182 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOUIiTURB AND COTTAGE GABDBNEB. 



[ March 4, 1875. 



Heath hon6e we find large old specimens of the following 

 standard kinds:— Ericas ampullacea, Aitoniaua, Tarnbullii, 

 Retorta major, Austiniana, Jacksonii, Elegans, Marnookiana, 

 Massoni major, Fairrieana, ilorida, ventricosa of sorts, tricolor 

 of sorts, Cavendishiana, Spenceriaua, Lambortiana rosea, 

 Savillii major, Exiiuisite, Amabilis, &o. ; such a collection of 

 large plants as is seldom met with now-a-days. There is also 

 a good collection of smaller plants of all the best sorts grow- 

 ing-on to replace the large specimens, many of which will soon 

 be past their best. 



The whole collection gives evidence of skill and attentive 

 care in keeping these aged plants in the good condition they 

 undoubtedly are. The next house is devoted to the culture of 

 CamelUas. The plants were in the perfection of health, and 

 demanded inquiry as to the outlines of culture which gave such 



satisfactory results. The house is a good roomy structure, up- 

 wards of GO feet in length and 25 feet wide. It has a ridge-and- 

 furrow roof of opaque glass, which at once renders shading 

 unnecessary, and preserves the blooms a long time in beauty. 

 Along the centre of the house is a row of fine plants of the old 

 Double White, still unsurpassed for general usefulness ; and on 

 each side of them are good healthy plants of such useful sorts 

 as Imbricata, Lady Hume's Blu8l2, Jubilee, Ponekelaari, Cup 

 of Beauty, Duchess of Bucoleuch, Elegans, American White, 

 Bealii, Duchesse de Berri, Countess of Orkney, Fimbriata, &c. 

 These are all planted-out and growing luxuriantly in a border 

 about 2 feet deep of pure and rather light turfy loam. From 

 this house the supply of Camellia flowers has to be kept up 

 from November until May, so that the house has to be treated 

 on the cool system during that period — that is, a minimum 



rig. 47.— DiLKEITU PALACE— SOCTHWES'l FBOSr. 



night temperature of 40", and plenty of air on at all times 

 when the state of the outside temperature will permit of it, 

 cold draughts being carefully avoided as being very injurious 

 to the flowers. After the demand for out blooms is over early 

 in May any left are taken off, the plants gone over, pruned, 

 and carefully cleaned, the surface of the border scraped clean, 

 a top-dressing of light turfy loam given, the house thoroughly 

 cleaned, and then kfpt close to cause the plants to make their 

 growth freely, and set their buds as quickly as possible. Heat 

 is applied to keep up a night temperature of (',5°, and the 

 plants receive a thorough drenching overhead from the engine 

 every day, the supply to the roots being also liberal at this 

 season. They make rapid growth, and the buds begin to show 

 early in July, when more air is gradually given and the fire 

 heat reduced, till by the end of the month the house is again 

 cool, but kept regularly syringed and watered as long as the 

 warm weather continues, after which the syringe is discon- 

 tinued, and the watering carefully attended to for the remain- 

 der of the season. Manure water is occasionally given when 

 they are in full growth and in full flower in early spring. 

 By such means the plants do well, bear fine crops of flowers, 

 and never drop their buds. A few plants of Marichal Niel and 

 Gloire de Dijon Rose? are trained to the rafters, where they 

 do well and flower freely ; also a few Passifloras, Taceonia Van 

 Volxcmii, itc. ; but Ihey are all kept within bounds, and not 

 allowed to overcrowd or interfere with the health of the 

 CamelliaB. 



The next house in this range is the Orchid house ; if any- 

 thing, too large for most Orchids. It is span-roofed, 05 feet 

 long and 2:i feet wide, with a wooden stage in the centre, and 

 a wide stage outside the path all round. There is a fair collec- 

 tion of Orchids on the middle, front, and end stages, and on 

 the back stage a collection of stove Ferns. Most of the popu- 

 lar and useful sorts of Orchids are grown, the Vaudaa being 

 particularly fine, comprising several good plants of such sorts 

 ns Vanda suavis Veitchii, the best of the suavis section; 

 V. tricolor, Dalkeith variety, a very fine it not the best variety 

 of tricolor, and the original plant of which is a splendid speci- 

 men, about () feet high and nearly as much through; V. in- 

 signis, V. teres, Ac: also a fine plan„ in a tub of the best 

 tall variety of Sobralia macrantha, and many large specimens 

 of Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Zyg'petahims, Cypripediums, 

 Phajus, Lycastes, Ac, and a good plant of that grand Orchid 

 Angrfficum sesquipedale with six bloom spikes. 



The Ferns on the back stage are chiefly grown for table and 

 house decoration, and consist of all the best varieties for that 

 purpose, with a few specimens interspersed, such as Adiantum 

 trapcziforme, cuneatum. raacrophyllum, formosnm, Neottopteris 

 nidus, etc., all doing well in this shady part of the house. Be- 

 hind the Orchid house and entered from it is the fernery, con- 

 taining some good specimens of Tree Ferns sadly cramped 

 for want of head room, and a good variety of smaller Ferns 

 requiring a moderate temperature, including some nice plants 

 of Todeasnperba, pellucida, and Wilkesiana, the rare CeteraoU 



