irA 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURK AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB, 



[ .Toiie 0, 1873. 



as iu the two former bouses, which requii-eil, the one 10,1)00, 

 ami the other 9000 feet of glass. 



I have already remarked that Grapes are grown in this 

 house, or rather on one side of it ; the other, which has been 

 glazed since Christmas, is planted with maiden Peaches at 

 8 or 10 feet apart, and it is purposed to have Vines also 

 if they do well, but at present there are ou the ground 

 floor four thousand Strawberry plants in pots, which will, 

 doubtless, come on and yield a fair crop, as they are not 

 much forced. — J. Eobson. 



branches from the base upwards. What au attractive feature 

 an avenue or a group of such line trees would form." 



MR. MITCHELL, OF PILTDOWN NURSERIES. 

 Those who have 

 for a long series of 

 years been accustom- 

 ed to see the portly 

 form and ruddy face 

 of Mr. James Mit- 

 cheU, of Piltdown, at 

 the metropolitan and 

 other southern Eose 

 shows, wUl regret to 

 learn that he is no 

 longer, having been 

 struck down on the 

 10th ult., at, for one 

 apparently so hale 

 and healthy, the early 

 age of sixty-five. He 

 bore his years so well 

 that one would have 

 supposed him fully 

 fifteen years younger. 

 A characteristic por- 

 trait of him, forming 

 a minor feature iu 

 connection with a re- 

 presentation of a fine 

 specimen of Arauca- 

 ria imbricata at his 

 nursery, was pub- 

 lished in this Journal 

 little more than a 

 year ago. Mr. Luck- 

 hurst remarked in a 

 notice of this place : 

 — " The many kinds 

 of Conifers culti- 

 vated at this nur- 

 sery are remarkably 

 healthy and vigorous, 

 and a clear idea of 

 their relative value 

 can easUy be obtained 

 from the number 

 there associated. The 

 Araucaria, however, 

 was the one which 

 particularly attracted 

 my attention. For 

 some way along each 

 side of a broad walk 

 are rows of this tree, 

 all of them symmetri- 

 cal, but some notably 

 so. I remarked a 

 fine specimen about 

 30 feet high, which 

 has its branches so 

 regularly arranged as 

 to render it conspicu- 

 ous even among the others. Another large plant is a strange 

 yet beautiful object, having long twisted arms closely set with 

 spinous leaves, but presenting a naked appearance from the 

 absence of any lateral growth. Many of the lower branches 

 spring out fully 10 feet from the bole, twisting in a singular 

 and not ungraceful manner, so as to stamp the tree as being 

 almost a distinct variety. At the entrance of the avenue 

 stands by far the finest specimen I have ever seen. It is a 

 vigorous tree, 4.3 feet high, and beautifuUv clothed with 



Araucaria imbricata at Piltdown. 



FURNISHING A CONSERVATORY. 



[A GENTLEMAN who had Seen the wood engraving accompany- 

 ing these notes, wished to know the approximate expense of 

 such a structure, and how it should be furnished. We wrote 

 to Mr. Edwin Lloyd, Horticultural Works, Grantham, and he 

 obUged us by sending the woodblock, which wUl enable us to 

 publish the engraving, and says, "It would cost about £700. 

 The same description of construction appUesto the above as to 

 the conservatory hot exhibiting by rue at Vienna. The ad- 

 vantages of my con- 

 structions over others 

 are their exceeding 

 portability combined 

 with great strength 

 and Ughtness ; they 

 are bolted .together, 

 and can be taken 

 apart like a bedstead, 

 and are constructed 

 so as to be a tenant's 

 fixture. They can be 

 taken down, removed, 

 and refixed in a very 

 short time and at a 

 small cost, without 

 injury to the struc- 

 ture. They are fixed 

 together at my works 

 before I send them 

 away, the parts all 

 numbered, and every 

 facihty afforded for 

 fixing by the pur- 

 chaser."! 



Were I called upon 

 to furnish such a con- 

 servatory as that in 

 the accompanying en- 

 graving, 45 feet long 

 by 28 feet wide, with 

 glass on all sides and 

 heated by hot water, 

 and supposing the 

 path or promenade 

 to be in the centre of 

 the house, leaving the 

 space for plant-grow- 

 ing next to the glass, 

 the following would 

 be my choice of plants 

 and ideas of arrange- 

 rcent 



As will be seen, it 

 is a handsome build- 

 ing as well as a lofty 

 one, and disappoint- 

 ment would be likely 

 to arise unless some 

 proper preparation 

 were made for the 

 growth of plants to a. 

 considerable size. Al- 

 though smaU plants 

 are indispensable they 

 would not have the 

 decorative effect, and 

 the building would 

 not be so well furnished without large plants also. As the 

 glass starts from within 2 feet of the ground line, the house 

 does not admit of stages being erected, neither should I advise 

 them, because it would bring the pots into view from the out- 

 side ; and shelves would be objectionable in such a handsome 

 building, unless they were very naiTow ones for small plants 

 that hide the pots with their foUage. Instead of shelves and 

 stages, I would prefer converting the space for plants into a 

 continuous bed of boU round the house, the bed 3 or 4 feet in. 



