October 8, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



255. 



but that for the raoro di^tant wftlks is of a more common kind. 

 Jlr. Don, howevor, hail tiikea a very wiso precaution to obviate 

 the uupleasantnufls of «uch wallts in damp weather. lie had 

 made them hiijlier in the middle than tlioy often are, and had 

 placed a line of channel bricks along each side to receive the 

 water, and this was ((specially necessary in the case of the hilly 

 walks, but was also practised with the level ones, and no doubt 

 rendered the soft material of the walks more firm in wet 

 weather. These grooved or channelled bricks are v.'ell worthy 

 of attention in every place where heavy rains often tear up 

 the walks, and I believe such bricks are not expensive, while 

 their lixin}? is a much easier alTiir than the pebble paving 

 met with in other places. I believe that stone of any kind ia 

 scarce in the neif!;hb')urhooJ, that for the public roads being 

 bronght from a distance. The stone found near seems to bo 

 atronnly impregnated with iron, which evidently forms an im- 

 portant constituent in the soil ; for whore black peat does not 

 exist, the soil is one of that yellow character differing widely 

 from ordinary clays, yet almost as adhesive and impervious 

 to water. As Khodojendrons thrive well in it, scatter their 

 seed, and reproduce themselves in abundam'e in the rank 

 herbage, we may infer that, although widely differing in colour 

 from peat (lor it is palo yellow), it nevertheless possesses the 

 elements necessary for that class of plants. Soil of this cha- 

 racter extends over an area of many miles on the southern 

 boundary of Kent and the adjoining county of Sussex, and that 

 iron abounds is proved by the fact that furnaces for its making 

 existed at fiamberhust, only a very short distance from Bedge- 

 bury, and tliere, I was told, the railing! surrounding St. Paul's 

 Cathedral were cast. The absence of coal, and the plentiful 

 supply of ore, as well as of fuel, in other places, have occasioned 

 the decline of these ironworks. The neighbourhood is, how- 

 ever, not without interest. The pleasant village of Cloudburst, 

 within which parish, I believe, Bedgebury stands, is pleasantly 

 situated on a rising ground, and report says that from the top 

 of the church steeple tifty-twootlier churches may be seen, and 

 that in a part of the country not like fjincashire. where largo 

 towns exist within short distances of each other, but in a rural 

 district. Goudhurst is five miles south of Mardcn Station on 

 the South-Eastern Railway, and Dedgebury is upwards of a 

 mile further soulh, the greater part of the intervening space 

 bcin|7 occupied by the park, which is much diversified by hill 

 and dale, wood and water, the last, however, less conspicuous. 

 The trees most at home in such a soil are Oaks, Limes, and 

 Chestnuts, but I do not recollect of seeing I'jlms attaining any- 

 thing like the proportion they do in soils containing more 

 calcareous matter ; but many trees accommodate themselves to 

 all kinds of soil, and ho do cultivated plants. 



The principal approach to Bedgebury from Cranbrook is 

 through an extensive wood, the greater part of which seems 

 never to have been invaded by cither the spade or plough since 

 it was formed. The approach from the south is through what 

 maybe called a Pine forest; indeed the extent of Bedgebury 

 woods and the historical legends connected therewith are often 

 discoursed of by the old people living in the neighbourhood. 

 The roads are good, and curving now around a hill and then 

 descending a valley, they present a delightful variety of aspect. 

 Certainly the bolder features of such a place as Alton Towers 

 are wanting, but the wildne-is of surrounding objects, with the 

 sparingly-introduced feature now and then of civilised life, 

 gives a scope for the imagination which the rich meadow fails 

 to do. But the latter has its representative also, for the 

 northern appnach to the mansion is through the open park. 

 Still the view of the mansion giving the best notion of its 

 rastness, is from an opposite direction ; its situation, howevor, 

 is such that, although it stands on high ground, it is not seen 

 at any great distance, and it rather bursts into view unex- 

 pectedly in all its grandeur, than presents itself as an object to 

 be gazed at from a distance. Its merits in an architectural 

 point of view I must leave others to decide ; but the high 

 position its present owner holds as a judge and patron of the 

 tine arts would tend to tho belief that the house, which has 

 been so extensively remodelled by him, would be in accord- 

 ance with those somewhat capricious laws which govern good 

 taste. 



In my rambles by the side of the lake I observed a plant but 

 little grown in English gardens, but which is worthy of notice — 

 namely, the American Cranberry, a plant delighting in peaty 

 bogs, and here I understood it to be laden with fruit at the 

 proper season, although no especial care was taken of it, and 

 it was struggling with the other wild herbage of the spot for 

 a place which it seemed by its robustness destined to hold. 



Many other Utile matters were pointed out to me by Mr. Don; 

 and the order !ind good keeping which pervaded all tho depart- 

 ments in the dressed ground under his care, as well as in the 

 kitchen garden, attested his practical skill. Bedgebury, there- 

 fore, in huoh hands as that of Mr. Hope and his able garden 

 manager is likely to maintain a high position: while tho care 

 and attention now bestowed on trees and shrubs likely to cou- 

 atitule a feature in the landscape will, doubtless, at a future 

 day have an effect on the character of a scene of labour and 

 pleasure alike creditable to master and man.— J. lioL.soN. 



rnOLONGED HORTICULTURAI- SHOWS. 

 LiKK other matters, there are two sides to this question. 

 I-agree with your correspondent that two or three days are quite 

 long enough for fruit to remain at an exhibition, but cannot 

 agree with him that " the same remork applies to plants," 

 because it has been proved beyond cavil that tho bulk of the 

 subjects that feuni our flower thows can remain at an exhibition 

 a week without being in any degree injured ; and another fact 

 has been proved, that if wo are to have great exhibitions and 

 large prizes are to be awarded, then exhibitors must be pre- 

 pared to allow their productions to remain a few days longer 

 than usual. 



l''or fifteen or twenty years there was a one-day's show at 

 Chiswick, and right grand shows they were ; but what about 

 the Horticultural Society in whose grounds these shows were 

 held? Hopelessly bankrupt — and why? Exhibitions were 

 the cause of its ruin. I am now speaking of the old Horticul- 

 tural Society as it existed twelve or fourteen years ago. 



I am quite prepared to admit that the exhibitions were a 

 necessity, and that but for them the Society would not have 

 existed as long as it did ; but had these shows remained open 

 three or four days iu order to have given tho people an oppor- 

 tunity ([ mean the shilling public), of seeing them, then I 

 j venture to assert that the linancinl position of the Horticultural 

 ! Society would have been very different, and the Society would 

 have l)t'eo able to render greater service to horticulture than it 

 has hitherto done, and of course exhibitors would have been 

 benefiied likewise. But it may bo said in reply, " Look at the 

 Roval Botanic Society. They only have one day's show there, 

 and they go on smoothly." I reply. True, they have grand 

 shows and they go on smoothly ; but what about their financial 

 position ? Why, they have "a heavy debt that cripples all 

 effort; and so it will ever bo until the basis is widened. I 

 have thought much about this subject, and have come to the 

 conclusion, providing extra large shows are held, a large 

 amount given in prizes, and safe accommodation afforded for 

 the subjects exhibited, that it will be for the benefit of horti- 

 culture and exhibitors if the latter allow their productions to 

 remain at an exhibition fonr or five days ; and thus the S.iciety 

 under whose auspices the show is held, tho exhibitor, and the 

 public will all derive beueflt ; and an exhibition that rests 

 upon this broad basis of advantage is sure of permanence and 

 success. — B. A. 



TiOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OoTOBKR 1st. 

 Fr.uiT Committee. — Prizes were oficrfd for the best collection of 

 any description of Grapes except Muscats, for the best collection of 

 White Muscats, for the best dish of Muscat Hamburgh, and for the 

 best collection of Pcarmain Apples, bat no csbibitors came forward to 

 claim them. In the class for the best three dishes of Dessert Apples, 

 Mr. Hughes, garaeiicr to the Kcv. O. Kemp, was first with largo ex- 

 amples of the Kiliston Pippin, Cox's Oraugc Pippin, and Lewis s In- 

 comparable. Mr. ■Whiting, Tho Decpdenc, Dorking, was second with 

 Ribston Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, and a kind the name of which 

 was imkuown. A third prize was awarded U Mr. Rnffctt, gardener to 

 Visconntc..8 Palmcrston, Prockett Hall, for Cox's Pomona, CeUim. 

 and liibston Pippin. .1. (larland. Ksq.. Tnmhara Green, and Mr. 

 Lvnn. gardener to Lord Boston, Hcdsor. also exhibited in this class. 

 For the best three dishes of Dessert Pears a tirst prize w.is awarded to 

 >tr. Whiting for good fruit of Louise Bonne of Jersey. Beam- d'Aman- 

 lia, and GrntioU. Mr. Neale, gnnUner to P.. A. Cnrtwright. Ks<j., 

 Edgpott Gardens, Bauhnrv, sent Williams's Bon Chretien. Thompson s. 

 and >fario Lonise. but tlie lost two were not ripe ouongh to mcnt an 

 award. A special certificate was awarded to .1. Garland, Esq., for 

 nimsnnllv large and fine examples of Blenheim Pippin, and for Dnmc- 

 biw's Seedling, known in the markets as the Wellington, which, thongh 

 not so remarkable as the preceding in point of size, was still very 

 lino. A siiecial certificate was likewise given to Mr. Kuffett for tw» 



