419 
Novemner  16,  l«99. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTaGE 
SPECIAL  MIXTURES 
—  OF  — 
DAFFODILS 
For  NATURALISING  in  Woodlands,  Shrubberies, 
Orchards,  on  Grassy  Slopes,  in  large  Flower 
Borders,  or  for  Cutting. 
BARR'S  CHOICE  MIXTURE  of  many  sorts, 
including  large  and  small  Trumpets,  Peerless  or 
Chalice  cupped,  and  Poet’s  Narcissi.  Per  1000,  35/-; 
per  100,  4/«. 
BARR’S  FINE  MIXTURE,  a  good  mixture  of 
large  and  small  Trumpets,  Peerless,  and  Poet’s  Narcissi. 
Per  1000,  25/-;  per  100,  3/-. 
BARR’S  CATALOGUE  of  DAFFODILS  is  illustrated  with 
original  photographs  taken  at  the  Long  Ditton  Nur¬ 
series,  and  contains  a  Descriptive  List  of  all  the  Finest 
Daffodils  in  cultivation,  including  the  latest  Novelties 
for  1899.  Free  on  application. 
BARR’S  CATALOGUE  of  the  best  HYACINTHS,  TULIPS, 
CROCUSES,  SNOWDROPS,  and  other  Spring-Flower¬ 
ing  Bulbs  for  in  or  outdoors,  Free  on  application. 
Bjlbs  sent  Carriage  Free  on  receipt  of  remittance. 
BARR  Sc  SONS, 
12  &  13,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London. 
Nurseries— LONG  DITTON,  SURREY. 
RIVERS5  ' 
FRUIT  TREES, 
Roses,  Vines, 
FIGS,  ORANGES, 
AND 
Orchard-House  Trees. 
■A  LARGE  AND  SELECT  STOCK 
ALWAYS  ON  VIEW. 
PLANTING  SEASON. 
BY  SPECIAL 
W.  H.  ROGERS  &  SON,*’. 
Beg  to  state  that  their  New  CATALOGUE  of  RHODODEN¬ 
DRONS,  CONIFERS,  Evergreen  and  Deciduous  SHRUBS, 
FOREST  and  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  FRUIT  TREES, 
ROSES  and  CLIMBING  PLANTS  of  every  description,  is 
now  ready,  and  may  be  obtained  post  free  on  application. 
LANDSCAPE  GARDENING  A  SPECIALITY. 
RED  LODGE,  NURSERY,  BASSET, 
And  132,  High  Street,  Southampton. 
CARNATIONS. 
Border  Varieties  should  be  planted  out  at  once. 
All  orders  can  now  he  promptly  executed. 
CATALOGUE  of  all  the  newest  and  best,  with  Hints 
on  Carnation  Culture,  three  stamps. 
A  choice  dozen,  my  selection,  6/-,  post  free. 
WEGUELIN,  DAWLISH,  DEVON. 
•WESST’S  PATENT 
GARDEN  SPECIALITIES. 
WEST’S  PATENT 
Vapourising  Fumigator 
Best  and  Cheapest,  for  being 
made  of  brass  and  zinc  will  last 
for  years.  The  stove  only  re¬ 
quires  a  little  spirits  to  saturate 
the  asbestos,  so  may  be  used 
thousands  of  times  without 
wick  or  further  trouble  than 
tilling  it,  Price  6d.  complete 
to  vaporise  up  to  2500  cubic  ft. 
“WEST’S  EXTRACT  OF 
NICOTINE.”  — Not  being  a 
compound  that  is  on  iy  a  chemi¬ 
cal  substitute  for  nil  otine.  but 
guaranteed  pure  nicotine,  it  is 
impossible  for  anything  to  be 
better  or  cheaper  (compare 
price).  7d.  per  1000  cubic  ft. 
PLANT  POT  CROCKS.— When  one  is  placed  over  the 
drainage  hole  it  prevents  slugs,  worms,  Ac.,  from  damaging 
the  plant,  and  forms  a  perfect  drainage,  keeping  the  compost 
from  going  sour  ;  fits  all  pots,  and  will  last  a  lifetime. 
4/6  per  gross.  Samples  free. 
For  particulars  of  West’s  Patent  Ivorine  Labels  of  every 
description  ;  Soft  Metal  Tree  Fasteners  ;  S.M.  Plant  Clips  ; 
Plant  Grip  Stakes  ;  Flower  Grip  Holders  ;  Waterproof  Ink 
for  labels;  Gardener’s  Fountain  Pens;  Glazing  Staples; 
Plant  Swivels,  &c.  See  New  Illustrated  Catalogue  post  free. 
Samples  free,  postage  for  samples  and  goods  extra. 
Gratis ,  “  Orchid  Culture,”  2nd  Edition ,  postage  2d. 
A  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  Orchids,  giving  all  par¬ 
ticulars  of  their  requirements  ;  also  Catalogue,  Ac. 
THE  LEEDS  ORCHID  COMPANY,  ROUNDHAY,  LEEDS. 
ILLUSTRATED  AND  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE, 
Post  Free,  3d. 
THOMAS  RIVERS  &  SON, 
SAWBRIDGEWORTH,  HERTS. 
'ARLOW  STATION.  G.E.R 
MILLTRACK  MUSHROOM  SPAWN 
Everyone  can  readily  grow  Mush¬ 
rooms,  and  by  using  this  Spawn  will 
ensure  success.  All  growers  speak 
>in  the  highest  possible  praise  of  the 
quality.  Numerous  Testimonials. 
None  genuine  unless  in  sealed  pack¬ 
ages,  and  printed,  cultural  Directions 
•  enclosed  with  our  signature  attached. 
Price  6/-  per  Bushel  ;  or  1/-  per 
Cake,  free  per  parcels  post. 
WM.  CUTBUSH  &  SON, 
Nurserymen  <fc  Seed  Merchants, 
HIGHGATE  NURSERIES,  LONDON,  N.,  &  Barnet, 
No.  101*2.— Vol.  XXXIX.,  Third  Series 
Herts 
STRAWBERRY  PLANTS.  —  500,000  Royal 
Sovereign,  Ruskin,  Monarch,  Veitch’s  Perfection 
(new),  warranted  true  to  name,  fine  plants,  trimmed,  7/- 
per  1000,  free  on  rail. — STOCKDALES  FRUIT  FARM, 
DAGENHAM,  ESSEX. _ 
ALL  WHO  WISH  GRAND  RESULTS  should 
use  THOMSON’S  IMPROVED  VINE,  PLANT  and 
VEGETABLE  MANURE.  This  valuable  Manure  is  yearly 
growing  in  public  favour.  Can  be  had  of  all  Nursery  and 
Seedsmen,  or  direct  from  the  makers,  WM.  THOMSON  and 
SONS,  Ltd.,  Tweed  Vineyard,  Clovenfords,  Galashiels, 
N.B.  Price  Lists  and  Testimonials  on  Application.  1  cwt. 
and  upwards  Carriage  Paid  to  all  stations  in  Britain  and 
Ireland  London  Agent— Mr.  J.  George,  14,  Redgrave 
Road,  Putney.  Agent  for  Channel  Islands— Mr.  J.  H. 
Parsons,  Market  Place,  Guernsey.  Also  THOMSON’S 
SPECIAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM  MANURE.  \  cwt 
Carriage  Paid  to  all  Stations  in  Britain  and  Ireland. 
PURE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture ;  “Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agenl  ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  beDettt«d  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.’ 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufaetureis- 
HTRST,  BROOKE  HIRST,  Ltd..  Leeds 
REENHOUSES  from  £3  5/-;  VINERIES, 
T  Conservatories,  Frames,  Summer  Houses,  &c. 
Illustrated  List  Free.  Makers  to  H.M.  the  Queen  and 
H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
POTTER,  HAWTHORN  &  CO..  London  Works, 
READING.  (Name  Paner.l 
GARDENER. 
V 
Joupiit  uf  ^ortii;itItiu[f. 
THURSDAY,  NOVEMBER  16,  1899. 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  can  be  obtains 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers ,  Fleet  St  , 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter ,  3/9.  Editorial 
communications  must  be  addressed  to  8,  Rose 
Hill  Rd.,  Wandsworth,  S.W. 
REMINISCENCES  OF  AN  OLD  FLORIST 
IT  has  become  the  fashion  for  people  to  write 
their  reminiscences,  recollections,  or  experi¬ 
ences — some  of  which  are  amusing,  sc  me  instructive, 
and  others  idle  talk.  Of  course  this  plan  has  the 
advantage  of  enabling  the  person  who  writes  to 
forestall  any  information  concerning  the  life  that 
he  has  led,  and  give  his  own  version  of  it,  so  that 
anyone  who  writes  afterwards  finds  that  he  has  a 
poor  task  to  fulfil.  Thinking  over  these  thing-, 
and  recollecting  much  that  I  have  read,  I  thought 
perhaps  I  might  be  able  to  write  something  of 
interest  to  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture. 
In  looking  back  upon  my  eighty  years  I  may  say 
that  I  have  lived  two  lives  ;  one,  that  connected 
with  my  calling,  the  other  with  what  I  may  call 
my  recreation — horticulture.  The  character  of  my 
life  has  been  a  tolerably  busy  one,  both  as  a  clergy¬ 
man  and  a  gardener,  but  with  the  former  of  these 
Journal  readers  have  no  concern,  and  my  recollec¬ 
tions  will  have  simply  to  do  with  the  latter. 
Let  me  explain  the  principles  on  which  I  propose 
to  write.  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  think  of  the 
“  old  times  ”  as  better  than  these  :  on  the  contrary, 
I  feel  that  in  whatever  department  of  horticulture 
I  look  the  advance  has  been  so  great  that  it  is  a 
[  privilege  for  a  gardener  to  live  in  these  days,  and 
I  will  also  say  that  the  particular  line  to  which  my 
experiences  have  been  directed  is  that  with  which 
I  head  this  paper. 
I  have  all  my  days  been  a  florist,  by  which  I 
believe  the  great  mass  of  horticulturists  will  he 
inclined  to  regard  me  as  narrow-minded,  incapable 
of  appreciating  true  beauty,  and  shut  in  a  narrow 
and  exclusive  circle.  It  is  a  race  of  men  which  is 
gradually  becoming  extinct.  AVhat  is  required 
nowadays  are  flowers  of  striking  effect,  not  those 
remarkable  for  correctness  of  form  or  distinctness 
of  colour.  I  have  not,  of  course,  confined  myself 
to  florist  flowers,  and  of  late  years  the  herbaceous 
garden  has  occupied  a  good  deal  of  my  attention, 
and  has  brought  me  into  connection  with  an  entirely 
different  class  of  men.  I  do  not  propose  to  indulge 
in  any  descriptions  of  those  with  whom  1  have  met, 
save  only  as  they  are  connected  with  gardening. 
No.  2668  — Vol.  CL,  Old  Series. 
