142 



JOUKNAL OF HOItTICULTUhE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Februai7 22, 1877. 



temporary lights snd in the highest state of luxuiiance. They 

 were Bown about the end of July, and when large enough to 

 handle they were planted in rows 7 inches from each other 

 and 4 inches apart in the rowa. The sort— for there was only 

 cue — was Hardy Hammersujitb. There were upwards of a 

 thousand plants, which would supply the talad bowl for a con- 

 siderable part of the winter. 



Turning away from the Lettuce bed, whiuh was really a 

 grand sight on the let of Dtoember, M'e next passed through a 

 small fpan-roofed house 24 feet long by 10 wide. It is used 

 in summer as a nursery for young Vines that are being grown 

 for forcing the following winter, but when I saw it was filled 

 with a healthy hatch of Cinerarias and bulbs for early bloom- 

 ing. Proceeding still onwards we enter the Fig and Straw- 

 berry house, 50 feet long. The Figs are grown in pots in an 

 open pit iu front of the house, and the Strawberries on 

 shelves at the bact. Forcing the latter was commencing, and 

 they are brought- in in batches of about four hundred plants 

 at once. The last houses in this range were two upright 

 vineries 25 feet long each, and about 8 feet wide, with ridge- 

 and-furrow roof. There are two Vines to each house. From 

 the main vertical shoot other horizontal shoots emanate and 

 are trained near the front glas?. The fruit was all gathered 

 and the Vines were at rest, but the young growth was some- 

 what marvellous. It was firm and well ripened, and about the 

 strength of an ordinary walking-stick. If my memory serves 

 me right the roots were in the inside, and, combined with skil- 

 ful culture, Mr. Simpson uses highly stimulating manures. 



Crossing the kitchen garden we reached another range of 

 houses. Tbe first is a block of vineries 100 feet long with 

 Vines trained up the front rafters and along the top of the back 

 wall. They were at rest awaiting their winter pruning. Here 

 the growth was also remarkable for its strength and firmness. 

 All available spaces in the house were occupied with plants 

 grown for some useful purpose, and not the least useful among 

 these was that most valuable plant for winter blooming, Rho- 

 dodendron ciliatnm. Beyond were two lean-to Peach houses 

 each 25 feet long and containing two trees each. There were 

 capital fxp.mplts of Royal George Peach, Elruge and Stirling 

 Castle Nectarine, the latter being found very valuable. These 

 houses were filled with Strawberries iu pots in premising con- 

 dition. Upwards of 1400 aro potted for forcing, which 

 furnish ample gatherings from March till tbe time of Straw- 

 berries in the open air. Mr. Simpson finds the most useful 

 for his purpose are Black Prince, Prince of Walts, and Vioom- 

 tesse Herioart de Thury. They were grown in 4J-inch pots 

 and were in splendid condition. 



Leaving the fruit hou-:e3 we next reached a range of span- 

 roofed plant houses which run north and south across the 

 garden, and divided into three divisions. The first was for 

 greenhouse plants, furnished with a stage in the centre and 

 benches all round. It is a ustful house, and contained a 

 valuable selection of plant J. There were semi-double PrimuIaF, 

 Roman Hyacinths, Ericas, Epaorises, Epiphyllnms, Cycla- 

 mens, CamtUias, and Daphnes in beautiful bloom. The second 

 compartment was for stove plants, and many of them were 

 Buitalile for placing in vases. Here we fouud many of tbe 

 most popular plants of the day, including some wtUgrowu 

 Euoharis amazonicaa throwing-up a wonderful crop of flower 

 spikes; Crotons-.snch as C. Weismanni, C. interrnptum, C. uia- 

 jeeticum, and C. Veitchianum in excellent health ; efiually good 

 Dracajnas of almost every size, shape, and colour. The most 

 handsome for the table was Dracajna gracilis, a plant of 

 slender foliage and of elegant habit. There were also Ma- 

 raatas, Alccifias, and many other plants which form indis- 

 pensable f.jaturod iu a plant stove. I muat not omit tha Ferns 

 such as the popular AJiantum farleyonsc, A. gracillimum, 

 A. tonerum, A. macrophyllum, A. ooncinnum latum, Ac. One 

 thing hero is worthy of tpecial remark in reference to the 

 soil used for the Ferns — Adiautum farleyeuse was growing 

 in peat alone, peat and loam mixed, and loam without peat, 

 aud (hose plants grown entirely iu loam were twice the size of 

 those grown in any other compost and twice as vigoroua. On 

 the roof was trained AUamandas, Clerodendron Balfourii, aud 

 Stephanotis floribnnda. The third was an iutormediate house, 

 and contained many excellent plants. Near at hand was a 

 block of warm and cold pits several hundred feet in length, 

 used in spring for forcing vegetables, and summer for Melons 

 and Cucumbers; but when I saw them some were filled with 

 Tomatoes, Kidney Beans, bedding Geraniums, winter Cucum- 

 bers, and Strawberries ; end one range contained ono thousand 

 nearly full-grown Lettuces. 



Turning into the kitchen garden I observed it was well 

 stocked with all sorts of winter vegetables ; one flat of Broccoli 

 contained sixteen sorts, or at least sixteen lot?, with different 

 names; Beet, Carrots, Salsafy, and Parsnips are left in tha 

 ground, and the beds covered with h.-aves to protect the crowns 

 from the frost. These roots are found to keep much better in 

 this way than when taken up and stored in sand or foil. Be- 

 sides the Lettuce in pits and nndir spare lights thousands 

 were planted in the open quarters. Round the various quar- 

 ters I noticed many buth and pyramid Apple and Pear trees, 

 and from their appearance I should presume they carried in 

 average seasons tolerable good crops of fruit. I inquired of 

 Mr. Simpson what sorts he found to succeed the best north of 

 Sheffield, when I was informed that of Apples all the Codling 

 did well ; Claygate Pearmain, an excellent dessert Apple, has 

 the flavour of the well-known Ribston Pippin ; Lord Nelson, a 

 very handsome table Apple ; Lord SnfBeld, fine kitchen Apple; 

 Hawthornden, a good Apple; and Tower of Glumis, an ex- 

 cellent heavy kitchen Apple. Of Pears, Williamb' Bon Chretien, 

 Napoleon, Jargonelle, Benirfi Clairgeau, Baronno de Mello, 

 Knight's Monarch, Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Marie Louise. 

 Oq a south wall was found to succeed the last two named, 

 Glou Morv?au, and Beurre Diel. The Cherries on a west wall 

 were in excellent condition. Such sorts as White Heart and 

 Black Eagle ripen at Wortley early iu July, and are found very 

 useful for dessert. 



We now reluctauily pass out of the kitchen garden on to 

 the spacious pleasure grounds. These cover an area of fifteen 

 acres, and are kept in the most perfect order. The kitchen 

 garden walls on the south side are judiciously concealed by a 

 broad belt of shrubs, including many fine Hollies. Parallel 

 with the wall there is au herbaceous border 700 feet long and 

 12 feet wide. This border is rich in hardy treasures, aud to 

 enumerate all that is beautiful would beimpossiblo. Formerly 

 this border was filled during the summer season with half- 

 hardy bedding plants, but now it is filled-up with a choice 

 selection of hardy perenniul plants : it is not only a great 

 saving of labour, but there is something useful for cutting 

 nearly " all the year round." The gem of the border for late 

 summer blooming was Anemone juponioa alba, ono of our 

 very best hardy autumnal-blooming perennials. It produces 

 luxniimt dark green foliaj;o with a profusion of flowers as 

 white aa snow. Then there was Tiitoma uvaria grandiflora, 

 a stately genus of great beauty for ijroad borders ; Spirffia pal- 

 mata, ono of the handsomest 6pecio3 of this beautiful genua; 

 Iberis corilolia, Lithospeimum prottratum, Potentillas, Pent- 

 etemons. Phloxes, Ddlphiniuma, Polemonium casrnleum varie- 

 gatum, and many others too numerous to mention. The wall 

 was covered with a choice selection of climbers, from the simple 

 Louiof-ra aureo-reticulata and the beautiful Ampelopsis Veitchii 

 to the gaudy Cratfegus pyracantha and the aristocratic Wis- 

 taria sinensis. 



We now pass on to a broad terrace walk flanked by lines of 

 Roses of every hue and shade, and these again backed by 

 stately Hollies. At the terminus of this walk there is a relic 

 of old Sherwood forest — a majestic Oak 8 fett in diameter at 

 its base, and 7 feet through 5 feet from tbe ground. It has 

 occupied the same position for upwards of a thousand jears, 

 and exhibits no symptoms of deeay. Turning to the left 

 there is a broad glade 400 feet long and 100 feet wide. It 

 is margined with Cedars, Pinuses, Yews, and the usual ever- 

 greens that are found iu places of such importance. From this 

 grand avenue wo reach tho terraces in front of the mansion. 



The flower garden is approached by different flights of 

 steps, and hero the sccno IJecoines of tho most enchanting 

 character. Many of the beds aro large, and bounded by 

 margins of Yews and Portugal Laurels kept low by constant 

 clipping. The climate is too cold for spring bedding to 

 succeed. I much regret I did not see this fine flower garden 

 when it was embellished with its twenty thousand plants. The 

 water was drained from the fountain in the centre, and the 

 basin was fiUed-in with dwaif common Laurels. Oa tho cast 

 side of the parterre is an old conservatory with curvilinear 

 roof. A stage occupied part of the centre, and round the out- 

 sides were other stages. It was all nglow with Chrysanthe- 

 mums and other bright winter-blooming plants, and was quite 

 a picture of flora' loveliuess and beauty. Streamers dangled 

 from the roof in grace and luxuriance, the most oonspiouonB 

 bei'jg a very old plant of Acacia Ricoana. It is one of the 

 oldest plants of its kind in the country, and it covered a large 

 portion of the roof. This Acaoia deserves more extensive cul- 

 tivation, for it ia exceedingly useful to cut from ; its long pen- 



