I8»5- 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



89 



off during the dull and unfavorable weather when 

 the bright face of old Sol is often obscured. 



A goodly number of pots of thrifty-looking Sion 

 House bush or snap beans were bearing an ex- 

 cellent crop. The same might be said of the 

 American Wonder peas from which, like the 

 beans, fair quantities had been picked for a length 

 of time. On Christmas day Early Rose potatoes 

 of good quality were dug for use, which, together 

 with many other kinds of culinary vegetables, 

 were successfully forced for the festive occasion. 



Fine tender looking asparagus, sufficient to sup- 

 ply, one would suppose, every family in the village, 

 had been freely cut every day since December. 

 Of Cauliflowers, Early Horn Carrots, Lettuce, Rad- 

 ishes, etc., immense quantities are produced under 

 glass, while Mushrooms and Sea Kale vegetate in 

 dark cellars specially constructed for them. 



A promising house of gjape vines was show- 

 ing an abundance of incipient bunches, which 

 proper attention will fully develop into fine 

 ripe clusters in due season. Then three houses of 

 the same dimensions, namely fifty feet each, were 

 devoted to peaches and nectarines, the trees 

 skillfully pruned and trained to radiate in fan- 

 fashion to stout wire trellises near the sashes. 

 Several of these symmetrically formed trees were 

 profusely covered with pretty pink blossoms, than 

 which scarcely any known tree or shrub can 

 surpass in beauty. And it is doubtful if any 

 other fruit is more luscious than the choice 

 kinds of well ripened peaches and nectarines — the 

 latter, especially, when grown under glass. Every 

 body appreciates them who has enjoyed the privi- 

 lege of tasting them, and why this really delicious 

 fruit is so seldom seen in the forcing house, seems 

 incomprehensible to the writer. Early Rivers is 

 the first to ripen, and is followed by Early Louise, 

 while other approved kinds come on consecutively, 

 with the greatest regularity, as long as the season 

 lasts. Although the first named one is an excel- 

 lent variety for forcing, its character for keeping is 

 not the best, as, unfortunately, it soon begins to 

 decay after ripening. Another house in this long 

 range — upwards of five hundred feet — is, at the pro- 

 per time, to be planted with nectarines, the early 

 fruit of which the proprietor has a decided taste 

 for. 



Continuing on from one compartment to another, 

 we enter one filled with the most popular kinds of 

 Tea roses, grown in pots, from which an immense 

 quantity of splendid flowers had been continuously 

 cut during the last three years, without once allow- 

 ing them to rest from their floriferous labors. To 



be constantly in bloom seems the natural propen- 

 sity of many kinds of Tea roses ; and if the same 

 vigorous appearance can be maintained that they 

 had at the time of my visit, 1 should judge they will 

 never tire of well doing. 



The glory had departed from the first lot of 

 Hybrid Perpetual roses, (very strong plants, in- 

 deed) which, had had their day earlier on. But 

 others were steadily advancing to replace them, 

 "in the good time coming." Mr. Gardener consi- 

 ders Magna Charta is one of the best varieties for 

 forcing, and for that purpose grows it largely. 



Without specifying each particular species of 

 plant grown for bouquets and decorative uses, 

 which would occupy too much space in these col- 

 umns, 1 will briefly call attention to a few of the 

 principal kinds, most highly esteemed by Mr. Lor- 

 illard and his family. Conspicuous among them 

 are several hundred Gardenias, better known as 

 Cape Jasmines, and which in every respect are 

 worthy of first ' mention. A better-looking lot 

 of good-sized, clean, handsome, healthy plants, I 

 never saw in my long acquaintance with them. 

 This very popular evergreen shrub when covered 

 with a profusion of immaculate fragrant flowers is 

 absolutely an object of exquisite beauty. The gen- 

 eric name, Gardenia, was given to the first one 

 which arrived from China, in 1 754, in honor of Dr. 

 Alexander Garden, of Charleston, S. C, whose 

 botanical knowledge brought him into correspon- 

 dence with the celebrated Linnaeus. There are 

 some forty species in cultivation, most of which 

 are natives of China, Sierra Leone, or the East 

 Indies; and many of the pale yellow, or spotless 

 white flowers they produce are exceedingly fra- 

 grant, while all are decidedly beautiful. 



Sweet Orchids, Hyacinths, Stephanotis, Carna- 

 tions, Richardias, Lily of the Valley, Hehotrope, etc.i 

 with Lilacs, Viburnums, Spiraea, Deutzia and other 

 useful things, too numerous to mention, were there. 



Among so much floral grandeur and delightful 

 aroma, I feel constrained to notice in particular a 

 pretty, modest-looking, little Australian plant, 

 Boronia megastigma, which, if possible, is even 

 more delicately odoriferous than its lovely sister, 

 B. serrulata. In fact, two more interesting, or 

 charming greenhouse plants are seldom, if ever 

 seen, in any collection. 



Among a splendid group of attractive Amaryllis, 

 I observed the imperious and beautiful Cleopatra, 

 splendid Perfecta marginata, unrivalled Unique, 

 brilliant Coccinea, handsome and grand Nobilis, 

 lovely Syrene, and sanguinary Macbeth, were 

 some of the most magnificent kinds. 



