314 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



bottom, was afforded to the fruiting and succession plants. 

 Mr. Smith is no advocate of the starvation system, and the 

 results in the growth of the plants and the produce justify his 

 practice. The stove, as indeed all the other houses are, is a 

 lean-to, 30 feet long by 20 wide. In this was an excellent col- 

 lection of Dracffinas, Oaladiunis, Dalechampia RoezUana rosea, 

 which had been in (lower all the winter, Begonias, Euphorbia 

 spinosa, Rivina huniihs, Zygopetalum Mackayii, and a variety 

 of other plants. An intermediate house contained a number 

 of the old Phajus grandifoUus, several excellent specimens of 

 Eucliaris amazonica, fine seedlings of Lomaria gibba, together 

 with Platycerium alcicorne, Cheilanthes elegans, and a variety 

 of other Ferns. Along with these were Begonias and flower- 

 ing plants. Among the latter we noticed a number of plants 

 of that extremely showy plant Vallota purpurea, which were 

 kept warm and close to the glass, iiltimately to be transferred 

 to a cold frame for flowering. 



We now come to the fruit houses, the first of these being 

 the early vinery, planted with Royal Muscadine, Black Ham- 

 burgh, and Chasselas Musque, all showing well for fruit. On 

 the back wall are trained Habrothamnus elegans and Passiflora 

 Buonapartei, which is every year flowered on the fresh wood, 

 a portion of the old being cut away. Bedding plants princi- 

 pally occupied the front of this house. The next house was the 

 succession vinery, 42 feet in length. Here the fruit always 

 .shanked till the Vines were lifted. This was done when they were 

 in leaf, a fresh border made, and in the succeeding year there 

 was an excellent crop. The Vines in the Muscat house were 

 similarly treated, and with a like result. In both houses were 

 Geraniums for vases. Spiraea japonica, and in the Muscat house 

 a quantity of Chinese Primulas and useful early-flowering 

 Pelargoniums for vases. Azaleas, Camellias, &c. The late 

 vinery, with Peaches on the back wall, contained Primulas, 

 Deutzias, Geraniums, Cinerarias, and other plants, and for the 

 season pi-esented a rather gay appearance. 



In the frame ground several lights were occupied with 

 Potatoes and other vegetables, and Melons, of winch Scarlet 

 Gem and a gi'een-fleshed land of Mr. Smith's own raising, are 

 those grown. The Pine pits were full of a fine healthy stock, 

 principally Queens and Smooth-leaved Cayenne. The Mush- 

 room-house contamed beds in excellent bearing, and in the 

 fruit-room there was still a fair supply of fruit, considering 

 that the crop was last year almost a failure. iJumelow's 

 Seedling and Blenheim Pippin Apples, subsequently shown at 

 Kensington, were in fine preservation. The tool-shed and other 

 garden offices were convenient, but the great drawback to the 

 place is the insuflicient extent of glass. Indeed, it is a wonder 

 how Mr. Smith contrives to grow a sufficiency of bedding- 

 out plants to fiU such a large flower garden as that in front of 

 the Hall, and yet to have such a long succession of Grapes and 

 Pines with such limited accommodation. As the Earl of Gains- 

 borough takes a keen interest in gardening no doubt more 

 glass will be erected in time. 



Thus much of Exton's gardens, and now of its gardener. 

 Mr. Smith is one of the best examples of those who have 

 been trained, or rather completed their training, at Cliiswick ; 

 modest, persevering, skilful in practice, well acquainted with 

 the theory of his profession, and cultured in the sciences 

 bearing upon it — to him are due in a great measure the im- 

 provements which have been made during the last few years. 



Female Gareya elliptica. — Your correspondent " Hebe- 

 ford " (page 275), has made a mistake about the female Gan-ya 

 elliptica. I cannot give the dimensions of the tree, but it is 

 a female, is large, and about twenty years old. It grows in 

 the front of a shrubbery at Frankfort Hall, Clevedon, the seat 

 of Conrad W. Finzel, Esq. — George Lee, Clevedon. 



[Ml. Lee enclosed some of the flowers. — Eds.] 



MOUSE TEAPS. 

 I HAVE lately noticed in your pages several modes of catch- 

 ing mice, each having its supporters, and I wish to recommend 

 one which, if adopted, will put all the others into disuse for 

 out-door work. It is the most simple and effectual of traps, and 

 surpasses all that 1 have tried. All that is wanted is one brick, 

 two pieces of stick, a piece of matting, and a few Peas. The 

 way to set the trap is this : — Push the two pieces of stick into 

 the gi'ound at about a foot apart, thread three or four Peas on 

 the twisted mattuig, tie the matting tightly to the sticks, the 

 Peas being in the middle, resting the brick in a slanting 



direction on the Peas. The mice will nibble through the Peas 

 and matting, and down falls the brick and crushes the in- 

 tnider. Tl e ground should be made quite flat and firm where 



the trap is set. — J. C. MrNHEiJ., Beeehirnnil (lnrili'iia, Tmihriihie 

 Well^. 



I QTTiTE agree with Mr. Record as to the efficacy of the mouse 

 trap he recommends, and its being so easily made; you may 

 take a wheelbarrowful of bricks, a handful of bits of wire 

 2 inches long, and a few Peas in your pocket, and set a score 

 or two traps in a few minutes. I have employed them a long 

 time. In using them between rows of Peas, a piece of slate or 

 board must be placed beneath them for a soUd bottom. They 

 are excellent for buildings and farm premises, as one brick 

 only is required, it being placed alongside a wall. 1 have 

 caught numbers of mice in this way. In the garden I have 

 often used a trap recommended by Mr. Taylor in No. 405, 

 page 502 ; it is a very good mouse trap, but I prefer that re- 

 commended by Mr. Record, as the water in Mr. Taylor's trap 

 gets frozen in severe weather, when it is at once useless. — 

 H. Harris. 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHES GARDEN. 



Prtck out on a slight hotbed Canli flower plants raised in heat. 

 The gentle bottom heat will greatly assist in pushing them 

 along without their becoming weakly and drawn, as is the case 

 when grown under glass. Prick out Celery on a gentle bottom 

 heat, protect \vith a frame or hand-glass till well established, 

 and sow seed for the main crop. Put in tlie main crop of C'n?'- 

 roia in the first fine day when the ground is in fair working 

 order. Sow in drills rather thickly, for the quahty of the seed 

 is said to be indifferent this season, although, so far, I have 

 no cause to verify the general statement. Attend to keeping 

 up a succession of Peas by plantmg, eveiy fortnight, a breadth 

 proportionate to the demand. Earth-up and stake those above 

 ground to protect them from the ravages of mice and slugs, 

 which are often very destructive at this season. Globe Arti- 

 chokes should now be dressed ; remove a little soil, pull away 

 aU the plants except four or five, and fill up with a dressing of 

 rich manm-e instead of the soil. Scarlet Runner Beans and an 

 early crop of Dwarf Kidney Beans may soon be sowii. The 

 ground for the Scarlet Runners should be well manured and 

 deeply dug ; the shoots when about 5 feet high should be con- 

 stantly stopped. This will prevent the necessity of using 

 unwieldy sticks, and will secure a succession. The first Kidney 

 Beans will be best raised in a hothouse or frame and trans- 

 planted. They must, however, be gradually hardened before 

 transplanting. Xasturtiuins may now be sown, as also an 

 early crop of Gherkins. These may be raised as recom- 

 mended for the Kidney Beans. Sow also a little early Red 

 Beet, Scorzonera, and Salsafy. Blanch Sea-hale in the open 

 ground by placing inverted flower-pots over the crowns, and 

 covering these with light soil or any material which will effectu- 

 ally exclude light and air. Attend to providing succession crops 

 of Spinach, and keep the surface soil well and regularly stirred 

 amongst growing crops ; also do not forget small salads, as 

 Radishes, &c., and sow sweet herbs for transplanting. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Disbud Peach and Apricot trees. This should not be too 

 severely done at once ; it is better to go over trees two or three 

 times for this purpose, removing a certain proportion eacli 

 time. I fear much need not be said as yet, if at all, about 

 tliinning fruit this season, the frost having in too many in- 

 stances done BO ruthlessly. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Look over all recently transplanted shrubs and trees in 

 order to ascertain whether they are securely staked, for if they 

 are allowed to roll about with the wind the tender roots are 



