February 3, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



95 



liandaome trees, one Taxodium distichum, between 40 and I 

 50 feet high, and the other a Wellingtonia. This is a superb 

 specimen of the most elegant proportions, and in the highest 

 possible state of health ; it is 21 feet high, S feet in circum- 

 ference at the base of the bole, and 37 feet in circumference at 

 the base of its branches. 



Two handsome flights of stone steps lead from the highest 

 part of the terraces to a gravel walk that winds among the trees 

 to the southern boundary of the lawn, where other steps lead 

 down into a deep shady dell, with high banks on each side, 

 crowned with lofty trees. From the walk passing through this 

 sequestered spot other walks branch off into the wild wood- 

 lands beyond. From this part of the grounds a gravel walk 

 skirting the western boundary of the lawn passes to the back 

 yards and offices, enclosed by brick walls, all covered with 

 Roses and climbers neatly trained. 



The kitchen gardens are in the north-west corner of the 

 park, at a considerable distance from the mansion ; they are in 

 three divisions, altogether covering about four acres of ground. 

 Two divisions are completely enclosed by walls, and the third 

 has a wall on three sides. The walls are not uniform in height, 

 some being 14 or 15 feet high, while others are not more than 

 8 feet high. It is calculated that there is 4000 feet of wall, with 

 an average height of 10 feet, to which fruit trees are trained, so 

 that we have here the enormous surface of 40,000 square feet 

 of wall devoted to the production of fruit on all sorts of aspects. 



In the first division, the principal objects of interest are the 

 glass houses. The vineries, three in number, are in one range 

 80 feet long. Regarding the Vines which they contain and 

 their borders from a cultural point of view, the whole of them 

 may be looked upon as a triumph of skill and painstaking on 

 the part of the present gardener, Mr. T. C. Sage. A few par- 

 ticulars of the method pursued in reclaiming these Vines from 

 mediocrity to a very high state of vigour and fruitfulness, may 

 not prove uninteresting. 



When Mr. Sage took charge of the gardens in the summer of 

 18G7, he found the whole of the Vines in a sickly condition, 

 with a thicket of weak "spindly" wood, the leaves mildewed, 

 and not much larger than those of Currants, very little fruit, 

 and that small both in bunch and berry ; in a word they were 

 in a terrible state of stagnation. In searching for the causes 

 of this debility, his attention was naturally turned to the 

 border, which was found to be very narrow, surrounded by a 

 low retaining wall, by which the roots were confined to the 

 very narrow limits assigned them. This, although undoubtedly 

 an evil, would not probably have proved so very detrimental to 

 the Vines, had the soil and drainage been all right ; but on re- 

 moving the upper portion of the soil, which was tolerably 

 sound and good, a layer of leaf mould 2 or 3 inches thick, ex- 

 tending over the whole of the border, was brought to light, and, 

 as might be expected, it was found to be one mass of fungus, 

 which had spread itself among the roots on all sides. The leaf 

 mould was cleared off, and the roots freed from their insidious 

 enemy. I ought to have stated, that instead of tracing the 

 whole of the roots, one half of the width of the border was 

 chopped up with spades and carted away, Vine roots and all. 

 When this was done, it was discovered that the retaining wall 

 was quite solid, and without any outlet or drain to carry off the 

 superfluous moisture, the only attempt at drainage that could 

 be discovered was a hole 2 feet square in the centre of the 

 border, sunk in the clay on which the border rests, and filled 

 with stones. No concrete had been used, but a simple layer of 

 rough stones was the only provision made to keep the roots 

 from contact with the cold damp clay. 



The method pursued in forming the new border was very 

 simple ; the retaining wall was pulled down, the bricks and 

 mortar broken up and used as rubble and concrete, and drain 

 pipes were laid down in the usual way throughout the entire 

 border, which was considerably widened. The soil used was of 

 the simplest description — a sound turfy loam, with an ad- 

 mixture of crushed bones; nor were the rods neglected, but 

 with them an equally vigorous style of treatment was at once 

 commenced. Upon examination Mr. Sage considered them 

 to have by far too many channels for the sap to flow through ; 

 so many, in fact, that the results were but too evident in the 

 weakly wood and small foliage. The pruning knife was, there- 

 fore, at once called into requisition, about one half the spurs 

 were cut clean away close to the rods, and the buds on the re- 

 maining spurs were gradually cut out, with the exception of 

 three at the base of each spur, to which buds the whole of the 

 wood was 'shortened as the foliage decayed ; so that instead of 

 the usual close pruning a few inches of young wood were left 



on each spur, and when this the final pruning for the season 

 took place, the rods which were heretofore so long as to almost 

 touch the back wall, were all shortened by 3 feet. Keeping in 

 view a most important principle in Vine culture — viz., an equal 

 distribution of vigour throughout the entire length of the rod, 

 attention was next given to the trellis, which was found to be 

 at one uniform distance of C inches from the roof. This was 

 so altered that the trellis is now 13 inches from the roof at the 

 front, or lowest part of the house, and 24 inches from the 

 roof at its highest part. When starting into growth the tops of 

 the rods are lowered slightly below the level of the lowest spur; 

 and here, as bearing on this part of the subject, I would observe 

 that the hot-water pipes, of which there are four in the earliest 

 house, three in the next, and two in the latest house, ran 

 close to the front of the range, so that the lowest spurs, 

 benefiting by their proximity, start into growth so strongly and 

 well, that they acquire and retain throughout the season a 

 vigour of growth quite equal to the top shoots. 



The results of this vigorous treatment have been very satis- 

 factory ; the crop of Grapes produced last year was all that 

 could be wished, and this year the whole of the fruit has been 

 of the highest excellence. At the time these notes were taken 

 (September 9th) the Vines in the first house, which were forced 

 early, were already pruned ; in the second house, the splendid 

 foliage almost large enough to be compared to Rhubarb leaves, 

 was still green, and the last Grapes had been just cut ; and in 

 the last house, the fine even crop was as yet untouched. It 

 consisted principally of Black Hamburgh, with Lady Downe's^ 

 and Barbarossa. Lady Downe's was fine, and well finished 

 both in bunch and berry, but surpassed by the Black Ham- 

 burghs, which were in splendid condition, very highly coloured, 

 and if any fault could be found, it was that some of the berries 

 were too large to be eaten with comfort. One berry was of such 

 an extraordinary size that I asked to be allowed to measure it, 

 and it was actually 4j inches in circumference. But it was 

 the Barbarossa that was the most striking feature in the house ; 

 the bunches on this Vine, thirteen in number, were really mag- 

 nificent, and in no Vine was the equal distribution of vigour 

 more apparent, for both the wood and fruit at the base of the 

 rod were, of the two, rather more vigorous than at the top, 

 the bunches were all very large, and the bunch on the lowest 

 spur measured 12 inches in length, and 11 inches across the 

 shoulders. 



The pruning of these Vines is not done all at once, but is a 

 gradual process, commencing with the first symptoms of decay 

 in the foliage, and extending over a period of three weeks; the 

 lowest spurs are pruned first, and the highest last, nor is the 

 whole of the new wood cut away, but, as I have stated above, 

 three eyes are left to each spur. This method of pruning is no 

 mere theory, but is practically found to very much increase the 

 vigour and fruitfulness of the Vines, and in the case of the 

 Barbarossa it is considered to be one of the most important 

 features in its culture. 



Close attention is given to every minor detail, and the best 

 proof of the excellence of this treatment is seen in the develop- 

 ment of such wood, foliage, and fruit, as to leave nothing to 

 wish for. One more remark in reference to the border, here is 

 no complicated mixture of soils, but merely a sound, whole- 

 some loam, and a few crushed bones. This soil, watering 

 when necessary, and a top-dressing of manure to be washed 

 down by autumnal showers, constitute the most important 

 features in the treatment of the roots, and if by such a mode of 

 culture the Vines can be induced to fill the soil with plenty of 

 firm fibrous roots, nothing more can be required.— Edwabb 

 Luckhurst, Egerton Bouse Gardens, Kent. 

 (To be continued.) 



RENDLES PLANT PROTECTORS. 

 I have received a letter from Mr. Rendle in which he 

 threatens me with Chancery proceedings. I think if your 

 readers refer to my last on this subject (see page 25), they will 

 find that I never said I was going to put up a ground vinery 

 on his system, but that I was going to try the expense of 

 making small frames in 10-feet lengths, 7 inches high at the 

 back, and 3J inches high in front, of 1-inch deal, with move- 

 able glass fastened with wire pins in front. As I have never 

 seen Mr. Rendle's plan except on paper, and as, of course, he 

 can never yet have seen mine, he somewhat, I should say, 

 jumps to conclusions when he says that I am going to erect 

 ground vineries on his system. He claims to have patented 

 the whole system. What ! of protecting plants with glass ? I 



