September 30, 1869. ] 



JOCRNAL OF HOETICULTOEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



2C3 



In a first-clasB nursery like this, with its extensive etocks of 

 plants of all kinds, there must always be something of interest 

 to the practical horticulturist. Much that is interestins and 

 inBtrnctive I have touched on, but one more allusion and I 

 have done. On the front stage of the long Pelargonium house 

 was a large number of plants of the double variety, Gloire de 

 Nancy, young stocky plants covered with large trusses of bloom. 

 They were simply growing in large 60-pots, and yet were in 

 finer condition as regards health and quality of flower, than 

 many more pretentions plants growing in larger pots. They 

 had become pot-bound, and then were kept freely watered. 

 This was the simple explanation made to me. It was " a 

 wrinkle," and one worth placing before your readers.— Via. 



MESSRS. CARTER & GO'S CRYSTAL PiVLACE 

 NURSERY. 



The increase of this nursery, both in extent of land and 

 extent of glass, during the last seven years has been most re- 

 markable. Seven years ago it was but a small place, chiefly 

 devoted to growing bedding plants ; now, not only these but 

 nearly all descriptions of ornamental plants are cultivated, and 

 by a "recent purchase of land there will soon be 40 acres of 

 ground occupied for nursery purposes. A portion of this area 

 is at present in grass, but even without it the additions made 

 since 18(32 have been very important ; for instance, a trial 

 ground of 6 acres, in which are tested the samples of seed fur- 

 nished to the firm from its own extensive seed farms, as well 

 as from independent growers. There are now eight large glass 

 houses variously occupied, besides twelve ranges of pits, all of 

 which Mr. Boston, the energetic manager, keeps constantly 

 employed. 



After passing through the show house, where Palms, tree 

 Ferns, and a variety of other ornamental plants are effectively 

 arranged beneath the Black Uamburgh and Buckland Sweet- 

 water Vines on the roof, a flower garden is reached, the bright 

 colours of which catch the eye on the way to the nursery from 

 the Forest Hill station. Here Abutilon Thompsoni bad been 

 planted out at the end of May, and formed a very attractive 

 front row, its green foliage mottled with yellow being so dis- 

 tinct in character from the golden-leaved Pelargoniums. How 

 late in the season the plant may be trusted out of doors re- 

 mains to be seen. Sempervivum californicum, Echeveria me- 

 tallica, E. secunda glauca, and the dark reddish brown-leaved 

 Echeveria sanguinea, were also planted in considerable num- 

 bers ; there was likewise a seedling Echeveria, called metallica 

 glauca, which is of free growth, and of the colour of E. glauea. 

 Alternantheras, plunged in pots, were not doing well, with 

 the exception of A. amabilis ; but A. spathulata, though not 

 flourishing here out of doors, makes a fine pot plant. Among 

 Pelargoniums, Mrs. Dunnett and Sir Robert Napier were 

 noticeable as two of the best of the Tricolors, the latter being 

 especially conspicuous by its very broad and dark zone. Con- 

 spicuous among self golden-leaved kinds was Carrie Fowler ; 

 and among the silver-variegated. Snowdrop, which is of free 

 grewth, and exhibits a pure white variegation, but like others 

 of its class it has the fault of cupping its leaves, no doubt 

 owing to the green centre growing more rapidly than the white 

 circumference. 



Proceeding to another part of the grounds we find a stock of 

 Strawberries in small pots of a made size, deeper than thumbs 

 and rather less in diameter, being 3 inches deep by 2{ in dia- 

 meter. These are very cheap, and can be ranged together 

 more closely than pots of larger diameter — an object where 

 room has to be found for 100,000 pots, which was about the 

 number here. Mr. Boston has now all his Strawberry runners 

 in pots, instead of taking them up ; and so with bedding plants, 

 eick cutting has its little pot, so that the roots are not inter- 

 fered with when the plants are sent out, and consequently the 

 plants soon become established in their new quarters. It may 

 here be mentioned that the spent hops from the London 

 breweries, and which can be had for little more than the cart- 

 age, are used as a plunging material and for mulching, and 

 answer exceedingly well, being moist and affording for a time a 

 slight bottom heat. A large number of herbaceous plants are 

 grown, and most of the new Clematises are likewise repre- 

 sented ; the double- flowered one, .John Gould Veilch, had been 

 magnificent, and was still fine, though its beauty was declining. 

 The stove and Orchid house, with which is combined the 

 propagating house, forms a span-roofed range 102 feet in 

 length, divided lengthwise by a glass partitioo, and crosswise 



into three compartments. These contained good specimens of 

 Phalfenopsis Schilleriana, Vandas, Aijrides, Lajlias, Dendro- 

 biums, Odontoglossums, and other Orchids, nearly all of which 

 were out of flower, and a variety of ornamental-foliaged plants, 

 as Diohoriaandra mosaica, Anwotochils, new Marantas, the 

 beautiful Bertolonia guttata, and Sonerila margaritacea, Eran- 

 themums, Fittonia argyroneura, Passiflora trifasciata, &e. 

 There was also an excellent plant of Anthurinm Seherzeri- 

 anum. In a basket was a moderate-sized Monstera delioiosa, 

 which, though it has been recommended for cultivation aa a 

 fruit-bearing plant, will probably continue to be grown merely 

 as one remarkable for its foliage, the fruit, unless used at ex- 

 actly the proper state of ripeness, containing irritating spicala, 

 which more than counterbalance its Pine-Apple flavour. The 

 propagating house, which formed the back half of this range, 

 was filled with cuttings of miscellaneous stove and greenhouse 

 plants, grafted Camellias, Pereskia stocks for Cacti, &c. Another 

 house, 90 feet long by 15 wide, was being filled with cuttings of 

 Sir R. Napier and other new kinds of Pelargoniums, chiefly 

 Tricolors. These occupied one division ; another contained 

 several promising seedlings, fine specimens of L'Elegante, Ivy- 

 leaved, juet changing to the rose-coloured state, and several 

 excellent plants of double kinds, most noticeable among which 

 were the dwarf, compact, lose-flowerod Marie Lemoine, and 

 Wilhelm Pfitzer, a fine scarlet. Several of the best specimens, 

 however, had been sent to the Hamburg Exhibition. A third 

 division contained Coleuses, and one plant of Her Majesty was 

 grafted with twenty-eight varieties. In tbis division, too, was 

 Iresine Lindeni, which, it it prove hardy enough, will, from its 

 richly-coloured foliage, prove valuable for bedding. 



The Fern houses contained a very good general collection, 

 among which, though not large, were several examples of the 

 lovely Adiantum farleyense, Selaginellas of various kinds, and 

 a number of seedling Ferns. Azaleas of the leading kinds, in 

 48-Bized pots, nearly occupied one house, and a pit as well ; and 

 a house 90 feet by 24 feet contained Vines for planting, most 

 of which, however, with the exception of those forming an 

 archway over the path, had been turned out of doors to ripen 

 their canes. The spent hops are here largely employed for 

 plunging the pots in. 



Crossing the road to another piece of ground, we found this 

 chiefly occupied with fruit trees, seedling Pelargoniums, which 

 had passed the winter out of doors with slight protection, and 

 a variety of climbers in pots. Mr. Boston now always keeps a 

 considerable number in pots, so as to supply those who require 

 climbers at times unsuitable for the removal of plants in the 

 ground. 



The neatness of the place, and the order which everywhere 

 prevails, reflect the highest credit on Mr. Boston's management. 

 As a proof of his consideration for the men, of whom he has 

 about seventy under him, it may be mentioned that he has 

 established a library, from which they are allowed to take books 

 for perusal at their homes. 



WHO IS TO BLAME? 



In reply to the queries of " C. C. E.," page 207, there is no 

 doubt of some misrepresentations being made from time to 

 time in seed catalogues of new introductions, but as to Laxton's 

 Supreme Pea and Lemaitre's [Lenormand's?] Cauliflower, I am 

 prepared to say that they have in no way been misrepresented. 



In the first instance, I have not only seen the representation 

 of the Pea, but grown the Pea itself tbis season, and I can say 

 it is really grand. Having grown Peas extensively for many 

 years, I have not seen any sort to equal it as a second-crop 

 kind. I gave it a fair trial with Laxton's Prolific and Dickson's 

 Favourite. I did not go to any extreme in preparing the 

 ground for the seed, nothing more than usual, and the three 

 sorts were treated alike. Knowing that Dickson's Favourite 

 and Laxton's Prolific are really two good kinds of Peas, I con- 

 sidered if Laxton's Supreme should excel either of the other 

 two when treated in the same way, it then must be a first-class 

 Pea. and I am glad to say it has turned out so with me. The 

 result was quite the reverse of " C. C. E.'s," as the stem did 

 not exceed 5 feet in height, and began to pod within 10 mches 

 of the ground, and the whole line was completely covered with 

 beautiful, green, well-formed pods, and for many hundreds 

 opened I counted in each pod from nine to fourteen well-formed 

 Peas. I can, therefore, aflirm that it is quite equal to the 

 description given of it. ^ • u 



In the second instance, I have not been disappointed with 



