Augan 25, 186;,. ] J0UE3SrAIi OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEBENEE. 



145 



for tlie Clei-tenweR Flower Show to have been more success- 

 ful ; and we do not hesitate to say that the plants exhibited 

 by the childi-en would have carried off the palm at most, if 

 not all, of the exhibitions of the sort which have been held 

 this year in the metropolis. 



In one most important respect the promoters of this 

 Show set an excellent example to others, for they not only 

 get up a Show and ofl'er prizes, but evidently take great 

 pains to instruct the exhibitors how to grow their plants 

 successfully. The chUdreus' plants could not otherwise 

 have been so creditably grown and exhibited. 



THE EAELY-FLOWEEIJS^G JIOOE HEATH. 



Ebica oaknea, Linntcus. 



STNONTirES. — Erica herbacea, Wendlaiul. E. saxatilis, 

 Salisbury. Gypsocallis caruea, D. Z*on. 



'Nat. ord., Heathwoets. 



The Erica is one of the unfortunate genera among many 

 others that has come perfected, as it were, from the hand 

 of the great father of oiu' artiiicial system, to suffer ampu- 

 tation and distribution in after ages ; for Professor Don, in 

 his clever an-angement of the order Erieaceai, places oui- 

 present plant in his new genus Gypsocallis — principally on 

 account of its flow^ers being uroeolate, or bellying out towards 

 theu' base, like an old-fashioned pitchei', and then' stamens 

 being exserted, or projecting beyond the mouth of the coroUa. 

 And although every one may not agree in the separation, 

 still all must be ready to pay that tribute of praise due to 

 the very eminent ability of the late Professor for his acute- 

 ness of observation and depth of botanical research, but 

 which nevertheless seem to have rendered him more nice 

 in his generic divisions than plain botanists admit to be 

 necessary, or indeed than is useful to the practical man ; 

 for certain it is that the extension of our botanic vocabulary, 

 ajid perplexing increase of synonymes, form considerable 

 drawbacks to any advantages that may accrue from nicer 

 distinctions. 



The name Erica is derived from the Greek ereiko, to break, 

 from its supposed quality of breaking, or r.ither dissolving, 

 the stone in the bladder, or, according to some writers, ii-om 

 the brittleness of the plants ; that of Gypsocallis is fi'om 

 gypsos, lime, and hallistos, most beautiful, the plants being 

 vei'y elegant and inhabitants of calcareous soUs. 



The Early Moor Heath is a neat little bushy undershrub, 

 ■which gi'ows about inches high, clothed with evergreen, 

 linear, glabrous leaves, arranged in whorls of four along the 

 stems, and peudidous flowers, which are disposed in ter- 

 minal racemes directed to one side ; small, pale red, or flesh- 

 colom'ed, conical in shape, and produced abundantly fi'om 

 Januai-y to April. The jilant, like those of other hardy 

 kinds, gi'ows freely in any light sandy soil or peat eai-th, 

 aad makes a most desirable subject for the front part of the 

 flower-border or for edging round an Ajnerican-bed, as it 

 bears cutting back without injury, and is perfectly hardy, 

 braving our severest winters with impunity. It is a native 

 of Austria, South Germany, and Switzerland, and is easily 

 increased by cuttings ; but as its procumbent branches in- 

 crease freely in any light sod, a more convenient mode of 

 propagation is by layers, which will root sufficiently to admit 

 of separation in eighteen months. 



The Erica carnea is an old inhabitant of our gardens, 

 having been introduced ia the year 1763. — Gbobge Gobdon, 

 A.L.S. 



AMAUAA^THUS MELAJSTCHOLICUS BITBEE AND 

 LOjS'ICEEA AUEEO-EETICFLATA. 



I HAVE mot yet seen any remark on the injury wliich the 

 leaves of the Amaranthus melancholious ruber sustain fr-om 

 watering overhead. Drops of water falling on the leaves 

 discolour them, and the spots seem to spread so as to injure 

 the -whole leaf. 



With reference to planting-out Lonieera aureo-reticulata, 

 I observe that the plant is no exception to the general i-ule 

 that coloured leaves lose their brilliancy from want of heat. 

 Two plants have thriven perfectly in the open air in a 

 aotttheim.a^ect this summer, but the leaves have lost the 



bright gold-lacimg or reticidaJKon and have become dull and 

 lilurred-looking, oiieriug a great contrast to a plant under 

 glass.— A 06KSTA2IT EiEiDEE, Dublin. 



NOTES ON GAKDENS PUBLIC AND PEIVATE. 



No. 3.— Viscount Holmesdale's, M.P., Lintok Pabej ■ 



No reader of The Jouenal op Hokticultuee needs to 

 be told, that amongst the most practical and accomplished 

 of om- modern horticulturists none stand higher tham the 

 able and kiteDigent gtirdener to whom the management ctf 

 Linton Park is entrusted ; while of the place itself they 

 have often heard so much that my few rough notes wiU lose 

 much of then- interest. As, however, they are intended not 

 to be descriptions of the places visited, but just what I have 

 called these short papers, '■ Notes on Gardens," I do not 

 profess to teU what ai'e all the trees grown, or the shrubs 

 planted, or give minute plans and descriptions of the bed- 

 ding-out. I shall, notwithstanding these disadvantages, 

 give my recollection of one of the pleasantest mornings I 

 have spent during the present summer. 



Linton Park, known formerly as the seat of the Laidy 

 Julia CornwaUis, but since her marriage as that of Lord 

 Hohnesdale, lies pleasantly situated upon the slightly-ele- 

 vated ridge of chalk hills wliich run along the north- 

 eastern portion of the county, ending at Folkestone; and, 

 being halfway down the hill, it is quite sheltered from the 

 northerly and easterly winds, lying fuUy open to the south 

 and west. While thns enjoying an immunity from those 

 piercing blasts, which in the spring months sweep like a 

 sirocco along the coast, it nevertheless has a good deal to 

 bear from the south-westerly gales which are so prevalent 

 in this part of England ; and judicious care has evidently 

 been exercised in foi-mer days to plant extensively for the 

 protection of the house and gi-ounds fr-om those winds. The 

 house itself is a plain building exteriorly, but is undergoing 

 a thorough renovation iaside. The walls an-d ceilings of the 

 reception-rooms ai-e all being painted by hand; and the 

 suite will form one of the most beautijfid and exquisite 

 specimens of feiste and art to be seen in England when they 

 are completed. The plea.sure groimds are situated in the 

 rear of the mansion, fr-om which a series of ten-aces lead 

 down to the lower portion of the ground. The pinetnm lies 

 to the left, containing, as I shall have to notice, some very 

 fine trees ; while the conservatories, greenhouses, and 

 kitchen garden are situated at the back of the house. A 

 noble avenue of Bhns leads out to the jVIaidstone road in the 

 front of the house, and another to the chm-ch at the right 

 hand. Some magnificent Elms are to be iound, not only in 

 these avenues, but in other parts of the grounds ; and to 

 me, coming fr-om our treeless neighbom-hood, there is always 

 great pleasure in the sight of such luxm-iant foliage as thia 

 park aftbrds. 



Knowing but little of Mr. Eobson save as a coUaboratem- 

 in the pages of The J ouknal of Hoeticultxjee, I yet felt 

 assured from the hearty and genial character of his writing 

 that I should meet with a cordial reception ; nor was I dis- 

 appointed. The greatest kindness and hospitality was shown 

 to me ; and after a \'ery pleasant morning I was enabled 

 to go on to other avocations not far oft', which had especially 

 called me from home. 



The readers of your pages know very well, I think, that I 

 have been a somewhat strenuous opponent of the bedding- 

 out system as it is carried to extremes now-a-days. Well, 

 after visiting Linton one has only to say before we condemn 

 it altogether. See what it is when can-ied out under the 

 most favom-able ausi)ices, as it is there under the able ma- 

 nagement of Mr. Robson. There were two things that 

 struck me very forcibly as to the principles on which he 

 managed to produce these admu-able effects. One was that 

 he employed, comparatively speaking, very few varietieSj 

 and that he was vei-y particular that notliing shoidd inter- 

 fere with the oneness of colom- in each particidar flower. 

 Thus, of com-se, all Verbenas with eyes woidd be excluded — 

 in fact. Purple King, and another, a pink flower, were, I 

 believe, the only kinds employed in the place ; but even the 

 dark horseshoe tint in many of om- Geraniums was sufficient 

 to exclude them from use. The plain green foliage or the 

 simple vafliegated ones being those only employed, such 



