AuguEt 11, 1863. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTITEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



109 



the Scarlet Eunners. Some Cucum'bers growing in the open 

 ground, I find, axe too mucli injured ever to do any good. 

 The Potatoes, also, were quite blackened; and one of my 

 workmen informed me he saw some ice the thickness of an 

 old sMUing. — W. D., North Essex. 



NOTES ON GAEDENS PUBLIC AND PEIVATE. 



No. 1. MESSKS. IVEET & SON'S, DOKKING. 



Tttr traveller by the South-Eastem Une from Eedhill to 

 Beading must have noticed^unless he has been in that 

 somnolent state one too often sees railway travellers in — 

 the very beautiful character of the valley through which he 

 passes between Eeigate and Guildford. Watered by the 

 little liver Mole, its alluvial soil gives evidence of its fertility 

 in the lujomance of the vegetation and the fine quality of 

 the timber ; while the hiUs, rising high on either side, are 

 surmounted by the residences of men of fortune, whose 

 mansions are so numerous thi-oughout the county of Sun-ey. 

 Midway in the valley Ues Dorking ; and to Dorking, on one 

 of the bright and glorious days of this most sunny summer, 

 my steps were bound. I had long thi-eatened, and now 

 determined on fidfilling my threat, to visit the nm-sery of 

 Messrs. Ivery & Son, known to me from my early days as 

 identified especially with the Azalea ; and in these days of 

 Fem-cultui-e remarkable for what our French neighbours call 

 a spi!cialit4 of hardy Perns, more particularly those belonging 

 to our native isle. Wherever Messrs. Ivery have exhibited 

 their unique collection of British Ferns it has elicited un- 

 qualified admiration, and I was anxious to see them in their 

 home ; and so my visit was to the home nursery, situated 

 close to the quaint old town, where everybody seems to 

 have been determined to have a house unlike his ueighboui', 

 and assert the independence of a tiTie Briton in doing as he 

 liked with his own. 



The home nursery is a sort of epitome of the various 

 grounds, and in it are situated the greenhouses, pits, &.C., 

 where the Azaleas, Ferns, &c., are mainly grown. The 

 dwelling-house is just such as one might expect in a nursery 

 of so many years standing — quaint and substantial, with none 

 of the pretentiousness of modem " stuckupishness " about 

 it, and having in front a fine bed of Conifers. I was at 

 once struck with the quality of the Araucarias. I do not 

 know whether there axe two kinds of A. imbricata or not, 

 %ut the thick massive character of the branches of those 

 I saw here were very unlike that of many which I have seen 

 in other places, where they exhibit a rather spindly appear- 

 ance. Nothing could be finer than the character of these. 

 Associated with them were various Conifers, of which there 

 seems to be a nice stock. Thuja aurea in various sizes 

 looked remarkably healthy, although the golden appear- 

 ance, as it is well known, is not assumed untU winter. How- 

 ever well coniferous plants may thrive in poor soil there 

 oan be no question that, like most others, they rejoice in a 

 rich, deep alluvial soil, such as they have here, where, pro- 

 bably more hable to be cut off by fi'ost, they floui-ish with 

 great vigour. 



Azaleas have not only found here a congenial home, as the 

 many fine plants exhibited by the firm testify, but from 

 hence have been sent out many of our most valuable varieties. 

 When we mention such kinds as Barclayana, Criterion, 

 Flower of the Day, Gem, Eosy Circle, Iveryana, Tricolor, 

 and Variegata snperba, not only every Azalea-grower knows 

 them to be amongst the best of their class, but every fre- 

 quenter of our great horticultural exhibitions knows them 

 to be amongst the most attractive to general lovers of 

 flowers. In my way to the houses where they are now 

 safely quartered I noticed against the greenhouse a splen- 

 did plant of Erytlu-ina crista-gaUi thi-owing up some mag- 

 nificent sj)ikes of bloom. It had evidently found a place 

 well sxiited for it. The stem was of great thickness, and 

 the flue passing behind it no doubt had contributed to this 

 result. The stock of Azaleas is large and in excellent con- 

 dition, entu'ely fr-ee from thrips and red spider, although it 

 has required no little care to keep these imder this season, 

 and wherever watchfulness has been omitted they are sure 

 to have made headway. 



While writing on the subject of Azaleas I cannot forbear 

 aUuding to what is called the gravel-pit -house, as it struck 



me that many persons might utilise some such place in 

 their ground. It is really a large hole from whence gravel 

 has been taken out, about 20 feet deep, and over it has been 

 thrown a glass roof. The walls have been somewhat cut 

 into shape ; a platform has been placed in it ; and here 

 were several very fine large plants of Azaleas in full vigour. 

 But its value consists in the fact that it is a complete pro- 

 tection against frost, and that Azaleas are kept here without 

 a fire all the winter. When very severe weather sets in, 

 as about two years ago, then a thick covering of leaves is 

 thrown over the glass, and mats on them, and here the plants 

 remained unharmed all through the severe frost : moreover, 

 it enables Mr. Ivery to retai'd his plants, so as to have them 

 in bloom for the later shows. It struck me that such a 

 place would be admu-able for growing some of the New 

 Zealand Ferns in, and that a very pretty fernery might be 

 thus made without much expense or trouble. In walking 

 through the grounds, which contain a good general nursery 

 stock, I noticed some fine standard jjlants of Althaea, of 

 which there are seven sorts, and a lai'ge plantation of Dios- 

 corea batatas. Thi-ee rows of these were planted about 

 3 feet apaa-t; a sort of arched treUiswork was made, and 

 over it the foliage was running wild. The tubers are placed 

 in ridges having a good depth of soil ; and very large tubers, 

 Mr. Ivery informed me, were thus produced. 



It was from here, too, that the Buckland Sweetwater 

 Grape was sent out, which has proved itself to be one of 

 the very best White Grapes known, and is especially valu- 

 able for ripening in a cool vinei-y. I believe that the fine 

 Grape General Marmora is almost identical with it. Mr. 

 Ivery has also a fine collection of the various Grapes grown. 



But after all the charm to me in this mu-sery was the fine 

 collection of British Ferns which have been so often admired 

 at our exhibitions. Here were to be seen the fine plants 

 which have so often done duty in London ; and here also 

 were myriads of young ones in various states of forward- 

 ness. The seeds were all sown in heat, and in pans there 

 were multitudes of various kinds in a state of preparation. 



Mr. Ivery informed me that, whatever seed they sow, 

 they are sure first of all to get a crop of the common hardy 

 Fern. This arises from the quantity of spores in the peat 

 in which they are sown ; and even when the proper varieties 

 come up they have to be proved for some time before they 

 can be sent out. The healthy appearance of the yormg 

 plants evidenced the great care and attention that had been 

 paid to them, and I shall be very much surprised if the 

 cultivation of British Ferns does not become very popular. 

 The varieties are almost endless and veiy beautiful; and 

 although we do not find the gigantic tree Ferns, yet we 

 have some noble-looking varieties, and in many of the new 

 ones most exquisite and delicate forms. 



I noticed as amongst the most beautiful the following : — 

 Among the Aspleniums, adiantum nigrum and acutum, fon- 

 tanum, and septentrionale. Of the many varieties of Lady- 

 Fern (Athyrium FUix-fcemina), I noticed especially apuse- 

 forme, a curious-looking variety, the pinnse being much in 

 the shape of little fishes ; corymbiferum ; depauperatum, 

 with tasselled-looking appendages ; Fieldise, very curious 

 and beautiful; FrizeUSe, another remarkable and fine variety ; 

 multifidum ; plumosum, very distinct ; and thyssanotum ; 

 and a new variety, mucronatum, to be sent out this autumn. 

 Hymenophyllum WUsoni is very beautiful; and extremely 

 curious is the Uttle Cystopteris montana. Amongst the 

 Male-Ferns (Lastrea Fdix-mas), I remai-ked ^ some fine 

 sorts ; — BoUandiaj ; crispa, very handsome ; cristata, tas- 

 seUed and very fine; Scholfieldii, and furcans. Amongst 

 the PoljT^odiums were Eobertianum, cambricum, and hi- 

 bernioum. Polystichmn afforded some fine foiTus, such as 

 cristatum, plumosum, prolifenim, Wollastoni fmost lovely), 

 and loncHtis, or Scotch Fern. The Scolopendiiums were 

 very numerous : amongst them cUgitatum, endiviajfoUimi, 

 macrosoi-um, marginatum, sculptiiratiim were excellent. 

 Woodsia hyperborea is a pretty Kttle thing. But aU, or 

 neaiiy all, had their peculiar beauties, and I could hardly 

 determine which to select as most worthy of cultivation, 

 but the above list contains some of the most desirable. 



To any one desirous of commencing the growth of these 

 beautiful forms, I do not think I can give better advice 

 than to go do^vn and see for themselves. The distance 

 from London is sot great. They are sm-e to meet with 



