September 6, ISCfJ. j 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GABUENEB. 



177 



Another obvious cause of air-roota is Iteoping too inucli mois- 

 ture in the house, aud not alTording sutlicicnt ventilation. 

 Tliis must be obvious to every careful cultivator who has 

 managed small vineries or pita. It is ijuite possible in such 

 structures to produce excellent Grapes, ulthouKh some gar- 

 deners suppose that such a result cannot be achieved without 

 glass doors and fronts to their structures for growing Vines. 



In many vineries, however, even though of a more pretend- 

 ing description, we tind small, shabby, rusty, shrivelled Grapes, 

 which have mucli more the appearance of bud management 

 then a few air-roots. Kusting is produced by allowing the flues 

 or hot-water pipes to become over-heated, or by putting water 

 on them whilst in this condition. The same is the case with 

 sulphur, which will also rust Grapes when very tender. — J.imks 

 Reid. 



VISITS TO G.VIIDENS PUBLIC AND TRWATlv 



MR. RIcn.lIU) .'JMITn'S NURSERIES, WORCESTEK. 



(Continued from page 102.) 



HowEvim interesting the in-door department of ihis famons 

 nursery may be— and I think enough has been said to show 

 that it is interesting, that whatever is attempted is done well, 

 and that order, neatness, and regularity reign supreme — 

 yet it is the out-door department which really forms the chief 

 feature, and to it an etiual amount of attention is paid, so 

 that it is no small treat to traverse these hundred acres of 

 well-kept and well-stocked f;round. This is the amount of 

 land that Mr. Smith has under cultivation in fruit and forest 

 trees. It is not with him as I heard concerning a celebrated 

 foreign nursery of large extent — we will say in Timbuctoo — 

 where visitors are taken through plantation after plantation, 

 and wonder wherever there is to bo an end — can it he like 

 Alexander, that only a world-wide domain woild suffice? If 

 you should happen to leave Timbuctoo the next day you will 

 leave with wondeiful ideas of the extent of Mons. Francois's 

 business ; but if, charmed by the genius of the place, you 

 should wish for a while longer to linger there and visit other 

 nurserymen, you will feel surprised to find that you are loitering 

 through part of the same grounds you traversed yesterday, 

 which are shown to you by three or four persons as their 

 " terrain." Then comes the bewildering question, Which is 

 correct :> Was the great man humbugging me ? or are these 

 merely vassals of his, who owe him a petty suzerainty while 

 they claim the lands as their own ? Nor, again, are ilr. Smith's 

 grounds like some I have seen in my own land, where quarter 

 after quarter is crowded with trees of all kinds, running into 

 one another, seldom moved, ill-shapcn, and unsatisfactory. 

 Ona expression of Mr. Smith's shows what his stock is, "I 

 endeavour to make every tree grown in the nursery a specimen 

 plant of its kind." This involves trouble and expense, but I 

 need not say it ensnres to purchasers an article of the greatest 

 excellence, as 1 believe all who have grown Mr. Smith's plants 

 can bear witness to. 



Some idea of the amount of business done may be gathered 

 from a few facts which I here record. There are .50.000 fruit 

 trees trained every year, and eightj- men are engaged from the 

 beginning of October to the end of December in taking up and 

 packing trees of various kinds. There are twenty-one miles of 

 walks ; 400,000 stakes are used yearly ; there are fifty acres of 

 fruit trees, and whole quarters of Roses and forest trees of every 

 kind and description. 



I had a walk through the R^se grounds of course, and it may 

 be interesting to the many growers of Roses to see what the 

 judgment w.as, remembering these were mostly on the Mauetti, 

 that the soil is somewhat light, and the time of year the middle 

 of .luh-. Jost'phine Boauharnais, a beautiful and distinct 

 silvery rose-coloured flower. Comte Alphonse de Serenye, a 

 good cherry red flower, not so much grown as I think it ought 

 to be. Fisher Holmes, I have already pronounced of this that, 

 although very pretty, is it inclined to be thin ; and these 

 nearly full Roses are very disappointing. Madame KuR("'ne 

 Appert, rough, and not worth growing. Mademoiselle Berthe 

 Leveque, like Theruse Appert, rough. Abbe Berleze, a flat 

 flower in the style of Grant des Batailles, and an improve- 

 ment on it. not so liable to mildew. Achille (ionod, too coarse 

 for my taste, but a favourite with those who do not mind a 

 flaunting dame. Auguste RiviC re, a good bright Rose, and to be 

 sought after, I think, more than it is. Baronne Maynard, one 

 of the best of those hybrid whites represented by Madame Gus- 

 tavo Bonnet, &a. Belle Normande, a poor-coloured flower. Due 

 de Wellington, beautiful in bud, and occasionally very fine 



when fully expanded, but too apt to show the eye. Dnchesee 

 do Caylus, a lir,-.! rate Rose, and well sustaining the character 

 of my good and honest friend Charles Verdier. Leopold HauB- 

 burg, bright carmine, a well-built Uower of good properties. 

 Madame Canrobert, a fine flower, but shy in its habit of growth, 

 and not free-flowering. Monsieur do I'ontbriand, rough, very 

 curious colour. Marguerite de St. Amand, a first-rate Rose, 

 and although at times apt to curl its outside petals, yet one of 

 the very best acquaintances we have lately had. "Monsieur 

 Btncenne, a bright Uvely colour, bat not very full. Olivier 

 Delhomme, a fine old flower, but eclipsed by some newer kinds, 

 especially in the matter of constitution. 



There is a large centre drive running from ene end of the 

 nurseries to the other, and on either side of this yon pass by 

 whole quarters of fine Conifers, including Wellingtouia gigantea, 

 Picea Nordmanniana, Picea piueapo, Thujopsis dolubrata ; and 

 unlike many a nursery where browned tips and blackened stems 

 too truly tell the tale of last winter's frost, Mr. Smith has been 

 fortunate enough to escape ; consequently everything looked 

 in the best possible condition, and as a heavy rain bad fallen 

 in the morning, all was especially fresh. I was surprised to 

 find Rhododendrons doing so well, as the soil was not that 

 which I had been led to believe was necessary for these plants ; 

 but Mr. Smith told me that by adding a couple of inches of 

 manure he found that they succeeded quite as well in his 

 ground as elsewhere. 



At the end of the central drive there is a lodge just on tha 

 Malvern road, and on the other side are large plantations of 

 forest trees and of those with ornamental foliage. Thus, the Acer 

 negundo variegata is cultivated in large quantities, and no 

 greater addition has been made to our ornamental trees than 

 this beautiful Maple. Jlr. Smith informed me that a very 

 beautiful group is formed with this tree, the Purple Beech, and 

 the Silver Poplar. Among the curious trees which I noticed 



, were the Ring-leaved AVilluw, every leaf of which forms a per- 

 fect ring ; the variegated Dogwood, which is one of the most 



j efifective variegated trees which we have. It has been found 

 that by grafting the Persian Lilac on the Privet it is induced 

 to flower much more freely. Portugal Laurels trained as stan- 

 dards were abundant, and form an excellent substitute for 



I standard Orange trees ; but, in fact, both time and space would 

 fail me in attempting to give a correct idea of this admirably 

 managed establishment. I must not, however, omit noticing 

 some fine specimens of trees on the lawn round the house, 

 although Mr. Smith lives at some considerable distance from 

 the nursery. Quercus Fordii, Weeping Ash, Picea Nordman- 

 niana, Araucaria imbricata, the Drooping Cedar, and many 

 other kinds are here seen to great advantage. 



The whole establishment is, as I have said, under admirable 

 management. Every one in it seem.^ to take a pride in it, and 

 to be interested in its success ; aud the excellence that per- 

 vaded every department showed that the able and intelligent 

 foreman under whose superintendence it is has devoted himself 



1 to it con iimuir. What a mistake it is for people not to interest 

 themselves about those who serve them ! for sympathy is like 

 mercy, it '• blesses him that gives and him that takes. " And 

 how much more of life and vigour would there be in many an 

 establishment if, instead of grinding down and domineering 

 over the men, kindness and good feeling prevailed. I have 

 again to thank Mr. Smith for his very courteous treatment of 

 me, and to express the gratification that this visit afforded me. 

 — D., Deal. 



FLOWER GARDEN PL.\N. 



The group of flower-beds in the centre I intend edging with 

 Box and surrounding with gravel, as I do not like flower-beds 

 cut out of the lawn itself ; it will also give me an opportunity 

 of making the lawn from seed. The four beds at the comers 

 of the lawn I intend for choice evergreens and Koses. 'What 

 I more particularly wish to k-now is whether the central group 

 of beds is as effective as it could be made, for I desire to have 

 a little gem of a garden.— .T. F. C. 



[You might consult a hundred sheets of designs, but which 

 we cannot send you, and not be able to fix on one more simple 

 and effective than that which you have chosen ; and as it is yoni 

 own plan we would advise you to adhere to it in the main 

 features, and make snch alterations as you may deem proper 

 when you have read our remarks. 



The clumps arc well proportioned, except the central oval, 

 10 feet in its greater diameter by T feet in its less one, which 

 is too large for the others, and if planted of one colour would 



