January 1, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



9 



certain species of Pieridio), wag confirmeJ by Mr. Belt, who stated 

 that he had observed, for a considerable period, a particular nest of a 

 pair of insectivorous birds at Marauam in Brazil, and had noticed 

 that although they captured other Butterflies, Dragon Flies, .tc., in 

 great numbers for the food of their young, not a single Heliconian was 

 taken, although flying about slowly in great quantities at the time, 

 and close to the spot. Mr. Stainto"n also stated, in proof of the dis- 

 taste of birds for certain species of insects, that on one occasion' he 

 had captured a quantity of Moths flying rouud a lighted lamp, the 

 whole of which, with the exception of a single Spilosoma Menthastri, 

 proved to bo the common Noctua exclamationis. On discovering this 

 next morning, the whole were thro^vu to some young turkey.;, which 

 greedily devoured them, except the Spilosoma, which they could not 

 be prevailed upon to touch ; and Mr. Weir stated that he had offered 

 the larvfo of the same species of Spilosoma to some birds which he 

 had kept in an aviary, aud^that in Uke manner they had refused to 

 touch them. 



Mr. McLachlan read two papers, entitled, " A Description of a New 

 <ienus of Hemerobiidffi," and " A Description of a New Genus of 

 Psocidffi." 



New Orchid.— An Orchid has lately flowered in the col- 

 lection of Mr. Thomas R. Tnfuell, at Spring Grove, which is 

 pronounced by Professor Reichenbach to be an entirely new- 

 species of Epidendrum. Herr Reichonbnch proposes that it 

 shall be called Epidendrum eburneum, in consequence of the 

 ivory-like appearance of the flower. The plant has been figured 

 by Mr. Fitch, for the authorities at Kew, and will appear in 

 the " Botanical Magazine " shortly. 



BARL ASTON HALL, 



The Seat of Ralph Thomas Addeeley, Esq. 



Baklaston Hall lies about five miles south-east of Newcastle- 

 ander-Lyme, five miles south of Stoke-on-Trent, and half a 

 mile north of Barlaston station on the North Staffordshire 

 Railway. The village of Barlaston is delightfully situated near 

 the summit of a high acclivity on the east side of the vale of 

 the Trent. 



The Hall is a handsome mansion near the north end of the 

 village, and, viewing it in the distance, appears well sheltered 

 with forest trees. I passed into the grounds through a plain 

 entrance-gate by a commodious lodge. The carriage-drive to 

 the house is through a long avenue of Limes, which skirts the 

 drive on either side, and terminates on the east side of the 

 mansion. A footpath to the right, a little beyond the lodge, 

 leads to the kitchen gardens, and arriving at the frame-ground, 

 I observed various houses, which I will notice in the order I 

 passed through them. 



The first is the fernery, 52 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and IG feet 

 high ; the Perns are interspersed with a few stove plants, such 

 as Marantas, fine-foliaged I3egonias, Aspidistra elatior fol. vit- 

 tatis, &c. On the left-hand side of the house is a raised rockery, 

 and the fairy Maiden-hair and other Ferns growing among the 

 stones loolc very attractive. At the farthest end of the house 

 is a fine specimen of Cyanophyllum magnificum, with luxu- 

 riant foliage of this season's growth. Up the pillars, and sus- 

 pended from the roof with graceful ease, are plants of Passi- 

 flora alata, and Thunbergia Harrisii. The next house is .39 feet 

 long by 10 wide, in two compartments. The first was for early 

 Cucumbers ; the plants were just coming into bearing, and 

 and looked very healthy. This house promised to be very useful 

 for a good winter supply. 



In close proximity is a late vinery. The varieties of Grapes 

 cultivated include White Tokay, Lady Downe's, West's St. 

 Peter's, and Black Morocco. The fruit was all gathered, and 

 underneath the Vines was a miscellaneous collection of plants. 



Behind the vinery, with a north aspect, is a house in which 

 are -wintered large Aloes and Orange trees, which are inter- 

 spersed on the terraces and in the flower garden during the 

 summer months. We now enter a span-roofed stove, 40 feet 

 long by 10 wide. Here were many things that attracted my 

 attention, but the visit being hurried, I cm only mention a 

 few of the most conspicuous plants that deserve a place in 

 every collection. 



Among the most beautiful plants with fine foliage were 

 examples of Alocasia metallica and A. Lowii, with their lus- 

 trous, bronzy, shield-like appearance ; A., macrorhiza variegata ; 

 Gesuera chromatella and G. refulgons, with their curious mark- 

 ings and velvety foliage, admirably adapted for dinner-table 

 decoration — the light playing on the brilliant crimson hairs, 

 ■with which the latter is well studded, makes it an object of great 



attraction ; Croton angustifolium, pictum, and variegatmn ; 

 DracEBua Cooperi and ferrea ; Gymnogramma peruviana ; also a 

 few Orchids, Oncidium flexuosum in bloom being very pretty. 

 In cold frames there were useful collections of robust Cinera- 

 rias, herbaceous Calceolarias, and a lot of nice Cyclamens just 

 expanding their charming blossoms. 



I then left the frame-ground, and entered the kitchen garden, 

 where neatness and good order markedly predominated. Near 

 to the edges of the kitchen-garden walks are nice symmetrically 

 trained pyramidal Pears. Across the centre of the kitchen 

 garden, ranging east and west, is an arched trellis of iron wire. 

 To this trellis are trained Pear trees, which in summer must 

 make this a very pleasant promenade. In the different quar- 

 ters were good supplies of winter vegetables, and beds of Celery 

 with three or four rows in a bed. 



On the south wall is a range of glass upwards of 200 feet 

 long, divided into six compartments. Beginning at the west 

 end of the range, the first division is an early Peach-house, 

 started a few days before my visit (November 21st). It is 

 GO feet long, 18 feet wide, 1.5 feet high at the back, and i feet 

 high in the front ; rather a large house to start so early. It is 

 furnished with a neat, narrow, slate path 2 feet wide, and the 

 trees are trained, one row against the back wall, and another 

 row to an arched trellis in front. They were in excellent con- 

 dition, and promised well for a large supply of fruit. I have 

 seen a Peach-house on the same principle at Thorneycroft 

 Hall, in Cheshire, with the front trellis in the form of an arch ; 

 it economises space, and admits a greater amount of light to 

 the lower part of the trees on the back- wall. 



The next house is a vinery 27 feet by IG, exclusively planted 

 ' with Black Hamburghs. Going out of the -vinery we come into 

 the conservatory, which is nearly the centre of the range, and 

 opens into the central walk of the kitchen garden. 



Several large greenhouse plants are turned out into tha 

 border, and so luxuriant are they, that their heads nearly 

 protrude through the roof. A large Habrothamnus elegans 

 would soon be smothered with hundreds of racemes of crimson 

 flowers. Brugmansia Knightii had just done blooming. I often 

 wonder why we do not more frequently meet with this gor- 

 geous autumn-blooming useful species in general collections of 

 greenhouse plants. 



Beyond the conservatory is another vinery, that had been 

 recently planted with a mixed collection of Vines. It is 

 31 feet long by IG feet wide. Stepping out of this house we 

 enter another Peach-house, 27 feet by 18, which is started 

 about the early part of January. The last house in the range 

 is a greenhouse S2 feet by IS, with plants in bloom brought 

 from the other houses, and even at the time of my visit, when 

 flowers were scarce, it was a glorious mass of floral beauty. I 

 observed as the most conspicuous in bloom, dwarf examples, 

 about 8 inches high, of Poinsettia pulcherrima, very effective, 

 and one of the most useful plants at this season, either for the 

 decoration of the stove, or for conservatory and gi-eenhouse 

 embellishment. There were also in flower Chrysanthemums, 

 Epiphyllums, Fuchsias, and Primulas, with a sprinkling of 

 fine-foliaged plants. 



In the pleasure grounds, the first attractive objects were two 

 very large herbaceous borders on each side of the walk, more 

 than 200 feet in length, planted with choice Phloxes, Pentste- 

 mons. Antirrhinums, &c., and near to the edge of the beds were 

 rows of Snowdrops and Dog's-tooth Violets. These beds are 

 screened from the main walks by large evergreens and other 

 trees of varied foliage. Passing on through a serpentine walk, 

 and across to the carriage drive, I was brought to a most de- 

 lightful retreat for a hot summer's day. On the left-hand side 

 of the walk are a number of raised flower-beds ; on the op- 

 posite side a rustic cottage covered with Honeysucklos, Cle- 

 matises, Roses, and Ivy. 



Through an Ivy arcade near to this spot, in a secluded little 

 dell, is the hardy fernery and rockery. Among the Ferns were 

 Lastrea Filix-mas cristata, Osmunda regalis, Polypodium vul- 

 gare, Polypodium dryopteris, and many others, natives of the 

 district. 



From thence I passed on by the Rose garden. All the trees 

 are named, and most of she popular varieties may be found 

 amongst them. As I passed along this walk my attention was 

 arrested by immense clumps of Rhododendrons 12 or 14 feet 

 high. Better examples of this noble flower it would be difiicult 

 to find. It is scarcely possible to conceive their beauty in the 

 months of May and June. 



Ascending a flight of steps on to the terrace, we came in 

 front of the mansion. The front is to the west, and the terrace 



