Seoember 4, 1873. 1 



JOURNAL OP HOUTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



4i3 



The stock of Apples is, at a rough calculation, nearly 

 11,000, and of Pears about 6000. 



Vie now come to Plums for m.arket purposes, of which there 

 are about 8000 trees. Those most in demand are Kentish, 

 Diamond, Royal Dauphiue, Rivers's Prolific, Pond's Seedling, 

 Karly Orleans, Mitchelson's, Prince Euglebert, Prince of Wales, 

 and the Bush Plum, an East Kent varietv, and one of the best 

 of croppers. Kent being noted for its Cherry orchards, I will 

 give a few of the best sorts for market. The old I'igarreau, 

 NapoKon, and Black Biganeau, Black Heart, and Black Tar- 

 tarian, and some of the red sorts, of which the Flemish is 

 considered first-rate, and the Kentish, also a standard sort. 

 Cherries for orchards Mr. Bunyard grows on very tall stems of 

 the Cherry stock, to allow of cattle grazing beneath them. 

 Before leaving the fruit portion of this nursery I wish to 

 mention that I saw lots of the Cellini Pippin worked on the 

 Crab stock, and in a contemporary a short time ago it was re- 

 marked that this .\pple would not thrive on this kind of stock, 

 but here was reason to think otherwise, for certainly nothing 

 could have done better than these ; they were perfectly sym- 

 metrical in growth, vigorous and healthy, and have fruited 

 this year for the first time, with not a sign of canker. The 

 same remark applies to all the trees in the nursery, which is 

 su/licieut proof that the soU is one of the best that could bo 

 selected for fruit trees. 



Going on towards the extreme end of the ground we pass 

 large quarters of Chestnuts, Larch, .\sh, Quick by the million, 

 and Maples, Birch, itc, till we come to evergreens, such as 

 the common and Portugal Laurels. Among the former was the 

 Caucasian Laurel, with deep glossy green foliage, and I am told 

 it is much called for. Then there is the new oval-leaved variety, 

 rotuudifolia, a striking kind, and the miniature one, a narrow- 

 leaved common Laurel, very curious and distinct. Of Hollies 

 there are many thousands, which embrace all the leading 

 kinds of both gold and sUver-edged. A prominent one is the 

 Silver Handsworth, with elegantly-margined foliage, but I 

 think it is at present rather scarce ; it possesses vigour and 

 colour enough to become one of these days a more popular 

 variety. Rhododendrons, too, of the named sorts are growing 

 healthily in the common soil of the nursery, and lots of the 

 common R. ponticuni. Besides these there are lots of decidu- 

 ous plants remarkable for their foliage, the best of which are 

 Rhus glabra laciniata, a sort with finely-divided leaves, and 

 has a Fern-like appearance. The Golden-leaved Oak, Quercus 

 Concordia, Variegated Dogwood, Cornus mas variegata, and 

 variegated Elms. The most striking are Ulmus viminalis 

 variegata, very fine, also the larger-leaved kind, called Ulmus 

 medio-picta, having finely-margined leaves. In another part 

 of the nursery, which has only recently been added, are grow- 

 ing quantities of Sea-kale and Asparagus. Conover's Colossal 

 variety is beginning to be much sought after; it possesses 

 greater vigour than the old sort — so much so that when the 

 two are planted together the giant variety is fit to out one 

 season before the other. 



I wish to call attention to the plain tallies which Mr. 

 Bunyard has in use all over the grounds. They are strong 

 Btont pieces of oak planed smooth and painted white, upon 

 which the name and number is inscribed with black paint. 

 They have a surface sufficiently broad to be seen at a distance, 

 and the figures and names being large, they can bo readily 

 seen, which must lessen the work of looking for any particular 

 variety, and is an important help in keeping things true to 

 name. In those grounds, too, Mr. Bunyard has got some 

 select stocks of vegetables, such as Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, 

 Broccoli, Potatoes, and Peas, and which were selected by his 

 own hand, so that there should be no mistake in the purity of 

 the stock. 



Returning to near the town we enter what is called the 

 orchard nursery, about 3 or 4 acres in extent. Here is where 

 the present proprietor, Mr. G. Bunyard, first practised nursery 

 work in the way of budding and grafting, as well as other 

 operations in the trade. It is a nursery of standard fruit 

 trees, planted like an orchard. These are of large dimensionf , 

 and are mostly Pears. They have at convenient times been 

 cut off and grafted with better sorts, some trees having as 

 many as five and seven on a tree, till there are over a him- 

 dred sorts of Pears in the ground, which enables Mr. Bunyard 

 to give advice to those who wish to know tho best sort of 

 Pear to grow as a standard, and in tho fruit season people 

 have the opportunity to see for themselves. There is hero one 

 of the largest trees of Marie Louise Pear that it has been my 

 lot to see, and in perfect health. I forgot tho number of 



bushels the tree produced this season, but it was a large 

 quantity. 



There are other things grown hero besides fruit, for there is 

 a breadth of the common Aucuba which would delight any- 

 one who is partial to this plant : and who is not ? There are 

 specimens 5 or feet high and as much through, of a most 

 beautiful colour, and handsome in proportion. There fire 

 dupUcates of these by the thousand, besides named RhSdo- 

 dendrons, Berbcris of sorts, Mulberries, Bay trees. Filberts, 

 and Cob Nuts, for which these nurseries are famous ; besides 

 there is a large space devoted to herbaceous plants, and 

 another for herbs of all kinds properly named. There is a 

 framing ground for the cultivation of Cucumbers for seed, and 

 near this is a lot of the common Aucuba, bearing berries from 

 natural fertilisation. I ought to say that the greater part of 

 this nursery is wallod-in with walls from 10 to 12 feet high, 

 some of which Mr. Bunyard has recently built, and tho idea 

 is a very good one ; for besides the culture of out-door Vines, 

 Mr. Bunyard intends to make a trial of Pears, in order to 

 prove the most desirable sorts for wall culture. Passing along 

 we fiud a space devoted to the culture of ridge Cucumbers for 

 seed, and plots allotted to Laurustiuus and any other plant 

 likely to be required. There is in one corner of the ground a 

 fruit-room, with specimens for inspection of the sorts grown in 

 this nursery. There are also quantities of spriug llowers 

 grown. Mr. Bunyard finds there is an inclination among 

 customers to return to the planting of these old favourites. 



Proceeding towards the home premises, in doing so we 

 pass by another plot of ground on the right, near the main 

 line of the South-Easteru Railway. In it there are about 

 seven thousand fruit trees, principally Peaches, Apricots, and 

 Plums, in all stages of growth, and trained for various pur- 

 poses, as well as quantities of Roses. On tho left of this is 

 another nursery of about three acres, called the New Kurserj'. 

 It is situated in a conspicuous as well as a very convenient 

 part of tho town, and is laid out tastefully by being divided at 

 prominent positions with spacious straight walks running at 

 right angles to each other. On each side of these is planted a 

 specimen of every kind of ornamental tree or shrub growing 

 in any of the other nurseries, and being judiciously arranged 

 as to height and colour, there is produced an ornamental 

 effect such as anyone would enjoy. I believe the townspeople 

 are permitted to walk in these grounds by first obtaining per- 

 mission of Mr. Bunyard ; at any rate, customers wishing to 

 purchase any plant, tree, or shrub, can see a specimen or 

 more growing here without loss of time from resorting to a 

 long run over tho ground where they are grown in quantities. 

 This is where every plant is shown-off to its greatest advantage, 

 so that there can be no deception, for, among other things, 

 there are various sorts of Ivies either trained as pyramids or 

 in clumps, and in various ways most suited to their habit; but 

 if one thing more than another predominates hero, it is the 

 quantities of Thuja aurea; very handsome specimens in tho 

 most robust health, some very large ; indeed, of these lovely 

 Conifers the Messrs. Bunyard hold a large stock. In another 

 part of the ground is a quarter devoted to dwarf Roses on the 

 Manetti stock, and in the most vigorous health. 



In looking over these notes the reader may feel surprised 

 that I have hitherto said little or nothing about everyone's 

 fiower, the Rose; but I intended, before closing this paper, 

 to say that the great depot for this flower is at the branch 

 nursery at Asbford, where many acres are devoted to Rose- 

 cultivation, the tenacious nature of tho soil being particularly 

 suited for it. They also grow the Gladioli very largely there, 

 and besides these is a general nursery stock. — T. Rkcokd. 



MORE ABOUT PRIMROSES, COWSLIPS, 

 POLYANTHUSES, AND OXLIPS. 

 I UAVE read with much interest the remarks of your cor- 

 respondent " Philantiios " on the Primrose family, and 

 almost envy him the great variety he possesses. I have also 

 read the complaint another writer makes about the difficulty 

 of obtaining Polyanthuses from seed, owing to the destructive 

 attacks of birds and slugs while the plants are in the seed 

 bed ; and in replying to the latter correspondent I may say 

 there is something erratic in Primrose and Polyanthus seed, 

 for an eminent nurseiyman whose writings and opinion stand 

 very high in the horticultural world, once told me that seed 

 from the common wild Primrose was longer in germinating 

 than that of most plants ho knew; and wo have of lato heard 

 enough of the uncertain character of the seed of the Japanese 



