300 THE FLORIST. 



was there ; by this means protection is given to the young fruit, and 

 the wood has a better chance than if nailed in earlier ; nothing could be 

 more vigorous, even in this unfavourable year, than the appearance of 

 the trees. The same abundance was noticeable in the smaller fruits ; 

 houses for forcing Cherries ; others in which Plums were coming in fast, 

 among them two very fine trees of Jefferson — a favourite Plum here. 

 In the same way, Strawberries are largely cultivated, both forced and 

 in the open air ; they were now nearly over, save the Alpine, which 

 was in large quantities, and is a great favourite with H.R.H. the Prince 

 Consort. Apples and Pears were, as everywhere, a failure, though last 

 year the trellis was covered with fruit, and must have been a beautiful 

 sight. I must not omit to mention here the ingenious plans that are 

 adopted for the purpose of economising time and labour in the ventilation 

 of the houses ; by a very simple contrivance, one man can open all the 

 front sashes of a house 150 feet long, by simply turning a crank, and 

 the top lights are let up and down by another simple plan, which effects 

 the object with very little effort. 



The vegetable garden, which is under the able superintendence of 

 Mr. Marr, was, of course, well stocked. Here all the new and valuable 

 sorts of esculents are tried, and many of them originated, the latest 

 being the Frogmore Protecting Broccoli, which promises to be a valuable 

 sort. I learned that Dioscorea Batatas, like a good many other things 

 greatly puffed up, was a failure— that it strikes its roots so low, that a 

 man's labour in digging it would never repay the trouble, even were it 

 a much better thing than it is ; as to its being a substitute for the 

 Potato, soft people may believe it, but that it will never be — a few 

 years, and it will probably be amongst the things that have been. 

 Frames are of course largely used for forcing vegetables, Potatoes and 

 Carrots, and salading of all sorts, being brought forward in this way — 

 three crops in the year being generally taken out of them. 



Nor would I be supposed as saying that flowers are neglected. 

 Far from it ; both in the houses and in the grounds there were many 

 things of interest — among them two seedling bedding Geraniums, which 

 I think are likely to prove of interest — but it is not the feature of the 

 garden, nor that for which it is so celebrated. And was there nothing 

 to find fault with ? — was I so lubricated by the spirit of loyalty as to 

 become a floricultural " Oily Gammon?" No — not so ; but my fault- 

 finding has nothing in it that can reflect on those in whose hands it is, 

 but to whomsoever (I believe it is " the country," and we are safe in 

 abusing it) the providing for it depends on. When the gardens were 

 originally formed there was a staff of about 33 or 34 men, a man to an 

 acre. The trees were young — the ground not filled — and possibly they 

 could at that time have compassed the work ; but is it not absurd to 

 suppose, that while everything else has increased, the houses been 

 added to, the requirements of the royal household been greater, that the 

 same number of persons is sufficient for the work ? Nor is this mistake 

 uncommon ; I noticed it at Dropmore and other places, and the result 

 consequently is that weeds cannot be kept down, and the extreme 

 neatness that ought to mark a royal garden is not attained ; the wonder 

 to me is, that with so limited a staff so much is done. Mr. Thomas 



