  finest  collection  of  Dracaenas  in  one 
“  batch  ”  the  world  had  ever  seen.  In  1876  a  grand  centennial  show  was 
held  in  Brussels,  and  amongst  the  prizes  was  the  large  gold  medal  of 
500  francs  for  twenty-five  Dracaenas  “  remarkable  for  their  beauty,  their 
novelty,  and  their  culture.”  Those  who  were  present  at  the  contest 
will  not  forget  the  magnificent  specimens  of  Mr.  Linden,  some  of  them, 
such  as  Youngi,  Mooreana,  and  Baptist!,  8  feet  high,  and  furnished  to  the 
base,  some  of  the  leaves  being  4  feet  in  length,  the  grandest  plants 
probably  ever  seen  at  any  show.  The  Anerley  plants  were  2  to  3  feet 
high,  but  their  “  culture  ”  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  their  “  beauty  ” 
unmistakeable,  and  their  “  novelty”  indisputable.  Yet  the  jury  paused 
very  long,  till  the  excitement  became  intense,  and  it  was  not  until 
manifestHtions  of  impatience  found  utterance  that  the  verdict  was  cast 
for  the  Anerley  plants.  This  was  a  great  triumph,  and  another  of 
the  proud  moments  of  Mr.  Wills’  life.  He  either  gave  Mr.  Bause  the 
fine  medal  or  another  of  equal  value,  and  we  regret  to  hear  that  the 
bearer  of  it  has  been  for  some  time  in  impaired  health  at  his  nursery 
home  at  South  Norwood. 
During  recent  years  Mr.  Wills  has  lived  a  quiet  and  more  or  less 
‘retired  life,  spending  a  good  deal  of  time  at  his  seaside  villa  at  Worthing, 
where  he  loved  to  dispense  hospitality  to  his  friends.  He  took  much 
interest  in  the  gardening  charities,  especially,  perhaps,  the  Orphan 
Fund,  to  which  he  gave  £10  on  each  recurring  Ijirthday,  and  attended 
the  committee  meetings  as  long  as  he  could.  Mr.  Wills,  who  had  been 
ill  for  a  long  time,  expired  at  his  town  residence,  Onslow  Gardens, 
South  Kensington,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  leaving  a  widow 
but  no  family,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  t’ne  Brompton  Cemetery 
in  the  presence  of  many  friends  on  Saturday  last. 
Our  engraving  (fig.  8)  is  from  a  photograph  taken  when  Mr.  Wills 
was  in  the  full  vigour  of  ripened  manhood,  and  it  represents  him  as  he 
was  during  the  most  active  part  of  his  London  career. 
Than  the  deceased  horticulturist  no  person  has  done  more  to  create 
interest  in  plants  and  flowers  for  decorating  the  homes  of  princes  and 
people.  This  led  to  a  great  expansion  in  trade,  and  many  persons  who 
have  been  successful  in  growing  plants  for  market  during  the  past 
twenty-five  years  owe  much  to  the  enthusiasm  by  which  he  was 
animated  in  that  direction.  This  appears  to  be  generally  admitted,  and 
therefore  we  are  not  surprised  to  hear  of  a  suggestion  that  a  tribute 
should  be  paid  to  his  memory  in  some  permanent  form,  such  as  a  tomb¬ 
stone,  the  surplus  to  go  to  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,  to  which 
he  was  so  closely  attached,  and  which  he  supported  so  well. 
PROFITABLE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  GLASS  STRUCTURES 
IN  WINTER. 
[Silver  Medal  Essay  by  Mr.  GEORGE  Sumiiers,  Saudbeck  Park,  Rotherham.] 
^Concluded  from  ])age  29.') 
SpiEiEA  JAPONICA. — This  should  be  grown  in  quantity,  as  imported 
clumps  can  now  be  obtained  very  cheaply.  The  plants  should  be  potted 
in  48’9  or  32’s,  according  to  size,  as  soon  as  obtained,  which  is 
usually  in  September,  any  good  loam  answering  the  purpose.  A  little 
frost  will  do  them  no  harm .  When  first  brought  into  the  houses  they 
should  be  placed  in  a  temperature  of  55°,  and  after  they  have  commenced 
growing  this  may  be  increased  10°.  The  plants  will  grow  rapidly,  and 
it  is  a  great  advantage  if  they  are  allowed  to  stand  in  saucers  of  water. 
Prices  of  plants  in  pots  range  from  63.  to  8s.  per  dozen  ;  but  there  is 
only  a  limited  demand  for  these.  In  a  cut  state  they  average  from  4s. 
to  68.  per  dozen  bunches,  paying  well  at  these  prices. 
Etjcharis  amazoeica. — If  a  healthy  stock  of  these  is  procured  in 
an  establishment  where  there  are  vineries,  as  well  as  Tomato  and  other 
houses,  I  have  found  from  experience  they  pay  well,  but  they  must  be 
timed  to  bloom  during  the  winter  and  early  spring  months,  as  in  the 
summer  they  are  unsaleable  in  quantity.  The  system  under  which  I 
grow  them  is,  as  soon  as  a  vinery  is  well  covered  with  foliage  the 
Eucharis  plants  are  placed  on  the  border,  syringed  two  or  three  times 
during  the  day,  and  throughout  the  summer  copious  supplies  of  water 
are  given  almost  daily.  They  are  not  shaded,  only  what  is  obtained  from 
the  foliage  of  the  Vines.  In  September  one  of  the  houses  is  cleared  of 
Cucumbers,  the  plants  are  kept  on  the  dry  side  for  a  week  or  two 
previous  to  their  removal,  and  are  then  placed  in  the  Cucumber  house, 
being  stood  on  pots,  as  they  are  never  plunged  at  any  time.  They 
commence  blooming  at  once,  the  plants  are  then  well  watered,  and 
fed  occasionally  with  soot  water,  the  result  being  a  splendid  crop  of 
bloom. 
From  thirteen  plants  treated  in  this  manner  I  gathered  and  sold 
ninety-six  dozen  blooms.  Many  of  the  spikes  had  eight  flowers,  which 
averaged  3s.  9d.  per  dozen.  Many  of  the  leaves  measure  36  inches  in 
length,  and  7f  inches  in  breadth,  and  are  dark  green  in  colour.  After 
flowering  less  water  was  given  them  for  a  short  time,  when  they  again 
had  copious  supplies  of  water,  and  flowered  at  Christmas.  A  similar 
course  of  treatment  was  again  followed,  with  the  result  of  another  crop 
of  bloom  at  Easter,  but  not  nearly  so  many  spikes  as  in  the  first  crop. 
These  plants  are  now  growing  under  Cucumbers,  but  will  shortly  be 
removed  to  the  vineries.  Treated  in  this  manner  they  pay  well,  as 
during  the  winter  months  the  flowers  are  always  in  demand.  Previous 
to  growing  these  plants,  which  have  been  worked  up  from  a  few  small 
bulbs  obtained  from  another  source,  I  destroyed  two  successive  batches 
which  were  affected  with  the  mite.  The  compost  that  I  grow  them  in 
is  chiefly  loam,  with  a  little  rough  peat,  charcoal,  and  silver  sand. 
During  the  winter  the  plants  are  grown  in  a  temperature  of  from 
60°  to  70°. 
Mushrooms. — These  may  be  most  successfully  grown  in  Tomato  and 
other  houses  during  the  winter.  Prepare  the  manure  in  the  ordinary 
way.  “  Mushrooms  for  the  Million,”  by  J.  Wright,  treats  the  subject 
admirably.  If  the  house  is  span-roofed  make  up  a  bed  on  the  ridge 
system,  3  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  3  feet  in  height,  and  when  finished 
off  should  be  about  9  inches  in  width  at  the  top.  Insert  the  spawn  at 
a  temperature  of  75°,  but  not  until  the  heat  of  the  bed  has  risen  higher, 
and  fallen  to  that  figure.  Case  the  bed  with  good  garden  soil,  and  cover 
with  a  few  inches  of  short  litter,  keeping  as  near  60°  as  possible.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  have  manure  freshly  collected  from  the  stables, 
as  it  may  with  advantage  be  stacked  for  six  months  previous  to  being 
used. 
I  commenced  collecting  all  the  manure  I  could  obtain  last  January, 
This  is  thrown  into  a  square  heap,  adding  to  it  as  the  manure  comes 
to  hand.  This  will  not  be  required  before  August,  when  the  whole 
mass  will  be  turned  over  and  well  watered,  turning  it  six  or  eight  times 
on  alternate  days.  From  manure  treated  in  this  manner  last  year  we 
have  been  gathering  good  crops  of  thick  fleshy  Mushrooms,  which 
realised  much  better  prices  than  usual.  There  is  a  good  demand  for 
them.  In  one  week  my  returns  for  them  were  Is.  2d.  per  pound,  and 
in  another  Is.  3d,  per  pound.  If  manure  can  be  obtained  at  a  reason¬ 
able  price,  I  consider  this  is  one  of  the  best  paying  crops  that  can  be 
grown  in  the  winter  in  houses  in  which  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers  are 
the  chief  summer  crops. 
Strawberries. — These  should  be  grown  in  houses  in  conjunction 
with  Mushrooms,  on  shelves  slung  from  the  roof,  but  placed  so  that  the 
drip  from  the  watering  does  not  fall  directly  on  the  Mushroom  bed.  The 
same  temperature  will  suit  both  crops.  The  Strawberries  should  be 
placed  on  the  shelves  near  the  glass  in  December,  the  house  being  kept 
at  a  temperature  of  from  45°  to  50°  for  a  few  weeks,  to  be  increased  to 
60°  when  the  plants  are  in  bloom.  After  the  fruit  is  set  a  higher 
temperature  may  be  maintained,  and  the  fruit  will  then  be  ready  for 
market  early  in  March,  when  good  prices  are  usually  realised.  This 
year  prices  ranged  from  63.  for  firsts  to  33.  for  seconds.  The  varieties 
