338 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ November S, 1868. 



as beatitiful as Gymnogramma pernviana. The sizes of the 

 pans thef?e plants are growing in will give gome idea of that of 

 the plants. The side slabs are occupied by younger plants of 

 the above and numerous other Ferns, but it would require more 

 space than could be spared to describe them individually. 



Along the back of this house there is a walk, which leads in 

 a direct line from the two lean-to houses previously described 

 to two lean-to vineries. The back wall of the "Gleichenia 

 house on the farther side of the walk is covered with Ficas 

 repens and P. barbata, there are also patches of Stag's-horn 

 Pern growing out from amongst the green mass of foliage formed 

 hy the Ficuses, and the latter completely cover the wall and 

 run along a portion of the roof, hanging gracefully over the 

 walk. At the base of the wall there is a pretty mass of rock- 

 work covered with Lyeopods of various kinds, and dotted here 

 and there with handsome-foliaged Begonias, Tradescantias, and 

 other suitable plants. This is certainly a most interesting 

 house, and I very much regret my inability to do it the justice 

 it deserves. 



Leaving the Gleichenia house I passed through two lean-to 

 vineries, the back walls of which are covered with Fig trees. 

 These houses are used more for hardening off plants that have 

 been forced for the conservatory than for the fruit produced 

 in them, for the Grapes, 1 should think, would not be of very 

 high merit ; these vineries will very likely be used as plant 

 houses alone, for other structures more suitable for Grape- 

 growing are provided. 



_ The ground in front of the four lean-to houses, which are 

 situated two on each side of the Gleichenia house, is occupied 

 by three Orchid houses and a large span-roof pit, filled with 

 plants suitable for decorative purposes. The contents of the 

 three Orchid houses, with the two magnificent ferneries on 

 the east side of the grounds, must form the subject of another 

 paper. 



Excepting in the three Orchid houses, I have now noticed a 

 few of the principal plants in the structures passed through 

 from the conservatory to the second Peach house, which is 

 parallel with the Gleichenia house, and between it and the 

 Peach house is the cool Orchid house. 



I next entered from the vineries above described what is 

 called the second Peach house ; it is a fine span-rooted house 

 53 feet by 20 feet, with a high roof. The trees are planted at 

 each side, meeting at the centre of the roof, and remarkably 

 well they look. There is now a chance of their doing very much 

 better, for the roots of each set of trees have been hitherto con- 

 fined in narrow brick pits, but its walls have been removed, 

 and the roots will have much more scope, and with fresh soil 

 the trees may be expected to afford excellent results nest year. 

 In this house there is a very useful lot of Azaleas well set with 

 flower buds, also a number of finely-ripened Vines in pots, 

 which give promise of producing fine fruit in 18C9. 



On quitting the Peach house, I passed into the Erica house, 

 •which is span-roofed, G9 feet '.) inches long by 15 feet G inches 

 wide. It is a very fine house, having a strong stone table all 

 through the centre, with a stone slab on each side ; it is well ven- 

 tilated, indeed a house suitable for the cultivation of Cape Heaths 

 must be provided with the very best appliances for producing a 

 constant circulation of air. This house, more than any other at 

 Manley Hall, shows the triumph of patient persevering skill over 

 difficulties which to many plant-growers would seem insur- 

 mountable, for no place could be more unsuitable than the 

 neighbourhood of Manchester for the successful cultivation of 

 Heaths. I will just enumerate a few, and give their sizes, and 

 when I state that they are all in fine health, with nice green 

 foliage, some idea of Mr. Petch's ability as a plant-grower may 

 be formed. A look into this house called to mind the splendid 

 houses of Heaths grown by my friend, Mr. S. Smith, of Lower 

 Norwood, whose magnificent plants were the gems of all our 

 great exhibitions from 1849 to 1854. They also reminded me 

 of the fine collection I myself had charge of some years ago, at 

 the late Mr. Bicknell's, nearCamberwell. I had only one fault 

 to find with Mr. Petch's plants, and that was a want of neat- 

 ness in the mode of training them, the material used for this 

 purpose was rather too clumsy-looking. I remember the time 

 when I was a journeyman, and used to sit up frequently till one 

 o'clock, and even later in the morning, tying the plants I then 

 had the charge of, and not a strip of matting was used ; mine 

 were all tied with black thread, so that not a single tie could be 

 seen. I very much hope this beautiful class of plants will 

 again become fashionable. 



On entering the house from the west end, the first fine plant 

 on the centre table is E. smula, a noble plant, 4 feet G inches 



in diameter, and 2 feet 6 inches high, in the most perfect 

 health — it had upwards of a thousand trusses of fiowers on it 

 last summer; E. Irbyana, 4 feet high, and as many feet in 

 diameter ; E. ventricosa rosea, 3 feet 9 inches high, and 4 feet 

 in diameter ; E. Parmentieriana rosea, a splendid plant, S feet 

 6 inches high, by 3 feet 6 inches ; E. conspicua nana, of similar 

 dimensions ; E. elegans, a fine plant, in the most robust health ; 

 E. Sbannoniana, 4 feet, by 3 feet 6 inches ; E. vestita ooccinea, 

 also of similar dimensions ; E. ventricosa magnifica ; E.retorta 

 major, 4 feet high by 4 feet, a magnificent plant ; E. Pastonii, 

 3 feet by 5 ; E. Hartnelli virens, 3 feet by 3. There are also 

 two rows of fine half-specimen plants of the following kinds, 

 all in a fine state of health : — E. Victoria, 3 feet by 3 ; E. am- 

 pullacea, E. obata, E. tricolor Eppsii, E. aristata major, E. de- 

 pressa, E. Lambertiana, covered with its pretty wax-like bell- 

 shaped flowers ; E. Massoni major, a fine plant ; E. Vemonii, 

 E. Candolleana, E. ajmula, E. fastigiata, E. eximia superba, 

 E. metulaeflora, E. affine, E. delicata, a fine plant, and many 

 others. I also noticed fine plants of Acrophyllum venosum, 

 some of which were 3 feet G inches high by 3 feet, and very 

 handsome ; also handsome plants of Genetyllis tiJipifera, and 

 on the centre table at the east end, facing the door there is a 

 I noble and very handsome plant of Genetyllis fuchsioides, 4 feet 

 by 4. On the south side of this house there is a very useful 

 pit filled with Cyclamens and other plants.— J. Wills, F.E.H.S. 

 [To be continued.) 



FIG CULTURE. 



Whether Fig trees succeed best nailed to a wall or unnailed 

 has, on several occasions, been mooted in your Journal, but 

 we must not allow the case of the nailed trees to be damaged 

 by the results which followed the injudicious pruning noted by 

 your correspondent, " E. L.," in page 31G. Of course, " but 

 little fruit was ever ripened" on trees "beautifully trained and 

 most rigorously pruned on the spur system." 



Assuming the case of two trees, both properly pruned, one 

 of which is nailed carefully against the wall, and the other 

 allowed to straggle away from it, we may, I think, decide on 

 their respective merits as follows : — The branches in contact 

 with the wall being warmer will start earlier. If, therefore, a 

 severe late frost should occur the fruit is lost, but this may be 

 prevented by covering-up every night until all fear of frost is 

 over. From a tree thus protected I have gathered a ripe Fig 

 on the last day in .July. Where it is not convenient to take so 

 much trouble, the straggling tree has the better chance of bear- 

 ing, but the crop will be rather late. 



In comparing the fruitfulness of two trees, observers should 

 take care that the trees are of the same variety. With any 

 other fruit such a caution would be superfluous, but so little 

 attention is paid to the Fig in most gardens, that it is by no 

 means uncalled for. The owner of a Brunswick Fig must not 

 blame his gardener if his tree produces only a tithe of what 

 might be produced on a tree of Brown Turkey. 



The account which your correspondent gives of a second 

 crop in the open ground at Provender, is very interesting. 

 The Early White variety, though much cultivated in the last 

 century, is now not often seen. It has given way to the White 

 Marseilles. There is not much difference in their earliness, 

 or in their flavour — perhaps we ought to say their want of 

 flavour ; but they are very sweet and pleasant. To any of your 

 readers who may grow Figs under glass, and be desirous of 

 trying a new sort, I recommend Grosse Verte, but they must 

 beware of too much moisture either in the air or soil while 

 the fruit is ripening, or it wUl crack. — G. S. 



JIYSORE AGRI-HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



We have been asked what vegetable and flower seeds should 

 be taken to India by a lady going thither to become a matron, 

 and the best answer we can give is a list of some of the sub- 

 jects for which prizes are offered by this Society, for, of course, 

 prizes would not be offered for what cannot be grown in 

 Mysore. The Show is to be held at Bangalore next February. 



There are prizes offered for — among fruits, Apples, Peaches, 

 Strawberries, Piaspberries, Oranges, Limes, Citrons, Pine 

 Apples, Plums, Grapes, not less than three varieties, and Plan- 

 tains ; among vegetables, for Potatoes, Savoys, Red Cabbage, 

 White Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers or Broccoli, 

 Carrots, Turnips, Knol Khcl, Beetroot, Lettuce, Endive, Arti- 

 chokes, Jerusajem Artichokes, Celery, Onions, Vegetable Mar- 



