124 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 14, 1866. 



&c), and the turf then laid above them. "When the snow has 

 fallen in winter, and begins to melt, it will be found to remain 

 for a long time over these places, and exhibit the various 

 devices which have been executed there, without any ill-effect 

 being produced at other times. To those who are not in the 

 secret it will be a source of delighted wonder. Cinders or other 

 non-conducting substances may be used instead of planks.— D. 



MR. WILLIAM PAUL'S NURSERIES, WALTHAM 

 CROSS. 



These nurseries are at all seasons well worthy of a visit, 

 and particularly just now; for apart from the high order and 

 keeping which they everywhere manifest, they present several 

 features of special interest. Foremost among these are the 

 bedding Pelargoniums ; then there are Roses by thousands ; 

 extensive collections of hardy ornamental shrubs, both ever- 

 green and deciduous, now in full beauty ; and for those who 

 contemplate stocking their fruit gardens, Apples, Pears, Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Plums, and Cherries of every useful size and form. 



To the traveller by rail the most convenient mode of access 

 is from the platform of Waltham station (Great Eastern Rail- 

 way), whence a walk leads directly into the nurseries, and is 

 continued for a quarter of a mile parallel to the railway. One 

 side of this walk is planted with trees selected for the beauty 

 of their fuliage, and the other chiefly with Hollyhocks, now 

 presenting noble spikes of bloom. Pursuing this walk for a 

 short distance, and then turning to the left, we enter a broad 

 grass walk a third of a mile in length, leading to the offices and 

 glass houses. This walk is kept closely cut with a mowing 

 machine, and having beds of choice evergreen shrubs on each 

 side, it forms a most agreeable promenade in summer, whilst 

 for traffic in winter and when the grass is damp there are 

 parallel gravel walks. By this arrangement, which is worthy 

 of imitation elsewhere, comfort in walking is secured in all 

 weathers. For a considerable distance on each side of this 

 broad grass walk the beds are extremely gay with the finest 

 of the bedding Pelargoniums, but before referring further to 

 these we will take a glance through th6 houses. 



The first two houses contained Tea Roses, which, though no 

 longer exhibiting that profusion of bloom which they did 

 earlier in the season, were still very interesting and pretty. 

 Marechal Niel, which has this year established its reputation 

 as one of the finest of all the Tea Roses, figuring in most of 

 the winning stands, and exciting universal admiration, was 

 still in great beauty. Souvenir d'un Ami, Gloire de Dijon, 

 Madame Falcot, beautiful in the bud state, and Nina were 

 also in very good bloom ; as well as Noisettes Celine Forestier, 

 Desprez a fleur jaune, a very hardy and vigorous kind, and 

 Cloth of Gold. The next house contained a good stock of 

 Vines for fruiting in pots, consisting of Black Hamburgh, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Royal Muscadine, and Foster's White 

 Seedling, all with strong wood. Four other houses were 

 occupied with a large stock of Vines, chiefly for planting out, 

 consisting of Muscats, Black Hamburgh, Euckland Sweet- 

 water, Foster's White Seedling, Royal Vineyard, Chasselas de 

 Falloux, Barbarossa, Lady Downe's, Trentham Black, West's 

 St._ Peter's, Tokn,y, and several other varieties in excellent con- 

 dition. In No. 4 house there was a number of standard Pelar- 

 goniums, among which were Mrs. Pollock, Sunset, Waltham 

 Pet, Madame Vaucher, and Dr. Lindley, a large-flowered light 

 scarlet with a white eye. There was also a plant of Pillar of 

 Beauty, a strong-growing variety well adapted for the pillars 

 and back walls of conservatories, and a profuse and continuous 

 bloomer. Here, too, there were several of the new Nosegay 

 varieties, as Blue Bell, deep rosy lilac with a slight bluish 

 tinge, and a large white blotch in the upper petals ; and Mrs. 

 William Paul, now pretty well known as a fine rosy pink 

 variety. No. 5 contained a number of the new Roses in eight- 

 inch pots, and large specimen Teas for show purposes ; and 

 the next house Pelargoniums again. Among these were 

 Bride, a pretty variety for pot culture, with white flowers, 

 having a red circle at the base of the petals ; a fine specimen, 

 plant of Wood Nymph, about 2J feet through, and bearing 

 about four score trusses ; and Waltham Gem, a promising 

 golden-leaved variety of compact habit. The Camellia-house 

 had been cleared of its regular inmates, which had been placed 

 out of doors under tiffany, and was occupied with Primulas for 

 seed, of which great care is taken in preserving a fine strain, 

 and a lot of the long-podded Radish. 



In other houses and pits were Roses of the Tea, Noisette, 



Bourbon, and Hybrid Perpetual classes to the number ofseveral 

 thousands, and among other varieties was an extra strong 

 stock of Marechal Niel, Madame Bravy, Alba rosea, now in 

 great demand ; Madame Goubault, Madame Falcot, and Mr. 

 Paul's new Hybrid Perpetuals Black Prince, Dr. Lindley, and 

 Lady Suffield. Various span-roofed pits were filled with new 

 Japanese shrubs, such as the Raphiolepis ovata, which this 

 spring has shown to be beautiful not only in its leaf but in its 

 flower, and, withal, delightfully fragrant ; Skimmia japonica ; 

 variegated Euonymus, and two beautifully variegated Privets 

 — viz., Ligustrum ovalifolium aureo-maculatum and L. sinense 

 variegatum, the latter exhibiting a great breadth of yellow 

 markings, and, doubtless, hardy enough for good situatious. 

 The new Aucubas, too, were, of course, represented in great 

 number as well as variety, and there were some seedlings not 

 yet brought before the public ; one was particularly worthy of 

 notice, the foliage being broadly edged with white, and if this 

 character remain permanent, as there seems to be no reason to 

 doubt, it will prove a striking novelty. Another seedling was 

 also noticeable as having leaves scarcely distinguishable from 

 those of a Laurel. Medio-picta, latimaculata, and other kinds 

 shown this year and last at the various metropolitan exhi- 

 bitions, were being propagated in numbers, as from their bold 

 variegation the demand for them will doubtless be great. 

 Before quitting the part of the nursery where the houses are 

 situated, we just glanced into some north pits, where, among 

 other subjects, is a collection of Ivies. Of these, marmorata, 

 nana was noticeable as a beautiful, small-leaved, marbled 

 variety ; rhombea, as having elegant foliage with a regular 

 silver margin ; and japonica as a small-leaved, bright-looking, 

 white-variegated sort. Algeriensis variegata, and maculata, are 

 also handsome varieties. 



We now come to the bedding Pelargoniums, which, being 

 massed on each side of the grass walk, and most of the varie- 

 ties being represented in considerable numbers, have a brilliant 

 effect. The majority of them are of the Nosegay race, and 

 either of Mr. Beaton's raising or seedlings which have sprung 

 from his stock, of which it will be remembered Mr. W. 

 Paul purchased the whole. First comes a bed of Rebecca, 

 which must rank as one of the finest bedding varieties which 

 we possess. Its flowers are broad-petalled, of a peculiarly soft 

 rosy carmine, with some scarlet in the upper petals. The 

 habit is very dwarf and compact, the leaves distinctly zonate, 

 and the trusses stiff, bearing the flowers well above the foliage, 

 but not too high. In addition to these good properties it has 

 that of being very free-flowering ; and, as a further proof of its 

 merits, it may be remarked that it has been awarded a first- 

 class certificate by the Floral Committee of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society. St. George is another fine variety with plain 

 leaves and scarlet flowers, with a chestnut shade, in large 

 trusses ; and Waltham Seedling, a very free-flowering dark 

 crimson, with slight horseshoe leaves. Phcenix, intense scarlet, 

 has a larger truss than the well-known Punch, and appears to 

 be a very continuous bloomer; whilst Salmon Nosegay, also 

 plain-leaved, is likewise remarkably free, and may be regarded 

 as a valuable addition to the salmon-coloured varieties. In 

 Sir Joseph Paxton we have a totally distinct shade of colour,, 

 more nearly approaching an orange than we have hitherto 

 met with, and a great improvement on Orange Nosegay, the 

 truss and flowers being twice the size ; and in Naiad there is 

 another new colour — a beautiful rosy purple with a play of 

 scarlet in the upper petals. The flowers, indeed, are rather 

 small, but it is a charming variety. Cardinal, though perhaps 

 better for pot culture than bedding, is remarkable for its fine- 

 shape and habit, and deep scarlet colour ; and Prince of Orange,, 

 which, like the preceding, has plain foliage, is a very free- 

 flowering orange scarlet. Nimrod is another fine orange scar- 

 let, with finely formed petals and very large trusses. The 

 leaves are marked with a dark horseshoe, and the habit is 

 excellent, the trusses being thrown just above the foliage. 

 Monte Rosa is a pretty rosy pink, with a tinge of magenta in 

 the lower petals, and of scarlet in the upper ones ; Lord Chan- 

 cellor, salmon pink, with very dark zonate foliage, and forming 

 a compact bed in profuse bloom, and Alexandra, a sport of 

 Magenta Queen, were also very noticeable. The last is of a 

 beautiful magenta crimson, very free-flowering and effective. 



Besides the above, all of which have been already before the 

 public, there were several seedlings which will not come out 

 until next spring. One of these, called Dr. Hogg, is broader 

 in the petals than Amy Hogg, of a deeper rose, and has more- 

 scarlet in the top petals, whilst the trusses are equally nume- 

 rous and fine. Beauty of Waltham, carmine and scarlet, is a. 



