182 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 10, 1870. 



fruit, bnt to perfect that fruit. In your number of February 

 24th, however, "J. W. K." says he has raised young trees of 

 Ulmus campestris from seed, and has superintended the plant- 

 ing of them : therefore, I am bound to believe that it does 

 sometimes ripen its seed. Evelyn said so nearly two hnndred 

 years ago, but very competent authorities since his time have 

 denied it ; and I may also remark that what we now call Ulmus 

 montana or Wych Elm is the U. cumpentris of old authors. 

 So, I still believe it to be unusual for Ulmus campestris to 

 perfect its seed ; but if on further investigation the contrary 

 should prove to be the case, I shall be the first to own myself 

 mistaken. What " G. N." is pleased to dignify with the name 

 of " an argument " did not refer to the fact of Elm trees fruit- 

 ing, but whether " foliage and fruit in perfection " could be 

 gathered at the same time, and that so late in the summer as 

 to couple it with flowers of Foxglove and yellow Iris. — Robert 

 Holland, Mobberley, Cheshire. 



GARDENS AND GARDENING AROUND 

 HAMBURG— No. 5. 



AUF BAUSITE BEI NIENSTADTEN— SENATOR GODEFFROY. 



This is an extremely neat, cosy, sheltered, and withal 

 elegant and rich little place. It is, like nearly all the others, 

 close on the river's bank, yet high above it. One is struck on 

 approaching the house by the fine groups and lines of Quercus 

 fastigiata, a little-known tree, which grows in the form of the 

 Lombardy Poplar, and is very telling; also of Thujas, princi- 

 pally of the common kinds, yet here being in such masses they 

 give an imposing effect. There is also a magnificent specimen 

 of Wellingtonia. 



Our notes are confined entirely to the flower garden, time 

 not having admitted of our doing more. The house, as just 

 stated, standing so near the river, much space in front is not 

 allowed for floral decoration, yet here, and a little to each side, 

 a very tasteful half-geometrical flower garden is laid out. The 

 planting, the arrangement of the colours, the health, the 

 ■vigour, and the fine character of the plants used, render it 

 pleasing in the extreme. Some beds were edged with broad 

 bands of Lonicera aureo-reticulata, neatly trimmed, with little 

 tufts of the Teleianthera paronychioides dotted in here and 

 there, which had a fine effect. Others were glowing masses 

 of Pelargoniums and Verbenas ; and placed as single objects of 

 ornament amongst the flowers were numerous fine examples of 

 Ricinus, Wigandias, Solanums, Aralias, &c, which had a most 

 charming appearance. Well grown and judiciously placed thus 

 they have a fine effect, taking off that flatness and tameness 

 which great masses of bedding plants generally have. Amongst 

 these, four splendid examples of Dracaena australis were par- 

 ticularly noticeable; never have we seen finer, and what a 

 noble plant it is ! Conspicuous also were the standard Fuchsias, 

 growirig and flowering with a vigour rarely to be seen equalled. 

 We often regret the abtenco of such fine old plants from our 

 own gardens. Forming a hedge, or rather a sort of screen to 

 the belt of shrubs surrounding the garden, were lines of 

 Fuchsias, one perfect mass of blossom, and very lovely, the 

 light and the dark flowered kinds being placed alternately. 

 These, we were told, continue in bloom for months, and from 

 their appearance we should think so. For the same purpose 

 also were lines of Roses, chiefly Gloire de Dijon, which at the 

 date of our visit, September, was one glorious mass of bloom. 

 Throughout the entire place there reigned an air of first-class 

 gardening, everything being well done, and all in the most rude 

 and robust health, reflecting the highest honours on the 

 obergiictner Herr Brackenberg. 



HERE, JURGENS' NURSERY, OTTENSEN, NIENSTADTEN. 

 Herr Jiirgena is the great landscape gardener of Hamburg; 

 his works are to be seen everywhere. It was he who laid out! 

 planned, and planted the grounds of the Great Exhibition, a 

 model of skill, and a masterly piece of work, greater by far than 

 the exhibition itself, or any part of its contents. Here is the 

 nursery where the greater portion of the plants were grown. At 

 the time of our visit many hundreds, nay thousands of the 

 finer examples of the trees and shrubs had gone to deck the 

 great place, so that we saw the nursery to some disadvantage ; 

 yet sufficient of the great stock remained to astonish us. 

 Conifers form a leading feature, there being a large assortment 

 of them. Oaks, Acers, Limes, Planes, and all other orna- 

 mental trees occupy a large portion, and an immense amount 

 of eare is taken in pruning them, and training them to shape. 

 Many were exceedingly handsome. Some were pyramidal, 



others grown as standards, and all had an individuality about 

 them without stiffness. Never have we seen so much eare taken 

 at a nursery in the formation of trees. 



The greatest feature here, however, and one in which Here 

 JUrgens has reaped high honours, consists in the training and 

 management of his collection of fruit trees. As a fruit-tree 

 nursery this is celebrated throughout all northern Germany, 

 and deservedly so. In the matter of training we have seen 

 few nurseries to equal it. A great portion of the trees are of 

 large size, much larger than they could be found for sale in 

 this country. It is almost a matter of wonder how they can be 

 made to pay for the great amount of attention required in 

 pruning and pinching from year to year. The most favourite 

 form of training for the Apple and Pear seemed to bo what the 

 French call pyramide aux ailles — i.e., the trees of pyramidal 

 shape, with the branches trained in regular lines above one 

 another like wings. Some are four-winged, others six-winged. 

 These have a pretty appearance, and seemingly answer well for 

 fruiting purposes. It is a form we have never seen adopted in 

 this country. Here, also, were to be seen lines of cordons of 

 all Bhapes and sizes, many of them well covered with fruit, but 

 in general the trees here of this form were growing much too 

 vigorously for fruiting purposes. 



THE BOTANIC GARDEN. 



The grounds here are extensive, and have been tastefully 

 laid out, but now all is overgrown, old, out of date, and sadly 

 wants a complete overhaul and renovation throughout. It is 

 unworthy of Hamburg, and unlike all its surroundings. The 

 situation of the gardens is magnificent, near the most fashion- 

 able end of the town. In the gardens the collections of plants 

 are of great extent, mostly grouped according to some botanioal 

 arrangement, which is without effect. We had no opportunity 

 of entering the houses, which are all very old, the doors being 

 locked. In some we could see some fiue-foliaged stove plants, 

 and in two low double-glazed houses there was apparently 

 a fine collection of Orchids in good health. Seeing that the 

 talented director of these gardens, Herr Eeichenbach fils, is the 

 greatest orchidologist of the present age, we were glad to find 

 him in possession of such a fine lot. It is a thousand pities, 

 however, to see this garden suffering from want of funds, where 

 so much could be done by such a director. 



THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN. 



This is situated at no great distance from the Botanic 

 Garden, and in regard to keeping, condition, and appearance, 

 is a marked contrast to the former. This garden is of modern 

 formation, having been laid out only a few years ago by the 

 indefatigable Herr Jiirgens. Formerly it was a rough wild 

 waste; now it is one of the most pleasing and enjoyable of 

 spots, having been laid out with consummate taste and skill, 

 beautifully diversified with trees, and rockwork, and water, and 

 particularly well adapted for its intended purposes — for the 

 homes of the wild animals, and for the holding of concerts and 

 illuminations for the gratification of the nobler animals of 

 Hamburg. The collection of animals is very large and fine, 

 presenting fully a nobler appearance than those at Regent's 

 Park. The arrangement of their placeB, the cleanly keeping, 

 and the beautiful order throughout, render it a place of delight- 

 ful resort. Lastly, we would note the magnificent collections 

 in the fresh and Bait water aquaria, whioh are of the most in- 

 teresting nature here, and very extensive. We have often 

 wondered why in this great and mighty London of ours, we 

 have no interesting collection of this sort. A little there may 

 be, but nothing like what there might be, or should be, or 

 which we hope will yet be ; for anything more interesting does 

 not exist in nature. 



These notes (now finished) on the gardens round Hamburg, 

 include but a small portion of what is to be seen round this in- 

 teresting old city. We could not, much as we wished, visit all, 

 and to the few we did visit we fear we have been able to do 

 but scant justice. 



CHAPMAN'S CUT-FLOWER PACKING CASE. 



The best testimony which we can give to the merits of this 

 invention is that Mr. Charles Perry, of Castle Bromwich, the 

 well-known grower of Dahlias, Roses, and Verbenas, was so 

 pleased with it that he at once ordered a set for exhibiting 

 flowers. "D.,Deal," and some others of the first florists and 

 exhibitors in the country, to whom the contrivance has been 

 submitted, have approved of it highly. The model has been 

 sent per rail over long distances, and the flowers have invariably 



