194 



JOURNAL OP HOETICUXTUHE AJSTD COTTAGE GAilDENER. 



[ Septembev 8, 1863. 



span-roofed, 100 feet long, 21 feet wide, 8 feet high at the 

 sides, and 18 feet in the centre. It is heated by hot wafer, 

 and kept at gi-eenhouse temperature. It is ventilated at 

 the top and sides. There is a shelf about 2 feet wide all 

 round, on whith plants in pots are grown ; next to this is a 

 wide path, and a bed in tlie centre in which Ehododendrons 

 are planted, being chiefly Sikkim and Bhotan varieties, 

 though some of the finer British hybrids ai-e introduced. 

 In the centre of the house a fountain is continually playing, 

 and imparts a cool and refreshing character to this delight- 

 ful promenade. Of Ehododendrons from Sikkim there were 

 Aucklandi, argenteum, DaJhousise, Edgwortmi, Falconeri, 

 Hodgsoni, Thomsoni, Wighti, and ■VVallichi ; and of Bhotan 

 — Boothii, Hcokeri, Kendi-icki longifoUum, Nuttali, iTrga- 

 tum, album, "Windsor!, ieucanthum, &c., most of which have 

 flowered, and ai'e now studded with buds for another year. 



In the same border were Acacia affinis, touching the 

 glass ; Berberis nepalensis, 10 feet high ; Lomaria ferruginea, 

 the same ; and Theophrasta imperiahs growing like a willow. 

 In pots were Acrophylluni venosum, 4 feet by 3 : Acacia 

 lineata, 5 feet by 4 ; A. Drummondi, 4 feet in diameter 

 and leathered to the i)ot ; Ceratopetalum gummiferum ; Phi- 

 lesia buxifoUa, good plants ; and very many specimens of 

 greenhouse plants representing almost every genus of hard- 

 wooded plants fi-om temperate climes. Desfontainea spinosa 

 ■was in flower, the scai-let bloom contrasting well with the 

 Bolly-like foliage. Eugenia Ugni does extremely weU in 

 this house, giving some fine peculiarly-fiavomred fruit. A 

 large Camellia (double white), literally Ijiistles with flower- 

 liuds. Last winter it had more than eight hundred blooms 

 expanded upon it at one time. It is about 12 feet in di.ameter 

 and 10 high. But the gi-eatest chai-m of the Ehododendion- 

 house is the beautiful collection of British and exotic hai-dy- 

 Fems. They are jjlaced on the north side of the house 

 and so receive a certain amount of shade fi'om the shrubs 

 that are planted in the border. The collection is replete 

 with every known distinct variety, and I would advise hai'dy- 

 Fern-lovers tc take the eai-Uest opportunity of seeing this 

 charming collection. Amongst them were Bleohnum L'Her- 

 minieri, the best of the rosy-fi-onded species, and it, with 

 Lomai'ia Patersoni, is first-rate for the dinner-table ; Adi- 

 antum pedatuni, a deciduous species, but now second to 

 no Maiden-hair in cultivation, the plant was 3 feet tlrrough ; 

 Bleehnum spicant ramosum, with the ends of the fi-onds 

 crested ; B. spicant iinbricatum, having the appearance of a 

 double-fronded variety; Scolopendrium viilgare marginatum 

 papillosum, with pocketed pinnae, and a legion of other mul- 

 tifid varieties of this beautiful genus ; Polystichimi Craw- 

 ford! ; P. aculeatum densum, very fine ; P. aagulai-e Footi 

 and cristatum, adjoining which is a mass of P. lonchitis fi-om 

 the Highlands. Athyi-iums multifid in all ways and fashions 

 ■were here, sor.-e with beautiful plumes, others with tassels, 

 of v,-hich Frizelliic and Field!! (Ivory's), are line ; also, the rai-e 

 Woodsia ilvensis, worse to get hold of than to grow; Mohi-ia 

 mUlifolia, very like a Yan-ow ; M. thurifraga, and the ex- 

 ceedingly handsome Lastrea FUix-fcemina plumosum ; a 

 mass of Asplenium trichomanes incisum ; regular clumps of 

 A. HaUerii and A. fontanum ; pots full of HymenophyUum 

 imilaterale and H. tunbridgense, both in sphagnum, bits of 

 freestone, and fibry peat ; the pots in a pan of water, and a 

 bell-glass over the plants, which is taken off and vriped in- 

 side occasionally, but replaced immediately. Trichomanes 

 radicans was gi-owing luxiu-iantly in pieces of freestone, fibry 

 peat, and a little of the infallible cocoa-nut stuff intermixed. 

 The pot of this also stands in a pan of water with a bell-glass 

 over it to secure a moist atmosphere. I cannot leave this 

 "beautiful collection -without recommending everybody to go 

 and see it. It alone will amply repay a visit, for the few I 

 have named are but a speck in compai-ison to the whole. 



Leaving the Ehododendron-house, our way is down a 

 gentle declivit.y, with Azaleas and other shrubs to the right 

 and left, and alpine or herbaceous i)lants in every nook, but 

 presently we come to the long walk which is gay with annuals 

 and verj- fine Digitalises ; behind which, to the left, is a row 

 of Araucana imbricata and Cedrus deodara alternately. 

 The trees were raised from seed about twenty-foiu' years 

 ago, and have now attained 12 feet in height. The other 

 side of the walk is planted with Ehododendrons, Azaleas, 

 and otlier flowering shrubs, the soU of the gai-deu suiting 

 Khododendi'ons, and they sow themselves, and on many 



plants the buds may be counted by the thousand. This 

 walk, as may be imagined, is one blaze of bloom in early 

 summer. No one would imagine that behind the Araucarias 

 and Cedars is a plot of ground devoted to the growth of 

 vegetables ; but such is the case, and some very creditable 

 work in that way is done. Still glass, the prevailing feature, 

 again demands attention. 



There is a Melon-pit 62 feet by 8, with a walk along the 

 b.ack, and a raised bed in front, on which fine-flavom-ed and 

 large Melons are grown. There are hot-water pipes for top 

 and bottom heat. The siu-face of the bed is about 1 foot 

 from the glass : consequently the vines or shoots run on the 

 surface, thereby s.aving a trellis and much trouble in tying. 

 Although the majority of the fruit had been cut, there were 

 some remaining, convincing me that hot water is a fii'st-rate 

 system of growing Melons. The sorts most in repute here are 

 Golden Perfection, Emperor of China, Orion, and Excelsior. 

 — G. A. 



(To he cimtinued.) 



WOEE FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



As young weeds will now begin to appeal' thick and fast, 

 the hoe should be kejit actively employed on all favourable 

 occasions to cut them down. Also hand- weed the seed-beds ; 

 for if neglected for a week or two the weeds will overrun 

 and seriously damage them, and then increase the labour 

 of removal tenfold. Cahhage, plant the principal crop of 

 spring Cabbage on ground weU manured, as previously 

 directed. The East Ham is a good vai-ietyfor standing over 

 the winter, it is not so apt to run in spring as other sorts. 

 Prick-out into beds, a few inches apai-t, a lai-ge quantity of 

 Cabbage plants which have just expanded then- first two 

 rough leaves, they wUl be required in spi-ing. Cauliflowers, 

 prick-out the young jilauts as soon as they are sufficiently 

 large to fix properly in the soil. Some may be pricked into 

 a sheltered border, and some into frames. Lettuce, make 

 the last sowing for the season of Brown Cos and Hai-dy 

 Green on raised beds of light soil where they may remain till 

 spring, and be planted-out to succeed these that are trans- 

 planted this autumn under walls, ic. Mushrocnns, the time 

 has now aii-ived when they may be grown with the greatest 

 probability of success. Although to some it may appear an 

 easy task to produce them at all seasons, nevertheless for 

 the g!-eat majority of gi-ov.'ers a limited sujjply will be suffi- 

 cient, when advantage can be taken of the natural warmth 

 of the season to grow them with the least expense of labour 

 and of time. The bed to be made of fresh wai'm stable- 

 dung that has been prepared for a fortnight or three 

 vveeks by forking it up into a heaji, removing all the long 

 straw and litter, and turning it over evei-y two or three days 

 until the rank steam has passed away, and the whole is in a 

 mellow condition and of equal consistence throughout the 

 heap. If during this time it has been kept dry, it will now 

 be tit to be made into a bed 4 feet wide by 3 or 4 high and 

 any length that may be requu"ed, about the same shape as 

 .a Potato-pit or the ridge of a house. A gi'eat portion of the 

 success ivill depend upon the fii'ir. manner in which the bed 

 is built ; this is generally done by beating with a three or four- 

 pronged fork as solid as possible, the top when it is reached 

 to be about 6 inches wide. Watch-sticks to be put in the 

 bed and allowed to remain until the heat, which is known 

 by the feel of the watch-sticks, has declined to a milk- 

 wai-m state, when the bed will be fit for spawning. The 

 bricks of spawn to be broken into moderately-sized pieces, 

 inserted about 2 inches within the surface and about 5 or 

 6 inches apart all over the sides and ends of the bed, to be 

 well beaten in with the hand. In a week or ten days the bed 

 will be fit to be covered all over, 3 inches deep, with good 

 sandy loam ; or, if no better can be had, any good garden 

 soil to be put on with the hand, well pressed and occasionally 

 knocked-in a little with the back of a spade, to be covered 

 about 6 inches thick with dry hay or straw. The bed should 

 be made in a dry sheltered situation, on level ground. In 

 some low situations it is advisable to lay some brushwood at 

 the bottom, and cover with a little long litter on which to 

 buOd the bed. The watch-sticks, when they feel nice and 

 wai-m, wiU g^ve the best clue to the X)roper time for spawning 



