January i, 1877. 



JOOBNAIi OP HORTICULTORE ANlJ COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Vines natnrally Btart growing at that time ; but this Reason 

 has proved too ehort for the ripening of eome sorts of Grnpes 

 which were started at the time named. Alicantea and Lady 

 Downe'a have finished fairly, bnt Mrs. Pinoe is badly coloured, 

 and even White Tokay is not what it should be for hanging 

 late. We have reaolved to start our late house a month earlier 

 this year, and do not think that Lady Downe's or Alicante will 

 Buffer by the change. 



With regard to there being two varieties of Mr?. Pince, I 

 Boaroely think there is sufficient grounds for supposing that to 

 be the case. I believe I suggested some two or three years 

 sgoin these pages the possibility of there being two varieties, 

 my remarks being based on the apparent difference between 

 Vines growing in an intermediate house and others in a late 

 house, yince then the Vine in the late house has become 

 much more vigorous, the berries swelling more regularly, and 

 in every respect except colour are quite equal to those on the 

 Vines in the other house. 



I have found Mrs. Pinje a Grape that is much slower in 

 starting, and keeps lagging bahind in all stages of its growth 

 when grown with other sorts, but more especially at the 

 ripening period. I think if it was grown in a house by itself, 

 and received suitable treatment, it would reward the cultivator. 

 Would any who have had the opportunity of growing it alone 

 give ne the benefit of their experience: — B. Inglis. 



LIMATODES ROSEA. 



WiiH no special accommodation for Orchids I do not at 

 present grow this plant, but I mentioned it as a very desirable 

 Orchid, unapproached in my opinion in loveliness by any other 

 of its season, except perhaps by Calantho Veitchii, the r'^'sult 

 of a cross by Mr. Pominy between Calanthe vestita and Lima- 

 todes rosea. Yet I have previously had experience with the 

 plant and never found it difficult to cultivate, hence my sur- 

 prise at reading that bo able a cultivator as Mr. Pouglaa could 

 •■ make nothing of it." 



It was treated the same as Calanthe vestita was — namely, 

 potted in March or when the least signs of growth appeared, 

 for on no account must it be allowed to root into the old 

 effete soil. All the old soil and roots were removed. The 

 pots were well drained, and the compost used was composed 

 of equal parts of very fibrous loam and sandy peat, with the 

 smaller particles or dust rejected, a third part in equal propor- 

 tion of old cakey or drycowdung aud leaf soil, with a half part 

 or piece of charcoal or potsherds, the whole well mixed together, 

 potting rather firmly and rather high. 



The plants were then placed at the back of a Pine stove, a 

 succession house, having Vines upon the rafters at every ij feet. 

 The plants of Limatodes would be not more than :i feet from 

 the glass, and as the Vines were introduced in early March a 

 slight shade was afforded. Water was given rather sparingly 

 until roots were emitted freely into the fresh soil, and after 

 that took place and the growth was free the supplies were very 

 liberal, and after the leaves were full-sized liquid manure was 

 given twice a-week — diluted drainings of a dunghill — of the 

 same strength as applied to some Fig trees. The Limatodes 

 were sprinkled overhead twice a-day, and the house was 

 damped at noon. 



In September the plants wore placed on the back flue of 

 another Pine pit and fully exposod to light. They were kept 

 well supplied with water and liquid manure until the flower 

 ecapss appeared from the bases of the pseudo-bulbs, when the 

 watering was gradually reduced; but they were still kept moist, 

 not being allowed to go dry until they had almost ceased 

 flowering, for too sudden dryness teUs disastrously upon the 

 flowers. 



After this, as long a rest as possible was given, keeping dry 

 in December, January, and February, and until growth com- 

 menced, bat not so dry as to cauie the pseudo-bulbs to shrivel. 

 The summer temperature was b5 to Go at night, 70" to 7o' by 

 day, up to >>5 or 00' occasionally, and in winter >'>'>' to 70', 

 down to 00 , or lower in very cold weather. 



The reason that I do not now grow Limatodes rosea is, that 

 it does not usually do well in mixed collections of stove plants, 

 but with the culture I have described it never failed to thrive 

 satisfactorily.— G. Abbev. 



early ppring they are covered with a shower of golden-yellow 

 Pea blossoms. 



I have two varieties, the arborescens and the C'hamlaga. I 

 much prefer the latter, both for its miniature tree form and its 

 richer and more profuse bloom. As a dwarf tree either in leaf 

 or flower, I know of no plant which so exactly takes on this 

 tiny form of not above 4 or 5 feet high. Our public grounds 

 should not fail to present these shrubs to the study of the 

 people. 



The Chamlaga grafted on the arborescens is said to make a 

 very pretty weeper. I have never seen it; but I doubt not, 

 like many plants, it would gain by the stature and force of the 

 more vigorous relative. This saves time and the torment of 

 having every plant bobbed to the flat-topped style, in which the 

 average gardener delights. — {American Gardciicr'e Monthly.) 



ARDISIA CRENULATA. 



This is a most appropriate plant for decoration at the pre- 

 sent season when IloUy berries are scarce. A few plants of 

 the Ardisia in (j-inch pots are valuable for table decoration and 

 for the ornamentation of rooms in general. Larger plants can 

 be placed in the entrance hall, &c., where their scarlet berries 

 and green foliage will produce a charming and seasonable 

 e fleet. 



The plants are easily propagated by cuttings placed in a good 

 bottom heat, but I find a ready way of providing a good stock 

 of plants is to sow the berries in the spring and plunge the 

 pot or pan, as the case may be, in a hotbed or heated pit, never 

 allowing the soil to become dry afterwards. They take a con- 

 siderable time to germinate. When the seedlings are large 

 enough to handle pot them off singly in small pots in a mixture 

 of peat, loam, leaf soil, and silver sand, and grow them 

 on in a heat of TO or 75 . The old plants will require to be 

 repotted and grown-on in the above heat so that the berries 

 may be well coloured before autumn, when the plants will last 

 good all the winter it they are accommodated with a green- 

 house temperature. The berries can then be picked off, washed 

 and sown, if the stock is required to be increased. — J. A. 



THE SIBERIAN PEA TREE. 

 Tni> tribe of hardy yellow-blossoming plants deserves a 

 place in e^ ery shrubbery. They are as hnrdy as Oiks. In 



NEWSTEAD ABBEY, 



THE KEMDENCE OF W. F. WEBB, Bv:. 



There are but few places of such historic interest as the 

 subject of the present notice. Xewstead Abbey and the name 

 of Byron, the celebrated poet, are so intimately connected 

 that it is impossible to think of one without the other. New- 

 stead has not only been the residence of a long line of a noble 

 race, bnt kings, sculptors, poets, statesmen, philosophers, and 

 other great men have done homage to its ancient shrine. 

 Not the least of the long Hst of worthies who have here found 

 a hospitable home is the great philanthropist, missionary, and 

 difcoverer, Dr. David Livingstone, who about ten years ago 

 visited the Abbey, and daring his stay wrote his last great 

 work, " Travels on the Zambese." 



Newstead Abbey was founded as a Priory of Black Canons 

 in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1170 by Henry II. 

 From that time until nearly the middle of the sixteenth century 

 there is little or nothing recorded of its history ; no doubt for 

 the simple reason that there was nothing worth recording. 

 However, successive kings were frequently the guests of the 

 abbot — probably having come to enjoy the chase. At the dis 

 solution of the monasteries the Abbey was surrendered to 

 Henry VIII. in July lo:j'.i, amd the following year it was granted 

 to Sir John Byron, at that time Lieutenant of Sherwood Forest 

 and Constable of Nottingham Castle. After the monks had been 

 forced from this sanctuary, where, according to tradition, the 

 poor, the sick, and the weary traveller had at all times forcentu 

 ries found an asylum, it was converted into a splendid residence 

 by its noble owner ; but the church was suffered to decay. The 

 west end is still a majestic ruin and an elegant specimen of the 

 Early English style of architecture. The house is quite in the 

 antique style, with towers and battlements ; it was thoroughly 

 restored about forty-five years ago, having sufiered much by 

 the neglect of the two last previous Lords Byron. The Byron 

 family is very ancient, and had large possessions near Roch- 

 dale in Lancashire, where they had their principal seat till 

 after the Reformation, when they obtained a grant of Newstead. 

 Charles I. raised Sir John Byron to the peerage in 1613, but 

 as the Byrons were active partisans in the cause of royalty 

 their estates were sequestered by Parliament, but afterwards 

 restored to them by Charles II. From the time of Charles II. 



