438 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAIE  GABDENEti.  November  12,  1903.  ^ 
Relireient  of  Mr.  Janies  Mclndoe. 
Some  weeks  ago  we  announced  the*  retirement  of  this  well- 
known  gardener.  This  is  in  conseciuence  of  the  death  of  Sir 
Joseph  Pease,  Bart.,  and  the  sale  of  Hutton  Hall  estate.  From 
arj  interesting  biographical  notice  of  Mr.  Mclndoe,  which  ap¬ 
peared  in  a  recent  issue  of  “  The  Gardeners’  Chronicle,”  we  take 
the  following: — “As  his  name  shows,  hei  is  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  was  bonr  in  1836,  his  native  county  being  Renfrewshire. 
His  father  was  a  market  gardener,  and,  as  a  boy,  he  entered 
early  into  what  was  to  be  his  life’s  wcrk.  His  first  place  on  leaving 
home  was  in  the  gardens  of  Sir  John  Maxwell  of  Pollok,  the  head 
gardener  at  that  time  being  a  Mr.  Campbell.  Thence  he  went 
to  Archerfield,  under  Mr.  Young.  These  gardens  were  at  that 
time,  and  for  many  years  aftorwards,  when  managed  by  Mr.  David 
Mr.  James  Mclndoe. 
Thompson,  considered  to  be  amongst  the  best  in  Scotland.  The 
young  aspirant  to  horticultural  fame  was  only  about  twelve 
months  in  his  new  place  before  he  was  made  a  foreman,  being 
only  twenty  yeai's  of  age  at  the  time. 
“  Lateir  on  we  find  him  at  Auckland  Palace,  Durham,  as  fore¬ 
man  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Thence  he  went  to  Bishopthorpe 
Palace,  and  Addington  Park,  Croydon,  both  in  the  same  position. 
As  will  be  known  to  most  readers  of  this  journal,  these  three 
IjlaoGis  were  occupied  by  the  then  Bishop  of  Durham,  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Y"ork,  and  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  respectively. 
In  1863  he  was  appointed  gardener  to  Coles  Child,  Esq.,  Bromley 
Palace,  Kent,  which  at  that  time  was  a  place  of  note  in  the 
gardening  world,  seeing  that  some  hundreds  of  applicants  applied 
for  .it  when  then  vacant.  A  few  years  afterwards  Mr.  Mclndoe 
became  gardener  and  farm  bailiff  to  the  then  Archbishop  of  Y’^ork 
at  Bishopthorpe,  near  York,  where  he  remained  till  the  winter 
of  1874,  when  he  removed  to  Hutton.  It  was  here  that  the 
chief  work  of  his  life  was  to  be  done. 
“  At  that  time  Mr.  Joseph  Pease  was  rebuilding  the  mansion, 
making  new  gardens  and  erecting  a  splendid  lot  of  new  glass 
houses.  The  new  gardener  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  whole 
affair  with  well-directed,  enthusiasm  and,  on  the  whole,  very  .sound 
judgment.  It  was  quite  a  treat  to  meet  h.im  at  Y’^ork  Gala  each 
year,  and  hear  his  vivid  but  guarded  description  of  thei  new  work 
done  and  being  done  under  his  management.  Very  shortly  he 
began  bringing  object-lessons  of  his  work  and  care  for  the  judges 
to  look  upon  and  the  public  to  admire.  While  in  no  sense  wish¬ 
ing  to  unduly  magnify  Mr.  Meindoe’s  doing  as  an  exhibitor  of 
fruit,  this  much  may  fairly  be  claimed^ — that  no  other  gardener 
has  for  twenty-five  consecutive  years,  at  a  first-class  show,  won 
^0  many  prizes  for  fruit  as  he  has  done  at  Y^ork.  To  go  further 
into  his  record  in  this  respect  would  be  simply  to  write  a  cata¬ 
logue.  This  much  may  be  added:  Mr.  Mclndoe  has  often  told 
me  that  the  time  he  felt  most  gratified  as  an  exhibitor  was  in 
1897  at  Shrewsbury,  when  he  was  awarded  first  prize  in  the 
Victoria  fruit  class  for  .sixty  dishes  of  fruit  illustrating  the  pro¬ 
duce  of  British  gardens.  Besides  the  money  prize  given  by  the 
Shrewsbury  Committee,  the  Gold  Medal  of  the  Worshipful  Com¬ 
pany  of  Fruiterers,  London,  and  two  other  valuable  medals  were 
iuvarded  to  this  exhibit.  As  is  well  known,  he  was  one  of  the 
fir'^t  sixty  to  whom  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  gave  the 
^  ictoria  Medal  of  Honour  later  on  in  the  same  year.  But  enough 
on  this  head,  Mr.  Mclndoe  found  time  to  interest  himself  in  the 
social  and  religious  well-being  of  his  neighbours  at  Hutton.  For 
many  years  he  acted  as  a  churchwarden,  and  in  other  ways  found 
an  outlet  for  his  judgment  and  ability.  I  think  that  as  a  body 
gardeners  might  fitly  do  more  of  this  wherever  their  lot  in  life 
is  cast. 
“  Having  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  wife  some  three  years 
ago,  Mr.  Mclndoe  will  make*  Ins  future  home  with  a  married 
daughter  at  Dartford,  in  Kent.  He  has  been  appointed  to  super¬ 
intend  the  laying-out,  and  planting  a  public  park  for  that  town. 
This,  with  his  position  as  Consulting  Horticulturist  to  the  Metro¬ 
politan  Asylums  Board  and  other  opportunities  that  will  occur, 
will  give  full  scope  for  his  abilities.^ — Y’^.  G.” 
- - 
Ctirysantheinums. 
English  Novelties  in  America. 
A  gardening  contemporary  in  New  York  (“  The  Flori,sts’ 
Exchange  ”)  de.scribed  the  following  varieties  in  a  recent  i.ssue, 
which  will  give  growers  here  an  idea  of  these  varietie.s’  behaviour 
across  the  Atlantic  :  — 
Maynell  is  a  glorious  flower  of  the  largest  size,  over  8in  in 
diameter,  with  broad,  mas.sive,  incurving  florets,  man}'  over  an 
inch  in  width;  colour,  a  dark,  velvety  crimgon,  with  old  gold 
reverse.  A  most  attractive  flower,  indi.spensable  for  exhibition. 
Miss  Mildred  ^Vaee,  a  very  lovely  flower  of  a  unique  colour, 
reminding  one  of  that  of  Chas.  Davis,  but  with  the  size  and  foi’- 
mation  of  Mine.  Carnot.  Undoubtedly  a  grand  variety. 
F.  A.  CoBBOLD,  one  of  the  grandest  and  ea,siest  growers  sent 
out  in  years;  height,  3ft,  with  its  very  large  flower  set  on  top 
of  the  finest  foliage  imaginable;  colour,  bright  rosy  pink,  very 
distinct,  somewhat  resembling  Mrs.  G.  Mileham,  when  well 
finished. 
Cheltoni  is  the  greatest  sport  we’ve  had  in  years ;  never  has 
it  been  my  privilege  to  see  such  a  beautiful  variety.  It  is  the 
exact  counterpart  of  its  parent,  Nellie  Pockett,  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  colour.  Usually,  sports,  more  especially  from  white 
varieties,  are  washy  and  undecided,  but  in  this  way  we  have  a  most 
beautiful  yellow,  quite  as  deep  in  colour  as  Colonel  D.  Appleton. 
Those  who  have  not  seen  Cheltoni  can  readily  imagine  a  well- 
grown  Nellie  Pockett  as  yellow  as  Colonel  Appleton. 
Delia  Filkins,  the  brightest  of  all  pinks,  much  brighter  than 
the  best  Viviand-Morel ;  an  easy  doer ;  habit  of  the  best,  ivith 
the  flower  resembling  that  of  Mine.  Carnot  in  formation. 
Do>’ald  McLeod  is  a  superb  variety  in  ever.y  way.  An  enor¬ 
mous  flower  carried  on  stiff,  stout  stems,  retaining  its  handsome, 
overlapping  foliage  to  the  bench.  Colour,  bright  fier.y  red, 
reverse  and  edge  of  petals  bright  gold.  Truly  a  wonderful  com¬ 
bination  of  colour,  easily  standing  out  alone  in  its  class. 
William  Duckham  undoubtedly  will  prove  the  novelt.y  of  tlu? 
season.  All  who  have  seen  it,  without  hesitation  pronounce  it 
to  be  the  finest  introduction  in  many  years.  Words  can  scarcely 
do  it  justice.  Habit  of  plant,  stem  and  foliage  are  all  that  can 
be  desired.  Its  massive  flowers  are  carried  erect  on  stiff  steins. 
In  colour,  it  stands  alone,  being  a  lovely,  warm  or  glowing  satiny 
pink.  Its  broad,  massive  petals,  many  fully  an  inch  in  width, 
incurving,  with  the  grandest  finish  possible  in  a  Chrysanthemum. 
This  will  undoubtedly  be  the  exhibition  and  commercial  pink 
when  known. 
Harrison  Dick,  a  strong,  good  grower,  with  large,  handsome, 
glossy  foliage,  carried  Avell  up  under  the  flower,  and  retained  to 
the  bench.  A  beautiful  combination  of  bronze  and  yellow,  some¬ 
what  on  the  style  of  Lord  Salisbury,  but  of  a  stronger  constitu¬ 
tion.  Flowers  fully  9in  in  diameter. 
Henry  Barnes  is  the  darkest  of  all  the  crimsons  ;  flowers  of 
full  exhibition  size,  reminding  one  of  George  W.  Childs,  only 
three  times  as  large  and  very  much  more  vivid  in  colour. 
Ben  Wells. — In  this  we  have  a  monster  in  size,  yet  a  most 
beautiful,  graceful  flower,  of  a  soft  flesh  colour;  oiie  of  the  mo.st 
vigorous  and  easy  growers. 
Matthew  Smith,  the  largest  of  all  Chrysanthemums,  the  outer 
iretals  at  this  date  reach  1ft  acro.ss;  colour  is  a  combination  of 
yellow  and  bronze. 
Lord  Alverstone  is  a  very  dwarf  grower,  and  undoubtedly 
the  darkest  we  have ;  a  most  fascinating  flower.  The  inner  sid.e 
of  petals  being  so  very  dark,  with  the  golden  reverse  showing  so 
conspicuous,  make  it  altogether  very  attractive. 
Described  under  the  head  “  Early-flowering  Varieties,”  in  the 
same  paper,  are  the  seven  French  varieties,  and  the  following 
English  ones  :  — 
Mrs.  a.  McKinley  i.s  a  fine,  big  bloom  of  buff  and  reddish 
gold— a  bright  colour  that  lights  up  beautifully,  and  we  think 
will  prove  a  taking  variety. 
Ethel  Fitzroy,  a  grand,  glowing  flower  like  an  improved 
Kate  Broomhead,  very  bright  in  colour,  and  round  and  beautiful 
in  form ;  a  stunning  sort  for  cutting  October  15. 
