JOCENAL OP HORTICDLTURK AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



March 30, 187S. 



safely, 'ttnien a quantity has to be sent in one box it should be 

 dirided into compai-tments, so that when the box happens to be 

 set down, standing on end or side, the Grapes at the lower part 

 of it cannot possibly be subject to much pressure from the top 

 end of the box. I do not know of any way of sending them to 

 preserve tlieir bloom, for unless some person is sent with the 

 box there must be packing material on the upper side of the 

 Grapes." 



We can reoommend this work very highly to all who are en- 

 gaged in fruit culture under glass as a thoroughly practical 

 find reliable guide. 



STKATFIELDSAYE.— No. 2. 



The Skat ok the Duke of WELLiNflTON. 



In the previous notice (p. 227) we left off with the view of 

 the east side of the house, aud wo commence this with a re- 

 presentation of a group of magniiiiient Cedars in the pleasure 

 gi-ounds to the north. The largest of these trees towers up to 

 a height of 109 feet, aud has a stem 15 feet in girth at a foot 

 from the ground. In consequence of having been planted so 

 closely together they have assumed more the character of the 

 Scotch Fir than of the Cedar, several of them having trunks 

 without a branch until a height of at least 60 feet is reached ; 

 and with the play of the bright sunshine upon them they had 

 a lighter and more aii-y character, and some of them, at all 

 events, apparently a more silvery hue than this sombre tree 

 usually presents. The group referred to is a feature of which 

 mere description would fail to give a just idea, and we have, 

 therefore, availed ouselves of a photographic view by Mr. 

 G. H. Hay, of Hanover Place, Upper Baker Street. Associated 

 with the Cedars are several fine Silver Firs, ranging from 

 100 to 120 feet in height, with stems from 12 to 17 feet in 

 circumference. Passing from this group eastwards between 

 clumps of Rhododendrons and thriving young Conifers, we 

 reach an immense old Oak, the greater part of which is dead 

 aud covered with Ivy. Bemg on a mound of considerable 

 elevation, it forms a striking object, aud is a great favourite 

 with the Duke. Near this is a fine WeUingtouia, forming a 

 perfect cone 21 feet in diameter at the base, and 34 feet in 

 height. It is always interesting to note the dimensions of 

 large trees as well as of those which have been but a tew years 

 introduced into the country ; aud that the " great tree " named 

 after the " great Duke" has thi-iven well at Stratfieldsaye may 

 be inferred from the fact that its stem is 9 feet 6 inches in 

 circumference at the base, aud 5 feet 4 inches at 6 feet from 

 the ground. It was planted in 1857, about three years aiter 

 the introduction of the tree into this country. 



A few yards to the right of the WeUingtouia is a fine old 

 Hemlock Spruce about 70 feet in height, with branches spread- 

 ing over a circle of some 35 feet in diameter, and a stem 

 12 feet in girth at the base. There is also near this a hand- 

 some tree of Abies orientalis about 34 feet high. Approaching 

 nearer to the mansion we find three remarkable Scotch Firs, 

 which had evidently been headed-down when young, as a 

 whole forest of trunks have sprung upwards at about 6 feet 

 from the ground. On ono of the trees we counted thirteen of 

 these stem-like branches, some of which had, besides, in- 

 arched thems3lv9s naturally in several places. A very old 

 Weymouth Pine next demands attention ; pressed on the 

 north side by large deciduous trees, it has extended its huge 

 branches southward to the distance of 40 feet, and has at- 

 tained a height of 80 feet, whUst its girth of stem at the base 

 is about 19 feet. After passing a fine specimen of a silvery 

 variety of the Cedar of Lebanon, among a large group of 

 Beeches, Oaks, Chestnuts, and Tulip Trees, we come to a Pinus 

 Pinaster 90 feet in height, with a stem 12 feet in circumference. 

 Proceeduig towards the house we pass on the left some fine 

 specimens of deciduous trees, and among them Nyssa aquatics, 

 i., a pendulous tree rarely seen in our pleasure grounds, al- 

 though it has long been in the country, having been intro- 

 duced before the middle of the eighteenth century from the 

 southern states of America. The tree at Stratfieldsaye is 

 C5 feet liigh, with a stem nearly 5 feet in circumference', and 

 in autumn its pea-green leaves die off to such a beautiful 

 crimson, that it has been compared to a column of flame. 



In the park, which is of great extent, there are numerous 

 large Oaks, Elms, and old Yews and ^Vhite Thorns, besides a 

 uuniber of thriving young Pinuses and Cedars. Abies Meu- 

 ziesii and Picea Pinsapo are thriving well, aud there are fine 

 groups of Silver Firs, while Spruce of great size and perfectly 

 sound to the core is very abundant. Indeed, the park is much 

 over-timbered, aud would ha iuioroved by the judicious use of 



the axe, as, owing to the trees being so large and crowded, 

 its real extent is not perceived. 



From the main avenue another leads to the Reading and 

 Southampton road. This is planted with thriving Welling- 

 tonias three or four years old, and outside the lodge at its 

 termination is a lofty and handsome monument in honour 

 of the first Dnke. It is of polished Cornish granite, was de- 

 signed by Baron Marochetti, and bears this iuscriptiou — 



"Ki-ecteii by Arthiu- Richard, seconil Duko of ^Vo!^ngton, anil by the 

 tenants, servants, and Jabourors on the estate of his Father, as a token of 

 their affection and respect. 1863." 



Opposite each comer of the base of this Mr. Bell, the gar- 

 dener, has appropriately planted a WeUingtouia at a sufficient 

 distance to allow it to attain its natural gigantic proportions. 



The kitchen garden, as already stated, is situated close to 

 the mansion, though weU concealed, but everythiug about it 

 was so clean and neat that little concealment was necessary. 

 The space within the waUs is some 3A acres, but there is also 

 nearly an equal extent outside as orchard, herb beds, and for 

 propagating purposes. Among the houses was a Peach house 

 60 feet by 12, well adapted for early forcing, tlie roof being at 

 an angle of Co", and therefore admitting more direct sun light 

 at this time of the year than flatter-roofed structures. The 

 trees — BeUegarde, Royal George, and Violette ILitive, are 

 trained to a wire trelUs 15 inches from the glass, and are bear- 

 ing an exceUent crop. As in other houses, the shelves at the 

 back were fully occupied by Strawberries, Gerauiums, and 

 bedding plants. The next house is a late vinery, 40 feet by 10, 

 planted with Lady Downe's Vines ; and between this and the 

 early vinery, of like dimensions, planted with Black Ham- 

 burghs, which promise to bear a good crop, is a ridge-aud- 

 furrow greenhouse, containing an excellent show of Camel- 

 Uas, Cyclamens, and spring flowers. Following the early 

 vinery is that for succession, in which the Black Hamburgh 

 and Buckland Sweetwater Vines were just breaking. Next 

 come four ranges of span-roofed pits, three of which are 

 chiefly devoted to Pine Apples. Three and four-inch pipes are 

 used for supplying the top heat, but for bottom heat leaves 

 alone, and of these the woods must afford no lack. In the 

 fruiting house, a three-quai'ter span, we noticed a remarkably 

 healthy lot of Queens aud Smooth-leaved Cayenne in H-inch 

 pots, aud some of them were ripening fine fruit. Mr. Bell 

 considers pots larger than 11 inches not desirable for general 

 purposes. After just glancing at a range of forcing pits CO feet 

 in length, ooutainiug satisfactory crops of Asparagus, Potatoes, 

 ludney Beans, and young bedding plants, we came to a span- 

 roofed house partly employed for foi'cing, but in other com- 

 partments principaUy fiUed with Orchids, Dracasnas, Crotous, 

 Alocasias, and various fine-foUaged plants. There is also a 

 collection of Ferns, aud to the roof of one compartment is 

 trained a pot plant of BougainviUaaa glabra, which is seldom 

 out of flower. 



On the south side of one of the vineries is a range of low 

 pits or frames 12 feet wide, heated by a 6-inch pipe passing 

 all round. In these. Peaches trained on flat trellises a 

 foot from the ground and 2 feet from the glass, were in 

 beautiful bloom, and Mr. Bell informed us that they ripen 

 heavy crops of finely-coloured fruit. The remaining glass 

 structures were a Fig house CO feet by 12, a Muscat house, and 

 the latest vinery, planted mth West's St. Peter's. Sir. Bell 

 having found that the Peach trees on a wall facing the east 

 always bore abundant crops, whilst those on the south-aspect 

 wall fre(iuently failed to do so, although similai- care was taken 

 in both cases, was for some time at a loss to account for the 

 circumstance, naturally considering that the trees on the 

 warmer aspect ought to succeed best, but he remembered that 

 the east waU (12 feet high) had a broad projecting coping, 

 whUe the south wall (only 10 feet high) had one projecting but 



IJ inch beyond the face of the brickwork; he 1 



was therefore having irons bent in this fashion ^1 



inserted into the south wall to support temporary copings of 

 boards till the spring frosts are over ; aud near the upper 

 angle of the iron he has had an eye-hole made, through which 

 stout iron wire can be threaded for the support of curtains in 

 front, to be drawn on or off as needed. We have no doubt 

 this simple and inexpensive contrivance will answer well, and 

 that, except in a vei"y exceptional year indeed, he will not have 

 to comjilain of want of crop. The Apricot wall facing south 

 has an 8-inoh coping, which proves a great protection. Along 

 the sides of the principal walks in the kitchen gai'den are old 

 espalier Apple and Pear trees, which prove very serviceable in 

 any year, and in the past season bore fruit when that from 



