Jannaiy 13, 1876. J 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



27 



the Apple was a native of D'Aroy. — Horatio Piggot, Broad- 

 loater Down, Tunhridge Wells. 



[In Dr. Hogg's " Fruit Manual " Spring Eibston is men- 

 tioned as a synonym ot this Apple, and it is described as 

 follows — " Fruit medium-sized, roundith or rather oblate, with 

 prominent ribs on the sides, which terminate in four and 

 sometimes five considerable ridges at the crown, very much ia 

 the character of the London Pippin. It is sometimes of an 

 ovate shape, caused by the stallj being prominent instead of 

 depressed, in which case the ribs on the sides and ridges round 

 the eye are less apparent. Skin deep lively green, changing 

 as it ripens to yellowish green on the shaded side, but covered 

 on the side next the sun with dull red, which changes to orange 

 where it blends with the yellow ground ; the whole consider- 

 ably marked with thin brown russet and russety dots. Eye 

 rather large and open, with short segments, and set in an 

 angular basin. Stalk very short, not more than a quarter of 

 an inch long, and inserted in a shallow cavity. Flesh greenish 

 white, firm, crisp, juicy, sugary, and with a particularly rich 

 and vinous flavour, partaking somewhat of the Nonpareil and 

 Kibston, but particularly the latter. This is a first-rate dessert 

 Apple ; in use in November, and possessing the desirable pro- 

 perty of keeping till April or May."] 



lEIS RETICULATA CULTURE. 



Ibis keiiculata is a hardy plant, but requires, to grow it 

 well, a warm corner and a bed of pure light sandy loam ; in 

 the ordinary soil of an old flower garden the bulbs are apt to 

 rot. This and many other small hardy bulbs will generally 

 break up into offsets and dwindle under pot cultivation. The 

 commonest Crocus or Tulip will do the same. Grow the Iris 

 as I have described ; take up and store in dry earth or sand 

 when the foliage dies down, and select the best bulbs to flower 

 in the greenhouse ; in the autumn restore the bulbs to their 

 old quarters. They will come round again after one season's 

 growth. The Peacock Iris should be grown in the same way, 

 hut absolutely requires a glass frame over the bed. 



Pot culture is, however, possible for such plants, and I 

 recommend the following treatment : Use rather large pots — 

 say 8 inches across ; soil, very sandy pure loam ; drainage, 

 one or two large crocks with a good large handful of moss 

 over them. Put in plenty of bulbs — say 2 inches apart, grow 

 them in a good cold frame through the winter, and bring 

 them into the greenhouse in the spring to flower. If you are 

 short ot Pavonias fill up the space with Tritonias as an edging 

 round the pots. 



To Mr. Eobson in the matter of Cyclamens ; my old friend 

 Mr. Atkins of Painswiek knows more about them than all of 

 us put together, and would doubtless give the required inform- 

 ation. C. persicum has many local forms, and runs riot in 

 variation even in the wild state. Coum, repandum, eiiro- 

 pffium, and hederifolium, with, perhaps, iberieum, are true 

 species. — B. Tbevoe Claeke. 



GEOS COLMAN GRAPE. 



1 HAVE under my charge two rods of Gros Oolman growing 

 in a Muscat house, both worked, the one on the Black Ham- 

 burgh, the other on Muscat Hamburgh. I am glad to be able 

 to diiier from " Ex-Exhibitoe," for with me it is a first-class 

 late Grape, not only a noble-looking fruit, but of good colour 

 and flavour, and so much approved ot by my employer that I 

 am working another on to the Muscat Hamburgh. Not only 

 is this Grape good planted out, but I accidentally discovered 

 that it makes a good pot Vine. I forced one with some Black 

 Hambiirghs, and it produced three bunches averaging about 

 three-quarters of a pound each, well coloured and of good 

 flavour, and which ripened in about a fortnight after the 

 Black Hamburghs. I have another cane up one ot the rafters 

 in the Peach house where fire is not used after the fruit is set ; 

 that also produces noble bunches and berries which colour 

 well, but the flavour is not good. 



I certainly should not recommend anyone to plant Gros 

 Colman in a cool house, but where it can have the advantage 

 of a Muscat temperature I consider it one of the best late 

 Grapes we have. I may state that my Vines are all planted 

 inside and not allowed to go outside at all. — S. Tayloe, 

 Castlecroft. 



I have found this to be the best variety of late Grape grown, 

 and a most wonderful bearer. It must be kept late to bring 



out the proper flavour. I cannot boast of such large bunches 

 as Mr. Turton speaks of in your last issue, as ours is not a 

 soil suited to grow heavy bunches ; but still they are wonder- 

 fully large.— F. W. 



EOLLESTON HALL.— No. 2. 



THE SEAT OF SIK TONMAN MOSLEY, BABT. 



Veey incomplete would a notice of the gardens at BoUeston 

 be it limited to their ornamental features. These were fully 

 alluded to in our No. 708. In continuation from those pages 

 I now proceed to notice the more useful department of the 

 gardens. 



The glass structures are numerous, some old, some new, and 

 they are scattered over a considerable extent of space, a con- 

 sequence of being erected at various periods, and in conson- 

 ance with the improvements which have been made by Sir 

 Tonman, and his predecessor. Sir Oswald Mosley. 'These 

 structures number twenty-tour exclusive ot frames, and, ex- 

 cluding the conservatory, contain nearly 20,000 superficial feet 

 of glass. They are heated by 11,000 feet of 4ineh piping 

 attached to two boilers, one heating 8000 feet and the other 

 3000. 



The heating has just been remodelled under Mr. Buck's 

 supervision with very successful results. The boilers, with 

 their outlets and inlets, and the piping connection contiguous, 

 are in every part accessible by removing a portion of the 

 flooring of flagstones, which form the roof of the heating 

 chamber below. There is no setting in brickwork, but every 

 part of the arrangement can be examined, which is an admir- 

 able provision facilitating after-repairs and, if necessary, further 

 alterations. The smoke is conducted away to a tall shaft at 

 some distance from the houses. This has been an extensive 

 and costly work, but Sir Tonman is evidently a believer in the 

 old sayings " what is worth doing at all ia worth doing well," 

 and "what ia well done is twice done;" that he recognises 

 these truths the observer finds abundant evidence. 



I will now, as briefly as possible, notice the contents of 

 some ot the houses. The old range of vineries is entered by a 

 corridor leading to the museum. The roof of this corridor is 

 covered with Matechal Niel Roses and Bignonias trained after 

 the manner of Vines, and which yield a valuable supply ot cut 

 blooms ; the compartment is further kept gay with pot plants 

 in variety. The first vinery entered is a Black Hamburgh 

 house 30 feet in length, the Vines being old and trained on 

 the extension system. The next house is also a vinery of the 

 same size, and is mainly occupied by the Vine that almost fills 

 the preceding house, only in one compartment it is the Black 

 Hamburgh while in the other it, by grafting, yields in addi- 

 tion fruit of Trebbiano and Lady Downe's ; and further, in 

 one division the fruit is ripe six weeks earlier than in the 

 other, all alike good, being well coloured and flavoured and free 

 from shanking. Without saying that the extension system 

 produces the best Grapes it may almost be asserted that it is 

 the easiest and simplest mode ot producing them, and that 

 none need hesitate on treating Vines thus naturally, especially 

 if they have not been satisfactory on the more artistic (artificial) 

 plan of restricting them to single rods. 



The next is a Muscat house 50 feet in length. The Vines 

 have been planted five years, and are in admirable condition; 

 they are planted inside, the roots having access to outside bor- 

 ders. Adjoining is a house ot a similar size planted with Black 

 Hamburghs, Alicantes, and a Vine of Gros Guillaume. The 

 Vines are young and produce excellent crops ; as an instance 

 ot their vigour it may be noted that this season's cane of Gros 

 Guillaume is upwards of i inches in circumference. The Vinos 

 are planted 4 J feet apart, and the houses are staged for plants. 



We now enter a now range of glass, the first house, which 

 is 40 feet long, being devoted to Azaleas. The plants are 

 remarkably healthy, and many of them are large and very 

 handsome, some ot the best plants having been purchased 

 from Osmaston Manor. The back wall of this house is covered 

 with Lapageria rosea, and the white variety is growing on the 

 roof. Mr. Buck finds that Lapageriaa flourish best on a north 

 aspect. 



We now enter the early Peach house ; it is .50 feet in length, and 

 planted principally with Royal George and Bellegarde Peaches 

 and Violette Hative Nectarines. It is a tine light house, the 

 border being wholly inside, and the trees are started in Novem- 

 ber. In this house were also starting into growth standard 

 Oranges on 6-feet stems, having compact heads; they are in 

 pots and will shortly adorn the conservatory. Adjoining is a 



