July 30, 1B68. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



77 



present year. Besides this it corrects some errors and omis- 

 sions, and makes some additions to tbe cultural details. No 

 better teKtimouy to the usefuhiess of the work can be adduced 

 than that it is a textbook accepted by the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society in the examination of young gaideners previously 

 to grantisg them certificates. 



HoRTicDLTDitAi. Bdildixos, Hot Water, and HyuRAnLio Ap- 

 pliances. By T. Messenqer, Horticultural Builder, itc. 

 Nottingham : T. Forman. 



This is a catalogue of garden structures rhanufactured by 

 the author, who resides at Loughborough, but it is much more, 

 for the thirty-one lithograph plates aro worth more than the 

 half-crown which is the price of the volume. They represent 

 very tasteful conservatories, greenhouses, vineries, pits, and 

 their fittings, and the introductory observations explain Mr. 

 Messenger's mode of combining wood and iron in their con- 

 gtruction, so as to avoid the disadvantages attendant upon 

 employing either material exclusively. 



HARDWICKE. 



A MORE pleasant place to visit at any time cannot be 

 found than the beautiful demesne of Ilardwicke, near Bury 

 St. Edmunds, and the dwellers in the neighbourhood always 

 avail themselves in large numbers of the privilege of rambling 

 in its admirably arranged grounds whenever Lady Cullum 

 kindly throws them open. Many thousands were tempted 

 by the gloriously fine weather, by the prospect of witness- 

 ing a capital summer show of the Bury and West Suffolk 

 Horticultural Society, and by the anticipation of listening to 

 the strains of a first-rate military band, to pay them a visit 

 yesterday (July 3rd). Beautiful as the grounds always look, 

 their charm was enhanced beyond measure by the brilliant 

 colours of the ladies' attire as they promenaded in the flower 

 garden, and in the shady paths. 



Viewed from tbe gallery which has recently been erected over 

 one of the conservatories the scene was enchanting. To the 

 right is the spacious lawn, dotted with fine trees, the Purple 

 Beech — a superb specimen of its class — rising to a great height, 

 and its long limbs sweeping down to and gracefully kissing the 

 green carpet at its base. Close by and in striking contrast to 

 this is a robust Cedar of Lebanon of great age, size, and beauty. 

 Nearer to us is a tall pyramid of Cypress, one of the finest in 

 England, and in the distance are other fine trees and shrubs. 

 Immediately beneath us are the Rose arches clothed with their 

 beautiful white and red wreaths, and some distance beyond that 

 we see the shimmer of the white tent containing the floral 

 beauties that tho Horticultural Society has been the means of 

 gathering together. Joining the throng of gay visitors we pass 

 along the first terrace walk, bounded at each end with splendid 

 iron gates in blue and gold, and on one side with a ribbon border, 

 and on the other -with a massive wall surmounted with vases, 

 and supported on the garden side with a conical Rose and 

 a Tew or Cypress alternately, and fine masses of Hollyhock 

 already coming into blossom. Another winding ribbon bounds 

 the end of the flower garden. Here, also, is one of the finest 

 trees at Hardwicke — an Elm of extraordinary size and beauty. 



Passing along the end of the flower garden, which is bursting 

 into full beauty notwithstanding tbe dry weather, and gazing 

 with delight along the graceful corridor of Roses, we step on to 

 the upper terrace, a noble walk about 12 feet wide and ;J00 yards 

 long, bounded at each end with handsome crescent-shaped stone 

 seats. Within a few yards from the western end the cool shade 

 of tho Yew walk tempts many of tbe visitors to ramble down it, 

 while others prefer to visit the lady's garden, devoted to old- 

 fashioned spring and other flowers, and pass by the Roses and 

 among some rare Firs until they come suddenly upon the 

 avenue, a wide piece of turf lined on each side with a row of 

 fine trees and a margin of evergreens, prominent among which 

 are Variegated Hollies. The avenue runs for about a quarter 

 of a mile towards Bury, and it terminates in a fine view of the 

 Abbey Gate. From here we pass along a magnificent winding 

 walk bordered by a large piece of most exquisite turf, devoted 

 to the culture of rare Conifers, to the kitchen garden. Turning 

 sharply to the right, the visitors lost themselves in the many 

 labyrinths of the fernery, and wandered among blocks of stone 

 and larger blocks of wood and masses of earth resembling either 

 or both, so skilfully clothed with Ferns as to make one forget 

 that the whole ia the creation of art, and almost mistake it for 

 a natural dell. 



Passing through a tunnel, and ascending from the fernery we 

 catch delightful views of Ickworth, the stately mansion of tho 

 Marquis of Bristol, and we then at once emerge on the kitchen 

 garden. The first thing tliat strikes our eye is the extraordinary 

 neatness of airangement, its cleanness, and the excellence of the 

 crop. Neither are the flowers forgotten here. Fringes of 

 bloom formed of Antirrhinums, Roses, Sweet Peas, Cloves, 

 Marigolds, and Pinks accompany us along most of the walks, 

 while here and thei'e groups of IloUyhooks are placed at fitting 

 points for effect. Nearly all the fruit trees, except those on 

 walls, are trained into pyramidal and spiral forms. A large 

 collection of fine Pear trees runs in double lines around the 

 garden, while most of the inside borders are furnished with 

 Apple trees of the same shape. We also noticed that between 

 each two Pear trees a Rose has recently been planted, to be 

 trained in the same form as the Pears. 



Passing another of the beautiful blue gates with which 

 visitors to Hardwicke are familiar, we pass along shady walks, 

 through shrubberies, American plants. Pampas Grasses, and 

 numberless choice trees, until we come to the little lawn where 

 stands a fine tree of the Araucaria, and a young, but remarkably 

 healthy plant of the Wellingtonia gigantea. From here we pass 

 up the delightfully cool Yew walks, and back to the house. 



Entering the conservatory we pass through a continuous 

 range of glass houses, over GOO feet long, divided into various 

 lengths, and maintained at different temperatures for the culti- 

 vation of the many flowers and fruits grown at Hardwicke. Tha 

 conservatory is stocked mostly with Fuchsias and Pelargoniums, 

 and a number of climbers hanging from the roof. Then we 

 pass through a corridor hung with Heliotrope, along a passage 

 with plants of Cactuses, Begonias, and Ferns dangling from the 

 roof or springing out from the side of the walls, and arrive at 

 the orangery. Here there is a large collection of Orange and 

 Lemon trees, with Citrons on the back walls, and the giant 

 white and other Trumpet-Flowers just beginning to bloom. A 

 large Hamburgh A'ine also covers the roof of this house. A few 

 steps further and we enter the tropical fernery with a rich 

 screen of Passion-Flowers hanging from the roof. Mosses and 

 Ferns peeping from the sides, and an enormous bunch of 

 Banana in fruit furnishing the centre. Emerging from this we 

 pass through the Peach house into a house devoted to the 

 culture of Fuchsias and Figs, and, having visited the CamelUa 

 house we arrive at the first vinery, where the ripe clusters of 

 Black and White Grapes look temptingly down upon us. From 

 here we pass through a second vinery of Hamburghs into what 

 is called the Muscat house, which is filled with a heavy crop of 

 this splendid Grape. This brings us to the end of the conser- 

 vatories. 



Having now inspected the glass houses and the pleasnie 

 grounds we must pay a well-deserved tribute to the extreme 

 care which is shown by Mr. Fish in the cultivation of everything 

 at Hardwicke. The neatness and cleanliness of every part could 

 not be surpassed, and at all points are seen proofs of the cul- 

 tivated taste and designing mind which has contributed so much 

 to make Hardwick the paradise that it is. — {Bury Free Press.) 



ORNAMENTAL AND FLOWERING SHRUBS. 



{Continued from T'oi. XIV., page 296.) 



SHRUBS THRIVING IN PEAT SOIL. 



Andromeda flokibunda. — Evergreen. Leaves bright dai'k green. 

 Flowers bell-shaped, white, fragrant, produced in great profusion, from 

 February to April. It is a very handsome shrab. and of close low 

 growth, and does well in pots for forcing. It succeeds best in a slightly 

 shaded situation, and is impatient of drought ; therefore it does not 

 succeed under large trees, which hy their shade and roots make the 

 soil little better than dust in summer. Under favourable circumstances 

 it attains the height of 3 feet. The best plants are those from seed, 

 which may be treated in the same manner as that of the Rhododen- 

 dron. It is also propagated by layers. 



Andromeda calyculata and its varieties minor and major, A. ax- 

 illaris, A. mariana, A. polifolia. A. cassinifolia, A. formosa, and 

 A. pulverulenta are all pretty Uttle evergi-een shrubs, having white 

 bell-shaped flowers in spring, some tinted with pink ; but they are all 

 interior to A. floribunda. I'hey grow from 1 to 3 feet in height, and 

 arc increased by seed and layers. 



Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi. — Evergreen. Leaves small and shining. 

 Flowers rose or pale red, produced from April to Jane, succeeded by 

 small red berries. It is of procumbent growth, and is suitable for 

 rockwork. Height 1 foot. Seeds and layers. 



Azaleas. — These, from the profusion of their brilliant sweet flowers, 

 are among the most magnificent of flowering shrubs, and form a splen- 

 did display in May and June. The varieties are very numerous, and 



