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iODKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



( April 15, 1875. 



duee of G -apes grown in the open air on favourable spots on 

 their own domains — such, for instance, as at Arundel Castle. 

 The Most Noble the Marquis of Bate is at present engaged in 

 preparing a piece of ground on his Cardifi estates for the 

 formation of a hardy vineyard on a somewhat extensive scale. 

 The ground selected is about seven miles from Cardiff, at a 

 place called Castle Coch, an old ruin which his lordship is 

 having partly restored. This castle is situated on a tract of 

 limestone some five hundred acres in extent. It is well wooded 

 to the north, east, and west, but lies quite open to the south, 

 overlooking the Bristol Channel. The field selected here for 

 the vineyard is about five acres in extent, having a good fall 

 to the south. It is of a light loamy soil, 2 feet deep resting 

 on the limestone rock, and requiring no artificial drainage. 

 The only preparation necessary before planting is trenching, 

 and shghtly manuring with stable dung. The Marquis, in 

 his earnestness to put the practicability of open-air culture of 

 Grapes in favoured spots in this country to fail- proof, sent 

 his intelligent gardener, Mr. Pettigrew, on a tour of inspection 

 among the most noted French vineyards last autumn, pre- 

 paratory to his lordship's desire being put into practice. Two 

 thousand Vines will be planted this vear, and the same quan- 

 tity next year, and so on until the vineyard is stocked. They 

 will be planted 3 feet apart each way ; and it is proposed not 

 to allow them to grow to a greater height than 3 feet. The 

 varieties to be planted are MeUer Blanc and Gromier Noir, in 

 equal proportions, these being, from Mr. Pettigrew's ob- 

 servations on the Continent, the two most likely to succeed — 

 they being very hardy and prolific. To further test the 

 matter, 150 Chasselas Foataiuebleau are to be planted on the 

 castle walls. We earnestly hope the Marquis's experiment 

 may turn out very successful. It may be added, the French 

 system of culture will be adopted generally. — (The Gardener.) 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



Window G.ikdexisg. — Of the different phases of town garden- 

 ing there is probably not one which gives the observer more of 

 an impression that flowers are grown for the very love of them 

 than when he sees window after window from the lowest to the 

 highest in the street tastefully decorated with growing plants. 

 The outside furnishing of them involves a little trouble, thoui^h 

 the season for that is of short duration, yet the success which 

 attends those who iiiake au attempt at this form of gardening 

 are paid for their trouble by a few beautiful flowers, as well as 

 a cheerful aspect given to the whole of the house internally and 

 externally. 



Though the season is advancing it is yet too early to tmst 

 tender plants outside ; however, the time is come when pre- 

 parations may be made with the view of placiag them outside 

 some time next month. By that I mean the plants may be 

 potted and grown on, and whether window boxes or any other 

 vessels are used for the purpose the plants should bo placed in 

 them now, and grown for the present in some sheltered place, or 

 in a fram-j, and perhaps for a time in the greenhouse, and have 

 them established before placing them iu their positions. They 

 will then give au effect at once, which is an advantage to aim at, 

 particularly as the season for such plants is short. 



Plants for indoor window decoration may be trusted near the 

 glass with confidence night and day, as no frost may now be ex- 

 pected severe enough to reach them, particularly if the window 

 has a Kood sunny aspect. There is one very important thing to 

 take note of which operates against the well-doing of outside 

 window plants, that is the summer's san playing with full force 

 upon the pots or boxes, burning as it were the young fleshy roots 

 so necessary to the health of the plants, and causing such a rapid 

 evaporation from the soil as to incur in ordinary cases too much 

 watering for the health of the plants to be good. To obviate this 

 injury in some measure the boxes should be in two— that is, the 

 ornamental or outer box should be as a casing to the other, or, 

 if pots are used, one should be set in another. This gives all 

 the protection required, excepting that the surface of the box 

 or pot should be mulched or covered with moss or cocoa-nut 

 fibre to prevent evaporation. 



There are many ways of decorating a window with plants, 

 and there is a nice variety of plants fit for the purpose ; but 

 taste in arranging this must be to some extent guided by the 

 shape and size of the window to be decorated. It is quite 

 natural to suppose that the plants inside if arranged along the 

 front, with the tall plants at the back, will present a broad face 

 to the outside ; but if indoor and outdoor decoration is attempted 

 in the same window tiiis plan would do away with the effect of 

 the outside ; but if the plants indoors were reduced to a low 

 number, say six on each side, the most of which would be best 

 not more than from G to 18 inches high, leaving the centre of 

 the window clear to view the plants outside, then if these were 

 arranged as to height in conjimction with those inside, and on 



the side also, gradually bring the dwarfer towards the centre ; 

 this would give a view of two banks of plants in flower on each 

 side, which would look remarkably well. 



Then, again, there might be a slight wire narrow trellis to 

 run over the window against the wall, which would look well 

 covered with the common Canary Creeper, or any other suitable 

 plant ; or a treUis might be fixed of a triangular shape on each 

 side of the window, say 2 feet in width at bottom, terminating 

 to one wire at the height of the window, leaving the top without 

 any. This plan would look well if covered with Ivy, and would 

 afford some shelter from the winds that do plantJ harm by 

 cutting by the windows of narrow streets. 



The mixed style of planting or arranging the plants seems to 

 be about the best, because there is not room for much distinc- 

 tion of colours, and, besides, all plants do not thrive well at one 

 time, and the mixed plan would ensure always some plants 

 to be in flower, while the inside of the window might be filled 

 with such plants as Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, Fuchsias, 

 Hydrangeas, HeUotropes, and Balsams, and others of what are 

 called greenhouse plants. The outside would be creditable in 

 appearance if Stocks, Mignonette, Scarlet and Variegated Ge- 

 raniums, Lobelias, Calceolarias, and Verbenas were used. They 

 are pretty sure flowerers, and although there are many other 

 plants which would claim some notice as suitable, they would 

 require to be supplemented by others frequently, as they would 

 not stand that treatment long without exhibiting signs of dis- 

 tress.— TnoMis Eecobd. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR THE 

 PRESENT WEEK, 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



All early spring-sown crops are making healthy progress. 

 Although February and March have been cold months very little 

 rain has fallen, and when cold weather prevails in these months 

 all out-of-doors crops do best when the surface of the ground is 

 dry, as there is always plenty of moisture in the ground from 

 the autumn and winter rains. At Loxford the rainfall for 

 February was a trifle over an inch, and in March but half that 

 quantity fell. 



The early Peas have grown up to the wire protectors ; it has 

 been necessary to remove these to the second sowing just coming 

 through the ground. The rows were earthed-up at once and the 

 sticks put to them. When they arose far advanced the sparrows 

 seldom attack them. It is a good plan to put in some short 

 sticks about a foot high first, and when the Peas have taken 

 hold to use the taller sticks. 



Cauliflower plants that have been under handlights through 

 the winter are well advanced. The lights have been removed, 

 and the ground forked over amongst the plants. The sowing 

 that was made early in the season on a hotbed is not quite ready 

 to plant out. To keep up a succession another sowing ought to 

 have been made out of doors about the last week in March; but 

 it is not possible to produce good Cauliflowers in July and 

 August in our light soil, and after many failures the attempt 

 has been given up. 



The Lettuce seed sown under ground vineries has produced 

 abundance of stocky plants; and a shower of rain, though it 

 only moistened the surface of the ground, furnished an oppor- 

 tunity to plant out a quantity of them. Hicks's Hardy White 

 Cos is the favourite : this variety, though evidently only a form 

 of Paris White Cos, is certainly the best of the many selections 

 of that excellent sort ; its superiority of growth is already appa- 

 rent. Ran the hoe through all ground occupied by growing 

 crops, using the Dutch hoe for fruit borders, and the ordinary 

 draw hoe for spring Cabbage and similar crops. 



Sow Salsafy, Scorzonera, and Beet. The Beet need not be 

 sown on rich ground, as medium-sised roots are preferable to 

 large overgrown specimens. The others cannot be grown too 

 strongly, but avoid sowing on ground that has been recently 

 trenched if it has been manured with rank dung. Ground that 

 had been trenched before Christmas, and the mauureplaoed 

 about a foot under the surface, is the most suitable for this crop, 

 A sowing of Broccoli should now be made, comprising the earliest 

 sorts. The bed of Globe .Artichokes should now be forked over, 

 removing all superabundant suckers from the plants as the 

 work progresses ; these will be useful to make a fresh bed, and 

 if required for this purpose should be planted at once. The 

 earliest-sown Celery must be pricked out on a warm border, 

 allowing 3 inches between the plants. A small number of plants 

 will be sufficient for the earliest crop, as so many of them run 

 to seed even with the best management. Sow now for the latest 

 crop in the open ground. Lettuce, Radish, and all small salad- 

 ing ought to be sown frequently according to the demand for 

 them. 



Now is a good time to sow herbs of sorts, such as Fennel, 

 Marjoram, Basil, Borage. Thyme, Chervil, Savory, &c.; also to 

 plant-out Sage, Thyme, Tansy, Mint, and Tarragon. The last 

 is much used, and succeeds best in a dry border. With the nest 



