Jiiau'ry 20, 187 J. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



ehrubs have a far more cheerful effect during the winter than 

 has bare soil, however neatly it may be levelled, and however 

 trimly the beds may be liept. Spring gardening is, unfortu- 

 nately, too often only half done, and the system is condemned 

 because it in not properly carried out. It should be done well 

 or not at all, and it cannot be done well without a considerable 

 expenditure of time, which can be ill afforded in a majority of 

 gardens and with the staff of labour which owners only feel 

 justified in providing. Spring gardening involves special and 

 extra labour, and where this is not afforded it ought not to be 

 expected to be carried out. At Rangemore it is done well, and 

 the beds are as enjoyable in early spring as during the summer 

 and autumn months. 



The conservatory is spacious but not ornate. It is princi- 

 pally enjoyed by Mrs. Bass, who is, unfortunately, an invalid. 

 It contains tree Forns and the usual decorative plants, but it is 

 principally noteworthy for the fine Camellias, which, without 

 any forcing, commence flowering in October. 



The grounds adjacent the conservatory are appropriately 

 ornamental. The lawns contain a profusion of Rhododendrons 

 with some admirable Conifers. Cupressus Lambortiana is 

 especially noteworthy for its towering form ; and Wellingtonias 

 and Cedars of Lebanon, Cryptomerias, etc., are represented by 

 fine healthy specimens. The grounds also contain choice 

 deciduous trees, and some glimpses through this foliage of hill 

 and dale, grass and water, are worthy of the artist's pencil. 



From the mansion, and at a distance of about half a mile, 

 is the handsome church, erected and endowed by Mr. Bass. 

 The approach to this edifice is by an avenue of Wellingtonias 

 and Cedars of Lebanon, which are planted in considerable 

 numbers, and, although the soil is of a strong clayey nature, 

 the specimens are in perfect health and colour, and especially 

 where not exposed to a strong sweep of wind. When planted 

 thinly, and in exposed positions, trees of this nature seldom 

 progress favourably, let the soil be ever so well prepared, and 

 it is always advisable to provide shelter by a close planting of 

 free-growing trees as "nurses," and to be removed as their 

 services can be dispensed with. By such aid choice and valu- 

 able trees will attain a greater size in ten years than they 

 would in thirty years if planted unsheltered. 



But while a great deal may be found to admire in the orna- 

 mental department of Rangemore, and much instruction be 

 gathered, especially from its semi-natural features, yet it is the 

 garden proper — the walled enclosures, and the work that is 

 done in them, its extent and thoroughness — which are the most 

 remarkable features of this fine place. 



The walled gardens, which are on Mr. Bass's private estate, 

 are six acres in extent, and contain glass structures of such size 

 and numbers as are seldom seen in a private establishment. 

 They consist of forty houses besides pits and frames, and an 

 idea of their extent will be formed from the fact that they 

 contain three miles and a half of hot-water pipes. These 

 pipes are heated by three boilers at an annual cost for fuel of 

 £700. The forcing of vegetables is carried-on on an extensive 

 Foale. Seakale is provided in October ; Asparagus in November, 

 £70 worth of crowns being forced annually, the best being 

 prepared in France and supplied by Messrs. Veitch & Sons ; 

 green Peas (a few) are had at Christmas, French Beans nearly 

 always, also Mushrooms and salading. 



Fruit is also extensively provided for Mr. Bass's English 

 and Scotch establishments. The work of fruit-packing is of 

 no trifling character, it not being unusual to send to Scotland 

 7 or 8 owt. twice a week during the autumn months. This, 

 after travelling five hundred miles by railway, fifty by water, 

 and twenty-five by land, invariably reaches its destination in 

 good condition. Grapes are packed in stout glazed brown 

 paper, each bunch forming a cone ; the bunches are packed 

 with base and apex interfitting, and frequently arrive with 

 little or no loss of bloom. This stout paper and wadding are 

 tbfi only materials used in packing. Boxes are made conve- 

 nient for the different kinds of fruit, and these are placed in 

 hampers, packed in dry leaves, so that injury by jolting and 

 shaking is reduced to a minimum. The paper has a perfectly 

 glazed and smooth surface, and is found to disfigure the Grapes 

 less than any other kind of envelope. 



The garden, or a great portion of it, is comparatively new, 

 and one might fancy that the site had been chosen on the 

 principle that as it would do for nothing else it might do for a 

 garden. The ground is eo irrfgular that it would be difficult, 

 if not impoEsible, to have worked it by the plough ; and the 

 natural soil is of that hard, heavy, barren nature that Messrs. 

 Luokhnrst and Taylor have written about. If either of them 



have a more ungenial staple than the soil at Rangemore they 

 are sincerely to be pitied. But bad soil brings out good quali- 

 ties, not of fruit and vegetables merely, but skill and energy 

 on the part of the oulturist. The soil is here so inert, and 

 worse than inert, that sites for fruit borders have to be ex- 

 cavated and made entirely of new soil. Even Asparagus will 

 not grow unless the beds are made entirely of new soil, for the 

 natural soil when in contact with the shoots causes them to 

 rot off as if poisoned. A soil of this nature can only be made 

 fertile by a considerable outlay of capital and skill. Fire is 

 the only real renovator, and fire has been here applied. It is a 

 matter of manuring the ground with coals, and is expensive, but 

 it is really the most economical mode of treatment. By burn- 

 ing, and persevering work, many crops now grow luxuriantly 

 which otherwise would not grow at all. As an instance of the 

 extreme irregularity of the ground and the soft and unstable 

 nature of the soil, the foundation of the garden walls where 

 they crossed the hollows had to be put in 15 feet deep. Diffi- 

 culties have, however, only been regarded as " things to be 

 overcome," and the lofty and substantial walls are firm, and 

 are being rapidly clothed with trees. The condition ol the 

 soil is totally changed, and is profitable, and the extensive 

 glass structures are not in better condition than are their con- 

 tents — the Vines, Pines, Peaches, &c., and plants. But as has 

 been said, the whole of the fruit borders have been made of 

 new soil ; and when we look at their extent both under glass 

 and in the open garden, and are informed that the soil has 

 been brought from a distance of five to six miles, we in some 

 degree realise the stupendous nature of the work, and cannot 

 but be surprised at the present completeness of the gardens 

 and of the general excellence of their many productions. 



It is not possible, neither is it necessary, to particularise the 

 condition and contents of every house, for 100 yards of I'eaoh 

 houses are only the counterpart of another ; I shall, there- 

 fore, in my next communication only notice in a general way 

 a few prominent features of the place, pausing at anything 

 which is worthy of mention, and especially as affording a 

 measure of instruction. — J, W. 



HOW NEAR TOGETHER SHOULD THE 

 RASPBERRY BE PLANTED? 



All writers, I think, give 3 by 3 feet as the proper distance. 

 Visiting plantations this past summer, I found one where the 

 plants were in rows of 3 feet apart, but were from 16 to 18 

 inches apart only in the row. The grower only permitted one 

 cane to fruit, while one cane only was grown for fruit of the 

 coming season. He certainly had the largest and finest berries 

 that I saw anywhere of the same variety, the Frauconia, and 

 he told me that his expense of picking was less than when 

 grown three or four stems to hill, with as many more of canes 

 for next year, and the extra price for these large berries more 

 than balanced the account. His practice is to pinch the top 

 of the young cane of this season when about 1 foot high, 

 then again when it had made a growth of 6 inches, then again 

 at G inches, until it is 3 feet high. Ilis pinching-back was an 

 easy and quick job, and left the stems with lateral leaves 

 resembling little trees, and they stood so firm that no wires or 

 stakes were needed. — F. R. E. — {Boston Cultivator.) 



[It would be well for this experiment to be tried on a small 

 scale to test its value in this country ; we have not before 

 heard of the practice of " summer pinching " having been 

 applied to the Raspberry. — Ens.] 



THE HOLLY. 



[This is tbe conclusion of Mr. J. Eeotieb's communication commenced in our 

 last number.] 



The Greeks named Holly Agria — that is, ferocious, on 

 account of its prickly leaves. The Romans similarly called it 

 Aquifolium, from acH(»)H, sharp, ani folium, a leaf. Bauhiu 

 first named it Ilex on account of the resemblance of its leaves 

 to those of the Quercus Ilex, the true Ilex of Virgil. Lmnasus 

 adopted the name of Ilex for the genus, and preserved the 

 name of Aqnifolium for the most anciently known species. 

 The name Holly is probably a corruption of the word " holy," 

 as Turner in his " Herbal" calls it Holy and Holy Tree, pro- 

 bably from its being used as a decoration at the holy time of 

 Christmas, not only in houses but in churches. The German 

 name Christdori}, the Danish name Christorn,a.ndi the Swedith 

 name Christtoni, seem to justify this conjecture. I have also 



