October  29,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.397 
Amateur  Rosarians. 
The  Very  Rev.  the  Dean  of  Rochester,  D.D.,  Y.M.H. 
The  venerated  Dean  of  Rochester  is  one  of  England’s  truly  noble 
raen.  Towering  above  his  fellows,  both  in  mind  and  body,  his  part 
in  life  has  been,  and  still  remains,  one  of  continued  exertion  on  behalf 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  Wise,  genial  and  full  of  wit,  the  Dean’s  presence 
at  any  horticultural  celebration  (for  we  must  allude  to  his  actions  in 
our  own  sphere)  marks  it  at  once  as  of  interest,  and  each  occasion, 
too,  re-emphasises  his  earnest  sympathy  with  gardeners  and  his 
enthusiasm  for  gardening.  He  has  been  a  very  tower  of  strength  to  the 
National  Rose  Society,  of  which  he  is  the  President,  and  by  his  single 
influence,  when  the  Rose  shows  could  no  longer  be  held  at  the  Crystal 
Palace,  he  secured  the  site  of  the  Temple  Garden — that  excellently 
situated  private  garden  of  the  Benchers  of  the  Inner  Temple. 
Dean  Hole  cultivates  Roses  by  thousands,  though,  of  course,  be 
does  not  now  exhibit  them.  Ho  has  written  about  tli<  m,  however,  in 
his  pleasant  “  Book  About  Roses,  How  to  Grow  and  Show  Them,”  and 
the  collection  selected  by  him  and  given  therein,  forms  “  the  Dean’s 
collection,”  which  Messrs.  Ben.  Cant  and  Sons  (and  possibly  other 
firms)  grow  and  offer  as  such.  This  “  Book  About  Roses  ”  was  first 
published  in  1869,  the  author’s  name  being  simply  given  as  S.  Rey¬ 
nolds  Hole.  It  now  has  run  to  its  1.5th  edition,  and  is  widely  read 
and  known  outside  rosarian  circles. 
Besides  this  little  work  on  Roses,  the  venerable  Dean  published  ‘’A 
Book  About  the  Garden  and  Gardeners  ”  and  “  Our  Gardens,”  the 
latter  in  1899,  as  w'ell  as  nine  or  ten  other  prominent  books  on  subjects 
more  or  less  removed  from  that  before  us. 
Born  at  Caunton  Manor  in  1819,  S.  Reynolds  Hole  fell  enamoured 
with  Queen  Rose  on  the  threshold  of  manhood,  and,  indeed,  it  is 
over  forty  years  since  he,  as  founder  of  the  National  Rose  Society,  in¬ 
augurated  its  first  show.  The  Dean  presided  at  the  Rose  Conference, 
held  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  1889,  and  last  year,  at 
Holland  House,  he  was  again  found  in  the  presidential  chair. 
Rev.  C.  H.  Bulmer. 
Thenom  de  plume  ‘‘  Herefordshire  Incumbent,”  is  one  of  the  most 
familiar  in  the  pages  ot  the  Journal  of  HurticuUwe,  and  we  daresay 
that  those  querists  who  are  not  infrequently  found  signing  themselves 
as  a  “  Forty  Years’  Reader,”  can  remember  notes  from  the  pen  of  our 
respected  correspondent  all  that  time  ;  and  W’e  are  sure  that  the 
writing  of  the  letters  has  been  as  pleasurable  to  Mr.  Bulmer  as  to  our 
readers. 
Mr.  Bulmer  lives  and  labours  at  Credenhill  in  Herefordshire, 
where  a  son  (or  sons)  is  prominent  in  the  cider  and  perry  industries. 
A  keen  love  for  Roses  has  always  been  a  notable  trait  in  his  character, 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  he,  though  so  far  removed  from  London,  has 
never  been  prevented  by  that  circumstance  from  being  a  friend  to, 
and  moving  spirit  in,  the  National  Society  of  rosarians.  He  was  one 
of  that  notable  group  which  included  Dean  Hole,  Robert  Baker, 
and  William  Puul,  who  founded  the  N.R.S.  forty  years  ago,  when 
he  exhibited  at  its  shows ;  and  again  he  rejoiced  to  be  in  a  position  to 
propose  its  resuscitation  in  1870  at  a  large  and  representative  meeting 
of  the  Horticultural  Club.  Together  with  Mr.  George  Paul  as 
temporary  honorary  secretary,  Mr.  Bulmer  had  kept  the  idea  alive. 
Long  before  1864,  however,  our  veteran  correspondent  had  founded 
the  West  of  England  Rose  Society,  which  is  ”  the  veritable  parent  of 
all  existing  Rose  societies,”  as  he  on  one  occasion  w’rote. 
In  other  fields  also,  of  horticultural  enterprise,  Mr.  Bulmer  can  fairly 
claim  a  place.  At  the  introduction  of  that  standard  work,  “  The 
“  Herefordshire  Pomona, ”(1878),  two  papers  from  his  pen  were  included 
on  “The  Orchard  and  its  Products’';  about  which,  as  a  guarantee 
of  their  accuracy  and  scientific  value,  it  is  only  necessary  to  add  that  the 
editor  was  the  late  Dr.  Hogg,  the  pomologist  of  the  age.  To  furnish 
materials  for  this  work  during  its  publication  in  parte,  there  was 
commenced  and  continued  down  to  the  present  day,  an  exhibition  of 
Apples  and  Pears,  with  such  marked  success  as  to  become  irow  in 
extent  and  excellenco  an  annual  fruit  exhibition  second  to  none  in 
the  kingdom. 
Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar. 
In  a  sense,  the  Rector  of  Sproughton  requires  no  introduction  to 
the  gardening  brotherhood  of  every  parish  in  the  land,  who  name  the 
“.Journal”  as  their  favourite  paper,  for  he  has  “  rallied ’em  ”  from 
his  retreat  for  many  years.  But  we  are  favoured  now  in  presenting 
his  portrait  and  a  few  personal  notes. 
Mr.  Foster-Melliar  has  been  interested  from  boyhood  in  Roses,  and 
his  work  amongst  them  will  extend  back  nigh  forty  years.  It  was 
not  till  1879,  however,  that  he  entered  the  exhibitors’  lists,  and  what¬ 
ever  his  earlier  successes  may  have  amounted  to,  he  has  not  said,  but 
in  later  times — 189B,  for  example — we  know  that  he  won  the  Tea  and 
Noisette  challenge  trophy,  and  about  the  same  period  he  gained  the 
medal  for  the  best  Tea  or  Noisette  at  five  successive  shows  of  the 
National  Rose  Society^.  The  varieties,  we  find,  were  Souvenir  d’Elise 
(twice),  Madame  Cusin,  Marfichal  Niel,  and  La  Boule  d’Or.  For  the 
last  year  or  two  circumstances  have  prevented  his  attending  the 
National  Rose  Society’s  shows  or  meetings  ;  but  he  still  exhibits  locally, 
and  is  not  often  beaten  in  East  Anglia,  except  by  Mr.  O.  G.  Orpen,  of 
Colchester.  During  the  present  year  the  veteran  rosarian  not  only 
won  the  cup  for  amateurs  at  Diss,  in  Norfolk,  but  also  was  first, 
defeating  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.  in  both  the  open  classes. 
The  Rev.  Foster-Melliar  is  a  genuine  amateur,  and  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  some  help  in  manuring,  digging  and  planting  attends  to  all  the 
requirements  of  his  Roses  with  his  own  hands.  But  not  only  is  he  a 
Rose  grower  of  the  keenest  pattern,  he  is  specially  fond  of  Water 
Lilies,  Violets  and — autumnal  Strawberries  1  On  another  page  of  this 
issue  we  illustrate  his  achievements  with  “the  king  of  small  fruits,” 
and  his  own  pen  has  discussed  the  idiosyncrasies  of  the  Violets  he  has 
tried,  and  the  ins  and  outs  of  their  cultural  needs. 
The  Water  Lilies  this  year,  alas  !  went  to  form  caddis  worms — 
those  peculiar  aquatic  grubs  that  encase  themselves  in  grains  of 
sand  or  shell,  wood,  straw  or  leaves — which  ate  the  young  growths  in 
their  earliest  formation  ;  and  discovery  was  not  made  till  the  Lilies’ 
season  was  far  spent.  Of  the  long  beds  of  Roses  out  on  the  lawn 
before  the  quiet  old  Rectory,  and  of  the  hundreds  of  budded  Briars 
— the  huds  already',  in  late  September,  grown  up  six  inches  on  some  of 
the  trees — of  these  we  may  not  write  here,  but  must  rest  content  with 
the  simple  reference. 
As  author  of  “  The  Book  of  the  Rose  ”  (Macmillan),  which  was 
published  in  1894,  and  a  second  thoroughly  revised  edition  in  1902, 
Mr.  Foster-Melliar’s  name  will  long  be  kept  in  remembrance,  for  it  is 
the  best  handbook  the  Rose  exhibitor  has  before  him, 
Mr.  Conway  Jones. 
Mr.  Conway  Jones,  of  Blenheim  House,  Hucclecote,  Gloucester,  is 
one  of  the  best  known  amateur  rosarians  in  tbe  West,  and  exhibits, 
perhaps,  more  frequently  in  London  and  at  the  National  Rose  Society’s 
provincial  shows  than  any  other  amateur  from  Gloucester  or  the 
neighbouring  counties.  He  went  to  Glasgow  this  year  with  nine 
exhibits  and  was  rewarded  by  eight  successes,  including  the  silver 
medal  for  the  best  Hybrid  Tea,  and  was  a  close  second  for  the  trophy. 
At  Gloucester,  Mr.  Conway  Jones  stood  first  for  the  twenty-four 
varieties,  besides  securing  other  testimonies  to  his  skill  both  here  and 
at  Hereford,  Bath,  and  Reading. 
As  a  member  of  the  National  Ro^e  Society  he  watches  its  interests 
in  his  own  sphere  of  influence,  and  doubtless  he  will  be  called  upon  to 
“beat  the  drum”  at  the  (propoFcd)  visit  of  the  National  Rose 
Society  to  Gloucester  next  year.  We  believe  that  the  provincial  show 
will  be  held  there  in  1904.  And  naturally,  at  the  founding  of  the 
Gloucestershire  Rose  Society  fifteen  years  ago,  Mr.  Conway  Jones 
was  a  leader,  and  has  always  been  a  prominent  member  of  that  body 
We  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  this  lover  of  Roses  at  the 
annual  general  gatherings  of  rosarians  at  Westminster,  from  which 
his  genial  personality  would  be  missed,  and  we  know  from  experience 
that  he  has  been  the  means  of  encouraging  many  of  his  friends  to 
become  cultivators  of  flowers  and  devotees  of  gardening.  He  is 
always  whiling  to  render  assistance  to  beginners.  In  a  letter  to  us  he 
once  observed  :  — “  I  am  a  very  busy  man,  and  my  rosery  is  my  great 
hobby  and  pleasure.  My  favourite  Roses  are  the  Teas,  though  I  must 
acknowledge  the  Hybrid  Teas  are  very  beautiful  and  delightful  to 
grow.  I  know  of  no  better  recreation  for  a  business  man  than  Rose 
growing,  and  I  am  pleased  to  say  I  have  induced  many  of  ray  friends 
and  neighbours  to  take  up  the  hobby,  very  much  to  their  delight  and 
advantage.” 
Mr.  Edward  Mawley. 
As  honorary  secretary  to  the  National  Roie  Society,  Mr.  Mawhy 
has  the  success  or  non-success  of  that  body  largely  in  his  hands. 
Since  the  late  honorary  secretary  (Rev.  H.  H.  Dombrain)  retired 
owing  to  the  infirmities  of  age,  Mr.  Mawley  has  proved  that  he  is 
determined  to  do  everything  possible  for  the  maintenance  of  its 
progress,  though  naturally  he  had  the  brunt  of  the  work  upon  him 
during  the  later  years  of  his  co  ordination  in  the  secretariat.  When 
he  firh  became  aUacbed  to  the  National  Rose  Society  he  was  living  at 
Croydon  in  Surrey,  where  he  never  grew  more  than  400  plaihs 
(Roses);  but  so  successful  was  he  at  the  exhibitions,  that  he  waa 
called  the  “  Champion  of  the  Light  Weights.”  With  the  e.xception  of 
the  year  1894,  we  believe  Mr.  Mawley  has  exhibited  at  every  show  of 
the  N.R.S.  as  well  as  at  its  provincial  centres  from  year  to  year. 
In  1888  the  rosarian  left  Croydou  for  Rosebank,  Berkhamsted,. 
Hertfordshire,  and  on  the  rather  cold  clay  there,  he  cultivates  both 
Roses  and  Dahlia'',  these  being  specialised.  In  the  year  1894  Mr. 
Mawley  varlu  ed  to  Hitchiu,  and  his  judgment  served  him  well  in 
this  contest  with  the  champion  grower,  Mr.  E.  B.  Lindsell,  from 
whom  he  won  the  honours  of  the  day.  Truly,  ’twas  bearding  the 
lion  in  his  den.  But  the  Berkhamsted  Roses  had  excelled  previously, 
we  mean  specially,  for  in  1888  Mr.  Alavley  secured  the  medal  for  the 
best  H.B.,  aud  in  1892  for  the  leading  Tea.  He  exhibits  at  a  number 
0  the  noted  slow's  in  the  Home  Counties  w'ith  distinction. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  Mr.  Mawdey  is  the  compiler  of 
this  journal’s  Rose  and  Dahlia  analyses,  both  of  which  are  models  of 
careful  preparation,  and  invaluable  as  records.  For  many  years  he 
also  contributed  the  section  in  the  “Rosarians’  Year  Book,”  entitled 
“  The  Weather  of  the  Rose  Year,”  and  we  believe  that  at  Berkhamsted 
he  has  the  most  carefully  equipped  private  meteorological  observatory 
in  the  country.  He  is  secretary  to  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society, 
with  a  seat  on  the  Council ;  and  besides  other  writing8,_he  annually 
prepares  the  I’lienological  Record  for  that  Society',  and  this  Record 
takes  account  of  the  dates  of  the  coming  and  going  of  migratory 
birds,  the  opening  of  certain  well-known  flowers,  the  falling  of 
leaves  Ac. _ in  short,  the  natural  pjhenoniena  of  Nature.  Mr.  Mawley, 
therefore,  is  one  of  the  most  useful  citizens  of  the  Motherland,  doing 
good  work  in  a  very  quiet  way,  and  be  is  well  assisted  and  encouraged 
by  his  wife. 
