34 



JOUENAL OF HOETIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[July 9,1874. 



anil perfection in workmanship, and cheapness of production, 

 of their galvanised wire netting. 



ELSHAM HOUSE. 



THE SEAT OF W. HOItNSBY, Esq. 

 Gbantham is situated on the river Witham ; and placed on a 

 piece of rising ground commanding good views of the town 

 and surrounding district is the pretty villa residence of Wm. 

 Hornsby, Esq., one of the partners in the well-known firm of 

 Messrs. Hornsby & Sons, the eminent implement manufac- 

 turers. This firm employs a great number of hands, and, I 

 believe, the town owes much to this enterprising firm. How- 

 ever, it is not of Grantham that I wish to note a few par- 

 ticulars, but of Mr. Hornsby's interesting garden, and more 



particularly the spring bedding. At the time of my vltit 

 (May 7th), all the beds were full of spring flowers, and every 

 bed was perfect — not a single failure, all seemed to have done 

 well. It was indeed, as a friend remarked, a " grand hit." I 

 will first take a glance at the hothouses and other glass 

 erections and their occupants. 



Attached to the house there is a very pretty conservatory. 

 It is often the style in filling such with flowering plants to 

 aim at crowding as many flowers as possible into a given 

 space : nothing can be more prejudicial to the well-being of the 

 plants. Here every plant is allowed to stand as it were clear 

 of its fellow, at the same time there is no feeling of emptiness 

 about it. A few really well-grown plants are always far more 

 FB'isfi.otory in our point of view. A good plant of Azalea 

 Bride of Abydos was here in fine bloom. Ferns are also in- 



Fig. 9.— Elsham hocse. 



troduced with excellent taste. The house is not large, but the 

 contents are such as anyone who takes an interest in plant- 

 growing may well feel proud of. There are three vineries, all 

 in excellent condition and producing plenty of fruit ; they are 

 mostly trained under the rafters, and all are making "fine, 

 strong, healthy young wood. In a plant stove I noticed some 

 well-srown plants, such as Clerodendron Balfouriauum, 

 C. fallax, Bougainvillea glabra, Rhynchospermum jasmiuoides, 

 Stephanotis floribunda, showing flowers at every point of the 

 young wood ; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis floro-pleno, Pavetta bor- 

 bouica, with pretty leaves ; many varieties of Croton, and a 

 nice plant of Anthurium Scherzerianum. There is also a 

 stove devoted to exotic Ferns, containing some well-formed 

 plants, such as Adiantum macrophyllum, A. cuneatum, A. for- 

 mosum, a grand Fern when well grown; Gymnogramma sul- 

 phnrea, Lomaria sibba, one of the finest Ferns grown ; Cyathea 

 medullaris, and Dicksonia squarrosa, two fine tree Ferns from 

 New Zealand. There are three greenhouses containing good 

 collections of Ericas, Epacrises, and Azaleas, and also a good 

 selection of other hardwooded plants, such as Aphelexis ma- 

 crantha purpurea, A. prolifera Barnesi, Leschenaultia biloba 

 splendens, Pimelea spectabilis, and many others. Pine Apples 

 are grown in span-roofed houses, with a walk down the middle 

 and a bed on each side. Queens are the only variety cul- 

 tivated ; they are all in pots and look healthy and at home, 

 the young plants are making a fine sturdy growth, which all 



^ine-growers lilce to see. Peaches and Nectarines are grown 

 in two houses ; Melons and Cucumbers have three span-roofed 

 houses for their cultivation. There is also the usual assort- 

 ment of cold pits and frames for growing Potatoes, &e., and 

 bedding plants in spring. 



From what has been stated it will be seen that there is a 

 good number of glass houses ; they were all well filled with 

 good healthy plants. 



The kitchen-garden ground is not very large, it is enclosed 

 by excellent walls, with young trees recently planted. By the 

 sides of the walks there are a good many pyramid Pears and 

 Plums, good young trees lately planted. — J. Smith, Exton 

 Farh Gardens, Rutland. 



[We shall publish full details, with diagrams, of the bedding 

 next week. — Eds.] 



INSECTS AND BIRDS. 

 Never in my experience have insects been so general and 

 abundant as during the present season. Aphides of many 

 kinds peculiar to particular plants are unusually prevalent. 

 Peaches on walls have been literally covered with the green 

 aphides (.\phis Pyri-mali), which attacks the Apple and Pear, 

 the former very abundantly this season. The brown Peach 

 aphis (A. persica) has given endless trouble in fumigation in 

 Peach houses, and is most difUcult to eradicate. Plum trees 



