132 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Augast 30, 1868. 



long ; indeed, persons who have seen them in their native 

 countries affirm that for beanty the specimens at Battersea are 

 much superior, and for size nearly equal, to those seen in the 

 natural habitats of the plants. The extraordinary heat of the 

 summerhas no doubt had a great effect in promoting their growth ; 

 but on the other hand that heat was accompanied by an eijnally 

 extraordinary degree of dryness, not only dryness from want 

 of rain — to that tropical plants are accustomed — but dryness 

 in the atmosphere as well,! and to that many of them are not 

 accustomed. Mr. Gibson, however, has an excellent supply of 

 water, which, being conducted in pipes to certain points, is dis- 

 tributed with the greatest ease by means of hose on small 

 wheels, in the same manner as in the public gardens in Paris. 

 The water is thus supplied in a fine shower close to the ground, 

 so that the surface is not beaten down as in most ordinary 

 watering. The effect of this abundant supply of water, and of 

 the facilities for its distribution, is nowhere more apparent 

 than on the grass, which, instead of having a scorched appear- 

 ance after the late hot dry weather, is almost as fresh and 

 green as in ordinary years. 



Dismissing for the present all other parts of the Park, and 

 confining ourselves to the centre of interest, the subtropical 

 department, we shall now proceed to notice the planting of 

 some of the principal beds. These Mr. Gibson intends to 

 have all numbered before the end of the season, and this will 

 he a great convenience to those who wish to refer to any par- 

 ticular bed, its situation, or contents. It may also bo remarked 

 that the majority o^ the plants used have the names attached 

 on neat deal labels, and in characters Bufficiently large to be 

 seen from the walks. 



Passing in by the main entrance from the north side, the 

 first plant which claims attention is Uhdea pyramidalis, a tall- 

 growing composite plant, forming a pyramid 14 feet high in a 

 single season, but of which there are better specimens in other 

 parts of the ground ; on each side are Castor-oil plants in 

 pairs, and Caladium esculentum. Taking the right-hand walk, 

 on one side is a noble plant of the old Strelitzia augusta, on the 

 other a group of the Bird'snest Fern, looking as fresh and 

 healthy as possible, fine plants of Dicksonia antarctica making 

 their young fronds, and Monstera deliciosa, or Philodendron 

 pertusum, as it is sometimes called, a plant frequently shown 

 at exhibitions in collections of fine-foliaged plants, and which 

 produces fruit of excellent flavour, but objectionable on account 

 of the pricking sensation caused in the throats of those who 

 partake of it by the numerous sharp-pointed crystals it con- 

 tains. On the opposite side of the walk is a fine bed of Cannas, 

 consisting of Van Houttei, 8 feet high, with very bright scarlet 

 flowers, one of the best varieties, with Canna Sellovii in 

 front. The roots stood out all winter under a covering of dry 

 leaves. Another bed on the same side consists of Urania 

 Bpeciosa, surrounded with the handsome Colons aureo-margi- 

 natus, Lady Plymouth variegated Pelargonium, and Robert 

 Fish outside. In front of this is a pretty feathery-looking bed 

 of the variegated Acer negundo and Begonia ricinifolia. 



In a half-moon bed on the left Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is very 

 fine, producing an abundance of its large and showy but short- 

 lived flowers ; in front of the Hibiscus is a row of Gamboge 

 trees, with Coleus Veitchii as a groundwork. On the right 

 again there is a fine bed of Indiarubber plants from 6 to 

 8 feet in height, with Amaranthus melancholicus ruber as a 

 ground, and a broad edging of a golden variegated Matjoram. 

 In a composite bed near this is a pretty Perilla, named crispa, 

 having leaves resembling those of some Ferns, and not so dark 

 as those of the common Perilla. Another halfmoon bed, 

 lacing the west, is planted with Coleus YerschaSelti, surrounded 

 fcy Centaurea candidissima, edged with Sempervivum californi- 

 cnm. There is also near this a pretty circular bed with Zamia 

 Lehmanni in the centre, and Dracsena terminalis dotted over a 

 groundwork of the variegated Dactylie glomerata. 



In a serpentine bed fitting a recess on the right there is a 

 fine mass of Canna purpurea spectabilis, having broad,'dark- 

 pnrplish bronzed leaves, with a wavy outline, and in another 

 jbed on the same side Canna Pr^mice de Nice is noticeable for 

 its fine yellow flowers and soft green leaves. This variety re- 

 sembles Canna Annei in general appearance, but its flowers 

 are very much larger and of a brighter yellow. Canna nigri- 

 cans is used as an edging to this, and the whole is surrounded 

 by Veronica incana, a very compact, hardy, frosted-leaved 

 plant. On the opposite side of the walk, dotted over the lawn, 

 are nice plants of Seaforthia elegans, Aralia macrophylla, 

 Astrapasa WalUchi, and some other plants of large growth, 

 whilBt nearer the eye there ie a long oval bed filled with 



Coleus aureo-marginatus in the centre, having a very rich ap- 

 pearance, the other plants employed being Golden Fleece 

 Pelargonium and Centaurea candidissima, with a very effective 

 margin of Sempervivum californicum. An adjoining circular 

 bed IS occupied by a splendid group of Erythrinas, the well- 

 known E. crista-galli being in the centre, and E. ruberrima 

 outside. Both are in fine bloom, but the latter for size and 

 colour of flowers is the more conspicuous. Some plants of the 

 variegated Acer negundo, 6 or 7 feet high, form with their 

 snowy foliage a pretty background. 



Turning to the other side of the walk we find in front of a 

 bed of Cannas a small circle of the variegated Japanese Honey- 

 suckle edged with a new Tropreolum, which, whether from the 

 heat of the season or other causes, has not been successful, 

 and surrounded with Gnaphalium lanatum. Another circular 

 bed near the last-named has in the centre a plant of Musa 

 ensete, the ground being carpeted with Ice plant, surrounding 

 which are rings of Lantana Faviola and M. llougier-Chauviere, 

 the one pink and white, the other red and orange, the whole 

 having a margin of Alternanthera paronychioides. The Lan- 

 tanas just mentioned are two of the best for bedding purposes, 

 and there can be little doubt that those who have seen these 

 and other fine Lantanas well bloomed will be inclined to em- 

 ploy them more extensively than hitherto in their bedding-out 

 arrangements. They certainly deserve to be more generally 

 grown. We next come to a long bed of Cannas, consisting of 

 C. peruviana, one of the best of the large-flowered kinds, 

 about 8 feet high, with the dark-leaved Canna expansa in front, 

 the whole being very prettily edged with a bright silvery varie- 

 gated Ivj'. The variegated New Zealand Flax is growing close 

 by, and is remarkable for the beauty of its variegation and the 

 lines of intense orange on the margins of the leaves and the 

 under sides of the midribs. 



The next bed we come to is an oval, planted with the 

 variegated Vitis heterophylla, edged with the Japanese Honey- 

 suckle. The highly ornamental character of the latter plant is 

 well known, but the Vitis deserves to be employed for orna- 

 mental purposes much more generally than it now is, not only 

 on account of its variegated foliage, but the light elegant ap- 

 pearance which it presents. This bed, it may be remarked, 

 was not in such good condition as it had been some time before, 

 but now that the drought has passed away it may be expected 

 to resume its former aspect. 



(To be contiuned.) 



ORCHARD HOUSES 



I SUPPOSE by this time all intelligent gardeners have about 

 made up their minds that Peaches ought, except in the most 

 favoured situations, to be grown under glass. 



There are a few who do not believe it possible to grow good 

 Peaches in pots. I wish they had been hero this season and 

 seen mine. I would have shown them both Peaches and 

 Apricots that would have rather astounded them. Mr. Barron, 

 of Chiswick, said when he saw them that he never ate such 

 Apricots in his life, and that the Peach trees were superb. 

 Well, I must say this was very agreeable to hear ; I felt flat- 

 tered ; as people say, " it felt to go down warm and make one 

 feel comfortable." And really when I looked at young Apricots 

 with an average of from twenty to thirty fine fruit, and many 

 Peaches with fifty or sixty, I felt a little proud of my cultivation. 



Alas ! all this self-complaisance was destined to be quickly 

 taken out of me. I received a letter from Mr. A. Bass, Moat 

 Bank, Burton-on-Trent, to say he conld challenge all England 

 with his orchard house. I started at once to see them, and 

 was obliged to acknowledge myself beaten. I never eaw so 

 regular a crop or one so regularly good. In passing the door 

 of the butler's pantry I saw a great meat dish covered with 

 Peaches, which, if a fair sample of the crop, was a tolerably 

 good intimation of what I had to expect. In the orchard 

 house was Mrs. Bass gathering a large basket of the finest 

 Peaches to send to her friends, and really it was worth going a 

 long way to see such a houseful of fruit, and the perfect satis- 

 faction of the owners. " It is such a pleasure," said Mr. Bass, 

 " to give away such fruit." What a pity we do not all seek 

 pleasure in this manner, thought I to myself. The trees were 

 perfect pictures ; there was not one with too large a crop, and 

 there was hardly one you would have wished fuller ; and when 

 I looked at the ^ize of the fruit and the regularity of the crop 

 I was obliged not only to confess myself beaten, but to say it 

 was the best crop I had seen. " I am glad to hear that," said 



