January  20,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
51 
green,  came  fully  into  flower  its  welcome  was  a  joyous  one.  Simple, 
cheap,  easily  grown  as  is  the  unpretending  little  Eranthis  hyemalis, 
it  is  ever  a  gladness-giving  guest,  bringing  with  it  not  only  its  own 
unassuming  beauty,  but  the  jn-omise  of  gayer  flowers.  It  grows  in 
several  places,  and  among  others  a  shady  corner  is  brightened  by 
its  presence  now,  and  when  it  has  gone  to  rest  the  drooping  white 
bells  of  the  Lily  of  the  Valley  shall  come  to  take  its  place.  They 
are  mingled  together,  and  light  up  a  darksome  place  in  their  own 
appointed  times. 
Few  flowers  love  the  sun  more  than  do  the  Crocuses.  The  Dutch 
varieties  have  long  been  astir,  and  there  are  many  clumps  with  points 
reared  above  the  soil,  like  miniature  but  tender  chevaux  de  frise. 
A  harsh  simile  it  may  be;  but,  as  yet,  if  you  pass  the  handover 
them  they  are  firm  and  hard  to  the  touch,  even  though  the  flowers 
begin  to  appear  in  little  points — colourless  as  yet,  but  by-and-by  to  be 
bright  as  the  time  in  whieh  they  flower.  How  we  rejoice  as  we  see 
them  open  to  the  sun  !  Even  now,  closed  though  they  are,  the  heart 
is  joyous  at  the  thought  of  the  future  time. 
But  the  Crocus  lover  is  not  content  to  wait  for  the  great  flowers 
from  the  land  of  canals  and  dykes,  the  land  of  Hyacinths  and  Tulips, 
and  the  array  of  other  bulbous  flowers,  with  which  we  are  delighted. 
He  must  have  more  of  the  Avealth  of  the  Crocus  than  this,  and  goes 
farther  a-field  for  many  of  the  objects  of  his  admiration.  We  may 
thus  havenoAv  not  only  the  hope  of  the  future,  but  the  enjoyment  of 
tiie  25resent,  lessened  though  it  is  by  cloird  and  storm  and  rain.  One 
bright  day  among  many  dull  ones  may  suffice  to  give  us  a  glimpse 
of  the  gold  of  Crocus  vitellinus,  or  of  Crocus  ancyrensis,  both  of  Avhich 
have  waited  awhile.  Is  there  not,  too,  a  bud  or  two  on  the  few  plants 
of  the  rare  Crocus  Crewei  ?  A  day  of  sunshine  would  open  these,  and 
reward  us  for  weary  days  of  waiting.  Ah  !  the  compensations 
gardening  has.  Disappointments  are  many,  but  at  times  they  are  lost 
and  forgotten  in  the  more  than  realisation  ot  our  brightest  hoi)es. 
Fox’s  Winter  Crocus  (C.  hyemalis  var.  I'oxi),  drenched,  soaked,  and 
disfigured,  has  given  up  the  struggle  for  the  year,  but  we  hope  to  have 
a  recompense  Avhen  our  eyes  rest  for  the  first  time  upon  C.  Crewei,  of 
which  we  may  have  to  tell  a^ain. 
The  white  winter-flowering  Heath — Erica  carnea  alba— is  wreathed 
with  its  flowers.  The  pink  variety  or  type  (which  you  2fiea.se  to  call 
it)  is  also  coming  into  flower,  though  paler  yet  than  it  shall  he  later 
on.  There  are  stray  flowers  on  Arabis  and  Aubrietia;  Marigolds,  too, 
give  us  a  touch  of  orange  colour,  but  a  frosty  night  or  two  cut  off 
some  Wallflowers  then  in  bFom.  There  are  some  Hellebores  and  some 
Primroses,  and  it  would  not  bo  difficult  to  find  a  bloom  on  some  of  the 
early  Cyclamens,  and  a  more  careful  search  would  reveal  a  few  other 
flowers  which,  despite  the  uncongenial  time,  are  in  flower.  Iris 
Bakeriana,  one  of  our  .  most  delightful  Avinter  flowers,  has  been  in 
bloom  since  before  Christmas  Day,  and  the  queen  of  summer — the 
Hose — -seeks  to  extend  her  reign  over  winter  as  well,  for  has  she  not 
given  us  still  some  pink  China  Boses — a  flower  of  Longworth  Bambler 
and  one  of  Heine  IMarie  Henriette,  the  last  being’deprived  of  a  petal  or 
two  hy  the  wind  to-day  ? 
Our  tale  of  the  time  is  done.  It  is  a  mingled  one  of  joy  and  pain, 
as  becomes  that  of  the  birth  of  the  flowers.  The  pain  is  present,  but 
the  joy  and  the  hope  almost  overwhelm  it  by  their  magic  power. — 
S.  Arnott. 
EARLY  STRUGGLES  FOR  KNOWLEDGE. 
{.Continued  from  page  4.) 
The  method  adopted  in  my  studies  of  practical  horticulture  Avas  to 
take  ujA  each  department  in  turn,  obtain  the  best  books  available,  and 
Avork  it  out  thoroughly ;  but  any  special  Avork  often  led  me  into  extensive 
researches,  as  an  instance  Avill  show.  One  of  the  first  gardening  books 
I  ever  read  was  Wheatley’s  Observations  on  Modern  Gardening, 
published  in  1771.  This  work  is  scarcely  known  to  gardeners  of  the 
present  day ;  but  I  formed  a  high  estimation  of  it,  and  it  Avas  long  after 
when  I  found  that  Loudon  had  pronounced  it  to  be  “  the  grand  funda¬ 
mental  and  standard  Avork  on  English  gardening.”  It  was  partly  due 
to  this,  and  partly  to  the  employment  in  laying  out  gardens,  which 
led  me  to  seek  for  the  opinions  of  the  best  writers  on  the  principles  of 
taste,  and  in  the  pursuit  at  various  times  I  bought  and  studied  the 
following  Avorks  ; — Analytical  Inquiry  into  the  Principles  of  Taste,  by 
Richard  Payne  Knight,  who  was  brother  of  the  celebrated  President  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society;  Essay  on  the  Picturesque,  byUvedale 
Price;  Essay  on  the  Sublime  and  Beautiful,  by  Burke;  Gilpin’s 
Remarks  on  Forest  Scenery  ;  Fosbroke’s  Ev)4fcome  of  Gilpin’s 
Principles  of  the  Picturesque,  and  IMason’s  Essay  on  Design  in 
Gardening. 
Then  on  the  practical  side  I  worked  at  Kemifis  How  to  Lay  Out  a 
Garden,  and  Smith’s  Parks  and  Pleasure  Grounds,  both  useful  books, 
and  to  these  must  be  added  Loudon’s  elaborate  Avorks,  The  course  of 
study  described  first  awakened  a  love  of  tree.s,  and  not  only  induced 
me  to  study  them  at  the  time,  but  it  has  been  my  jaleasure  also  during 
the  past  twenty  years,  Loudon’s  Encyclopaedia  of  Trees  and  Shrubs  and 
Brown’s  Forester  Avere  the  tAvo  books  I  found  (and  still  find)  the  most 
useful,  but  these  Avere  not  procured  until  near  the  end  of  my  proba¬ 
tion,  when  I  was  able  to  devote  a  little  more  money  to  the  purchase  of 
books.  Loudon’s  Instruction  for  Young  Gardeners  proved  valuable  in 
the  early  stages,  and  my  attention  was  led  in  various  directions  by 
that  work,  but  chiefly  towards  geometry,  drawing,  and  land  surveying. 
On  the  former  I  2irocured  a  cheap  text-book  and  a  second-hand  copy 
of  Simson’s  Euclid,  and  on  the  latter  I  was  delighted  to  pick  up  at 
a  stall  one  day  a  copy  of  Crocker's  Elements  of  Land  Surveying, 
Avhich  removed  many  ffifficulties. 
As  regards  the  principles  upon  which  general  gardening  is  founded, 
Lindley’s  Theory  of  Horticulture  assisted  greatly  in  a  comprehension 
of  the  various  practices,  and  another  little  work.  The  Science  and 
Practice  of  Gardening,  hy  G.  -W.  Johnson,  founder  of  the  Cottage 
Gardener  and  co-Editor  with  Dr.  Hogg  for  many  years  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture,  was  studied  with  benefit. 
In  reference  to  82)ecial  departments  of  gardening,  fruit  culture 
received  considerable  attention,  for  my  work  was  largely  concerned 
witll  it.  The  two  first  AVorks  I  bought  were  Rivers’  Miniature  Fruit 
Garden,  and  the  second  edition  of  Dr.  Hogg’s  Fruit  Manual,  which 
though  a  small  volume  was  a  very  useful  little  book,  presenting  a 
marked  contrast  in  size  Avith  the  last  edition  of  this  celebrated 
cyclopaedia  of  fruits.  This  Avas  followed  by  William  Thomson’s 
Practical  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  the  Grape  Vine,  and  David 
Thomson’s  Fruit  Culture  under  Glass.  From  that  time  I  bought  and 
read  many  works  of  the  older  writers  on  fruit,  quite  a  library  in 
themselves,  and  these  were  followed  in  later  years  by  all  the  best  of 
the  modern  works  that  could  be  afforded.  Kitchen  gardening,  stove 
and  greenhouse  2fiants,  Ferns  and  Orchids  were  studied  in  a  similar 
way,  but  need  not  be  particularised,  as  sufficient  has  been  enumerated 
to  show  the  course  taken.  It  should,  however,  be  added  that  the 
horticultural  journals  were  an  important  source  of  information,  but 
for  a  considerable  time  I  did  not  see  them  regularly  ;  in  the  latter 
2)artof  the  period  described  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  see  one  every 
Aveek,  and  sometimes  more,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  by  gardeners,  young  and  old,  from  a  careful 
study  of  the  admirably  edited  gardening  periodicals. 
A  feAv  words  must  be  devoted  to  my  botanical  studies,  because 
they  greatly  increased  my  attachment  to  horticulture  as  a  calling. 
The  first  work  bought  is  now  an  historical  curiosity,  it  was  entitled 
An  Introduction  to  Botany,  and  the  author  Avas  James  Lee  of  The 
Vineyard,  Hammersmith,  the  founder  of  the  firm,  whose  name  can  still 
be  seen  near  Addison  Road  Station,  Kensington,  on  the  old  site, 
though  the  original  nursery  has  been  absorbed  for  other  purposes. 
This  book  was  founded  upon  the  Avritings  of  Linnmus,  and  dedicated 
by  lAU'mission  to  that  great  naturalist  in  an  admirably  worded  preface, 
Avhich  would  indicate  that  “James  Lee ’’must  have  been  a  fine  type 
of  a  British  horticulturist.  The  Avork,  I  believe,  had  a  large  sale,  and 
assisted  greatly  in  popularising  the  Linnean  system.  Another  old 
Avork  which  came  into  my  hands  was  The  Elements  of  Botany,  by 
Dr.  B.  S.  Barton,  which  especially  attracted  attention  by  its  excellent 
coloured  plates  of  Sarracenia  and  Dionsea,  but  it  also  contained  much 
useful  information.  From  these  I  proceeded  to  Lindley’s,  Hooker’s, 
Balfour’s,  Oliver’s,  and  Masters’  works ;  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  trace 
how  my  studies  were  gradually  extended  until  later  on  I  reached 
Sach’s  great  Text  Book.  A  study  was  also  made  of  our  native 
plants,  and  many  a  holiday  journey  was  made  over  commons  and 
through  woods  in  search  of  British  jfiants. 
At  this  time,  too,  Avhenever  I  had  a  half-day’s  holiday  I  visited 
the  2')arks,  public  and  private  gardens  within  walking  distance,  took 
notes  of  all  I  saw,  and  wrote  them  out,  any  doubtful  matters  being 
made  the  subject  of  careful  research.  A  diary  was  kept  of  both 
work  and  studies,  and  in  reading  the  majority  of  useful  books  I  made 
it  a  rule  to  write  doAvn  as  concisely  as  possible  Avhat  was  remembered 
of  the  priuci2fies  or  objects  of  the  A^arious  works,  thus  obtaining 
valuable  exercise  in  com2)osition. 
With  regard  to  my  subsequent  experience,  and  advanced  studies 
pursued  under  more  favourable  circumstances,  it  need  only  be  said 
that  they  have  been  entirely  devoted  to  horticulture  or  cognate 
subjects,  and  the  knoAvledge  gained  I  have  endeavoured  to  apply 
usefully  in  the  service  of  my  employers,  and  to  the  benefit  of  fellow 
workers.  In  the  sketch  of  my  early  labours  I  have  not  dwelt  U2K)n 
the  many  difficulties  and  discouragements  experienced,  because  it 
might  api^ear  that  I  wish  to  exalt  my  efforts.  My  struggles  Avere  due 
to  an  innate  desire  to  gain  knowledge,  and  raise  myself  in  the  Avorld 
by  that  means.  My  father’s  injunction  has  always  been  in  my  mind, 
“  Learn  all  you  can  of  useful  subjects,  but  learn  thoroughly,  observe 
closely,  and  reflect  constantly.”  Happily  my  AVork  has  not  been  in 
vain,  for  I  hold  a  position  which  so  exactly  accords  with  my  taste  and 
inclinations  that  I  envy  no  man.  Apart  from  this,  hoAvever,  my  books 
and  studies  have  yielded  a  never-ending  pleasure.  I  am  still  a 
student,  learning  i^atiently  from  the  great  book  of 'Nature,  and  my 
only  wish  is  that  I  may  be  permitted  so  to  continue  to  the  end. — 
A  Working  Student, 
