^90 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOTJLTItRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t April 13, 1876. 



Ced.ras deodara, 70 in circamference and 25 feet high; a very 

 fine Wellingtonii; also Cedar of Lebanon and atlantica, a fine 

 pyramid of Hodger'a hybrid Holly, Thujopaia boreaUs, and 

 Hemlock Spraeea. At the end of this walk we come to an 

 open apace from which other walka diverge in different direc- 

 tions. Here ia planted in the centre a large Wellingtonia on 

 a high mound, with a bordering of Berberia aquifolia. Down 

 a namber of stepa in a secluded glen I noticed what formerly 

 was the yillaga well, and from it emerges a tiny stream which 

 spread out between bauks of Laurels and Rhododendrons, 

 forming a miniature lake. The ground which now forms these 

 beautiful shrubberies not long ago was the original village of 

 Annesley, and some of the trees planted by our grandsirea 

 have been taken advantage of, and with a judicious arrange- 

 ment of their surroundings Jlr. Young has braught them in as 

 useful ornaments. 



Turning to the left I just take a glance up one of the long 

 gladea close to the boundary of the park which forms the 

 pinetum. Near the iron fence is a long line of Yews planted 

 about 20 feet from each other. It is intended to allow the 

 upper branches to meet and form a series of living arches. On 

 the other side of the avenue Pinuses and other evergreens are 

 in excellent health, perfect pyramids many of them, with the 

 lower branches sweeping the ground. Tlie most notable are 

 Pinusexcelsa, P. cembra, P. nobilis, Cedars of sorts, Arancaria 

 imbricata, Cupresaus Lawsoniana, and large Chinese Junipers. 

 Retracing our steps and passing by the before-named Wel- 

 lingtonia along another rustic walk, we come to the spring 

 flower garden. It is enclosed with a Yew hedge i feet high. 

 At intervals of 20 feet the Yews are allowed to grow and are 

 cut into the form of pyramids. A broad border 12 feet wide 

 runs all round, with rockwork at the back for Alpine and 

 similar plants. The borders were planted with choice Auri- 

 culas, Myosotia, and the most popular of our spring-flowering 

 plants, besides a good collection of Phloxes, Delphiniums, and 

 Pentsttmons. I very much regret that my visit was on the 

 24th of March, when everything exposed to the wintry elements 

 was suffering from the severe ordeal they had just passed 

 through. The plants used for the embeUishment of this 

 garden might be counted by thousands, and when in their fuU 

 glory must be seen to form any idea of their exquisite beauty. 

 We now leave this interesting scene — interesting in more 

 respects than one ; for who of ua that have passed the meridian 

 of life can look on a spring flower garden without calling to 

 mind those happy days of boyhood when we planted our firat 

 Daisies and Primroses on the little plots of ground by the old 

 house at home ? As we leave this spot of pleasant associations 

 we travel towards the kitchen garden. This is separated from 

 the pleasure grounds by a broad belt of grass with a gravel 

 walk in the centre 10 feet wide. On the right there ia a Yew 

 hedge 4 feet high, with pyramids 25 feet apart and about 

 12 feet high. 



Passing through a pair of iron gates we come into the kitchen 

 garden. It ia two acres inside the walla and one acre outside, 

 and the orchard is three acres and a half. The pleasure 

 grounds including the terraces are fourteen acres. The kitchen 

 garden is divided into four squares, and the walls are flanked 

 with a border about 14 feet wide. It ia surrounded with well- 

 built walls except the east end, which is partly iron palisad- 

 ing. The walls are all furnished with useful fruit trees — fine 

 examples of skilful training. The wall with west aspect is 

 covered with Pearson the Quince and trained in the horizontal 

 form. The first half of the north wall is covered with Red 

 Currants, and the border is planted with Raspberries. The 

 other half is occupied with Morello Cherries, and the border 

 with Red Warrington Gooseberries. When the fruit is nearly 

 ripe the whole border, including the wall, is covered with nets, 

 which preserve the fruit from the depredations of birds and 

 prolongs the season of desserts. The wall with east aspect 

 had the lower half planted with Pears, and the upper half 

 Plums and Cherries trained in the fan form. Among the 

 Plums were some fine trees of Washington Green Gage and 

 Golden Drop. On the south wall are the vineries, 105 feet 

 long. To the west of these there are Peaches of sorts ; but 

 the late winters have considerably damaged the trees, which 

 prove the need of glaaa coverings for these tender fruits in 

 this our variable climate. The wall at the other end of the 

 vineries is devoted to Apricots. 



The vineiiss are .35 feet long each, lean-to's, and about 

 18 feet wide. The first house ia filled with Black Hamburgha, 

 the fruit just set and swelling-olT a useful crop. The second 

 house is Muscat of Alexandria, one Vine of Muscat Hamburgh, 



and one of Chasselas Musque. The Tines were just breaking, 

 and from their vigorous appearance gave promise of a good 

 crop. The Vines in the third house, Bowood Muscat, Muscat 

 of Alexandria, Lady Downe'a and Black Hamburgh. These 

 houses, like many others at thia season, were doing double 

 duty, for they contained thousands of bedding plants, which 

 will be used by-and-by for the decoration of the terraces. 



Round the kitchen-garden walka are some fine Apples and 

 Pears trained as pyramids, which bear heavy crops of fruit. 

 In the rear of the garden is a large Mushroom house with 

 beds in full bearing ; also rooms for young men, potting-sheds, 

 (fee. There is also a useful epan-roofed house which answers 

 many purposes. Besides a collection of Ferns, the house con- 

 tains pot Vines in good condition started about November. 

 Another space is devoted to Cucumbers and Melons, and not- 

 withstanding the multitude of subjects aU appeared at home 

 and in excellent health. Mr. Young, besides having the care 

 of the gardens, has the management of the home farm, which 

 is several hundreds of acres. 1 did not go over the latter, but 

 every part of the gardens bore testimony of consummate skill 

 and ability. Mr. Young's cottage is situated at the east angle 

 of the kitchen garden, and is for size, convenience, and ac- 

 commodation a model gardener's dwelling. Mr. Young was 

 not only exceedingly courteous, but spared no pains to point 

 out all objects of interest. — R. 



REPORT ON RED AND WHITE CURRANTS 

 FRUITED AT CHISWICK 1875. 



Thehe is, perhaps, no class of fruita in ordinary cultivation 

 in thia country in which ao much confusion exieta in regard to 

 their nomenclature or their distinctive merits as in that of 

 Currants. Names exist in plentiful variety, but the fruits 

 of all the kinds are very similar, so that it has been impos- 

 sible to distinguish them. The varieties may vary to some 

 extent as to the size of the bunches, berries, their colour, 

 cropping qualities, &a. ; but as these are considerably affected 

 by cultivation, situation, &e., their comparative and distinctive 

 merits can only be ascertained when all the varieties are 

 grown together under the same conditions, as in the present 

 instance. 



The collection, consisting of forty-five reputed distinct va- 

 rieties, was got together from various quarters, and represents 

 the most of the names to be met with in English nurseries 

 and a few of the French. Altogether there exist about sixty 

 distinct names as applied to the Red Currants and about fifteen 

 to the White, so that the remainder have to be collected and 

 described. 



The claasification is baaed chiefly on the appearance of the 

 plants, their foliage, habit of growth, &c. "Thia is very de- 

 cided, distinct, and easily to be recognised. The typical names 

 adopted may not in every instance be correct, but the varieties 

 given as synonyms are all identical the one with the other as 

 they have been received by the Society. There ia no means of 

 distinguishing any of the varieties by their fruit alone. 



BEDS. 



1. Red Dctch .>i/;i.s-.. Fertile, Fertile d'Angleterre, Fertile 

 de Palluau, Fertile de Bertin, La Hative, Hative de Bertin, 

 Bertin No. 9, Belle de St. GUles, Chenonceanx, Grosse Rouge 

 de Boulogne, Queen Victoria, Red Grape] .—This is one of the 

 best varieties in cultivation. A most abundant bearer, and 

 ripening early. The bunches are long, and the berries large, 

 full, and juicy, of a bright red colour. The plant is of a dwarf 

 and somewhat slender habit of growth, never attaining a large 

 size. The leaves broad and flat, deep green, having a sort of 

 metallic glaucous hue, which renders it in appearance quite 

 distinct. The synonyms here given are all referable to this 

 one variety, and which is the one generally grown and known 

 in this country as the Red Dutch. 



2. Knight's Large Red ^-i/jis.. Knight's Sweet Red, Goliath, 

 Fielder's Red, Palmer's Late Red, Pitmaston Red, Pitmaston 

 Prolific, Large Sweet Red, Bertin No. 1, Dancer's Selected]. — 

 This variety ia not quite so early as the Red Dutch. It is a 

 most abundant bearer. The bunches are long and produced 

 in immense clusters. Berries of medium size, of a bright red 

 colour. The plant is of strong and vigorous growth, the shoots 

 growing mostly erect. Leaves pale green, rather small, some- 

 what deeply cut and crumpled in appearance. Thia variety is 

 the one in most general cultivation in the market gardens 

 around London, having probably been selected for its fine 

 vigorous constitution. Messrs. Krelage of Haarlem sent fruit- 



