^ui 'piemen  I  to 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
233 
Miiroh  13,  19C2. 
district  for  many  miles  around,  one  ti’ip  extending  as  far  as 
Cheviot,  twenty  miles  off — the  distance  walked  both  ways.  At 
Sir  Hew  Dalrymple’s,  near  North  Berwick,  where  I  spent  a  few 
months,  I  inspected,  with  a  young  gardener  of  like  proclivities 
with  myself,  a  good  bit  of  country,  and  especially  along  the 
coast,  Avhere  Geranium  sanguineum,  Viper’s  Bugloss,  Sea  Pinks, 
WallfloAver  (on  Tantallon  Castle^  sheets  of  Thyme  of  all  colours, 
white  to  crimson,  were  revelations  of  Nature’s  handiAvork. 
Botrychium  Lunaria,  near  Dirlston,  AA’as  our  rarest  find.  I 
believe  young  gardeners  no  longer  make  a  study  of  field 
botany  (P).  _  But  if  for  no  other  reason  than  the  habit  of  close 
obseiwation  it  engenders,  and  Avhich  is  essential  in  determining 
species  closely  alike,  the  time  thus  engaged  would  be  Avell  spent. 
“I  had  one  or  two  offers  to  go  South,  and  accepted  one  from 
Mr.  Douglas  (now  of  Edenside  Nurseries,  Bookham)  to  go  to 
Loxford  Hall,  and  there  I  stayed  nearly  five  years.  Thence  I 
went  to  the  late  Sir  J.  Brunlees,  Argyle  Lodge,  Wimbledon,  and 
while  there  I  Avas  admitted  to  the  Aveekly  gatherings  of 
gardeners  at  Sir  Henry  Peek’s,  Avhere  Mr.  Henderson  Avas 
gardener.  These  Avere  Amiy  enjoyable.  When  Mr.  Lees 
left  Tyninghame,  in  1874,  I  AA'as  recommended  to  succeed 
him,  and  there  I  liaA’e  been  since.  During  that  period 
English  gardening  has  been  almost  re-.olutionised,  and 
I  suppose  gardeners  have  undergone  as  great  a  change. 
It  ma3'  not  be  without  interest  to  say  that  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  'Our  Journal’  AAdien  quite  a  boy,  my  brother 
having  the  privilege  to  obtain  it  from  the  ReA^  Mr.  Broomfield, 
of  Sprouston,  a  contributor  in  those  days  to  ‘  The  Cottage 
Gardener,’  as  the  Journal  AA’as  still  called.  ‘  Garden  Gossiii,’ 
‘The  Scottish  Gardener,’  and  ‘The  Florist  and  Pomologist  ’ 
were  other  journals  of  that  period  AA^iich  came  w’ithin  my  ken. 
W’^hen  3’et  an  apprentice  I  comuAenced  taking,  the  Journal,  so  I 
may  class  myself  an  ‘Old  Reader!’  I  should  say  for  over  a 
quarter  of  a  centurj’  I  haA’e  also  been  contributing  a  paper  noAv 
and  again  to  the  Journal,  but  previous  to  Dr.  Hogg  requesting 
me  to  send  an  occasional  paper,  a  foAV  from  ‘  The  Gardener  ’  (a 
Scottish  publication)  had  already  been  reprinted.  It  is  a  great 
pleasure  to  be  able  to  say  that,  notAvithstanding  the  constant 
changes  brought  about  Iaa’  passing  time,  the  Journal  still  retains 
the  Augour  of  youth,  and  maintains  its  position  as  a  high-class 
practical  gardening  medium.” 
And  now  to  Mr.  Brotherston  and  to  the  friends  I  met  at  the 
manor  of  the  ham,  in(g)  Tyne' — 
Fare  ee  well  !  and  if  for  ever  ; 
Still  for  ever,  fare  thee  well. 
Wandering  Willie. 
Jorty  years  a  Jleoder. 
On  the  occasion  of  the  issue  of  this  Spring  Number,  Ave  are 
pleased  to  introduce  to  our  multiple  and  Avidely  scattered 
readers  an  old  reader — in  a  double  sense — and  one  Avliose  long 
connection  Avith  the  staff  of  our  old  Journal  gives  him  a  peculiar 
.Mr.  R.  P.  Brotherston. 
Mr.  S.  H.  Edwards, 
interest.  Mr.  Edivards  has  been  proof-reader  for  “  The  Journal  ” 
during  forty-three  j^ears.  His  oavii  letter,  Avhich  folloAvs,  de¬ 
scribes  some  of  the  changes  and  incidents  that  have  studded  the 
course  of  the  tivo  last  generations,  and  runs  as  follows: — “My 
first  acquaintance  AA’ith  ‘The  Cottage  Gardener’  Avas  on  Septem¬ 
ber  15,  1857,  Avhen  I  Ai  as  asked  to  become  proof-reader  on  the 
staff.  At  that  time  ‘  The  Cottage  Gardener  ’  (noAv  knoAvn  as  ‘  The 
Journal  of  Horticulture  ’)  aaus  composed  in  Tlie  Square,  at  Win¬ 
chester.  Thither  I  Avent  on  November  23,  1857,  and  Avorked 
for  eleven  Aveeks,  but  returned  to  London  in  1858.  I  Avas,  Iioav- 
ever,  requested  to  go  back  to  W^inchester  and  resume  my  position 
there,  Avhich  I  did  on  February  5,  1859,  and  since  that  time  I 
have  neA’er  ceased  to  discharge  my  duties  as  ‘reader’  for  the 
Journal.  Primarily,  four  of  us  Avere  engaged,  I  being  the 
youngest,  but,  after  forty-three  years’  sojourn,  am  very  much 
the  oldest,  the  ‘common  enemy’  having  promoted  me  doyen  of 
‘  the  chapel.’ 
“  When  at  Winchester  I  enjoyed  the  possession  of  a  garden 
in  Alfred  Place,  Avhich  lay  at  the  back  of  AA’hat  is  said  to  be  the 
palace  of  King  Alfred  the  Great,  and  is  one  of  the  objects  of 
historical  interest  in  AA’hich  the  old  capital  of  England  abounds. 
I  used  to  look  after  the  kitchen  garden,  but  the  flower  depart¬ 
ment  was  under  the  control  of  ‘  The  Missus.’  I  really  cannot 
remember  all  of  the  floAvers  aa’o  greAv,  but  there  AA’ere  long  hues 
of  Heiiaticas  (or  Anemone  Hepatica,  as  they  are  noAV  called), 
double  CoiiA'olvulus,  climbing  Roses,  and  many  border 
plants.  JTpon  the  question  of  the  cultiA’ation  of  the  garden 
there  Avere  occasionally  differences  of  opinion,  in  AA’hich  ‘  my 
commancUng  officer’  told  me  that  She  Avould  liaA'e  none  of  my 
‘  Cottage  Gardening.’  And,  indeed,  she  succeeded  in  making 
a  very  pretty  garden  Avith  the  friendly  advice  of  the  paper.  I 
AA’ish,  indeed,  slie  Avere  here  to  see  this  Spring  Number,  but  un¬ 
happily  she  has  preceded  me  to  that  Land  of  Rest  AA’here — 
■  P^-erlastiu"  spring  abides, 
And  never-withering  flovveis. 
“  What  sort  of  a  garden  I  had  would  be  better  described  by 
‘  A  British  Rustic,’  Avhose  description  of  the  Rectory  Garden 
lately  on  page  168  must  have  given  much  pleasure  to  many. 
When  at  Winchester  I  Avas  in  the  habit  of  studying  vegetable 
anatom.A',  AA’hich  I  considered  it  necessar.A^  for  me  to  knoAA’,  aiid 
I  have  seen  AAith  curious  interest  the  circulation  of  the  sap  in 
plants.  In  1899  I  obtained  a  certificate  for  proficienc.y  in  the 
knowledge  of  chemistry. 
“  But  the  time  at  last  came  to  bid  fareAvell  to  the  garden. 
One  da^^  in  1860  Ave  finally  parted  with  Winchester  and  its 
pleasant  associations,  and  started  at  Avork  the  next  da^’  in 
London.  The  first  publishing  office  of  ‘The  Cottage  Gardener 
and  Journal  of  Horticulture’  Avas  at  161,  Fleet  Street,  iioaa'  the 
publishing  office  of  ‘  The  Methodist  Recorder.’  We,  the  printing 
staff,  Avere  located  behind  at  Johnson’s  Court,  which  has  since 
been  rebuilt,  but  it  AA’as  at  that  time  in  an  extremely  antiquated 
and  unattractive  condition. 
‘‘  It  Avas  about  this  time  that  the  proprietors  decided  to  alter 
the  name  of  the  paper  from  that  of  ‘  Cottage  Gardener  to 
‘  The  Journal  of  Horticulture,  Cottage  Gardener,  and  Country 
Gentleman  ’  ;  shortlv’  after  Avhich  another  move  Avas  nmde,  and 
the  printing  and  publishing  offices  were  settled  at  171,  Fleet 
Street,  Avhere  they  remained  for  thirty-five  years. 
