December 14, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



771 



British Horticulture 



A FAMOUS GAliDEN 



Prominence has lately been given to tlie magnificent 

 gardens of the Earl of Pembroke at Wilton House, 

 Salisbury, owing to the fact tliat the German Emperor 

 during his recent sojourn in Hants had planted a tree 

 there. The grounds are adorned with a fine collection 

 of cedars of Lebanon, some dating from 1640, besides 

 evergreen oaks. Thuja gigantea, rare specimens of abies, 

 and several memorial trees planted by illustrious per- 

 sons. Some of the rose houses have been standing 120 

 years. Eoses cultivated for cutting all through the win- 

 ter, the varieties being chiefly Niphetos, Souvenir d'un 

 Ami, L'Ideal, and Marechal Niel. Carnations are grown 

 in variety, those in the rose section including Winter 

 Cheer, Enchantress, Harlowarden, and Lieut. Peary. 

 Ftuit culture also receives considerable attention from 

 Mr. T. Challis, the head gardener. Fruit trees are 

 grown in the goblet form, the chief object of this method 

 being to get the maximum of light and air. There are 

 twelve branches to each tree; each tree is about seven 

 feet high, and the brandies are 18 inches from the 

 ground. Most of the apples grown in this manner are 

 for late use. As regards grape culture, Mr. Challis 

 states: "I am rather fond of growing the varieties sep- 

 arately — in fact there are some which should always be 

 cultivated alone. Hamburgh and Madresfield Court 

 should never be grown in the same house. The con- 

 ditions which suit Hamburghs cause Madresfield Court 

 to crack. I have seen them growing together, and the 

 Madresfield Court were splitting because the variety 

 would not stand the same amount of moisture which 

 is necessary to the growth of Hamburgh. I crop Mad- 

 resfield Court heavily every year, and I never have 

 any split grapes." 



NEW ROSES 



This year has brought to the front a number of new 

 roses, seven of which have been awarded the National 

 Eose Society's Gold medal. These are Dorothy Page 

 Eoberts, Harry Kirk, Lady Helen Vincent, Mrs. Harold 

 Brocklebank, Souvenir of Stella Gray, Mrs. Stewart 

 Clark, and Queen of Spain. Six of these were raised 

 by Irish nurserymen, and the seventh emanated from 

 Surrey. It is certainly highly creditable to the trade 

 in Ireland in being able to raise so many meritorious 

 novelties. The Irish rosarians are also usually to the 

 fore as prize winners at the National Show, attesting to 

 the high standard being reached in cultural skill, as well 

 as success in hybridising. Eeferring to the new roses 

 a "Garden Life" contributor states: "It is significant 

 that there is not a hybrid perpetual among them; they 

 are all teas or hybrid teas — chiefly the latter. Harry 

 Kirk will probably prove to be one of the finest outdoor 

 yellow roses in existence. Dorothy Page Eoberts is 

 described as coppery-pink suffused with apricot yellow, 

 but this does not give much idea of the real color. Sou- 

 venir of Stella Gray has rather smaller flowers than the 

 others, but they are very charming, orange and yellow 

 mixed. I am glad to see so many of the newer roses 

 described not only as continuous bloomers, but also as 

 deliciously fragrant. At one time it seemed as if hy- 

 bridists attached no importance to scent — probably be- 

 cause no points are assigned to it at exhibitions. This 

 is a mistake which should be rectified." 



Plants Worthy of More General 

 Cultivation 



Plumbago rosea eoceinea is a plant that ought to 

 make a valuable addition to our Christmas flowering 

 subjects. It is easy to handle and comes into bloom at 

 the right time if treated properly. Its habit is good, 

 making a nice compact plant from one and a half to 

 two feet in height. The flowers, which are of a reddish 

 color are jiroduced in long panicles at the ends of the 

 branches and last in good condition for several weeks. 



Wlien the old plants have done blooming they are 

 cut back and induced to make young growth. This new 

 growth makes good material .for cuttings which are 

 inserted into clean, sharp sand in the propagating bed 

 where they soon make roots. Wlien the cuttings are 

 rooted they are put into three-inch pots and are shifted 

 along regularly as they require it until they are large 

 enough for six-inch pots. They require frequent syring- 

 ing and when the plants are growing freely the points 

 of the shoots are pinched out to maice the plants more 

 bushy. The soil that suits this plant is one composed 

 of rough loam with a little well-rotted cow manure and 

 enough sand to make it porous. In September the 

 plants are placed in a greenhouse where the tempera- 

 ture ranges from 55 to 60 degrees and where they can 

 get i>lenty of light; in such a position the flowers are 

 of a much brighter color. 



The Eeinwardtias are old-fasMoned East Indian 

 plants belonging to the flax family. They are certainly 

 the best yellow flowered plants we have at this season. 

 Eeinwardtia trigyna is the best of the species. It makes 

 low bushy plants which are completely covered with 

 good-sized flowers of brightest yellow. They are easily 

 and quickly grown from cuttings and make good plants 

 in one season. The flowers are rather fugacious but are 

 produced in such abundance and in succession that they 

 make a capital show for several weeks. A house with 

 the temperature given to roses seems to give the best re- 

 sults. 



In blue flowers the finest thing we have is Browallia 

 speciosa major. It lasts a very long time in bloom. 

 Seeds sown in early spring give fine plants in five inch 

 pots for Christmas. During the winter they are given 

 the same treatment as the Eeinwardtias. - In summer 

 while they are growing freely the points of the branches 

 are pinched out so as to make them more compact and 

 bushv. 



yt^ri, QM*^. 



A Choice White Orchid 



We have received by express from George McWilliam 

 of Whitinsville, Mass., a spike of Dendrobium formo- 

 sum bearing thirteen open flowers, each of which meas- 

 ures from 3 and 3-4 to 4 inches across. Mr. McWilliam 

 says that the plant from which the spike was cut has 

 flowered for nine years consecutively and is likely to do 

 so for many years to come. It is not to be expected 

 that every gardener can entice a plant to do what 

 George McWilliam seems to draw from it in his easy, 

 unassuming way but we do not hesitate to say that at 

 the prices that this sweetest of white orchids always 

 commands in the most select cut flower markets no 

 orchid grower would make any mistake in investing lib- 

 erally in this plant. 



