F.biuaiy l!, 18,7 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Ml 



had heard so maeb of tUe fctme of Mr. Simpson, an! knowing 

 bis uime was a " honaeholJ word," I had long felt an ine'.ina- 

 tioa to pay him a vi,-it, and though itwai the Ist of I'oeember, 

 one of tho39 pililess raiuy days, nevertU--Ie;3 I was amply 

 regarded wiiU what I saw. Dull licO?mler is not Iho moat 

 fivourable month in tho year for viiiting garden estahlith- 

 ments and giving reports thereon, but at a place like Wortley 

 there is always some ioterest and something to be learnt and 

 remuibered. Hiving left the pictartsiiue scenery of Wliarn- 

 cbflfa Chase we now reach the kitchen gardens. These are 

 said to be three acres in extent, and a good portion will hi 

 covered with glass which at present is rather limited for the 

 wants of such an establiuhmjnt, but vegetables and salads 

 appsared to be abundant. The gardens stand on elevated 

 ground, about 700 feet above the sei level, TUe climate is 

 cold, and the more tender fiuits often suffer. TUe gardenei's 

 cottage is situated at the west end of the garden near the 



ranges of glass hou-ts, and starting at this point we will 

 bfgin with the first block, which is 130 feet long and divided 

 ioto four divisiouf, thrro of which are vineries. The tiret 

 house is 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, with a hipped roof. All 

 the Vines aio Sluscit of A'exandiia. The fruit was ripe early 

 ia August; several lunches that were still hanging wouUl 

 wei^h from 3 lbs. to 1 Us. each. The Vines were planted iu 

 1807 1 feet apait, and there are two rods to eaeU Vine. In 

 this bouic the wood w:.s strong, short-jointed, with large round 

 prominent buds. What little foliage was left ou the Vines was 

 thick and leathery, and it bore no traces of having been in the 

 least d?gree infested either with thrips or red spider. At the 

 winter c'eaniog of tho houses tUe Vices are never dressed, nor is 

 any of the loo-e bark reu\oved from tliem. The tec md house i3 

 also :10 feat by IJ, and planted with young Vines. Of the sorts 

 I noticed Black Hamburgh, Gros t'olman, ^Vddt's St. Peter's, 

 Itoyal Muscadine, Buckland Sweetwater, Golden (Jueen, wLicU 



rit 20 — \\ 01 TLE\ H LL 



will remain a lasting memorial of its skilful raiser; Duke of 

 Biccleuoh, Venn's DIack Muscat, which Uas cot proved so 

 good as the Muscat Hamburgh, wbicU it was in all respects to 

 supersede; and the Golden Champion, the wood of the latter 

 being twice as strong as that of any of tho other Vines. While 

 80 many gardeners give the Golden Champion a bad character, 

 Mr. Simpson has succeeded in producing some splendid bunches 

 of this variety. The house was filled with store pots of succu- 

 lentsfor thesummer flower garden. TUe third house contained 

 Vines in pots, of which I counted sixly just pushing into growth, 

 and from the manner that they were breaking tliey promised 

 an abundant and useful crop of fruit, (renerally it is found 

 difllcult to excite pot Vines before Christmas unless they have 

 been prepared for the purpose the suiumer previous ; but t'-ese 

 appeared to break as freely tUe first week in December as if it 

 had been the middle of I'tbruary. Besides the Vines in pots 

 there were large batches of Azilea3,E:)ses,Iiilyof theVull(y,iV;., 

 for early blooming. TUe last Uouse in this range was used for 

 miscellaneons greenhouse plants, and contained good speci- 

 mens of Azaleas, Camellia". Roses, Heath'. Epacriaes, Piiue- 

 laas. From the roof was suspended streamers of Tao<onia 

 Van-Volxemii, Lapagoria rosea, L. alba, Mati'ehal Niel Rose, 

 and Acacia Riceaua, a most useful plant for the purpose. Oa 

 the back wall was a large Rose of SouveLi.' d'un Ami. It 

 is a most fragrant Rose, and trained against the wall under 



glass it affords a handsome flower for the button-hole nearly 

 every day iu the year. 



Leaving this block of houEes we next entered a vinery oOfeet 

 loEg. It was formeily in two compartment?, but new both 

 divisions are thrown into ono. TUe Vines in one half of the 

 house aro planted iu the centro of the inside border. They 

 are taken to the roof and then allowed to form iwo branches ; 

 one is trained up and the other down the roof. They have 

 been planted about bix years, and though they were only in- 

 tended to remain for two or three years, yet, having done so 

 well, they have been allowed to remain undisturbed. TheVines 

 which previously occupied the house were started ioto growth 

 about Christmas, and by the end of Juno all the fruit was 

 gathsred, tlie old Vines cleared out, and these young Vines 

 planted in a new border. As soon as tho roots were set at 

 liberty and entered their new pasture the Mnes grew with 

 great rapidity and made strong canes by autumn. Tho follow- 

 ing season they curried a heavy crop of Grapes, and have done 

 so each returning year. They aro chiefly Black Alicautes and 

 Lady Downe's, and when I saw them they were such as either 

 Mr. Simpson or any other gardener might be proud of. This is 

 a simple way of renewing a house of Vines without losing a crop. 

 The next house was formerly set apart for Pines, but is now 

 used as a plant hou:e. In front of these houses I noticed along 

 border full of Lettuces about three parts grown, covered with 



