558 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



a highroad, and includes something like 80 acres of what was once wild forest- 

 ground. Mr Standish has already broken up a large piece of land and planted 

 it ; he has also erected a great quantity of plant and propagating houses, &c, and 

 has many acres yet in reserve that can be broken up as occasion requires. The 

 nursery contains many features of interest, but lovers of hardy ornamental trees 

 especially can revel here amid many varied and beautiful forms, among which 

 newly- introduced Japanese plants are numerously included. The South- Western 

 Railway from London to Reading has a station close behind the grand stand at 

 Ascot, and a short cut across the course — a very pleasant spot in summer-time, 

 commanding fine views of the surrounding country — soon brings the visitor to 

 the nursery. At the top of it Mr Standish resides ; from this point one looks 

 away in the direction of Windsor, and sees the nursery-grounds stretching along 

 for a considerable distance in that direction, with the large area of glass erections 

 set down almost at its furthermost point. The soil varies somewhat : on the 

 upper ground it is a sandy loam, in depth from 30 to 40 feet, well suited to 

 the growth of fruit-trees, ornamental shrubs, &c. ; but on the lower ground, near 

 to which are situated the Royal kennels, it is a peaty bog resting on clay, well 

 suited to the culture of Rhododendrons. At the depth of 6 feet there is a plen- 

 tiful supply of water. 



It is impossible to attempt a regularly-detailed account of what was seen here 

 on the occasion of a visit early in September ; rather, there can only be set 

 down certain features of more than usual interest, by way of indicating what can 

 be seen here by any one interested in horticultural pursuits. Close by the dwell- 

 ing-house was a group of seedling Hollies from 7 to 8 feet in height, raised five 

 years ago from a cross made between Ilex Balearica and I. Shepherdi. The 

 leaves of I. Balearica are of a pale-green hue, but the leaves of the seedlings were 

 nearly all dark, and they make rapid vigorous growth, and appear to be exceed- 

 ingly hardy. Mr Standish stated that some of them had made a growth of 5 feet in 

 one season ; also that he had raised some 60,000 of these seedling Hollies. Thu- 

 jopsis dolabrata was doing remarkably well on a raised bank, somewhat steep in 

 construction, and on which the sun acts with considerable power when shining 

 brightly. It seems to like a position where its roots can run away from it freely, 

 and there it succeeds best. One can imagine the beauty of this splendid coni- 

 ferous tree as seen by Mr Fortune in Japan, growing like a huge Selaginella, some 

 80 feet in height. Retinospora obtusa appears one of the finest of all hardy 

 plants for the country; it is if anything hardier than the common Yew, while it 

 is not a formal-growing tree, but has a nice spreading growth. R. obtusa Kete- 

 leeri resembles obtusa, but is prettily variegated with cream, and very hand- 

 some, and even showy. Lygustrum coriaceum is one of the most distinct of 

 all the species, being quite a shrub, and of very compact habit. Having thick 

 and glossy leaves, it looks like an invaluable dwarf-growing hardy shrub for the 

 outsides of windows in London. This was edged with that very useful hardy 

 variegated plant Euonymus radicans variegata, the last being much used at 

 Ascot as a margin for large beds. Another good plant is Retinospora filifera, 

 which has been pronounced to be one of the most beautiful weeping trees ever 

 seen. The late Mr John Gould Veitch has described how he saw this growing 

 to a height of 50 feet in Japan— a sight to be envied. Equally valuable is Juni- 

 perus Japonica albo variegata, a veritable king among Junipers, growing about 

 the size and form of a Red Cedar or Juniperus Chinensis, but even closer in 

 habit ; the foliage of a glaucous green and white. Never sickly or poor-looking, 

 it is always thick and fully dressed all the year round, and is a great acquisition 

 to the winter-garden. Picea nobilis robusta is a very good form of this fine 



