258 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QAEDENEE, 



[ April 1, 1875. 



even an ofiaet which had not a tiny root attached to it. It 

 may be very small, but that is sufficient ; but if it have none 

 it has ever been with me an ineffectual attempt. — D., Deal. 



PASSIFLORA EDULIS. 

 This is an interesting species of an extensive and beautiful 

 family of climbing plants. Most of them require a stove tem- 

 perature to bring them to perfection, although P. ea!rulea and 

 its varieties will flourish on a south wall in the open air in the 

 southern counties. But P. edulis while being a native of India 

 will still succeed in a lower temperature than many of its 

 allies — that is, it will cover a roof and flower freely in a warm 

 conservatory, yet to perfect its fruit it requires, and is worthy 

 of, stove temperature. Its flowers are not nearly so beautiful 



Fig. Gl.— Passiflorft edulia. 



as those of some other varieties, but its handsome plum-Uke 

 fruit, which are so easily and freely produced, add an interest 

 to the plant to which its more gay compeers can have no claim. 

 The fruit, besides being decidedly ornamental, has a flavour 

 which is particularly agreeable to some palates ; and where 

 such is the case, and means are provided, it is specially grown 

 for dessert purposes. In the gardens of Drumlanrig Castle 

 a house is solely devoted to the culture of this fruit, and 

 large crops are produced. The fruit has a pleasant aroma, 

 is cooling, and has a refreshing subacid taste, and is parti- 

 cularly adapted for allaying thirst in the tropical countries to 

 which it is indigenous. 



As an ornamental roof-covering plant it is to be feared that 

 P. eduUa has frequently given place to less worthy objects. It 

 ia not easy to find a plant more beautiful than this with its 

 elegant pendant shoots laden with flowers and fruit, which 

 hang with an airy gracefulness from the roof of a suitable glass 

 structure ; the plant is, moreover, of very easy culture. It 

 should be raised from cuttings in preference to seed. Seedling 

 plants grow freely enough, and soon cover a large space, but 

 they are sparse in blooming compared with plants which have 

 been struck from cuttings. Short-jointed young shoots strike 

 quite easily any time during the summer if put in sand under 

 a bell glass, and attended to by the requisite amount of heat, 

 shade, and moisture. 



A enitable compost for established plants is turfy loam two- 



thirds, the remainder leaf mould, peat, and old decayed cow 

 dung, this to be liberally mixed with sand and broken charcoal. 

 Although the plants require an abundant supply of water 

 during the summer season, any approach to stagnancy is per- 

 nicious, and consequently the drainage must be very complete. 

 It is well, too, in potting to place some crooks or rubble round 

 the neck of the plant, as it is apt to canker and decay at the 

 surface of the soil ; but to grow it well it should be planted 

 out. Corners of bark pits, walled-oft from the bottom, form 

 fitting receptacles in which to plant. In these, with due at- 

 tention, plants will flourish for many years. In the summer 

 season a free use of the .syringe is necessary, as a dry atmo- 

 sphere, and especially if dry at the root, if only occasionally, 

 at the same time, will certainly invite a crop of red spider. 

 Syringing must be less frequent pending the setting of the 

 fruit, which is aided by each bloom being artificially fertilised 

 with its own pollen. On this point the same treatment that is 

 given to Vines is applicable. 



In the winter the roots must be kept somewhat dry, yet even 

 then the boU must always be perceptibly moist. A minimum 

 winter temperature of 45° is safe, and a plant has been pre- 

 served for some years at a lower temperature than this, but it 

 is not advisable. 



In training, a vital point is to gnard against overcrowding. 

 If the young shoots are suffered to cling together and become 

 interlaced, the plant will lose vigour and only produce useless 

 spray. The aim should be to have the young growth thinly 

 disposed, so that each shoot can have the benefit of light and 

 air and become matured. It is only by this means that fruit 

 can be expected. Spring is the best time for pruning, just 

 when the plant is commencing to grow. The shoots can then 

 be thinned-out and shortened, so as to cover the space re- 

 quired. Taking out old wood by degrees and laying-in young 

 is the necessary mode of prolonging the vigour of the plant, 

 and to preserve it in a flowering and fruiting state for many 

 years. 



Besides P. edulis, the fruit of P. quadrangularis is eatable. 

 This variety perfects a larger fruit, and has a more beautiful 

 flower than the foregoing. It is also more robust in habit and 

 requires a higher temperature. It is one of the most hand- 

 some of the entire genus, and is worthy of being cultivated 

 where a suitable position is at command. The following is 

 Lady Dorothy Nevill's receipt for the preparation of Passiflora 

 jelly :— 



Peel and cut the fruit before it becomes over-ripe, cover 

 with spring water and allow the fruit to boil till quite tender. 

 Then strain through a jelly-bag, measure the juice, and to one 

 pint of juice put half a pound of loaf sugar, the rind of four 

 Lemons and the juice of six, then boil very quickly till stiff 

 enough to turn out of the mould. A pot of this jelly made 

 from P. quadrangularis was some years ago submitted to the 

 Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society and was 

 highly approved of. 



HARLAXTON. 



Harlixton is situated about three miles from Grantham, 

 and its manor house may imquestionably be classed amongst 

 the finest of English mansions. Its erection may be regarded 

 as tbe life-work of the late Gregory Williams Gregory, Esq., 

 who died in 1851, just as his great work was completed. For 

 a period of twenty years £10,000 to £15,000 annually were 

 expended on the fabric and its surroundings, and in order to 

 secure perfectness of detail Mr. (rregory made periodical visits 

 to the Continent to note and subsequently carry into execution 

 the most elaborate examples of architectural ornamentation he 

 could find, and which he could adapt to his magnificent man- 

 sion, for that is a term that may justly be applied to this 

 sumptuous pile. Its interior arrangements had the same lavish 

 care bestowed on them, and everything that could be collected 

 in rich and rare furniture and works of art was arranged with 

 consummate taste. 



On its completion Harlaxton was regarded as one of the 

 wonders of the time, and an hotel had to be erected for the 

 accommodation of the numerous visitors who came from all 

 parts to see it. Its tapestries were rich, its furniture superb, 

 and statuary inside and in the grounds extensive and costly. 

 So great was its fame that Her Majesty honoured it with a 

 visit of inspection, and there was a general feeling of surmise 

 that it was destined for a Royal residence. This was not to 

 be; but instead, its riches were to be scattered, as the then 

 owner had strangely devised the furniture and works of art to 



