June B, 1872. 1 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTtJKE AKD COTTAGE GAEDENEfi. 



iei 



fixed with one end opening into tie top of the lower, and 

 the other under the cover of the upper reservou-. A piece of [ 

 ornamented perforated zmc reUeves the plainness of the top i 

 and protects the tube, and at the base forms a guaid for soilm 

 which Ferns, ttc, grow. . 



To work it :— Unscrew the jet and tiU the top reservou-, re- 

 fix the jet and place your finger on the apertm-e, poui-mg water I 

 at the same time down the open top tube nntU the air is suth- j 

 ciently compressed to resist the ingress of any more ; the water 

 wiU then flow to the height of 18 or 20 inches for the space of 

 half-an-hoiu-. To repeat, draw the water from the tap, and 

 perfoiTQ as \)eloie.—{Ei)gUih Mecluimc and Minor oj ScieJice.) 



BLACKBURN HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 

 Thk above Society held their second Exhibition on the 29th 

 andaothof May; aid we ai-e induced to. notice it because the 

 estabUshment of a horticultural society in such a laige, busy 

 and thi-iviuK town as Blackbui-n, is undoubtedly a step m the 

 right direction, for in no town that we have visited either at 

 home or abroad, have we been so foiTiWy impressed with the 

 total absence of window plants. ^\ith high or lo'^, "^1^ "^ 

 poor, plants foi-m no ornaments to the windows. Ihis is a 

 gi-eat misfortune, for horticnlture is a gi-eat humaniser and 

 softener of the heai-t, and tends more to home enjoyment tha_n 

 many are willing to admit; but so suiely as tie cottagei is 

 induied to grow a few window plants and a ^ew bolder plMits 

 so smely will his happiness and the happmess of his family be 

 incr»ased The fi-eqnent absence fiom home is changed, ne 

 sta-i-^ at home to tend his plants ; thus he is thrown more mto 

 loving contact with his wife and family than formerly occuiied 

 dming his leisui-e time ; he finds how much more eiipyable are 

 such scenes to those of dissipation, which aie too often m^ulgea 

 in by those having no hobby to employ their nimd upon during 

 their cessation from toil. , t,, ■ i, „ ■ ,o 



To effect such a change in the population of Blackbuim is oi.e 

 of the chief reasons this Society has been started : and as the 

 President, E. B. Dodgson, Esq., and Vice-President, Capt. bhaw, 

 ai-e such enthusiastic plant-lovci-s, and so popular- and well 

 known among the inhabitants, there is a good prospect of the j 

 Societv flourishing and working-out an immense ainoimt of 

 good. "Equally foi-tunate also is the Society in its selection of a 

 Secrctai-v, for unquestionably Mr. Ditchfield, who holds that 

 post, is at once painstaking and kind in the extreme to aU , 

 coming in contact with him. , , . i ■ t 



The plants exhibited were, taken as a whole, of imusual merit j 

 for such a young Society to produce, and in some instances such 

 as have never been sm-passed at any floral display. Two examples [ 

 of this may be given : the fii-st, a splendid plant of Odoutjglossiim 

 nasvium majus in the most robust health, and beanng tw^n^- 

 five splendid spikes of flowers. This was staged by E B. 

 Dodgson Esq., and was imdoubtedly the gem of the Exbibition. 

 Following closely in the wake of this, however, was a magnrfl- 

 cent specimen of the richly-coloured Dendrobium Dalhonsie- 

 anum exhibited by Capt. Shaw; it was of gigantic proportions, 

 and in speaking fiom memory-, we are afiaid to say tiow many 

 spikes of its gi-and flowers hung gracefully from its long pseudo- 

 bulbs. Other Orchids were shown in exceJent condition, as 

 were also Azaleas, stove and greenhouse plants, ornamental- 

 leaved plants. Scarlet Geraniums, Show Pelai-gomums, Fuchsias, 

 Heaths, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, bouquets of -wild flowers, table 

 decorations, and British and exotic Ferns. 



The Exhibition was also considerably enhanced by a choice 

 collection of plants sent from "Upper HoUoway, London, by Mr. 

 B S WiUiams, not for competition, but merely to assist the 

 Society to increase the pubhc interest in Its doings. Another 

 collection of a simUai- character was staged by Mr. H. \S alton, 



" The large prize for Cucumbere offered by the Society was 

 not responded to in the manner it deserved, but vve trust 

 another year to see their call bring out both more and better 

 plants. It is also proposed, we beheve, next year to more 

 ihoroughly enhst the sympathies of the working classes, by 

 giving prizes for window plants. 



wind that blows. The estate wa.i the result of contmuous 

 purchases and additions. About 1812 the house at LiUey was 

 accidentally bui-ned down, and the present mansion at Putte- 

 rid^e, with the stables and oflices, was built. The house of 

 1788 was on the site of the present farmhouse— nay, I believe 

 that the main walls of the building ai-e the same. In the 

 transfoi-matiou effected, evidence was afiorded that it is often 

 much more expensive to improve and modei-nise an old build- 

 ing than to pull the old building down and build all afresh. 



One inducement for buOding the new house at such an 

 elevation was no doubt the number of old trees that remamed ; 

 but unfortunatelv, long before Mr. Sowerby had thought ot 

 building a house there he had cut down m;my fine trees, as 

 timber brought such a high price diuuig the French w-ar. 



Dmin" the time of Mr. John Sowerby 's occupation horticiU- 

 tm-e was confined to a small kitchen garden, with a glass house 

 or two and a few frames, and I have often been told that there 

 were gi-eat regrets felt for the comfort and the finer produce 

 of the LUley gardens. 



Mr. John Sowerby was succeeded by his eldesi, son, WUliam 

 Sowerby, who, beuiglame from an accident, could not do much 

 to improve the estate, but whose chief hobby was the keeping 

 of race horses, purely from the pleasme he felt m the animals, 

 and not in the least as a matter of speculation. On his de- 

 cease he was succeeded by the next brother, the late Colonel 

 Sowerby, who laid out conser-vatories, corridors, flower gardens, 

 and pleasme grounds, and for twenty-seven years did so much 

 to improve the estate, the farm -steadings, and cottages, that the 

 neighbourhood was completely changed. No man could more 

 thoi-oughlv feel the responsibility of actmg as a good steward 

 for the benefit of the estate and the interests of those who 

 were to succeed him. The neat farm-steading, a Jcnne oniec, 

 was bmlt by him. it,,, t 



On Colonel Sowerby's decease he was succeeded by the next 

 brother George Sowerby, Esq., who enlarged the house accom- 

 modation, and on his decease, ;^fter some three years' occupa- 

 tion, was succeeded by his eldest sou, George Sowerby, Esq., 

 1 who has already made gieat improvements m changmg the 

 open corridors into glass-covered stractuies, heating them to 

 make them comfortable in winter, erecting a rustic fernery 

 close to the mansion, making suitable improvements m the 

 i faim-steadings belonguig to the estate, and though last, not 

 i least, vastlv improving the home fai-m-steading by changing 

 the open yards into aiiT, roomy, covered sheds, where all the 

 processes of feeding, attending, &c., can be most easily and 

 economically managed. These arrangements have been car- 

 ried out under the supeiintendence of Mr. GreenweU, the land 

 steward of the estate. A lai-ge Dutch bam has also been 

 I erected, and as all buildings are weU spouted, the increase of 

 water is a great advantage. 



PTJTTEKIDGEBU E Y. 



{From a Corresjiondent.) 

 Mb. John Soweeet, to whom reference is made on page 443, 

 was a native of CarUsle, and the family still hold property 

 there. The inducement to purchase the estate was the fact 

 that Mrs. Sowerby had been bom on that property. He first 

 purchased Lilley House, now the site of one of the best faims, 

 which used to be celebrated for its Walnuts and the production 

 of the finest fruits, as Apricots and Peaches. Lilley might 

 be ti-uly described as " Lily in the valley ,'' and Putteridgebnry 

 Park as " Putteridge on the hill," as it feels the force of evei-y 



WOODSTOCK PAEK.— No. 1. 



The Eesidexce or the Eighi Hon. W. F. Tighe. 



This has of late yeai'S risen to be one of the most distui- 

 cruished Olustrations of British gardening. Descriptive details 

 of this residence have appeared in our Journal, but smce 

 then gi-eat improvements have been made, and improvements 

 still go on ; and as this is a place to be visited by travellers, 

 and where designers wUl find the most vaiied and abundant 

 matter for copying, we think it is instractive as well as inter- 

 esting to can-y'down periodical reports. 



■Woodstock Park is situated in a fine pai-t of the country-, 

 between 'Waterford and Kilkenny, about five miles fi-om the 

 Thomastown railway station. On reaching the rumous-look- 

 in" village of Thcm'astown the scenery assumes a varied and 

 beautiful character. Here we meet the sUvery Nore wash- 

 ing one side of the village. The old waUs aie hangmg full of 

 Pelhtorj-; great masses of Houseleek cUng about the old 

 houses. The extraordinaiy quantity of Fems growing on the 

 walls and trees here are sure indications of the cUmate we aie 

 in Here also begin the old castles, which stand like a line of 

 foits all the wav by the river, at from cue to two nules distant, 

 some fortv miles to the sea. The second one from Thomar - 

 town Dvs'art, is the birthplace of the famous Bishop Berkeley. 

 ■What a lovely spot this is ! "What a wonderful stoiy might 

 be written on these castles ! "What a singular blending along 

 this road is that of the modern mansions with the towering 

 old castles : On neaiing ■ft'oodstock the scenery giows richer 

 in points of interest, and when we pass through the Turkey 

 ! Oak avenue into the romantic-looking village of Inistioge, the 

 ' scene is perfectly unique. 



