216 



JOUBNAL OF HOBUCULTDRE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



( Huoh le, 1876. 



are in excellent condition, being well furnished with young 

 bearing wood from the top to the bottom. The eeoond house 

 is a late vinery, the Vines oonBisting of Black Alicante, Lady 

 Downe'B, and Groa Guillanme. On the 19th of February, 

 when I was there, the Grapes were as fresh and plump as if it 

 had been the beginning of November. The third house is a 

 late vinery with the fruit all gathered 'and the Vines pruned. 

 The Vines in this house are principally Black Hamburghs, 

 Muscats, and one of Black Alicante. It was from this last- 

 named Vine that Mr. Meredith obtained eyes in the first in- 

 stance to stock the vineries at Garston, and subsequently other 

 places throughout the country. 



Leaving this range, the next house to be inspected is the 

 exotic fernery. Here there is much to interest, but approach- 

 ing night permitted only a hasty glance. I noticed fine speci- 

 mens of Gymnogrammas, Dicksonias, Aspleuiume, Adiantums, 

 Blechnums, Gleichenias, and Lycopodiums of many sorts. 

 The back wall is covered with Lyoopodium denticulatum and 

 a few stray Begonias of the ornamental-foliage section. A 

 large piece of galvanised wire netting the same size as the wall 

 was fastened about 2 inches from the latter. Then the cavity 

 between the netting and the wall was filled with moss and 

 peat, the moss being kept next the netting to keep the peat in 

 its place. The Lycopodium was fresh and green, and the 

 Begonias dotted here and there had a beautiful effect. 



In the frame ground are several ranges of pits each 60 feet 

 long, used for Tines in the early stages of their growth, Cucum- 

 bers, Melons, plants for the conservatory, and thousands of 

 bedding plants. In addition to the above ranges of pits there 

 is a Peach ease in three divieions, the first division being 

 devoted to Cherries, the second to Victoria and Elruge Nec- 

 tarines, and one Walburton Admirable Peach, and the third 

 being occupied with one gigantic Eoyal George Peach. 



In another enclosure near Mr. Prince's house is a block of 

 useful span-roofed houses and pits. The houses are uniform 

 in size, 4.5 feet long and 16 feet wide. The first is partly 

 filled with ordinary greenhouse plants and a large stock of 

 superior plants for the summer flower garden. The next is a 

 plant stove containing some fine specimen Crotons, such as 

 0. angustifolium, C. interruptum, 0. irregnlare, C.Weismanni, 

 and the old C. variegatum ; Aphelandra aurantiaca Roezlii, 

 Xylophylla latifolia, Stephanotis floribunda, a fine plant of 

 Adiantum farleyense, large Marantas, Bougainvilleas, winter- 

 blooming Begonias, and Dracienas. The next house is filled 

 with Pines, some of them just pushing into fruit, and others 

 for suooession. The plants are remarkably healthy, and are 

 distinguished for thick, sturdy, compact foliage, many of the 

 leaves not being more than 2 feet long. The general appear- 

 ance of the plants demonstrate that they have received skilful 

 culture. Several ranges of pits are used for early Potatoes, 

 Asparagus, French Beans, Kadishes, and Salads. 



We now cross the park to the kitchen-garden department. 

 There is a range of seven houses built on a hillside, the ground 

 falling at the rate of 1 foot in 10. Each house is 33 feet long, 

 16 feet wide, and 12 feet high. They are half- span-roofed 

 and heated by hot water. Though there is a difference of 

 rather more than 3 feet in the level of each house, the circu- 

 lation of the water is perfectly satisfactory. The first is a 

 Peach house with the trees planted in front and trained to trel- 

 lises near the glass. The trees are in robust health, and give 

 promise of an abundant crop of fruit. The second house is a 

 vinery replanted last May with Vines stiuck from eyes by Mr. 

 Prince in February. They had completely filled the house 

 with wood and foliage bbfore antumn, and are now cut down 

 to within a few inches of the ground. The third house is 

 planted with Muscat Vines, now pruned and ready for starting 

 into fresh growth. The fourth is a Peach house. The fifth 

 a late vinery. The sixth also a vinery, and the last in the 

 range is an orchard house devoted to Plums, Pears, and Figs. 

 Some of the trees are in pots and others planted out. They 

 had produced heavy crops of fruit, and from the vigorous ap- 

 pearance of the trees and the numerous fruit spurs and buds 

 they gave great promise for the future. In the kitchen garden 

 I observed some fine dwarf Apple and Pear trees, and a few 

 standard Plums. Mr. Prince informed me that he saved his 

 crop of Pears and Apples from being destroyed by the frost by 

 tying bunches of hay among the branches. There are several 

 fine beds of Strawberries, and judging from their luxuriant 

 appearance Mr. Prince evidently understands their cultivation. 

 Among Broccolis Snow's White Winter was found to be in- 

 valuable. 

 I may; add that_^Mr. Prince, the gardener, is thoroughly 



practical and master of bis profession. He received his early 

 training at Lord Londesborongh's at Grimston Park ; he also 

 served at Syon House under Mr. Smith, now of Kew, and at 

 Chatsworth. As a garden, both extensive and complete, Ring- 

 wood is especially noteworthy, and in my hurried visit I have 

 reluctantly passed over many features of interest with which 

 the place abounds. Mr. Prince is about to leave Ringwood, 

 but a gardener so competent is not hkely to be long dis- 

 engaged. — E. 



CELERY AND ITS CULTURE. 

 That this is a very favourite vegetable and one which absorbs 

 a considerable share of the gardener's attention is evident 

 from the efforts which are made by vendors to " select," " im- 

 prove," and offer "new" sorts having superior claims to 

 public notice. 



Celery is one of the most important of our staple garden 

 crops — a crop for which there is no substitute, and one which 

 must have a high system of culture bestowed on it to bring it 

 to perfection. It matters not how small a garden may be. 

 Celery must be there ; while in large gardens it is grown 

 almost by the acre, and in " market fields" many hundreds of 

 acres are devoted to its culture. 



Further than merely growing Celery for plain table use a 

 healthy rivalry is manifested in perfecting heads of the most 

 attractive appearance for exhibition purposes, and as feats of 

 skill sustaining the cultural reputation of the grower. In 

 some districts — notably in the vicinity of Sheffield and Man- 

 chester — the culture of Celery is almost a speciality, and the 

 cultural ability of many amateur gardeners is measured by 

 the manner in which they exhibit at the " Celery show." 

 These exhibitions which are common in the neighbourhoods 

 of manufacturing towns are remarkable for the gigantic and 

 otherwise well- finished "sticks" which the growers produce. 

 It is not unusual to find heads of Celery exhibited upwards of 

 i feet in length and weighing from 10 to 12 lbs. 



As an exercise in kitchen gardening and as a healthy mode 

 of recreation of artisans and aspiring gardeners, high-class — 

 that is, gigantic— Celery culture is not only permissible but 

 recommend able. It calls into action good and useful qualities 

 which are seldom brought out until a man is " put on his 

 metal." Huge and perfect heads of Celery cannot be produced 

 without a rich and highly prepared soil, assiduous and unre- 

 mitting attention, and hard work. These are qualities which 

 are indispensable to the success of every gardener ; and if by 

 an attempt to grow in a " fancy " manner this or any other 

 vegetable these qualities can become fixed as a part of a man's 

 nature, the lesson will prove simply invaluable in after-life. 

 Celery-growing is first-rate educational work ; for if a man 

 can win a copper kettle at a great Celery show he is not likely 

 to fail in the cultivation of other vegetables. The hardest 

 race I ever ran and the toughest prize I ever won was in a 

 Celery race near a large town, when I was " first with White 

 and second with Red." I fought then for my craft and not for 

 the prize as such, for the gardeners of the district, it was con- 

 fidently predicted, would be " nowhere," while I was resolved 

 if possible that they should be "somewhere." I had not 

 taken lessons from my most worthy teacher without being 

 impressed with a feeling to hononr my calling, and so far as 

 it lay in my power to make it respected and not despised. 

 Shall I state how I won that coveted prize ? 



First as to soil. I knew that it must not only be rich but 

 rich in that element that was necessary to sustain the crop. 

 What that element is and where I was to obtain it was not 

 very clear to me, so I went to work in a very primitive fashion 

 in working out a problem of chemistry. I wished to place in 

 the ground not only food for plants but food for Celery. 

 What that food should consist of I took as guidance the pre- 

 vious year's crop, and resolved that what it had took out of 

 the soil I would endeavour to restore. I simply therefore 

 saved all my Celery trimmings and made them the basis of 

 my rot heap and future store. The trimmings were treasured, 

 and as they decayed they were covered with soil— a layer of 

 trimmings and a layer of soil. The mixture was further satu- 

 rated with the strong drainings of the dunghill, and so the 

 compost was formed which won the prize. I have never grown 

 such Celery since as by that mixture, and hence my reasons 

 for believing that it was rich in Celery food. 



Next as to sorts and preparing the plants. The Red was 

 Manchester Red and the White Goodwin's White. The rais- 

 ing of the plants I knew to be an important matter, and that 



