346 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  15,  1903. 
and  we  have  tO;  depend  on  Parkinson  for  the  earliest  satis¬ 
factory  account  of  the  race.  But,  by  the  name  of  “  Herbo- 
ristes  ”  Lyte  indicates  his  existence  fifty  years  previously, 
and  there  is  little  reason  to  doubt  that  the  apothecary 
James  Garret,  as  well  as  his  son,  was  a  florist  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word. 
One  cannot  be  quite  so  sure  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Lete,  or 
“  Leete,”  as  I  have  found  it  spelt.  His  position  as  a  wealthy 
and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  London  almost  precludes 
the  belief  that  personally  he  had  time  to  work  among  so 
exacting  a  race  of  flowers  as  these ;  but  no  doubt  the 
Tradescants,  though  gardeners,  were  embued  with  the  true 
spirit  of  the  florist,  and  also  Master  Tuggye,  of  Westminster, 
whose  collection  of  florist  flowers  was  preserved  by  his 
widow  after  his  death. 
Master  John  Franqueville  was  another  early  florist  who 
cultivated  Anemones,  and  was  the  first  to  introduce  Rosa 
sulphurea  to  gardens,  though  it  was  subsequently  lost.  His 
son  was  also  a  florist. 
Then  we  know  of  a  Master  Bradshaw’e,  and  a  Master 
Wittie,  each  as  raisers  and  cultivators  of  Carnations. 
Evelyn’s  “  Kalender  ”  is  largely,  so  far  as  it  concerns  flowers, 
devoted  to  what  we  should  call  special  kinds,  e.g.,  Hya¬ 
cinths,  Anemones,  Ranunculi,  Stocks,  Carnations,  Auriculas, 
and  such  like,  and  when  Rea  wrote  his  “  Florilege  ”  a  year 
later,  we  find  the  reason  in  tlie  vast  number  of  varieties  that 
were  cultivated  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  social  and  political  troubles 
that  convulsed  England  during  a  great  part  of  the  Seven¬ 
teenth  Century  seem  to  have  had  no  effect  in  lessening 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  florist,  who,  by  the  way,  is  first  desig¬ 
nated  by  that  name  by  Rea.  This  gentleman  introduces  us 
to  a  number  of  the  florists  of  his  day,  as,  for  instance, 
“that  ingenious  lover,  of  these  rarities,  Sir  Thomas 
Hammer.”  Then  Mr.  Rickets,  of  Hogesdon,  near  London, 
was  not  only  a  florist,  but  he  was  a  nursery  florist  and  a 
^iser  in  many  sections,  e.g.,  Gilliflowers  and  Auriculas. 
Of  raisers  of  the  latter  he  gives  as  many  as  sixteen  names, 
without  including  himself.  Among  these  it  is  not  a  little 
startling  to  discover  “  Mistris  Buggs  ”  and  “  Mistris 
Austin”!  We  find  the  name  of  Turner,  a  gardener,  and  of 
Mr.  Jacob  Bobart,  of  Oxford  Botanic  Gardens,  as  well  as 
nurserymen  and  several  clergymen,  who  have  had  a  long 
love  for  the  refined  flower  of  the  florist.  Rea’s  son-in-law, 
Samuel  Gilbert,  seems  to  have  been  even  a  better  florist 
than  the  old  man,  and  he  too  was  a  clergyman. 
It  is  too  generally  the  opinion  at  the  present  day  that 
all  our  florist’s  flowers  are  late  productions,  and  that  the 
early  race  of  rnen  and  women  who  devoted  their  energies 
to  the  cultivation  of  these  flowers  are  to  be  sympathised 
with  for  the  quality  of  the  material  on  which  they  had. 
to  work.  There  is  no  cause  whatever  for  the  indulgence 
of  any  such  thoughts.  Their  productions  may  have  been, 
and,  indeed,  were,  in  many  respects  different  from  those 
of  the  present  time  ;  but  they  had  defined  standards,  they 
w-ere  continuously  improving  their  flowers,  and  as  with  us, 
the  fancy  of  one  decade  Avas  the  horror  of  that  Which 
folIoAved. 
With  regard  to  cultivation,  as  an  example,  the  “Willow” 
earth  and  the  abnormal  quantities  of  dung  used  in  composts 
has  often  excited  the  surprise,  and  not  infrequently  the 
contempt,  of  moderns  ;  but  in  the  matter  of  these  manurial 
earths  we  might  well  take  a  lesson  from  them.  When  used 
it  Avas  never  less  than  tAvo  years  old,  and  had  been  during 
that  time  most  carefully  prepared.  Then,  as  to  “  WilloAv” 
earth,  it  Avas  not  by  any  means  a  necessity.  Any  kind  of 
•  1  1  c^^cayed  Avood  was  esteemed,  but  none 
so  highly  as  that  of  the  WilloAV,  which,  it  may  be  said, 
enjoyed  a  European  reputation,  and.  Avas,  in  fact,  used  by 
Gontinental  florrsts  before  Ave  find  it  mentioned  in  England. 
The  changes  in  a  few  years  in  these  early  florist  flowers 
is  very  rernarkable.  Parkinson,  for  example,  names  very 
leAv  old  kinds  ;  one  or  tivo  Carnations,  indeed,  but  the  great 
majority  were,  when  he  Avrote,  recent  introductions.  Rea’s 
flowers  were  qiute  a  novel  race,  not  only  in  the  case  of  Car¬ 
nations,  but  also  Tulips ;  though  there  was  less  change 
evident  in  the  case  of  other  flowers,  unless  we  include 
Aunculas,  Avhich  had  made  great  strides. 
•  Carnation  culture  from  this  time,  and  during  a  long  series 
of  years,  was  a  matter  of  extreme  nicety.  The  florist  cul- 
tiA’ated  almost  solely  a  large  flowered  section,  AAuth  “  double 
pods,  one  floAA’er  only  to  each  plant,  and.  the  greatest  care 
and  attention  Avas  called  for  in  preserving  the  earlier  opened 
petals  in  condition  till  those  in  the  second  or  inner  pod  were 
also  expanded.  In  the  case  of  the  Auricula  the  advance 
Avas  continuous.  Most  unfortunately,  Rea  determined  not 
to  illustrate  his  book,  and  Ave  can  only  guess  from  his 
description  Avhat  the  floAvers  Avere  like.  Most  were  un¬ 
doubtedly  seifs  j  some  Avere  striped  and  a  feAV  double ; 
but  all  alike  Avere  cultivated  with  much  care. 
Exactly  the  same  thing  happened  Avith  the  Tulip.  There 
were  to  be  had,  if  they  could  be  got,  in  great  variety  early 
in  the  century  ;  but  it  is  quite  clear  that  from  these  a  neAv 
type  of  flower  Avas  evolved,  of  Avhich  there  Avere  many 
hundreds  of  kinds  in  Rea’s  time.  Dutch  and  French  names 
jostled  the  vulgar  English  ;  for  the  florist  of  all  ages  lets 
not  his  national  antipathies  bervray  his  floral  sympathies. 
It  is  curious  to  remark  the  progress  of  the  Carnation, 
which,  by  degrees,  assumed  the  markings  that  continued 
for  so  long  the  distinguishing  type  of  the  florist  varieties. 
This  is  the  century  (the  seventeenth)  of  the  earliest  Picofcee, 
as  Ave  recognise  a  type,  Avith  an  edge  of  colour  to  a  white 
ground,  had  appeared.  It  is  noted  by  Gilbert  in  1683,  and 
was  a  purple  edged  floAver.  Shortly  afteiuvards  bizarres 
and  flakes  AA^ere  recognised  as  types,  and  also  Picotees. 
The  gardeners’  societies  that  were  first  formed  during 
this  century  exerted  an  unmistakable  influence  for  good  on 
flower  culture.  They  can  be  traced  backAvard,  even  in  Scot¬ 
land,  Avell  into  the  seventeenth  century,  e.g.,  that  of  Had¬ 
dington,  Aberdeen,  and  a  Avealthy  one  in  Edinburgh.  It 
is  not  at  all  improbable  that  these  kept  alive  the  interest 
in  florist  floAvers  Avhich  the  constantly  recurring  vicissitudes 
in  the  fortunes  of  country  gentlemen  must  have  rendered 
almost  impossible  on  their  part  to  take  any  trouble  with. 
These  societies,  moreover,  introduced  the  •  custom  of 
showing  floAvers,  Avhich  Avere  brought  to  their  stated  meet¬ 
ings,  examined  by  the  members  present,  and,  according  to 
the  qualities  possessed,  Avhether  good  or  bad,  condemned 
or  established  as  varieties  that  had  passed  their  examina-  ' 
tion  with  honour.  They  also,  in  their  corporate  capacity,- 
introduced  floAvers  from  the  Continent,  Avhich  were  distri¬ 
buted  among  their  members  ;  but  the  accounts  of  these 
transactions  are  so  meagre  that  one  has  to  trust  a  good  deal  - 
to  imagination,  and  believe  that  much  good  Avas  effected  in 
this  way.  Of  course,  in  tOAAms  Avhere  noAvadays  there  is 
nothing  but  houses  and  streets,  there  existed  in  these  days 
well  kept  citizens’  gardens  attached  to  their  houses,  and  in 
Ediuburgli,  the  gardeners  possessed  within  the  city,  land  of 
their  own. — B. 
- - 
Winter-Garden  Strnctnres. 
A  definition  of  “  greenhouse  ”  and  “  conservatory  ”  has  been 
given  in  the  folloAving  lines :  “  In  the  greenhouse  the  plants  are 
mostly  grown  in  pots,  and  are  portable ;  in  conserv-atories  they 
are  planted  out  and  are  permanent.”  The  greenhouse  at  Kerv 
(which  so  many  of  our  readers  haA’^e  seen  and  knoAA’)  is  typical 
of  its  kind.  The  Avhole  year  through  it  is  kept  furnished  by- 
flowering  batches  of  pot  plants, -that  are  staged  in  massed  group- 
lets  of  one  sort,  or  at  niost,  tAvo  together  for  either  a  contrast 
or  a  harmony  ;  but  none  are  nuxed,  as  is  almost  the  universal 
rule  in  the  greenhouses  of  private  gardens.  Yet  taste  says  that 
the  massing  .system  is  best.-  Be  that  as  it  may,  Ave  need  not  - 
stay  to  discuss  it  here  ;  and  Ave  are  reminded  that  the  greenhouse, 
moreover,  is  the  “  groAving-house  ’.’  oftener  than  not  in  the 
private  gardens,  and  “  the  conserA'atory  ”  is  the  shoAA  -house.  The 
definition  Ave  quote,  therefore,  hardly  generalises  correctly. 
The  true  conservatory  or  AA'inter-garden — AA’hen  on  a  private 
e.state— AA'hateveT  be  the  form  or  size,  should  be  attached  to  the 
dAA'elling  house;  and,  indeed,  it  is  robbed  of  half  its  charm  and 
utility  AA’hen  it  is  separated.  It  may  be  said  that  its  usef^dness^ 
decreases  as  the  distance  betAA-een  it  and  the  mansion  increases. 
In  a  public  park  the  case  is  entirely  altered,  and  the  structures 
there  should  be  suited  to  the  surroundings  and  the  accompany' 
ing  circumstances. 
This  Aveek,  by  the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Richardson  and  Co., 
the  horticultural  and  heating  engineers  of  Darlington,  aa’o  are 
enabled  to  sIioav  tAA’o  patterns  of  AA’inter-garden  conservatories, 
pages  3G0  and  361.  The  types  shoAvn  are  both  very  elegant,  ana 
Ave  may  be  able  to  shoAv  interior  vieAvs  of  these  in  a  succeeding 
issue.  It  is  at  this  season  that  the  need  for,  and  utility  of,  such 
capacious  glass  structures  are  seen  and  felt.  We  shall  have 
occasion  to  return  to  this  subject  again.  •_  -  . 
