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50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION |
Volume 12.3
Autumn 2001
| Trevor Wray | |
| Snips from 1951 | |
| More from the Early Years | |
| Puzzle Corner from 1955 | |
| A London Meeting in 1959 | |
| Sixties Centrespread | |
| The Elder Years | Ian Priestley |
| VALE – Keith Grantham | Ian Priestley |
| The Branch show 2001 | Barry Tibbetts |
| Endpiece | Trevor Wray |
| Links | |
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Nostalgic Editorial Bradleya Volume 3 1985 A Bibliography of Succulent Plant Periodicals page113 Item ..360 Northamptonshire Cactophile Keyston (GB): Published by (?), 1(1955) +, quarterly(ceased 1962?), Neumann 2:11It is the branch’s 50th anniversary and here we have a celebratory edition of the Northants News which has almost written itself. During the late 50s and early 60s our branch published a quarterly, then annual, newsletter entitled ‘The Northamptonshire Cactophile’. There are no original members extant (as the botanists say) so we have been busy delving in those archives and the scrapbooks of early members to bring you some flavour of the early years. Read on……... Trev P.S. We have a few copies of the printed edition of this magazine and also the booklet from the 40th anniversary. They can be posted for four second-class British stamps each. |
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Forthcoming Attraction __________________________________________ The George Hotel, Kettering May 21 st and 22 nd 1960 Full Programme Eminent Speakers Full board for the first 100 applicants Price approximately £3 3s 0d Booking by February 1 st Coach parties welcome, but notification essential to help the organisers For further information contact the secretary |
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Adverts from 1958 and 1959 |
| SNIPS FROM 1951 | ||
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PUBLIC NOTICES ________________ A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Branch of the National Cactus and Succulent Society is about to be formed. The Inaugural Meeting will be held on Thursday, 6 th September, at Ivy’s Café Gold–street, Kettering at 7.30 pm. at which all those interested will be welcome. Anyone unable to attend this meeting may obtain details of the Society from Mr. R. J. Mitchell, 327, Windmill-avenue, Kettering.
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CACTI
GROWERS CACTI enthusiasts from Northampton, Kettering,
Rothwell, Finedon and Desborough attended an inaugural meeting of the
Northamptonshire branch of the National Cactus and Succulent Society
at Ivy’s Café, Kettering, last night. Mr. R. Ginns of Desborough, who was elected chairman,
introduced the founder of the National Cactus and Succulent Society,
Mr. H. M. Roan Mr.
Roan outlined the objects of the Society, and stressed that when a man
or woman joined the local branch of the National Society his or her
first loyalty was to the national society and not to the local branch
to which they were connected. With the inauguration of the local Northamptonshire branch the total number of branches became 50 and the total membership over 3000. Mr. Roan wished the new branch every success and pleasure for the future. The election of temporary officers resulted: Mr. R. J. Mitchell (secretary), Mr. D. E. Woodcock (treasurer); committee, Miss G. Smith, Mrs. P. E. Collis, Mr. H. E. Cooper and Mr. W. H. Swan. It was decided that the next meeting should be held on the second Friday of October in Kettering. |
Cactus Society For County Last
night Northamptonshire joined the ranks of counties having a branch of perhaps
one of the most unusual societies in the country, the National Cactus and
Succulent Society. The branch was formed at a meeting at Kettering, but will
cover the whole of the county other than the Soke of Peterborough, which is
already connected with a branch at Cambridge.
Responsibility for the calling of the inaugural meeting last night was Mr. R. J.
Mitchell. 327, Windmill-avenue, Kettering, who told a colleague that the
national society is the largest cactus and succulent society in Europe, and if
it continues to grow at its present rate will soon be the largest in the world.
It was founded just six years ago and had its origin from the Yorkshire Cactus THE GRAFTON HOUNDS will meet next Monday, Westleys Wood, Wednesday Stowe Riding. Friday, Whistley Wood. Saturday, Bucknells. Each day at 7 a.m. ____________________ Society, which was formed before the war. There are already people from Northampton who have joined the new branch, including Mr. Cooper, Weston-way, Northampton, who has been growing cactus plants for more than 20 years and who recently had to saw off the top of one plant because it was too high – about eight feet – to get into his glass house. |
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CACTUS-GROWERS MEET The first meeting in Northampton of members of the
National Cactus and Succulent Society, took place at Kinson’s Café,
20 members attending. A discussion took place on the best conditions for bringing cacti safely through the English winter, and it was pointed out that the main needs were a dry atmosphere and a minimum temperature of 40 degrees. The damper the atmosphere the higher the temperature needed. Mr. H. E. Horton promised a cup or shield for branch competitions. |
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And looking further through the yellowing newsprint, blowing the dust aside..................
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Cactus Society Progresses 30 members at Kettering Talk Over 30 members of the recently formed Northamptonshire branch of the National Cactus and Succulent Society attended a talk, illustrated by lantern slides, given by the secretary of the Coventry branch of the NCSS. Mr. A. G. Donaldson at Ivy’s Café, Kettering last night. The subject of Mr. Donaldson’s talk was “Some plants I have grown.” Mr. Donaldson began by defining cacti as plants which have survived extreme cold frost and drought for many thousands of years in all parts of the world. ADVICE Giving advice to his audience he said: “It is important for everyone who wishes to cultivate cacti to know as much as they can about the natural history of their plants. It is obvious that plants originating from the deserts of Arizona or Mexico need different treatment from a plant grown north of the Rockies.” Mr Donaldson told of some of the numerous types of plants he had grown and experienced. “Many are over 60 feet tall, having roots that go underground to the same distance.” He said. Mr. Donaldson concluded his talk by praising the way in which Northamptonshire branch, after being in existence for only two months, had already recruited several new members. Mr. R. Ginns, chairman of the Northamptonshire branch, thanked Mr. Donaldson. |
Gardeners go for ‘Prickly Horrors’ Succulents and Cacti Popular
Cacti and succulents, those prickly horrors familiar of desert scenes, are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners, and a few local enthusiasts are anxious to start a Kettering branch of the Cactus and Succulent Society. There are only six members of the society at Kettering, one at Finedon, six at Northampton, and one at Oundle, but at least eighteen are required to form a local branch. Members feel there must be many more local enthusiasts judging by the ready sale there is for these strange plants with exotic and colourful flowers. To inculcate interest, two classes for these plants have been included in the schedule for Kettering Horticultural Society’s annual show this summer. Anyone interested in the subject should get into touch with Mr. R. Ginns, 112, Rothwell Road, Desborough, who is an all-England judge of these plants. Mr. D. Woodcock, 82, Kettering Road, Barton Seagrave, or Mr. R. Mitchell, 327, Windmill Ave., Kettering. |
more From the early years
David Mitchell of Windmill Avenue, Kettering, son of one of Kettering’s cactus growers, helps Dad tend the plants. Believe it or not, this picture shows him giving a shampoo to the white hair-like growth of a cephalocereus senilis (“old man cactus” to you). He is using a hair shampoo and a toothbrush. Mr. Mitchell explained that when plants are left outside for a period this “hair” gets dirty, hence the shampoo. 1951 |
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Left: Gordon Rowley and John Measures judge the cacti at the Kettering Horticultural Show in 1953 |
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Right: Part of a display of cacti at the Carnegie Hall in Northampton in 1954 described in the local paper as “3000 plants worth £2000”.
Below: An autographed programme and the newspaper report from the 1966 Convention at Knuston Hall. |
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Points under Discussion This is cactus weekend at Knuston Hall, the County Adult Education Centre. The event, the first of its kind in the country, has attracted over 40 growers including one from Scotland. The organisers of the Northamptonshire Branch of the National Cactus and Succulent Society have arranged for expert speakers to deal with a number of aspects of the hobby They include Mr. W. F. Maddams, formerly of Rushden and now living at Banstead, who is the chairman of the Mammillaria Society and is the Editor of the Society’s Journal. 1966 |
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The oldest cactus on show is over 100 years old, and was originally obtained from the rocks of Table Mountain, South Africa Above: end of a newspaper report on a display in 1958 at Rushden—a likely story! |
Luke O’ Tricha goes to a London Meeting
Extracts from ‘The Northants Cactophile’ Vol 4 No 4 1959
Luke first describes the journey by mini-bus through the London rush hour. This was a twelve seater “but with the well upholstered passengers of our Branch, ten proved an ample load. Even this was only made possible by interlacing our knees like a human zip-fastener. However it was very cosy breathing down each other’s necks.”
On arrival at 6.30 in the evening at the Westminster Hall the bus rear door was unbolted and the travellers tumbled out with cramped limbs to join the London meeting.
“Our group were warmly welcomed and shepherded firmly to the front seats as if we were honoured guests from some far flung outpost of civilisation. About 100 or so members were present. Minutes were dispensed with as we were promised a busy evening. Miss Dunn, the Secretary of the London Society was quite an education. She employed a high pressure sales policy that had everyone reeling and quite obviously had our own Treasurer lost in admiration for her technique.
Mr. Byles introduced the guest speaker, our old friend Gordon Rowley; dressed as Miss Dunn put it, for Arsenal’s support. From our own knowledge of Mr Rowley, I would say that with his delightful lack of convention, he was soberly dressed on this occasion. He gave us an entertaining commentary on some excellent slides of South American plants and habitats. He also showed us some delightful slides of Sir Oliver Leese’s 1959 open day at Worfield.
A raffle was held in the interval and a seemingly never-ending procession of prize winners resulted in one of our group winning a really lovely Euphorbia. Incidentally this member jealously guarded his envied possession between his knees all the way home lest some unfortunate would enrich his fellow travellers.
After the interval, a surprise item in the form of an appearance by the leading cactophile in Japan, Mr. Nakjima, had his audience hanging on to every word as he projected a number of slides of his own collection. These plants were truly prize specimens, described humbly by our oriental friend as twenty year old seedlings! Greenhouses full of mature Lithops and other mesembryanthemums were a feast for any collector’s eyes. Mr. Rowley sat cross legged on the floor, completely enthralled.”
Luke described how the meeting closed at 9pm – many London members came straight to the meetings from work. The Northants gang adjourned to a nearby restaurant for a feast. Finally….
“And so ended a very enjoyable afternoon and evening’s entertainment as we made our way out of London. From Keyston, at 1am. ten tired but happy cactophiles dispersed to their homes and waiting wives.”
Was Luke O’Tricha an alias? Auntie G thinks maybe……. Other contributors of the time were Dan Moza, ‘Q’ and Aloe depressa. A. Sobriquet was, I was told, an actual French member, also known as Chuck…… Or maybe not.
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SIXTIES CENTRESPREAD (Well it is on the printed pages!) |
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Good year ahead for cacti, says expert PEOPLE who have been worrying about their crassula ramuliformis, their lithops lesliei or opuntia pachypus, should take new heart. This year looks like being a gem for cacti. |
Cactophiles will ‘invade’ Kettering In May next year, Kettering will be “invaded” by cactophiles. No, the town is not being invaded by strange creatures from another planet, it is merely acting as host for a convention of cactus enthusiasts. The convention, which is to be held at the George Hotel on May 21 and 22, is being arranged by the Northamptonshire branch of the National Cactus and Succulent Society. It will be the first of its kind ever to be held in a remarkable enterprise on the part of the eight year old eighty-odd strong county branch. “It has been suggested before by other branches, but none have ever had the initiative to go ahead with it.” Mr R. Collis, Finedon, Chairman of the branch told the “Evening Telegraph.” The services of at least six expert speakers are being obtained, and it is hoped that an American expert may also be able to speak at the convention.
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Certainly for mammillarias, Mr. A. Boarder, number one specialist on them in England, has had more growing and flowering than ever before. Seventy growers from Birmingham, Blackburn, Bradford, Leicester and all over Northamptonshire, heard him attribute this “possibly to last years good summer” at the first cactus convention ever to be held in England, in the George Hotel, Kettering, over the weekend. “I’ll tell you a great secret,” he said. “If you have any difficulty, try moulding the soil in your flowerpot.” Advice was spooned and savoured like old wine at the convention, which was afterwards described by Mr. R. J. Measures, secretary of the Northamptonshire branch of the National Cactus Society, as “a very, very, great success.”
COLOUR FILMS
Those attending heard possibly the first talk ever to be given in England upon the rare genus Adromischus, by Mr. Bryan Makin, Alperton. |
They watched colour films which had won for Mr. Gordon Rowley, internationally famous botanist, a place among the top ten amateur cine-photographers last year (one of them showed a snail enlarged to a length of three feet) and heard Mr. Rowley talk on Epiphyllum hybrids. He said they started in England in 1824. Some fine Epiphyllum flowers in a bowl were provided by Mr. R. Tyrell of Welford. The convention was opened by Mr. John Bloom, editor of “Garden News.” He said that cactus growing had developed more since the war than any other branch of horticulture. This is possible due to the hardy nature of cacti, which appealed to amateur gardeners. Even badly cared-for plants somehow managed to survive. Another reason was their popularity in modern décor. Societies should encourage those who keep them to grow them too. Mr. Bloom said politicians could learn much from gardeners who never quarrelled even when they lost. Many rare specimen cacti were on show in the George. They ranged from small brown growths that looked like fungus, through the species of spikes and prickles to a large, rearing plant with leaves the size of ping-pong bats. |
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Above: The first National Convention held in Northamptonshire in 1960 Below: Souvenir programme of Backeberg's 1965 lecture tour of Britain. |
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THE ELDER DAYS Ian Priestley “ You remember?” said Frodo, “but I thought” he stammered “that the fall of Gil-Galad was a long age ago”.“So it was indeed” answered Elrond gravely “but my memory reaches back even to the Elder Days.” J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings For myself, and I guess most of today’s branch membership, 1951 when the Northampton branch was inaugurated probably does indeed represent “the Elder Days.”. The current member with the longest tenure, I believe joined us in 1969 so probably we have no-one now who can actually remember the earliest days of our branch. The best that I can do, is to try and capture the spirit of branch meetings about 25 years ago from the branch Programme of Meetings cards. The card for 1974, the earliest record in our archives, would be very familiar to members today, a green card with black ink, being slightly bigger than today’s offering. It covered the joint meetings held monthly at Rushden and Northampton, the venue for the latter being, then as now, the Abington Community Centre, whilst Rushden Comprehensive School for Girls was the base for the former. 1974 also saw some familiar names too – Bill Morris on the Biology of Succulents, a Quiz by Keith Grantham, Doug Rowland on Old Mexico and Bill Keen on Stapeliads, amongst others. Sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it? There have been some changes though, the Branch Shows were on 10th May – Rushden and 25th October – Northampton, both had 14 classes, but the pot size of all plants was limited to 3½”. Additionally all entrants paid an entry fee of 2p per class, or 24p for 13 classes, which was used to cover the prize money of 15p - First Prize and 20p for the Most Outstanding Plant. (Don’t tell the Treasurer!!) The committee also held some familiar names, the Chairman was Eric Fowell, Secretary was Phyllis Collis (of Echeveria fame), the Treasurer was Maurice Winsall and the two Vice Chairmen were Robert (Bobby) Anderson and Reg Collis. The 1975 programme was produced in a similar format, but green ink printed on a white card. Again, some names/events seem familiar? How about Tom Jenkins – running a Problem Evening on 11th April in Rushden and W.G. (René) Geissler – 27th June talking on Propagation in Northampton. Oh, of course, don’t forget the National Show at Vauxhall Motors in Luton on August 23rd! 1976 was our Silver Jubilee Year, with visits from Tom Jenkins and Bill Keen again and Brian Fearn (Abbey Brook Nursery) talking on Lithops. Perhaps the most intriguing name,was the visit to Rushden, of a certain Mr Gates on February 13th. I wonder if it was possibly Howard *- a noted early explorer of Baja California or Bill, and what are the chances of ever getting the latter to speak to us again, if indeed it was him? I can only suspect that he abandoned cacti and succulent cultivation - obviously his first love – in favour of his second – computers and Microsoft! Branch outings were also popular events, with trips to Holly Gate on 4th July, Blackburns and Les Carruthers, both on 6th June. Other favourites of the time included trips to Jim Bolton’s nursery, Whitestone Nurseries, Bill Stevens and Jumanery Cacti.Well that’s about enough for now. Oh, hang on! just the one last point. “Julie, please make a note to archive a copy of all our branch Programme of Event Cards for future years, I’m sure our successors will want to use them to talk about the Elder Days, during our centennial celebrations in 2052!” Ian * Bill? Howard? The Ed is showing his years now but it was Malcolm of course, Senior lecturer at Moulton Agricultural College and a wizard propagator. I well remember an exquisite seed raised cluster of the dwarf Echinocereus davisii. Malcolm was also a purveyor of stapeliads which the Ed eagerly bought - but they didn’t like frost and watering with a hose pipe! |
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Puzzle Corner from 1955 Is this
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Snips from ‘The Cactophile’ |
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The potting shed In his Cactus Chatter written in 1959, Roland ‘Lush’ Tyrrell writes of his potting shed, that most essential building in the fifties. ”Here one can store all pots, canes and compost and all other things one cannot bear to part with. The result is a wonderful collection of odds and ends which are always useful. My own shed, variously known as the ‘Rubbish Dump’ or the ‘Boffin’s Bower’ has a brick floor… most useful for mixing composts. Once one has the potting shed one needs containers, it is amazing how many are needed. Mine include buckets, baths, several oil drums with the tops removed, two baby’s baths, an aluminium preserving pan and a baby’s potty. When one considers the items needed for a cactus compost the need for the various containers is obvious……loam, peat, leaf-mould. silver sand, two sizes of charcoal, four of broken brick, local sand, ‘old cow’, limestone chips, oyster shell, bone-meal, old mortar rubble, wood ash and various fertilisers etc. Then there are the half used bottles of insecticide – Sybol, Volk, Malathion, Nopest, and Kil. These must never be discarded as you never know when they may might come in useful. A shovel or two, several riddles in different sizes and again all those boxes for cuttings and seedlings etc. Oh yes, one must have a potting shed to enjoy the hobby to the full.” And Roland provokes (again!)… Greenhouse heating This question of watering is quite tied up with another fetish, “Heating the Greenhouse to a temperature of 36ºF will keep your plants safe if kept dry.” A greenhouse at 36ºF is fit for neither man, beast nor plants, true it is possible to keep cacti at these lower limits but not to grow them…… One of the luxuries of an English winter is working in the Greenhouse with the thermometer reading 50ºF or 55ºF and do the plants appreciate it? I’ll say they do! The Ed made just one visit to Roland’s greenhouses. His plants were certainly ‘lush’ especially judged by the standards of that time. There was a jungle of succulent plants, rampant (grafted) rat’s tails and quite the largest mealy bugs I have ever seen. They also loved it warm.Extract from the Secretary’s 1959 report The Branch membership now stands at a total of 90 which compares favourably with 1958 when we had 83 members, which was a considerable increase over 1957 when we had 54. Extract from the Chairman’s Notes in the 1969 Yearbook. I particularly appeal to the ladies at Rushden meetings to get together with the tea making and washing up – how much more pleasant for a number of you to get together for a good natter than leave it to one or two as a chore. It is certainly not the Committee’s intention to suggest you should be made to do these things, but that you should want to, if you have the success of the branch at heart. Reg Collis reminisces in the 1969 Yearbook On returning from one of the Branch Outings, another member, who had spent far more on plants than he ought, stopped the coach at the end of his street, set all his plants along a wall and altered the prices on the labels to half a crown (12½p) before his wife saw them. Cultivation Phyllis Collis had her say on the methods used by growers in 1961 Apart from a few basic facts that that most of us follow i.e. not to treat them as water lilies, or pot them in pure leaf mould, everyone’s method was different in some way or other. We heard that one member uses rain water from the old barrel and the more soot and algae that collect there the more he likes it. When a drought arrives he pours in a few buckets of tap water and stirs up all the dead cats, newts, soot and fallen leaves and makes a really nourishing soup for the plants. Another filters all his rainwater, to remove the cats, soot, leaves etc. yet another wouldn’t use rainwater at all and has it nicely warm from the tap where yet another breaks the ice and uses it stone cold. Of course, then we get the gentleman who doesn’t water at all, except on Bank Holidays and Quarter days. The composts vary from pure sand and a little loam, to leaf mould and loam and loam and sand and hoof and horn., crushed brick etc., etc. Some members I am sure put in just a dash of baking powder and Epsom Salts for luck. We have the “under-potters”, the “over-potters”, stick them all in one big pan potters and last but not least, the members who are eyed with suspicion, the plastic pot potters who are experimenting very warily and who only mention their successes but keep quiet about their failures. We hear of those who keep a constant 60º and those whose greenhouse drops to 29º, both of whose plants survive and grow. Some shade the glass with the first burst of spring sunshine and some never shade at all, and yet everyone produces plants that satisfy themselves. I wonder how some of our new members feel on hearing so much of these conflicting ideas and opinions. Let us hope that they will come to realise that all of us gain by experience and trial and error and that our plants can give more satisfaction and interest than any other group of plants.
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Well that’s the distant past and the end of the souvenir version of our anniversary issue................ However for fully paid up members of NMK - like yourself (or internet readers!) there’s more…….
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The Branch Show - 2001 Barry Tibbetts I won’t bore you this year with the statistics of the show, how many entrants, how many plants etc; but will just say a big thank you to everyone who contributed in whatever way. It was a good show, and branch funds have been nicely topped up. What caught my attention this year when counting up the points in all the classes, was the performance of our two most senior entrants, Peter Rixon and Jim Lewis. While most of us had struggled in with over thirty or forty entries, Peter had only entered twelve classes and Jim a total of eleven. Their ratio of prize cards to number of entries however was far higher than everybody else. Peter didn't mess about, he went straight for the top prizes; class 1 for One Cactus and the Jubilee Cup for a superb multi-headed plant of Pelecyphora asselliformis. This still had its original label when purchased from Jumanery (Tom Jenkins) at Spalding for £3.50, when it probably had only one small head! He also repeated this effort in class 21 for One Succulent and the Clayson Cup, but his 'coupe de grace’ was in class 32 for one Haworthia. Everybody thought Pete would enter his National Show prize plant of Haworthia maughanii, but he decided it needed a rest! Instead he entered a superb truncata, which easily took the class, and a silver medal, and the Diploma for Best Succulent in Show. Just to rub it in, half buried in the pot was the original label showing it was purchased from Tom Jenkins at Chatham in 1971 for a ridiculous sum of 35p. What would be this plant’s value today? Jim Lewis, on the other hand, was most unhappy. He had entered 14 plants in 10 classes, but his prize cards were only five firsts, six seconds, and a third, and the judge, that nice man Tony Morris, had had the barefaced cheek not to award prizes to two of his plants! I mean, what is this world coming to Jim? Oh. just to rub salt in the wounds of the rest of us, his Echeveria laui walked away with the Phyllis Collis Trophy for the Best Echeveria in show. It is fairly obvious, after many years of showing, Peter and Jim know exactly what they are doing - maximum reward for minimum effort. I think Messrs. Tibbetts , Priestley, Tebbenham, Wray et al have a lot to learn in this showing business. Mind you, I still want just as many entries next year! Barry (One year older and wiser!) |
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Ed: I thought it was ta’ committee’s duty to enter every class – in my case to win the occasional third! Anyway I gave Peter a preview of this report and he said it wasn’t quite like that. His Pelecyphora was originally planned as part of a multiple entry and put back in the crate when he realised it was too big. Then Peter found he had no entry for class 1..….!
Above: Judge Tony Morris looks at the class for flowering cacti. Below Chairman Roland indicates the finer points of Mammillarias to the public |
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VALE – Keith Grantham Ian Priestley |
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T he recent sad, early demise of Keith Grantham from Luton, was a great loss to our hobby.Keith, although never a branch member, was a particularly good friend to Northampton and Milton Keynes branch and richly deserves a place in our branch history for being undoubtedly our most popular visiting speaker. From 1978, he spoke to our branch on more than a dozen occasions. The subjects demonstrate Keith’s broad range of interests and travel experiences: Madagascan Succulents, the Heidelberg Collection, the IOS Conferences in 1972 and 1978, South Africa, Madagascar, Venezuela, plus his own specialities of Unusual Succulents, Euphorbias and Caudiciforms. He also organised quizzes at our branch. He always engaged his audience with his witty and informative style and sparked off members to experiment with different genera and cultivation techniques. Keith was also active in the African Succulent Plant Society during the 1960s and 1970s, where our present Chairman first met him and was drawn to the challenge of growing the fascinating plants endemic to that continent. A recent personal memory was of the two of us running around the staging at “Two Shovels” nursery near Rotterdam. As we got off the bus there was a human blockage in front, Keith pushed me toward the alternative longer path, and we raced to the area with the choicer items. Yes, we made it first, I took the Mammillarias and Keith took the Ariocarpus and Pediocactus sections on the bench, both of us seeking first pick from the plants available. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o On Sunday, 5th August 2001, about forty enthusiasts gathered at Keith’s home at Luton in the sunshine. There was a general feeling of sadness, mingled with anticipation, as some of Keith’s lovely collection of plants came under the auctioneer’s hammer. The sale details are unimportant but very few plants were left unsold. The bidding was fierce and a considerable competitive spirit developed as choice item after choice item appeared on the table. A fine day, with so many lovely plants passing on to new ownership in a fitting final tribute to a great grower and enthusiast, Keith – you’ll be much missed! Ian |
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Endpiece Trevor Wray Well that’s the past and it’s fun to look back but far better to look forward; will those seeds grow - and later flower, are those cuttings rooting and will I one day win a first at the National? Fat chance of that, but I’ve had a preview of our branch programme for 2002 and that looks pretty good in the meantime! Just a thought on labels and names Bill Morris gave us a very interesting talk on plant names last year and towards the end showed some of the ways that our plant names become muddled in cultivation. I was intrigued by his three label system, a council of perfection – one label resting in the bottom of the pot, a midget tee down the side and a presentation label ‘stuck up like a gravestone.’ Talking of which, the bucket containing my old labels makes fascinating browsing – old friends lost and fleeting acquaintances. Pretty horrifying financially as well at say a quid a time! By the way, I read in an old alpine book that labels should always be written towards the top. It is easier to identify Mamm……. cand……… than …..aria ….ida, but I am afraid that this is more good advice that I don’t follow. I do grow a few plants with collectors’ numbers and feel that such plants deserve some special effort (beside propagating). These get an aluminium label written in pencil. As Bill says, they last for ever (unlike the plant!) Normal plants in the collection get a quality plastic label, I have some so good that pencil can be erased with a dirty finger and they have been reused for 10 years at least. Sales plants get a ha’penny label which will last a year written in black pen lasting about the same – be warned, you might be wondering what …….tum ….num is next year!We are often advised to keep written records of our plants. Some plants in the Wray collection would hardly last until the ink dries. Years ago I kept a book with accession numbers, seeds sown, year of first flowering and, of course, dying. Like all good resolutions it fell by the wayside, though it still makes good reading today. When I asked member Jack Bramhill what were the first few plants he owned they were there on a database ( = computer list) numbers 2 to 10. What happened to number one? Advanced databases designed especially for cactus growers are advertised in the National Journal for those who have the time and of course the computer. Peter Rixon keeps just the original label, - with the price! Jim Lewis records on the label the name, the source and year, and information about repotting. These days I record only the name and year I acquire a plant with an estimate of its age. E.g. 2/95 is a small seedling added in 1995, S/97 is a plant grown from seed germinated in 1997. O/98 is an offset. This minimum information is the least that should be recorded and can quickly provide some interesting comparisons. Attempts to keep track of the botanist’s name changes can require frequent label changes if you want to stay in fashion. Perhaps the recent CITES recommendations, prepared by experts, could be followed but other experts are still arguing about these. As a final thought there are those who say ‘stuff the names, throw away the labels’ and just enjoy the plants!!! At least they have more time to grow them. Oh, the answer to the Puzzle Corner 1955 style: Your guess is as good a mine! Good growing! - Trev. |
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Right; Sempervivum ‘White eyes’ seen in Wisley’s alpine house.I suppose the rosettes should always be planted in pairs—and later all the little eyelets pulled off. |
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