306 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



C October 14, 18C9. 



heaviest crop of all Onions, and thie has been teeted over and 

 over again with most of the known varieties, by being eown 

 pide by side and under the same treatment throngbont the 

 season. In fact, po distinct even in its earliest stages is the 

 growth, that no dillicnlty exists in plainly discerning its robust 

 constitntion. Another grand feature is, that of all Onions it is 

 themostmild-fl«voared,and many who cannot touch an ordinary 

 Onion will eat this and enjoy it. I am amongst that number, 



and frequently have one roasted in its jacket for snpper. And 

 .Tet again another important feature ; it is pale-skinned, white- 

 fleshed, and keeps longer than any other Onion, not excepting 

 James's Long-keeping. 



I hope some of your readers will report through your pages 

 the sorts they have grown this year, giving the size of the plot 

 of ground and weight of the crop harvested. — Jlhes Cutddbb, 

 Highgate. 



FLI.XTON HALL, SUFFOLK. 



Hatisg just had the pleasure of spending three or four hours 

 at the above-named place, a few notes may be interesting to 

 soma of yonr readers. 



Fliiton Hall is the residence of Sir A. Shafto Adair, Bart., 

 and is a mile and a half from the Homersiield station on 

 the Waveney Valley 

 branch of the Great 

 Eastern Ksilway. It 

 is five miles from 

 Bungay, and twelve 

 from Beccles. On ar- 

 riving at the Homers- 

 £eld station I could 

 see that some great 

 mansion was not far 

 distant, as the plat- 

 form and windows 

 were in a blaze with 

 flowers and other gar- 

 den ornaments. The 

 Toad from the station 

 to. Fliiton leada 

 through a beautiful 

 park 500 acres in ex- 

 tent, nicely undu- 

 lated, and well stocked 

 with fine Oak, Scotch 

 Fir, Beech, and other 

 forest trees, and up- 

 wards of five hundred 

 head of deer. 



Flixton Hall was 

 burnt down in 1846, 

 «nd rebuilt by A. Sal- 

 vin, Esq., architect. 

 It is a noble pile of 

 red brick building, in 

 the Elizabethan style 

 •f architecture. The 

 carriage front is on 

 the north side of the 

 Hall, and is partly 

 surrounded by a very 

 beautiful and massive 

 parapet of Portland 

 stone, ornamented 

 with coloured stone, 

 nnder the direction 

 of G. G. Scott, Esq. 

 The enclosure is gravel, 240 by 100 feet 



1. Centre, CoUni VirlchatTelli ; 



Calceolaria Anr«ft Horibnnds, 

 Pelargoninm Flower of the 

 Day. Border, Verbena Parpl© 

 King mixed with (HuAnui ele- 

 Kan8. 



2. Pelargoninm Tom Thnmb. Bor- 



der, Verbena Purple King. 

 S. Pelargonium Stell*. Border, 



Pelargoninm Golden Chain. 

 4. Pelargoniums scarlet, white, and 



pink, mixed with Agoratum. 



Three very hand- 

 some wrought-iron double gates lead to this front. These 

 gates were made by Mr. Skidmore,of Coventry, and are much 

 admired for their superior workmanship and ornamental eha- 

 Ticter. An avenue 220 feet wide planted with Plane trses leads 

 straight from the centre gates across the park, and has a very 

 imposing effect. About 70 yards from the centre gates on the 

 left-hand side is a line old Oak, which appears to have been 

 nuch shattered at some time. On making inquiry I was in- 

 formed that about sixty years ago the yeomanry cavalry, one 

 hundred strong, chiefly tenants on the estate, used to meet in 

 this park several times in the year, and when the day's exercise 

 was over they returned to the Hall by this tree, at which they 

 discharged their guns. Nearly all the top branches were shot 

 off, but the tree has somewhat recovered since that time. 



At the south front and adjoining the Hall is a building 90 feet 

 by 15, filled with a large number of ornamental vases of various 

 sizes, for flowering and ornamental-folioged plants during the 

 aatnmn, winter, and spring months; also ornamental vases, 

 which are filled with flowers and suspended from the roof. A 

 very pretty flower garden on grass is on this front, the beds 



being all edged with stone ; they are well filled, partly on the 

 massing and partly on the mixed system. The good old Ver- 

 bena Ptirple Xing has a leading part in the arrangement. The 

 following rough sketch will show how this garden, measuring 

 170 feet by 150 feet, was planted this year. 



When seen from 

 the upper windowo 

 this garden most 

 have a very beantifol 

 appearance. 



On the left hand, 

 leading from the Hall, 

 and a few yards from 

 it, is the conservato- 

 ry, 100 by 21 feet, well 

 filled with Oranges, 

 Shaddocks, specimen 

 Ferns, and other con- 

 servatory plants, in- 

 cluding climbers, and 

 two splendid plants 

 of the Brugmansia 

 alba covered with 

 their large blooms, 

 looking something 

 like two mountains 

 of snow, so thickly 

 set were the blos- 

 soms. In the centre 

 of the conservatory 

 is a neat fountain 

 with gold and silver 

 fish, various Ferns 

 being planted out all 

 round, and from the 

 frequent playing of 

 the fountain they 

 seemed to be quite at 

 home. One end of 

 this house is fitted 

 up as an aviary, and 

 is well stocked with 

 choice birds. 



On quitting the con- 

 servatory, just beyond 

 the flower garden we 

 find a sunk croquet 

 ground 170 ft. square, 

 which is reached by 

 tbr«e flights of stone steps. On the ground level, and partly 

 encircling the croquet ground, is a large collection of Aloes of 

 great size and beauty. Beyond this the ground is in course of 

 alteration, a great mass of earth hiiving been removed so as to 

 obtain a gentle slope to the park, and other improvements are 

 being made. 



On the western side of the mansion is a broad, sunk gravel 

 walk, 110 yards long, which leads to an ornamental piece of 

 water. About 5 feet above each side of the walk there is 

 a Eorits of beds, eighty in number, well filled with chofee 

 plants ; Ricinus, Gladiolus, and other tall plants being placed 

 in the centre. Beyond the beds, on the left-hand side of the 

 walk, is a wall 10 feet high covered with Ivy, and a ribbon 

 border, 330 feet long and C feet broad, at the foot, which is 

 planted thus — First row, Cerastinm tomentosum ; second. 

 Campanula (blue) ; third, yellow Calceolaria ; and fourth, 

 scarlet Pelargonium. The mass of green Ivy foliage is a fine 

 eetting-oif to the plants beneath it. In the ornamental piece 

 of water above-mentioned are two islands, with a fine specimen 

 Oak on each, and to look at those Oaks one would think they 

 had been planted for years. A large tea-party was given in 



the 



5. Calceolaria Kentish Hero. 

 15. Palargoninm Brilliant. 



C. Pelargonium Flower of 

 Day. 



7, P. Calceolaria Anrantia. 



f . Vaee of Kiied flower?. 

 30, 11. Verbena Purple lung. 



13, 13. Verbena Defiance. 



14. Centre, Verbena Snowflake. 

 Nns. 10 to 14 are eurroondod by 



grats, the rest by gravel. 



