270 THE FLORIST. 



annual pruning. When we visited the place, some hundreds of blooms 

 were nearly expanded, and, when in full flower, it has a very remark- 

 able appearance, from the singular shape of the blooms, and is altogether 

 a very striking plant. We gathered a berry or seed pod of it nearly 

 ripe ; is this not a rare thing. The pleasure grounds also contain 

 many other fine specimens of trees and shrubs, dotted about. Among 

 these were some choice Coniferae, which are doing well, and produce a 

 good effect. 



The conservatory, a large spar.-roofed building, with a conical-shaped 

 projecting end, adjoins the mansion, and contains a mixed collection of 

 greenhouse plants, chiefly intended for autumn and winter display. 

 We noted a fine healthy specimen of Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria 

 excelsa), 20 feet high. The kitchen garden stands on an island, 

 in the lough, opposite the grounds, and is reached by a bridge, thrown 

 over the lake. The glass erections here consist of four vineries, two 

 Peach-houses, Pine-stove, orchard-house, plant-stove, succession Pine- 

 pits, Melon and Cucumber-pits. The first house of Vines consists of 

 Hamburgh and Sweetwater, which were carrying a fine crop, and well 

 coloured ; second, planted with Hamburgh and White Nice ; third, with 

 Muscats of Alexandria ; fourth, with Hamburgh, West's St. Peter's, &c. 

 The Muscats were remarkably fine, in fact, all the Grapes were in 

 excellent condition. The trees in the Peach-houses were loaded with 

 fine fruit. The Pine-stove, a span-roof, is about 20 yards long, divided 

 in the centre by a glass partition. The fruiting plants were planted 

 out on the open-bed system, in 18 inches of soil, over hot-water pipes, 

 so that any amount of bottom heat can be kept as required. Mr. 

 Dowling prefers his plants showing fruit prior to planting out. We 

 noted some fine Providence, Queens, &c, in fruit. The orchard-house 

 is a new erection, and, when well established, we have no fear as to its 

 giving every satisfaction. The young trees, both planted out and in 

 pots, were promising well. Not alone are orchard-houses useful for 

 growing fruits ; they form an excellent auxiliary for keeping bedding- 

 out plants secure during winter. The plant-stove contains a goodly 

 collection of mixed stove plants, Ferns, and Lycopods. Planted out in 

 the centre bed were some fine plants of the Musa Cavendishii, which 

 we believe annually produces a fine crop of excellently flavoured fruit. 

 Arranged with good effect were variegated and fine foliaged plants, such 

 as Crotons, Dracaenas, Rhopalas, &c. Melons and Cucumbers are 

 grown largely here in dung pits for summer use ; the Melons were 

 superb. The kitchen -garden is divided into four compartments by two 

 centre walks, intersecting in the middle of the garden ; one square was 

 filled chiefly with Currants and other bush fruit, bearing a good crop. 

 The most prolific kind of red Currant we ever saw was here, under the 

 name of the Mallow-leaved Currant. A row of dwarf bush Apple 

 trees surrounds each square. Next the walk is a border filled with 

 flowering plants. When we visited the place; the bedding-out plants 

 were just coming into flower, the whole presenting a very gay appear- 

 ance, fully entitling it to the rank of being called a " dress garden." 

 Wall fruit were scarce here as everywhere else this season. As some 

 thousands of bedding-out plants are annually required here, Mr. 



