560 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



wonderful feature at Ascot ; Mr Standish goes into them very extensively indeed. 

 There was a large quantity worked as standards, in which form they are invalu- 

 able for winter decoration, and were showing berries in great profusion ; they 

 are also suitable for terraces and conservatories. The first male plant of 

 Aucuba Japonica was imported from Japan by Mr Standish, who was enabled 

 therefrom to exhibit the first specimen bearing berries which had been produced 

 in England, or even in Europe. These plants are destined to play a very 

 prominent part in the adornment of gardens, as nothing can be more beautiful as 

 Evergreens than they, with their dark glossy green leaves, bearing every sort of 

 variegation, from the large yellow blotch down to the very smallest speck, which 

 renders them quite distinct. It has now been proved that the fertilising proper- 

 ties of one malo plant of good size are sufficient, by the aid of insects, for a space 

 of 100 yards square. 



Passing now into the orchard, some of De Jonghe's seedling Apples met our 

 view. One of them bore an enormous quantity of small red fruits ; another was 

 smaller in size, with the branches of the tree literally breaking down under its 

 load of fruit ; another was not so red, but a fine Apple. Unfortunately, there 

 was reason to fear any identification of these fruits could not now be made. 

 Lord Derby is a very fine sauce Apple. New Hawthornden is a fine culinary 

 Apple also, and succeeds Lord Suffield. Mr Standish has also raised new 

 Peaches, and with considerable success. Two especially have been mentioned 

 with great favour — viz., the Early Ascot and the Marquis of Downshire. These 

 were raised from the Pitmaston Orange and Violette Hative Nectarines, fertilised 

 by the Noblesse and Barrington Peaches. Twenty seedlings were raised, and 

 although the Nectarines were in every instance the seed-parents, but one of the 

 twenty seedlings proved a Nectarine. Both these new Peaches are wonderfully 

 healthy and vigorous growers. They, together with a number of older kinds, were 

 planted out on a piece of ground, and the marked vigour of the new varieties was 

 clearly perceptible. The Early Ascot ripens in August, the Marquis of Down- 

 shire two or three weeks later. The former is highly commended, and our own 

 experience goes to confirm its good qualities. 



In some parts of the grounds were beds of Lilium Tigrinum Fortunei, which 

 is darker in colour than the old variety, and has larger umbels of flowers. 



Seedling Rhododendrons are a marvellous feature at the Ascot nursery. The 

 seed is sown in January in pans ; when the plants are large enough they are 

 pricked out in boxes, and planted out thickly in the month of August, in beds 

 about 1\ feet wide, between lines of Arborvitre, running from the south to the 

 north, about 8 feet apart. Across the beds run at intervals other lines of Ar- 

 borvitse, about 6 feet apart. The Rhododendrons are three times transplanted ; 

 by doing this they are encouraged to make roots, and form nice bottoms to the 

 plants. Mr Standish has also succeeded in getting some nice breaks in the way 

 of seedling Rhododendrons. Amongst the various shades of R. Catawbiense 

 raised more than forty years ago, there were some approaching white in colour, 

 such as album, elegantissimum, delicatissimum, and others. About 25 years ago 

 Mr Standish crossed some of these with R. ponticum and other spotted kinds, 

 which produced R. Minnie, a late-blooming kind, and a fine batch of seedling 

 white varieties. About ten years ago, Mr Standish used R. Boddartsianum, R. 

 cinnamoneum, and R. Cunninghami, and crossed them with R. Minnie. Those 

 named have flowers much spotted, and Mr Standish's aim was to get some late- 

 blooming white varieties with spots. The result more than exceeded his ex- 

 pectations, for not only did Mr Standish get plants that -would flower all through 

 June, bearing flowers spotted almost black, chocolate, red, maroon, and various 



