January 27i 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



flavour waa tlie reverse of agreeable. The fruit waa splendid 

 to look at, but certainly not good to eat. The roots of the 

 Vines have aocese to narrow outside borders covered with cor- 

 rugated zinc roofing sheets, which are probably the neatest 

 and most effectual of covers for keeping the borders dry, super- 

 eeding felt and wooden shutters. 



In making new borders Mr. Bennett finds it necessary to 

 use concrete, but takes care that it has a sharp gradient and 

 is in connection with an efficient system of drainage. He uses 

 fresh loam, bones, soot, and charcoal, but the loam is light 

 and not of a " wearing " nature, yet by enriching it with 

 manure and in conjunction with an otherwise good system of 

 culture this fine garden is not likely to be deficient in fine 

 Grapes. 



Pines are in great demand, and five spacious pits are devoted 

 to their culture. They are grown in pots, the staple sort 

 being the Smooth-leaved Cayenne. The plants, judging them 

 by their appearance, are evidently grown under a low tempe- 

 rature, and it is more than probable that not an ounce of fuel 

 is wasted over them. The fruit is not exceptionally large in 

 itself, but is large in proportion to the plants. Applying my 

 rule to one of the plants I found that from the soil to the base 

 of the fruit was 9 inches, the fruit itself inches, and the 

 crown 5 inches in height — proportions which speak for them- 

 selves. In one house I noticed upwards of ninety plants of 

 that character, so that the winter supply is not likely to be in 

 any degree a scanty one. The succession plants were equally 

 dwarf, sturdy, and healthy. They are generally fruited at 

 eighteen months from inserting the suckers. 



I have nothing more to add on the fruit culture at Range- 

 more except to notice a Fig, the " Negro Largo," which Mr. 

 Bennett considers is one of the finest kinds in cultivation ; it 

 was sent out by Messrs. Veitoh, and was carrying a heavy crop 

 of handsome fruit of the first quality ; and also to note that 

 four thousand pots of Strawberries are forced annually, the 

 best sorts being Vioomtesse Hericart de Thury and President. 



Of the plant-growing department I may briefly say that a 

 lofty house with a ridge-and-furrow roof is devoted to Camel- 

 lias, with Marc'chal Niel and other Roses covering the roof — 

 a happy idea, the Roses giving a profusion of grand blooms, 

 and aiiording at the same time the necessary shade to the 

 Camellias. The latter are planted out — huge bushes full of 

 health and buds. An adjoining house is devoted to Azaleas, 

 which are also fine plants in excellent health. At one end of 

 this range is the Heath house, a spacious and substantial 

 structure with stone stages, on which this class of plants thrive 

 so well. The collection is still young, but the plants have 

 made admirable progress and comprise all the choice varieties. 

 This is one of the best houses at Rangemore, and the plants 

 are worthy of the house. At the other end is the Orchid 

 house. This also is a Epacious structure, and is filled with 

 Orchids and ornamental-foliaged plants as clean and healthy 

 as it is possible to find them. On the roof are AUamandas 

 and a fine plant of the Vanilla aromatica with roots 9 feet in 

 length, and Cissus porphyrophyllus is effectively trained up 

 the columns. Amongst the Orchids were noticeable some 

 fine specimens of Coelopyne in variety, Odontoglossum grande 

 with six spikes, and 0. AlexandriE in extra fine form having a 

 spike with six branchlets and twenty-five blooms. Laelia anceps 

 had seven spikes and twenty-one blooms, and Phalrenopsis 

 Schilleriana was in remarkable luxuriance. Calanthes are also 

 well and extensively grown. The above are but a few of the 

 noteworthy specimens in this noble tropical house. 



Other houses are devoted to the production of decorative 

 and table plants, which are grown in great numbers. One 

 house is filled with Ferns, another with Gardenias, and others 

 with mixed collections of ornamental-foliage plants, amongst 

 which was blooming a splendid specimen of Cochliostema 

 .Tacobiana. This superb plant is not unlike a huge specimen 

 of the Bird's-nest Fern. Many of the leaves are 4 feet in 

 length and 4 inches in breadth, sheathed at the base and 

 pointed at the apex. From the axils of the leaves the flower- 

 spikes appear. The flowers are rich blue and violet, and are 

 associated with pinkish bracts. For cut blooms they are 

 extremely beautiful, and the plant is most striking and attrac- 

 tive ; it has been flowering freely throughout the summer, and 

 is worthy of special notice. 



As affording an idea of the extent of the decorative plants 

 required at Rangemore, it may be stated that ICOO Roman 

 Hyacinths are forced, upwards of 600 Dutch Hyacinths, 1200 

 Crocuses, and other bulbs and forcing plants are provided on 

 the same extensive scale. 



The kitchen gardens are well cropped and are uniformly 

 neat, the same care being devoted outside that is so evident 

 under glass. The demand for vegetables forced as well as 

 unforced is very great, and to meet it twelve dozen Cauliflowers 

 must be cut weekly throughout the month of January. Mush- 

 rooms are always in demand, and the demand is met ; for, savo 

 by one failure of spawn. Mushrooms have been cut every day 

 for thirteen years. As will be seen, the post of manager here 

 is no sinecure ; but in proportion to the skill displayed so id 

 the recompense of the gardener, for Mr. Bass is proverbially 

 studious to reward all in his service who are worthy, and this 

 reward Mr. Bennett has won by his sound practice and [assi- 

 duous attention. 



A notice of this place and the liberal provision which is 

 made by Mr. Bass for his own requirements would be incom- 

 plete without a record of his care for the comforts and well- 

 being of his dependants. The gardener's cottage is a modt-l 

 of what such a cottage should be — pleasant, commodious, with 

 every appurtenance to make it convenient, and its occupants 

 feel that it is a home to care for and to cherish. The room a 

 for the ten young men are also of the most approved kind, 

 each man having a separate bedroom and wardrobe, the fore- 

 man further having a separate private room. There is the 

 common dining-room, also a library furnished with books and 

 seven periodicals, including all the gardening papers, and two 

 female attendants are provided to see that the wants of the 

 men are supplied in a proper manner. Surely such privileges 

 demand in return hearty and faithful services, and an active 

 interest in all that pertains to their several duties. They 

 shouId|feel, too, that the credit and reputation of Rangemore 

 is in their keeping, and strive to make themselves proficient 

 in the different branches of their calling. 



Further than this care of a liberal employer is this other 

 noble fact, that when by misfortune or old age a man can no 

 longer labour, he is still enabled to live on the system of pen- 

 sions proportionate to the value of his service?. To commeLt 

 on that generous provision of a generous mind and affluect 

 gentleman were to "gild refined gold," and it may worthily 

 close the notice of this complete and well-managed garden — 

 a garden which everywhere bears the impress of taste and care 

 on the part of the owner and ability on the part of the gar- 

 dener. The immediate superintendence of Rangemore de- 

 volves on Mr. Arthur Bass, M. P., who is a great patron of horti- 

 culture, and who inherits the business aptitude, also the kind- 

 ness and benevolence, which have for so long been attached 

 to the name which heboid and honours. Mr. Bennett is alto 

 young in years but old in practice, and the sequel of his 

 success may perhaps be traced to a period of probation under 

 the veteran Mr. Barnes of Bicton, and for a lengthy and im- 

 portant charge in the ducal gardens of Chatsworth. 



I have to thank Mr. Bennett for his courtesy and atten- 

 tion, and render my acknowledgements of the hospitalities of 

 Rangemore and the shelter it afforded me when the hotels at 

 Burton could only be reached by boat, when the bake fires 

 were extinguished by the flood, and provisions from distatt 

 towns were hoisted into the windows of the upper rooms with 

 pitchforks. May I never see the like again ! — J. W. 



GLASS COPING AND FRUIT CROP FOE 1875.. 



No. 1. 



The year just passed will long be remembered for its ex- 

 cellent crop of wall fruit, especially of Peaches and Nectarines, 

 and to these two kinds of fruit my remarks will be principally 

 confined. To what is to be attributed the unusually largo 

 crop of fruit in 1875 ? If proper attention is not paid to the 

 trees in the year preceding we cannot ensure a heavy crop 

 of fruit. This was shown in a very marked manner in tbn 

 year 1874, during which year the wood happened to bo well 

 ripened. Prematured ripeness of the wood is sure to end in 

 disappointment ; and if we could trace the failures to thoir 

 true source we should, I am persuaded, find them brought 

 about by the want of moisture at the roots and disregard to 

 the daily vigorous application of the syringe to keep down red 

 spider, &o. Let drought and red spider do their work, and a 

 proper development of buds for the next year's crop is im- 

 possible. 1 am led to believe that failures which may hava 

 occurred can be traced to the above causes, by seeing mauy 

 trees almost quite denuded of all foliage as early as the end of 

 August. The wood was ripe and there were plenty of bloom 

 buds, but they were of an inferior character. The result was, 

 that when spring arrived the buds, instead of bursting inta a 



