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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 10, I860. 



in Lis hands. The plants have at present thousands of blooms 

 on them. He has one row 126 yards long, and if a line were 

 stretched from end to end it would touch every plant. He had 

 a bed of it in front of the house, and out of forty- five beds it 

 was the best. I forgot to ask him if he intended to send it 

 out in the ensuing season. — T. Robson, Durham. 



VISITS TO GARDENS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. 



JIB. JOHN KEYNES, SALISBURY. 



Five and thirty years had passed since I had seen the fair 

 tapering spire of Salisbury Cathedral, for the city lay in the 

 old mail coach route from Chichester to Bristol ; and with all 

 the mad spirits of one just escaped from the drudgery of school 

 life, and looking forward to the enjoyment of a good long 

 summer holiday, I remember how eagerly we looked forward 

 for each place that brought us nearer to the port whence we 

 were to embark for the Emerald Isle. Oh, how lightly care 

 sat on us then ! How bright all life seemed ! How soon 

 forgotten the perplexities of syntax, the inflection of Greek 

 verbs, or the puzzles of French irregularities, in the prospect 

 of home ! And as I entered the city that bright August morn- 

 ing (one of the few bright ones we had this year in that gene- 

 rally fine month), could I but think of the changes those years 

 had wrought? Now I visited the old city on grave business, 

 and I determined when that business was over to pay a long- 

 threatened visit to Mr. Keynes. I had not been able to arrange 

 it previously, and so I did not find him at home. This was a 

 grievous disappointment to me. His foreman, Mr. Gill, how- 

 ever, did his best to remedy the grievance, and I had a good 

 leisurely stroll through this celebrated nursery. 



Yes, celebrated nursery, for it is such in the thoughts of all 

 lovers of floriculture. Who that grew a Dahlia did not know 

 John Keynes ? and who that grows a Rose does not know that 

 the Salisbury nursery sends to our metropolis yearly noble 

 collections of that favourite flower ? Who has not watched 

 the close running that there always used to be between Slough 

 and Salisbury in the Dahlia race ? and yet, to their honour be 

 it spoken, what good friends both competitors were ! No one 

 else could come near them : and now that Mr. Turner no 

 longer exhibits, Mr. Keynes has nought to do but go in and 

 win. Although no longer a Dahlia-grower myself, I still take 

 an interest in that noble autumnal flower, and am sorry to find 

 that it, too, is suffering severely from the bedding-out mania, 

 before which nothing seems to be able to stand. Well, perhaps 

 there will be a revulsion in some of these things, and many 

 a despised flower will come into favour. 



The glass is not, as might be supposed from the character 

 of the nursery, very extensive ; but I can safely say that, many 

 as are the houses of Grape Vines which I have seen, I have 

 nowhere met with a finer, and in few places so fine, a stock of 

 fruiting Vines as here. They comprised a very large number 

 of that universal favourite, the Black Hamburgh. Muscat 

 Escholata, a fine Grape, was largely cultivated, as was also Ty- 

 ningham Muscat ; while in another house there was a large 

 quantity of Roses in pots. I saw amongst those planted out 

 Climbing Devoniensis, which was budded in March, and had a 

 shoot 16 feet long. It is a remarkable instance of the effect of 

 stock on a Rose, for I suppose that is the way in which it has 

 originated. I have it in my own garden with shoots 10 feet 

 long, and the flower does not, as is sometimes the case, seem 

 to be altered by the change that has taken place in the habit 

 Of the plant. 



It will be remembered that Mr. Keynes sent out a collection 

 of Verbenas this year, raised by Mr. Eckford. Unfortunately, 

 they had been planted in a piece of ground quite unsuited for 

 them, and had done very badly ; but I thought King Charlie 

 and Mr. Gladstone good varieties. Methven's Crimson King 

 also promised well, as if it would really be what it is said to 

 be — a good bedder. Verbenas, however, have this season lost 

 much favour, owing to their being so easily and so seriously 

 affected by the weather. 



The river Avon flows at the end of Mr. Keynes's grounds, 

 and this gives him great facility for watering his Dahlias, which 

 are thus preserved from that terrible little scourge thrips, 

 which proved so fatal to Mr. C. Turner's collection. Dahlias 

 were, however, not in bloom. The plants looked splendid, but 

 there was a lamentation over the falling off in support, owing 

 to the bedding mania. 



I now placed myself under the convoy of Mr. Gill, whom 

 I had often met at the scenes of his victories in London, and 



who had a pardonable pride in showing the fine, nay, splendid 

 collection of Roses under his able care. His judgment in most 

 points coincided with my own, but more of this anon. He 

 first brought me to a new piece of ground, which was, and 

 indeed is still underneath, very boggy, but on which for a 

 number of years the refuse from the city of Salisbury has 

 been placed to the depth of nearly 20 feet. It may easily be 

 imagined what richness there was in it, and it would not be 

 surprising that briars planted in it should be vigorous, but 

 there was certainly the most wonderful growth. I then saw a 

 large piece of Manetti, all looking well, a fine piece of standards, 

 amongst which glorious Marcchal Niel was in splendid perfec- 

 tion. Any one who has had any doubts as to the value of this 

 Rose might have them all set at rest by seeing it here. There 

 were no bell-glasses, there was no coddling, and yet here were 

 hundreds of buds in all stages, some fully opened, others only 

 half-expanded, and some just showing their rich golden hue. 

 Few persons know what may be done with a Rose in the way 

 of increase ; I confess I did not until I had a conversation with 

 Mr. Gill about it. He said that Mr. Keynes bought two sets of 

 Eugene Verdier, and with them he received two of Marichal 

 Niel ; from these two plants in the first season he budded 

 450 in pots, and 750 in the open ground ; of these all were 

 sold except twelve. From these, first 1250 plants, and then 2700, 

 were made, and I venture to say that by-and-by Mr. Keynes 

 will not have one left, so great is the demand for it. Of 

 another fine Rose, one of the finest of last season, Alfred 

 Colomb, thete were 1250 budded plants ; and these facts will 

 just give an idea of the extent to which successful Rose-growing 

 is carried. 



Joseph Fiala appears to be a great favourite here, and it has 

 appeared en grcmde tame in some of Mr. Keynes's exhibition 

 stands. Madame Canrobert (can any who saw it forget the 

 bloom of this at the National this year ?) was also very fine ; 

 it is a lilacy white, if I may use such an expression, and is 

 another instance of a Rose passed by in the earlier days of 

 its existence, but coming into notice by sheer merit. I have 

 no doubt it will be largely asked for this year. Madame 

 Vigneron was another Rose of which Mr. Gill thought well ; 

 my own acquaintance with the fair lady is of a very limited 

 character. Jean Rosenkrantz, which I see is now excluded 

 from some lists, I saw here very good, but the colour is not 

 very remarkable. Dr. Andry is (I have already expressed my 

 opinion of it), a first-rate Rose, a conclusion which Mr. Gill 

 quite confirmed, some blooms of it here fully justifying his 

 opinion. Madame Rousset was another flower of a beautiful 

 bright rose colour, somewhat in the style of Auguste Mie, full 

 and fine in form, and a very profuse autumn bloomer. 

 Madame Moreau is a great favourite here, and was in good 

 flower. Many will remember the excellent stand of it shown 

 by Mr. Keynes at the National. Again, there was Hippolyte 

 Flandrin, perhaps not so vigorous in its growth as some 

 others, but a very fine Rose, and one which will be a general 

 favourite. Rushton Radclyffe is, I fear, unworthy of the name 

 it bears, a fine flower unquestionably, but weak in habit — so 

 much so, that Mr. Keynes has ceased to propagate it. Some 

 English raiser must raise a good-habited plant, and call it 

 Okeford Fitzpaire Radclyffe ; it would be a Roland for an 

 Oliver for some of those terrible names they give on the other 

 side of the Channel, such as Triornphe de la Terre des Roses, 

 or Souvenir de Bernardin de St. Pierre. Jean Cherpin was 

 another Rose pronounced to be good ; and Marguerite Dom- 

 brain and Josephine Beauhamais were considered fine new 

 Roses. As to the older varieties they were here literally by 

 thousands, and a finer set of plants it was never my lot to 

 see. 



I have now, for the present season at least, done with the 

 Roses that came out this spring, and shall anxiously wait to 

 see what confirmation, or otherwise, of one's opinion next 

 season will give. Already the accounts of the French raisers 

 for another season are published, and I hope in a week or 

 two to give my opinion about them. I do not, however, 

 imagine it will be an extraordinary year for novelties. 



After having made my tour of the nursery I went over to 

 Wilton, saw its church, but had not the opportunity of seeing 

 the grounds, which I am told are very good ; the gardener was 

 absent, or I might have done so. I was unfortunate in not see- 

 ing Mr. Keynes, but at some futivre time promise myself the 

 pleasure of going over his grounds with him. In the meantime 

 he will no doubt be winning fresh honours, but he cannot ex- 

 ceed himself ; he cannot do more than he did this year at the 

 Crystal Palace — win five first prizes. He grows, doubtless, 



