152 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Angust 29, 1S67. 



ia performed before flowering, wben the cuttings succeed yery 

 well. With me, however, the plant grows fast enough, and 

 every year, iu August, I take up ii few large old roots, and pull 

 them to pieces with a crown and some roots to each. The 

 divisions are planted in nurserj' rows, and during the autumn 

 become good, well-established plants fit to plant anywhere, and 

 nothing can well exceed their loveliness in May and June, wben 

 they are in full bloom. A row of them was planted around an 

 irregular clump of shrubs, with a row of Primulas (all of one 

 kind), in front ; and the plants being large, and having twenty 

 er more spikes of bloom each, the whole formed the most 

 eilective object in the garden at the time. I did not have them 

 tied up but allowed a portion of the shoots to lean against the 

 shrubs (Lerberises), behind, and some were bent more forward, 

 but their abundant flowering made amends for their irregularity, 

 which would not have occurred with plants spariagly furnished 

 with bloom. I may observe that there is a little tendency to go 

 off in the manner described, but with me not more than two 

 or three per cent, of the two-years-old plants die in this way. 

 Among those older the losses are a little more numerous, but 

 there is no advantage iu having plants older than stated, as 

 they become deformed and less ornamental in every respect. 



Of the other varieties of Kocket, the Double Purple is a great 

 favourite with some, but it is certainly less showy than (he 

 Double White, which, when seen in the twilight of an early 

 summer evening, has a striking effect ; the former is not so 

 robust as the latter, and is more likely to die oiif, nor is it so tall, 

 but iu other respects resembles it. In old gardens a plant called 

 Double Yellow Rocket used to be very common, but it certainly 

 is not a Eocket. Nevertheless, it is a highly ornamental plant 

 and accords with the Eocket very well, it seems to thrive best 

 in a damp soil, and in such a place is very beautiful ; it seldom 

 exceeds 2 feet in height, but is very effective. I should be glad 

 to hear of more varieties of this popular flower, and think 

 there are two or more shades of purple — one more a pink than 

 a purple, but these varieties are not so plentiful as they ought 

 to be. 



As to making useful bedding plants of Eookets, I have no 

 hope of that, but for presenting a mass of bloom all at one 

 time, nothing can possibly exceed the Tall Double White. Many 

 years ago I used to propagate it extensively, in company witir 

 Double Puiple Catchfly for eaily summer decoration, and when 

 good nothing could exceed the beauty of the two. Unfortu- 

 nately, neither blooms early enough to meet the wants of our 

 spring gardens, hence the necessity of employing them when 

 they have not to be followed by bedding Pelargoniums and the 

 like. As the Tall Double White Eocket, unlike Dielytra specta- 

 bilis and other plants, never presents an untidy appearance for a 

 long period, its presence when not in flower can be tolerated ; 

 indeed, the tidy compact growth of the plant recommends it to 

 notice for ornament iu winter, and few plants can be trans- 

 planted more readily, or propagated with greater ease and 

 certainty. In the latter operation I merely take up a few old 

 plants early in August, if the weather is moist, and having 

 pulled them to pieces, preserving a little root to each, the 

 largest are not unfrequently planted at once in the border 

 where they are to remain, and the smaller ones in nursery 

 rows in a sandy soil. All the attention tbey receive consists, 

 perhaps, in watering them for a time after planting if the 

 weather prove very dry. Having plenty of plants I seldom 

 care for cuttings. The Tall White is more truly an herbaceous 

 plant than the dwarf variety. The flower-stems usuallj' die as 

 soon as the flowers begin to fade, but cut into lengths before 

 flowering they strike well, and wliere plants are scarce the 

 plan may be adopted with advantage. — }. Eobson. 



TIBER'S EARLY PERFECTION PEA. 

 In allusion to my remarks respecting Taber's Early Perfection 

 I'ea, which appeared in your Number of the 15th inst., as 

 coming into Uise several days before Hangster's No. 1, I And 

 you have come to the conclusion that my Sangster's is not true. 

 It may, therefore, be well for me to explain how the Early Per- 

 fection compares, as regards earliness, with other sorts. I find 

 it ready to gather ab'^ut five days before Beck's Gem, Long- 

 podded Tom Thumb, Maclean's Little Gem, and my Sangster's 

 No. 1 ; and, further, to show that my Sangster's would be true, 

 the stock now called Essex Eival follows three or four days 

 afterwards, and Dickson's Favourite, with Laxton's Prolific, 

 about six days after Sangster's. I regret I had sent away the 

 last of my stock of Eingleader when I had my trial Peas sown, ' 



or they should have been tested with it, but finding that 



Taber's Perfection came in for use as many days before the 

 others, as repeated trials have shown me Eingleader will do, I 

 considered I might safely thereby ground my opinion as to its 

 being equally early with any other sort grown, more stout, 

 vigorous, and productive, and a longer podder. It has been 

 my custom carefully to test the properties of Peas, side by side, 

 for upwards of thirty years, and any incorrectness of such an 

 established popular variety as Sangster's No. 1 I doubtless 

 should readily detect. 



I should not have written about Taber's Early Perfection, had 

 I not seen remarks from two of your correspondents, speaking 

 highly of the Pea as a first early, and for produce ; and having 

 tested, and being much pleased with the Pea, I was glad to 

 confirm their remarks, and believe I have not overrated its 

 worth. I had observed that the Chiswick trial of the Pea, as 

 in the report, showed a difference from my own trial. I 

 have a further trial of it, with Eingleader and others, now in 

 progress, and trust the season will enable me to give the 

 result. — Stephen Bkown, Sudbiini, SvJI'olk. 



Would you allow me to add my testimony to that of your 

 correspondents, Mr. Dean, Mr. Stephens, and Mr. S. Brown, as 

 to the value of Taber's Early Perfection Pea ? 1 should not 

 have troubled you with these remarks if the above-named gen- 

 tlemen had not omitted to mention one of its best qualities, 

 flavour, which is far superior to that of any early variety grown, 

 being, amongst round Peas, what Champion of England and 

 Veitch's Perfection are amongst the wrinkled kinds. Mr. 

 Brown is not in error, when he says it is earlier than Sangster's 

 No. 1, for it has proved to be so with me. It is very distinct, 

 and, I believe, when it becomes better known, it will drive 

 Sangster's No. 1, and all the first earlies out of the garden. I 

 would advise all your readers to try it another season ; if they 

 do not, they will miss a treasure. I shall grow it largely for 

 the future. I have no doubt as to my stock of Sangster's No. 1 

 being true, it having always given satisfaction until Taber's 

 Early Perfection turned up. — W. Ingle, Gardener, Birch Hall, 

 Colchester, 



OULTON PARK. 



I EXPERIENCED no Small degree of pleasure when I found 

 myself the other day travelling among scenes so familiar to me 

 as those in the neighbourhood of Oulton Park. After alighting 

 at the Hartford Station, a pleasant drive of six miles brought 

 me to the Park, where I found every department, owing to 

 Mr. Muir's skilful management, in the best possible order. 



I must, in the first place, give a passing word to the beauty 

 of the scenery outside the Park. About one mile north of the 

 Chester road, is the commencement of the drive which leads to 

 the Park. On each side of this drive there is, for a consider- 

 able distance, a triple row of Scotch Firs ; here and there large 

 masses of the common Bracken Fern are to be seen growing at 

 the base of some of the trees, and, pushing their fronds up 

 amongst the lower branches of the trees, they have a most 

 pleasing effect, the beautiful green fronds of the Ferns being 

 shown off to great advantage by the dark masses of the Fir 

 branches. The space betweeu the Fir trees and the road is 

 thickly covered with the wild Bubus, several varieties of Erica, 

 and many other little floral gems peculiar to the soil. Every 

 plant and flower appeared in perfect health, and all seemed 

 striving to contribute their share towards the formation of a 

 picture of natural beauty not often met with in the smoky at- 

 mosphere of Lancashire. At the time I drove through, all 

 nature seemed at rest, not a leaf stirred, the serenity of the 

 lovely spot was only disturbed by the clatter of the horse's hoofs, 

 and the roll of the wheels, and I confess I wished my lot was 

 cast in a similar part of the country, where the purity of the 

 air has so much influence on the growth of both wild and cul- 

 tivated plants. 



A sudden halt at the Park gate put an end to my reflections, 

 and soon afterwards the natural beauties of the neighbourhood 

 were for the time forgotten, for I had entered the gardens, and 

 the dazzling scene which met my view, caused me for the time 

 to forget those more humble but not less interesting forms of 

 floral beauty on each side of the drive across the forest. 



On enteiiug the gardens from the west we pass through the 

 arboretum, which is planted with choice hybrid Ehododeudrons, 

 and other American plants. On one side of the arboretum is a 

 magnificent Cedar of Lebanon, which I was glad to see in a 

 much more flourishing state than it was some years ago. On 



