September 26, 1865. 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



257 



in the berries was rubbed i»to the cracks in the bark, and 

 left to vegetate. Tlie liint was taken fmrn the action of the 

 mistle tlinish, which, in removing "i<^ glutinous matter from 

 its bill, has recourse to a branch of a tree, and by that moans 

 deposits the seed. 



Along the north side of the kitchen garden and orchard is an 

 espalier made of posts and strong wires, the latter IB inches 

 apart, running through the posts the whole length, on which 

 the fruit trees are trained, also a great variety of ornamental 

 and cdihle (lonrds. Upon inquiry to know the distinguishing 

 features of the edible from the non-cdilile varieies, I was in- 

 formed by Mr. Dixon that the yellow and orange were edible, 

 and that the gi'cen-skinned were not ; also that the colour of 

 the flowers was another criterion by which to jiulgo of their pro- 

 perties, as the species with yellow ilowcrs were edible, and those 

 with white flowers to be rejected for th(! table, but retained as 

 ornaments to train over arbours, &c., and the fruit when dried 

 to adorn the hall. 



On the north of the house the ground rises on all sides to 

 the knoll in the park, this knoll is crowned with a group, a 

 most picturesque group, of Cedars of Lebanon. Other trees 

 creep up the slopes, and form gi'oves around the base and along 

 the valley, not thick groves of gloom, but gi-ovcs in which the 

 forms of the trees are fully developed, and being planted at 

 various distances apart, they produce glades of pleasing land- 

 scape scenery. From this fine sweUiug ImoU a pleasant prospect 

 is obtained of Harrow-on-the-Hill, Kensal Green, Ealing, and 

 the church of St. Stephen's at Shepherd's Bush. The green 

 drive, embosomed in a grove, leads to the open grounds in the 

 park where the Scottish and other fetes have been celebrated. 

 The different scenes that this estate offers are arranged in a 

 manner so obvious and agreeable, that after examining the 

 parts in succession the mind is very clearly impressed with the 

 beautiful effect of the whole. The grounds are now in a high 

 state of embellishment, and in the most perfect order, under 

 the superintendence of Mr. Dixon, the head gardener. — 

 W. Keane. 



■\VELTON PLACE, 



The Residence of M.\.ior Trevor Clarke. 



On a former occasion we not only commented upon many- 

 things we found worthy of notice at Weltou Place, but gave an 

 engraving of its " wilderness " walk ; yet, though that is truly 

 beautiful, and though there are other portions of the grounds 

 which a landscape painter would pause long over admu'ingly, 

 and though we have again visited the grounds, and hope to 

 repeat our visit often — notwithstanding these testimonies of 

 approval, let no one go there with the expectation of seeing first- 

 class horticulture, splendid flower gardens, geometric beds, 

 ribbon-borders, vineries, peacheries, and so forth. There is at 

 Welton Place nothing of the sort. The grounds are varied in 

 surface, have fine specimens of Conifers, and other trees, and 

 are neatly kept. So far is well, but if there were nothing more 

 we should not have coveted as we do covet, repeated visits. 

 What is the great attraction, then ? We will reply fully. 



The owner of Welton Place is one of those rare amateur 

 gardeners with ample opportunity, who delights in experi- 

 mental gardening ; but though constantly inquiring after some 

 thing new, it is always after novelty leading 

 to utility. The inquiry, too, is always intel- 

 ligently and perseveringly pursued. Nor is 

 Major Clarke a man of one object ; his predomi- 

 nant one just now is, and for some time has 

 been, the cross-breeding of Cotton-plants ; 

 but numerous other experiments are in course 

 of trial, every hothouse and greenhouse, every stone trough, 

 and every corner has its object of interest, and wherever we 

 turned our steps, under glass or in the open grounds, we came 

 in contact with an interesting gardening scrap of some kind. 



Of Major Clarke's researches and experiments on the Cotton- 

 plant we need not expatiate, for he has lectured fully upon the 

 subject before the Royal Horticultural Society. In the garden 

 at Welton Place you see in every house abundant evidence that 

 his opinions and statements are well sustained by actual 

 research. There are growing specimens of various species, and 

 still more of varieties and cross-breds. Hitherto he has been 

 unsuccessful in crossing the species of the western with those 

 of the eastern hemispheres ; but if there be any species of 

 Gossypium a native of both, and we think there is, that might 

 serve as a go-between. 



Memory must be allowed to be desultory, and it first brings 



for record the Major's experiments on disbudding Conifers. He 

 removed all the lateral buds as often as produced from the 

 stem of a Scotch Fir, and of another species, the name of 

 which we forget. The Scotch Fir is 20 feet high ; and the 

 lower 10 or 12 feet, never having been allowed to produce a 

 branch, are consequently without a knot, and the importance 

 of this when the trunk of a Conifer comes to the sawyer, needs 

 no enforcement. 



Tender Conifers, such as Araucaria, Cryptomeria, and Tax- 

 odium, are usually considered least liable to injury by frost 

 when on dry and elevated soil ; but at Welton Place, those in 

 the hollows near the water suffer the least. There the Tax- 

 odium distichum, or Deciduous Yew, thrives well, and leads 

 us to remark that it is usually planted erroneously on dry 

 ground, for it is a native of boggy localities. 



Some pods in our ptnicli remind us that the new scarlet 

 Sweet Pea among other novelties has been here tested, and the 

 verdict is, " It is really a good thing," and the beauty of some 

 successional blossoms justifies us in saying we consider the 

 verdict in accordance with the evidence. 



We noticed the geothermal garden when recording our former 

 visit. It is still maintained. During the last winter a flue 

 was employed to impart heat to the soil, but Major Clarke 

 found it less effective than hot-water pipes, and purposes re- 

 curring to these. We have heard it objected that many of the 

 plants would be destroyed if the earth were heated sufficiently 

 to prevent the air above being fatally cold. Experience shows 

 this objection to be groundless. Besides, in nature observation 

 has taught that the roots of plants will be uninjured in eai-th 

 heated nearly to the boiling point of water. Thus, Mr. Forster, 

 the naturalist, who was with Captain Cook in one of his cir- 

 cumnavigations, found the soil near a volcano, in the island of 

 Tanna, raised the mercury in a Fahrenheit's thermometer to 

 210^ yet the surface of that soil was covered with flowers. 



The Melocacti and tropical Aloes flourish strikingly in the 

 geothermal-bed, but in the winter the Cacti are placed for 

 safety in some attic, and the Aloes are put imder double-glazed 

 frames, which are found to afford them sufficient protection from 

 our winter frosts. A Cycas remains in the bed throughout the 

 year. The fronds are cut down by the frosts, but fresh fronds 

 are produced in the spring. 



The bees, Liguriau and common, were superlatively active 

 and vigorous. No wonder, for gi-eat attention has been paid 

 to testing which flowers yield the most honey, and to having 

 abundance of those flowers in the vicinity of the hives. The 

 prime favourite of the bees is Nepeta Mussinii. It has an im- 

 failing succession of blooms from the end of May until the 

 winter arrives. It will grow anywhere. Next held in prefer- 

 ence by the bees is Reseda Phyteuma. It is not sweet-scented, 

 but is the constant resort of the bees whilst it is in flower. 

 Major Clarke found it wild in Italy. He is sedulously on the 

 look-out for the useful and authentic, even to the being certain 

 as to the nature of the bog-earth of the West Indies ; so he 

 had some sent to Welton, and various shrubs have sprung up 

 in it that are not yet identified. 



A common complaint is made that the tenants of a marine 

 aquarium wiU not long survive in its confinement, but by 

 judicious care some of the Sea Anemones in that at Welton 

 have been maintained for ten years. 



We presume that Major Clarke, agreeing with Addison, that 

 " music can noble hints impart," and that "there's music in 

 all things," has made even his flower-pots musical. They are 

 fixed firmly within each other, but their sides not touching, on 

 a bar of wood passed through the centre drainage-hole of each. 

 They are the common flower-pots, rather thinner than usual, 

 increasing gradually in size to produce the bass notes, and 

 each inscribed with a letter indicating the note it produces. 

 They are played upon by being struck with muffled sticks. 



S-\X,VIA SPLENDENS MANAGE:MENT. 



This plant makes a brilliant ornament for the conservatory 

 during the winter months if grown well. 



To propagate it, take oft' cuttings in January, and insert 



