Angast 1, 1667. ] 



JOURNAL OP 'sorticoltum: and cottage gardener. 



79 



wliich we at the same time the most delicate and difficult to gron vith 

 ButccsH on lliuir owu roota. will one dny bo firowu wilU ijurfixt iusb 

 wUcn we have Jibcovor.'tl tho proper stoclis fur them, ami that latc- 

 riiwning vavictits will bo f;ol to n|ien (-'arlirr wbua paftrd on earlier 

 iito<ks. 1 have not nijaelf provetl tile roiTeetness of the latter, but 

 lia*o read of inslnuees of it, and, reasoniuj^ from analogy, am pre- 

 pared to bi'Iievc it. Of tho formi'r I had ft strikini? proof in tho case 

 of the Muscat Hamburgh on tho Blaok Hamburi,'h slock : on its own 

 roots I have not urown it ulioTe '2 ll)s. woiRlit, whili) on the HamburHh 

 ntoeks I have had it 6 lbs. wci(<ht, with larger biariea and much better 

 liuinhud in every way than ou Ha own roots. 1 have proved the Black 

 Barharossa tu be a most unsuitable stuck fur tho liowood Muscat— so 

 much so, that the fruit never ripened at all on it, whilo^ by its side tho 

 Bowood Muscat ripened perfectly on its own root.^. The iuiDortanco 

 of this experiment lay in the proof it gave that a late stocli pro- 

 m-Bstinatect tho ripening of the variety grown ou it ; from which one 

 is led to infer that an early Block, like Hweetwater or Chasselas Musque, 

 woulil facilitate tlio ripening of lalo sorts inarched on them. t)f the 

 excellence of the lilack Hamburgh as a stock for such high-flavoured 

 though delicate (irapes as Muscat Hamburgh, and the wlude of the 

 Frontignans, 1 have not tlio slightest doubt, and 1 have during lust 

 summer inarched these sorts and many others ou it, and recomuiend 

 others to do tho same, feeling confident that success will be the result." 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 EXHIBITION AT BURY ST. EDMUNDS. 

 When our reporter left Bury St. Edmumls, all tho miscel- 

 loueous prizes were not awarded, and some of them were not 

 ■ mentioned even in the first official prize list published in our 

 adroitising columns. Among thoeo omitted were the prize and 

 <!ertificato awarded to our standard correspondent, Air. ]''enn, 

 whose excellent collections of I'otatoea, wines, and apiarian 

 enbjects, we noticed fully at pae;e ii. We are sorry that the 

 prize was no more than JCl, for we happen to know that in the 

 course of his cxbibitings at various shows, Mr. i'enn has ex- 

 pended fully fifty times that sum. 



BRYANSTONE PARK, 



THE SE.\T OF LOKD POKTMAN. 



WnEK, in speaking of l'"ontainobleau, I referred to the mag- 

 nificent scenery that characterises our own island, and depre- 

 cated the strait and formal method of planting which obtains 

 so much favour in France, I did not think that I should so 

 noon have an opportunity of strengthening my own convictions 

 on the point by a visit to this fine and well-timbered park ; 

 but when my worthy friend Mr. RadclytTe proposed on a fine 

 bright day to drive mo over, I should not have been flesh and 

 blood (horticultnrally), if I had refused ; and amply was I 

 repaid for the journey, especially as it enabled me to give to 

 others some idea of the many fine places which are to be found 

 in Dorset. 



Bryanetono is situated in the immediate proximity of the 

 town of Elaudford, to tho inhabitants of which it is an unmixed 

 boon, as, owing to the kindnes.s and liberality of its noble 

 owner, they have free access to it, and may revel amidst its 

 beauties. The house, which is a plain but well-proportioned 

 building— designed, I believe, by Wyatt, and said to be one of 

 the most comfortable houses in Dorset, stands on a gentle 

 eminence, backed by a tolerably high ground, which is most 

 admirably planted, and through which there are three different 

 drives leading out of the park. Tho park cannot be less than 

 three miles in length, and is of a very diversified character. 

 In front of the house, at about a furlong's distance, there is a 

 T«ry pretty sweep of river, and just opposite the house this is 

 considerably widened, and a pretty fall of water is well arranged. 

 On tho left side of the house there are six magnificent Elm 

 trees, as beautiful and symmetrical examples of the tree as I 

 have seen ; wo measured one of them, and found that at the 

 base it was 20 feet in circumference, and at 1 feet from the 

 ground 10 feet. The cliff, as the eminence running at the 

 back is called, contained some very fine specimens of Cedar ; 

 most of which, however, were broken down by and deluged by 

 the rain storm of last year, and consequently several large gaps 

 have been made which it will reciuire some time to fill up ; 

 but had one not been told they would have only been regarded 

 as openings, so carefully has every appearance of destruction 

 boon removed. There are some very fine specimens of trees 

 here. Thus there are two Plane trees nearly equal in dimon- 

 sions. One of these we measm-ed. It is apparently about 

 l.'JO feet high, with a clear stem of at least 50 feet ; at the base 



it measured 18 feet in circumference. There was a Tulip tree 

 125 feet high ; then that very beautiful tree, Salieburia adian- 

 tifolia, or Maiden-hair tree, with its gracefully fulling tresses ; 

 while all through the cliff, a mile and a quarter long, there was 

 a perfect forest of Box trees. Yews, and other evergreens, in- 

 termixed with fine npecimens of deciduous trees. At some 

 little distance from the house is tho garden and ornamental 

 pleasure ground, which is a happy combination of tho slill and 

 natural styles of gardening. It forms a somewhat deep valley, 

 with terraced walks on one side, on which were various beds 

 planted in different styles, and giving some pleasing combina- 

 tions of colour : among them 1 noticed a bed of Viola cornuta 

 and Mangles's Variegated rebirgonium. At the bottom of the 

 valley are two fine ornamental trees— Catalpa syringicfolia and 

 Taulownia imperialis. The seed of the former was gathered 

 by Lord Portman himself at Rome and sown hero, while tho 

 I'aulownia has been the admiration of a vast number of persons. 

 One year it was covered over by a tent, but last year it bloomed 

 without any protecUon. During the present season it has 

 suffered very much from frost. And here a very noticeable 

 thing was to be remarked — tho tops of both trees were compa- 

 ratively uninjured, but the branches at the base were com- 

 pletely scorched up. This was explained by the intelligent 

 gardener Mr. Leach, as arising from the fact that a mist gene- 

 rally settles here in the evening, and that wliorever that was 

 the frost was more operative, while where the air was drier 

 there it had less effect. I should have said that the Catalpa at 

 7 feet from the ground was 4 feet C, inches in circumference. 

 As I have mentioned frost, I may say that it was felt with all 

 its severity at Bryanstone last winter. There is not a Laums- 

 tinus in the place that was not cut down to the very roots. 

 The Ceanothus and other shrubs trained again.st the wall were 

 nearly, and I fear in many instances completely killed. 



Bryanstone has for some years been noted for the excellence 

 of its fruit and kitchen gardens, and here everything was in a 

 high state of perfection, and bore ample witness to the energy 

 and skill of Mr. Leach. The Grapes were an excellent and 

 regular crop. Black Hamburghs were prominent, as the Grape 

 ou which the greatest dependance is to bo placed ; but other 

 kinds, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Hamburgh, Golden Ham- 

 burgh, (tc, were excellent. One house was interesting to small 

 growers, as it showed what could be done in a limited space and 

 with small means. The Vines are planted inside the house. A 

 very little fire heat had been used, but an even and excellent 

 crop was to be seen on all the canes. Mr. Leach's plan with his 

 Grapes is not to syringe the foliage, but to drench the floors be- 

 neath, shut up at about half-past four, and thus get a thoroughly 

 good steaming atmosphere. There was in the kitchen garden 

 a very nice range of small Peach-houses on the Paxton prin- 

 ciple, with trellises about 16 inches from the glass, and the walls 

 at the back also covered with trees. On both of these there 

 was a very good crop of fruit. Tlie walls of both gardens were 

 covered with well-trained trees of Pears, Cherries, Peaches, .tc, 

 and all bore evidence of care and good management. The 

 crop of Pears especially promised well — better, indeed, than 

 any I have seen this season. Here was the tree of tho Bry- 

 anstone Gage, which was originated here, a cross between 

 Coe's Golden Drop and the Green Gage, and said to he a fruit 

 of very great merit. The kitchen garden comprises about 

 three acres, and at its entrance is tho comfortable house ol 

 tho head gardener, with its neat little garden in front, where 

 various kinds of the new bedding plants are tried ; for Bryan- 

 stone is one of those places where one meets. with a happy 

 combination of the old and modern styles of gardening, and 

 while novelties are not pooh-poohed, yet the main features ol 

 the place are those which have to do more with the older style 

 of gardening, when more reliance was placed on picturesque 

 and landscape effect than on a blaze of colour for a few months. 

 Then it is not a place where one thing is sacrificed to others, 

 as we sometimes see, hut flowers, fruit, vegetables, and trees 

 alike are well looked after ; and although not strictly speaking 

 what is called a fhow place, yet its attractions are to my mind 

 very much greater than some'l have seen of greater pretensions. 

 The demand ou gardens such as these requires energy of no 

 ordinary amount. The supplies necessary lor the' "Loudon 

 season," the fruits and flowers required for so many occasions, 

 all require great thoughtfulness. And as far as I was enabled 

 to judge, nothing escaped the eye of Mr. Leach ; even the grass 

 betukencd careful management, and is kept in order by two 

 mowing machines — one of Shanks' and the other of Green's, 

 used with a horse. It is a real pleasure to go through a weu-^ 

 managed pMice like this ; and if ever any of the readers of Thk 



