180 
March  9,  1899. 
JOURNAL 
OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
horticultural  and  agricultural  subjects,  whibh  pursued  aud  yet  follows 
a  course  that  may  be  said,  in  the  highest  sense,  to  embody  science 
with  practice.  Still  there  were  left  vast  numbers  of  individuals  who 
considered  themselves  uncatered  for  by  the  gardening  press,  or  found 
that  press  from  its  costliness  to  be  beyond  their  reach.  To  supply 
this  deficiency  in  horticultural  matters  the  (Jottage  Gardener  was 
founded  by  the  late  IMr.  (  J.  W.  Johnson,  and  the  first  number  appeared 
on  October  5th,  1848. 
Going  back  to  the  first  issue  of  the  Cottage  Gardener,  we  reatl,  in 
the  introductory  chapter,  that  its  prime  object  was  utility,  for  the 
gardener,  amateur,  and  cottager,  who,  severally,  desired  instruction 
“  how  to  grow  the  most  and  the  best  crops.”  In  order  to  effect  these 
results  notice  would,  from  time  to  time,  be  made  of  the  “  varieties 
distinguished  for  qualities  most  desirable,  modes  of  culture  found  to  be 
most  successful,  most  apj^ropriate  manures,  with  modes  of  applying 
them  most  economically,  and  rotation  of  crops  found  advantageous  on 
various  soils.”  Particular  attention  would  also  be  paid  to  the  diseases 
of  cultivated  plants,  and  to  the  insects  which  attack  them,  with 
advice  on  their  eradication  and  extirpation.  Plans  of  gardens  were 
also  promised,  with  notes  on  their  arrangement. 
“To  enable  us  to  attain  these  objects,”  says  the  Editor  of  the 
Cottage  Gardener,  “  we  have  secured  the  aid  of  some  of  the  best 
practical  men  of  the  day,  and  to  facilitate  their  labours  we  solicit 
assistance  from  all  others  of  like  acquirements,  whether  professional 
or  amateurs ;  but,  in  all  we  examine  and  all  we  recommend,  experience 
shall  be  our  touchstone. 
“  No  one  values  the  services  of  science  more  highly  than  we  do. 
e  well  know  that  it  points  out  and  illumines  the  path  of  the 
gardener ;  it  aids  and  sustains  him  in  his  progress  along  that  path — 
but  the  path  itself  is  Practice.  I'pon  this  we  shall  place  our 
foundation.” 
Thus  wrote  the  founder  of  the  Cottage  Gard,ener,  and  every  reader 
of  its  twenty-five  volumes  knows  how  truly  the  works  reflected  the 
words.  The  Cottage  Gardener  began  its  career  without  a  motto,  but 
it  was  clearly  expressed  in  the  introductory  chapter,  and  manifested 
in  every  line  of  the  articles,  bearing  as  they  did  the  stamp  of  Practice 
linked  with  Science.  When  upon  attaining  its  thirteenth  year  the 
familiar  title  ot  IVie  Cottage  Gardener  became  subordinated  to  that 
now  consecrated  by  more  than  a  generation  of  time,  the  readers  of 
the  Journal  of  HortienUure  suffered  no  loss.  The  transfiguration  of 
name  touched  not  its  spirit,  for  with  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  as 
with  the  old  Cottage  Gardener,  “Practice  and  Science”  remains,  and 
ever  will  remain,  the  abiding  watchword. 
Turn  we  now  to  the  writers  of  the  Cottage  Gardener  and  Journal 
of  llorticidture,  “  who,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh.” 
Robert  Errington. 
After  the  introductory  remarks  of  the  Editor  the  first  article  was 
from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Errington  (fig.  35).  It  was  entitled,  “  The 
Week’s  Fruit  Gardening,”  and  the  opening  sentences  clearly  defined 
the  scope  of  the  teaching — “  sound  gardening  practice,  adapted  to  all 
who  cultivate  a  garden.”  “  Scientific  terms,”  he  says,  “  would  be 
abstained  from  as  much  as  possible,”  and  “a  plain  style  ”  be  adonted, 
so  as  to  render  the  subject  familiar  to  the  humblest  cottager.  Truly 
this  contributor’s  articles  are  characterised  by  plain,  trenchant  Saxon 
and  by  sound  knowledge  of  the  subject  in  hand,  as  befitted  a  prac¬ 
titioner  of  “  some  forty  years’  experience.” 
Fruit  gardening  was  Mr.  Errington’s  particular  forte;  but,  as 
might  be  expected,  he  had  kitchen  gardening  in  heart,  head,  and  hand, 
hence  numerous  articles  appeared  from  his  pen  on  diversified  subjects. 
On  December  20th,  1854,  we  find  him  adverting  to  the  Potato  disease 
as  less  malignant,  and  to  the  benefits  to  the  working  man  of  a  cheap 
loaf.  Thus  humanity  had  a  place  in  his  large  heart  as  well  as  the 
adornment  of  the  pleasure  ground  and  the  forcing  of  fruits  for  the 
opulent.  As  an  all-round  cultivator  freely  giving  of  his  bounteous 
experience  he  had  few  equals,  and  certainly  no  superior  in  knowledge. 
Thomas  Appleby. 
The  second  article  was  written  by  Mr.  Appleby,  who,  in  his 
opening  statements,  says  “the  culture  of  flowers  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  and  beautiful  recreations  to  which  man  can  devote  the 
powers  of  his  mind  and  body.”  Having,  he  tells  us,  tasted  these 
pleasures  for  nearly  half  a  century,  the  aim  will  be  “  to  increase  the 
taste  and  instruct  the  ignorant  ....  make  the  culture  of  flowers 
more  general  and  the  practice  more  easy,”  and  thus  have  the 
satisfaction  of  “a  mite  cast  into  the  treasury  of  human  happiness.”! 
Mr.  Appleby  treated  of  the  flower  garden  in  a  clear,  simple 
style,  but  in  florists’  flowers  settled  down  into  plain  instructions.  In 
these,  and  plant  culture  generally,  both  outdoor  and  under  glass,  he 
displayed  considerable  talent  and  inherent  love  of  the  beautiful.  He 
told  of  all  that  was  worth  growing,  and  of  everything  in  matters  of 
culture  that  could  be  helpful  and  was  essential  to  success.  From 
Fig.  35; — Mr,  Robert  Errington. 
specialities  the  writer  passed  into  what  may  be  termed  generalities, 
such  as  “  woodcraft,”  or  the  cultivation  of  trees  and  shrubs,  growing" 
Vines  and  Pine  Apples. 
Jas.  Barnes. 
No  flourish  of  trumpets  heralds  the  advent  of  Mr,  Barnes  into  the 
arena,  but  every  reader  recognised  the  contributor  to  “Loudon’s 
Gardeners’  Magazine  ”  as  a  proved  hand,  and  “  good  wine  needs  no 
bush.”  Very  plain  were  his  instructions  about  Borecole  and  Brussels 
Sprouts,  even  planting  in  October  to  have  “heads  and  .sprouts”  in 
spring.  The  remarks  on  planting  Potatoes  in  autumn,  because  for 
several  previous  years  “  the  autumn-planted  have  been  the  only 
Potatoes  of  good  quality  and  abundant  in  produce,”  were  incisive. 
Experience  and  hard-beaded  practice  are  the  dominant  features  of 
“  Barnes  of  Bicton’s  ”  writing.  Not  that  he  was  devoid  of  science,  for 
a  more  practice-with-science  article  on  the  “  Management  of  Soil  ”  has 
not,  perhaps,  been  given  in  less  8p.ace,  and  yet  more  exhaustively  on 
essential  points,  than  his  on  page  7  of  the  first  number  of  the  Cottage 
Gardener.  As  a  kitchen  gardener  Mr.  Barnes  was  unrivalled,  and 
was  one  of  the  “lights”  of  his  time.  He  strove  to  secure  abundance 
of  food  to  the  community,  and,  by  mutual  dependence  and  inter¬ 
communication,  comfort  to  the  cultivator.  As  indicative  of  the  store 
set  by  vegetable  growing,  we  may  mention  that  the  earliest  probe 
given  the  contributors  for  information  was  by  “  Nemo,”  who  wanted 
to  know,  and  was  told  how  to  preserve  his  seedling  Cauliflowers  from 
the  attacks  of  slugs.  Then,  as  now,  it  was  the  “  good  old  plan  ”  of 
advising  something  hurtful  to  the  pests,  but  harmless,  and,  better, 
profitable  to  the  plant  and  culture.  This  was  a  predominant  character¬ 
istic  of  this  writer — make  the  soil  right,  then  there  will  be  a  chance, 
not  otherwise,  of  its  producing  healthy  and  full  crops. 
CuTHBERT  W.  Johnson,  F.R.S. 
This  man  of  science,  whose  enthusiastic  efforts  in  the  cause  of 
practical  sanitation  have  conduced  to  the  health  and  life  of  thousands, 
took  “Filtered  House  Sewage”  as  his  theme.  The  name  suffices 
for  the  utility  of  the  article  cast  upon  such  sound  practical  lines. 
Indeed,  everything  in  the  first  issue  of  The  Cottage  Gardener  was 
founded  upon  the  broad  principles  of  “prove  all  things” — the  voice 
of  the  scientific  as  well  as  that  of  the  practical  man.  Thus  we  find 
in  all  the  issues  of  the  publication  from  1848  until  1899  practice 
combined  with  science.  Of  the  voices  that  spoke  in  the  initial 
