Pre-1912 Woolmans catalogues wanted
13 February 2012
The discovery of a century-old catalogue, produced in the year the Titanic sank, has prompted a chrysanthemum grower to offer a reward for anyone who has an older copy stashed away.
John Woolman, the fourth generation of his family to work at Woolmans and the great-grandson of its 1881 founder, is offering a voucher worth £100 to anyone who can send him a pre-1912 edition of the nursery's catalogue.
A plant of a new variety in the 1912 catalogue cost a shilling (5p) – the equivalent of £4.30 in today's money. None of the cultivars listed is offered now, as most have been overtaken by modern breeding work. 'Rayonnante', for example, a pink spider type which later produced sports in white and yellow, was popular until the 1960s but fell out of favour because the blooms needed too much support. The cultivar was last listed in the RHS Plantfinder in 2006.
Woolmans has been a pioneer in breeding garden chrysanthemums and was a regular exhibitor at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 1947 to 2001, winning silver-gilt and gold medals. John's grandfather, also called John Woolman, was awarded the VMH for his work.
Anyone who believes they may have a pre-1912 Woolmans catalogue can contact John by phone on 0845 658 9137 or via the website: www.woolmans.com