244 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  17.  1898. 
AS  OF  A  DREAM. 
{Continued  from  page  99.) 
I  FEAR,  for  999  persons  out  of  1000,  it  would  be  uninteresting  and 
difficult  to  conceive  of  were  I  to  unfold  the  anxiety  hinging  upon  the 
mind  of  the  owner  of  two  small  Potatoes  planted  in  a  Seakale  pot,  the 
which  by  work  and  watchings  for  initiative  development  had  cost  so  much 
time  ;  therefore,  I  will  leap  over  the  minutiEe  and  intervening  cultural 
details  to  land  myself  in  Westminster,  in  Xovember,  lp95,  with  the 
produce  of  one  tuber  of  them  only  that  had  been  induced  to  fulfil  its 
destiny,  and  lo  gain  the  approval  and  a  “  united  vote  of  thanks”  from  the 
li.ILS.  Fruit  Committee.  Soon  after  the  above  event  I  received  letters 
from  Mr.  J.  Horsford  and  Mr.  C.  G.  Pringle,  Charlotteville,  Vermont, 
U.S.A.,  from  which  short  extracts  may  not  be  without  interest. 
Mr.  Horsford  wrote  : — “  I  was  interested  to  learn  of  your  perseverance 
in  crossing  the  Solanum  Fendleri  on  the  common  Potato,  or  with  it,  and 
I  trust  you  may  live  to  see  good  results  from  this  work.  Potatoes  have 
not  had  as  much  interest  for  me  because  there  were  so  many  new  varieties 
on  the  market  that  the  chances  for  profitable  work  in  that  line  seemed 
much  smaller  than  in  some  other  lines.  But  with  different  species,  who 
can  tell  what  time  may  do  ?  Mr.  Burbank’s  success  with  fruits  has  given 
some  very  remarkable  new  things.  If  we  may  believe  half  what  the 
catalogues  say,  he  has  done  a  service  to  the  world.  ]Mr.  Pringle  is  not 
dead,  but  one  of  the  liveliest  men  in  America.” 
Mr.  Pringle  soon  afterwards  wrote  ; — “Twenty  years  have  brought 
many  changes,  but  I  am  still  alive,  and  you  can  see  that  I  have  been 
active,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  been  a  botanical  traveller  since  1881, 
and  have  crossed  the  Continent  every  year  to  make  journeys  of  many 
months'  duration  on  our  Pacific  coast  and  in  Old  Mexico.  I  have  worked 
eleven  years  in  Mexico,  till  I  have  collected  probably  one-hal(  its 
plants.  Kew,  the  British  Museum,  and  other  institutions  in  various  lands, 
possess  thousands  of  my  specimens.  You  may  infer,  and  truly,  that  I 
have  almost  forgotten  horticulture — but  not  old  friends.  Your  mention  of 
Solanum  Fendleri  reminded  me  that  I  have  for  your  trial  seeds  of  a  rare 
tuberous  species,  and  I  enclose  them  herewith.  The  leaf  is  like  a  Pear 
leaf  (it  exactly  represents  a  Sage  leaf)  not  divided.  There  is  rare  pleasure 
for  me  in  living  under  the  bright  skies  of  the  Mexican  table-lands,  and 
working  amidst  the  rich  flora  there.” 
I  have  copied  the  above  extracts  for  your  acceptance.  Not  only  do  I 
wish  to  have  the  origin  of  the  hybrids  placed  beyond  question,  but  very 
much  more,  to  show  the  good  feeling  of  my  correspondents,  which  I  hope 
may  continue  to  predominate  with  America  for  all  the  English  speaking 
Pace — with  a  capital,  Mr.  Editor  ] 
I  will  now  return  to  my  exhibits  at  the  Drill  Hall,  in  November,  1895. 
I  planted  the  100,  the  result  of  the  second  cross,  in  the  spring  following. 
They  threw  a  strong,  upright  haulm,  unique  in  blossom,  leaves,  and 
florets  intermixed,  upon  long  stalks.  I  tried  to  impregnate  innumerable 
pistils  with  pollen  from  my  early  and  late  varieties,  but  with  no  results. 
In  themselves  they  are  sterile.  One  of  the  stools  threw  a  late  coronal  of 
flowers,  and  I  had  proved  in  cases  like  this  it  might  be  my  chance  to  find 
some  lagging  behind  blossom  to  give  me  pollen, 
I  generally  plant  some  of  my  International  Kidney  about  midsummer, 
to  produce  us  young  Potatoes  late  in  the  autumn.  They  throw  late 
blossoms  in  abundance,  hence  my  opportunity,  though  I  had  to  wait  some 
days  for  farina,  but  the  moment  the  pollen  was  ripe  I  applied  it  to  the 
pistils  of  the  hybrids’  flowers,  and  to  my  infinite  satisfaction  it  caused 
berries  to  swell  and  ripen,  and  produce  me  seed.  The  hybrid’s  crop  turned 
out  to  be  a  late  variety,  and  the  tubers  resulting  took  a  grand  leap,  much 
resembling  the  Hector  of  Woodstock,  though  not  sufficient  in  crop  or 
flavour  for  commerce  ;  but  they  were  and  are  much  appreciated  by  the 
missus  for  Irish  stews  on  account  of  the  manipulated  sections  holding  to 
their  entirety — viz.,  “  not  boiling  to  squash.”  Buchanan’s  antiblight 
powder  kept  the  haulms  intact,  as  in  fact  it  did,  and  has  done  for  the  last 
five  years  all  my  Potatoes,  and  Tomatoes  included,  to  the  end  of  their 
chapter. 
Now  for  the  year  of  grace  1897.  I  sowed  the  precious  seed  in  the 
tray  in  the  glass  house,  and  looked  sharp  after  the  woodlice  depredators 
this  time  you  may  feel  sure.  Thirty  seeds  germinated,  and  became  in 
their  due  time  planted  singly  in  flower  pots.  They  were  kept  growing 
there  purposely  till  “Jubilee  Day.”  I  mentioned  it  in  a  paper  you 
printed  concerning  a  hall  for  horticulture,  how  I,  as  a  churchwarden, 
was  calculating  upon  reseating  our  St.  Michael's  Church,  in  commemora¬ 
tion.  It  was  done.  I  placed  a  last  wedge  under  a  seat,  to  make  it  level, 
on  the  eventful  morning,  and  then  “  home,”  as  old  Pepys  would  say,  to 
plant  out  the  young  hybrid  Potatoes.  We  completed  thi*  operation  just 
about  the  time  that  her  Majesty  was  returning  her  thanks  at  the  foot  of 
the  steps  of  St.  Paul's  ;  and  the  missus,  Alice,  myself,  and  David  (my 
man)  were  making  the  welkin  resound  to  the  words  of  our  anthem  -  God 
Save  the  Queen  !  Well,  you  have  heard  of  it  before  that  we  are  loyal 
people  at  Cottage  Farm,  so  we  will  let  that  pass. 
We  were  left  severely  alone  all  the  season  ;  no  one  but  Mr.  Arthur 
Sutton,  his  nephew  (the  youngest  member,  just  admitted  into  the  firm),  and 
Mr.  Lasham  (head  of  the  Potato  department)  favoured  me  with  a  visit — 
in  fact,  “  sent  to  Coventry  ”  may  be  the  term  for  me  and  my  experimental 
work  last  year.  I  must  let  you  know  about  some  of  them  in  a  future 
paper,  as  this  is  running  to  an  unconscionable  length,  but  I  want  to  have 
it  out  with  you  about  the  hybrids,  as  far  as  they  will  carry  me,  as  I  seem 
to  fear  I  may  not  have  another  year’s  cultural  opportunity  with  them. 
I  narrowly  watched  the  features  of  each  plant  through  its  growth  ; 
about  a  dozen  showed  precociousness  and  promise  of  tuber  ;  others  must 
be  crossed  again  to  correct  a  wild  tendency  and  induce  the  plants  to  bear 
their  tubers  “  nearer  home,”  and  again  in  the  after  years  probably  more 
crossings,  and  certainly  many  more  trials  for  growth  and  crop,  and  then 
the  crucial  finales  for  cookings  and  quality.  All  may  possibly  be  achieved 
say  by  A.D.  1910.  But  it  could  be  done,  I  give  you  word  for  it.  How 
it  will  fare  with  the  last  comer  from  Mr.  Pringle  I  cannot  as  yet 
guarantee.  I  have  tried  to  cross  it  with  my  true  English  breed  for  two 
years,  but  it  refuses.  1  pin  my  faith,  however,  to  the  mystic  number 
three. — Egbert  Fekn,  Sulham&tead. 
SOME  FLORISTS  I  HAVE  KNOWN. 
Ox  the  12th  inst.  the  Eev.  F.  D.  Horner  was  the  lecturer  to  a  large 
gathering  of  members  of  the  Bradford  Paxton  Society.  The  lecturer 
stated  that,  like  crystals  round  a  piece  of  string,  his  reminiscences  of  his 
many  dear  old  friends  were  crystallised  round  him  in  happy  memories, 
which  necessitated  the  treatment  of  his  subject,  ‘‘Reminiscences  of  Some 
Florists  I  Have  Known  ’'  from  an  autobiographical  standpoint.  He  had 
no  wish  to  push  his  own  personality  into  prominence  more  than  was 
necessary  ;  but  as  his  dear  father,  who  was  a  physician  in  Hull,  was  the 
first  florist  he  knew,  his  memories  were  carried  back  to  his  earliest  days, 
and  he  had  no  conception  of  any  time  when  his  own  love  for  flowers  was 
dormant. 
His  earliest  attempts  at  floriculture  w'ere  made  in  his  nursery 
windows  during  a  protracted  illness,  when  he  utilised  his  empty  medicine 
bottles  as  receptacles  for  the  growth  of  the  common  field  Bean  and  Pea^ 
and  for  the  propagation  by  cuttings  of  Nasturtiums  and  similar  old- 
fashioned  garden  plants.  These  experiments  in  gardening,  and  the  lessons 
they  taught  him,  left  a  deep  and  abiding  influence  on  his  character.  In 
those  days  the  sectional  florists'  shows  followed  each  other  in  regular 
succession.  The  Polyanthus,  Auricula,  Tulip,  Ranunculus,  Pink,  Carna. 
tion,  and  Picotce  each  in  its  turn  gave  interest  and  pleasure  to  cultivators, 
and  before  he  was  high  enough  in  stature  to  look  down  on  the  stages  his 
father  used  to  take  him  by  the  hand  and  initiate  him  into  the  standard 
properties  of  the  blooms.  Then  came  his  college  days,  and  after  that  his 
probation  curacy  in  a  slum  district  of  Liverpool.  Of  course,  this  meant 
well-nigh  impossibilities  to  gratify  his  passion  for  flowers  ;  but  on  his 
appointment  to  the  curacy  of  Normanton,  then  a  country  village,  he  then 
began  to  form  his  collection  of  Tulips. 
During  the  early  seventies  he  was  appointed  to  Kirkby  Malzeard,  near 
Ripon,  and  at  that  period  began  his  more  general  acquaintance  with  his 
contemporary  florists.  Strange  to  say  at  Normanton,  so  near  'Wakefield, 
he  was  so  engrossed  with  his  duties,  and  his  spare  time  being  devoted 
to  the  cultivation  of  his  then  favourite  flow'er.  that  no  opportunities 
had  presented  themselves  to  form  an  acquaintance  with  the  Wakefield 
florists.  He  was  glad,  however,  to  state  that  this  was  remedied  after¬ 
wards,  but  it  left  many  regrets  for  the  congenial  fellowship  which  he  had 
then  missed.  The  lecturer  then  stated  that  his  acquaintance  with  the 
late  Mr.  Barlow  of  Stake  Hill,  iVfanchester,  originated  in  a  remarkable 
incident.  At  the  time  IMr.  Barlow  was  thinking  of  leaving  England,  and 
offered  his  valuable  collection  of  Tulips  for  sale,  and  amongst  them  was  a 
bulb  of  Annie  McGregor,  so  perfect  and  constant  in. its  leathering  that 
Mr.  Horner  never  remembered  one  to  equal  it,  and  his  father  purchased 
it  at  the  price  of  20  guineas,  at  which  price  Mr.  Barlow  would  only  part 
with  it  on  conditions  that  he  had  the  option  of  reclaiming  it  at  any  time 
at  the  price  given.  The  reasons  for  Mr.  Barlow’s  expatriation  were 
removed,  and  for  a  time  he  forebore  to  press  his  claim  to  repurchase,  and 
in  the  meantime  the  bulb  was  destroyed  by  an  unfortunate  accident, 
leaving  Mr.  Horner  in  the  unfortunate  position  of  being  unable  to  fulfil 
his  part  of  the  bargain.  Although  they  both  highly  valued  this  extra¬ 
ordinary  bulb,  Mr.  Horner  with  much  feeling  said  that  as  the  loss  of  it 
was  the  cementing  of  a  life-long  friendship  between  them,  he  had  often 
blessed  the  accident.  Anecdotes  in  connection  with  the  names  of  Messrs. 
Barlow,  J.  Bentley,  sen.,  J.  Bentley,  jun,.  Aid.  Wooler,  Sockport,  Slater, 
Cheetam,  Alills,  W.  Whitaker,  J.  Jackson,  Woodhead,  J.  Simonite  and 
Ben  Simonite,  and  others  were  given. 
Although  he  had  confined  his  reminiscences  to  florists  north  of  the 
Trent,  he  could  not  let  the  opportunity  pass  without  expressing  the 
obligation  due  from  all  florists  to  the  late  Dr.  Hogg,  who,  in  addition  to 
his  genial  personality  and  claims  of  being  an  ardent  florist,  was  at  all 
times  ready  to  place  space  for  reports  of  shows  and  other  matters  at  their 
disposal  in  the  columns  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture.  The  lecturer 
concluded  his  interesting  remarks  with  an  eloquent  and  generous  tribute 
of  esteem  to  his  florist  contemporaries,  whose  sense  of  fair  play  in  com¬ 
petition  was  only  equalled  by  their  steadfastness  to  the  florists’  “  ideal,” 
and  their  perseverance  to  attain  it. 
After  a  cordial  vote  of  thanks  had  been  passed  to  Mr.  Horner,  the 
Chairman,  Mr.  Scott,  drew  attention  to  a  superb  specimen  of  Dendrobium 
nobile  exhibited  by  Mr.  Moreby,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Knowles,  Moorhead, 
Shi])ley,  and  he  proposed  that  the  Society’s  certificate  of  merit  be  awarded 
to  Mr. .Moreby  in  recognition  of  his  success  with  that  grand  old  Orchid. 
That  plant  with  twenty  flowering  bulbs  carrying  twenty  flowers  each  was 
but  the  fifth  in  size  in  the  Moorhead  collection,  the  largest  plant  in  it 
had  seventy-five  breaks,  carrying  considerably  over  1000  flowers. 
— T.  G.  W. 
