Jaii9 29, 1876. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOUIiTORE AND OOTTAQE GARDENER. 



511 



some of the Hamburgh bunches weighing as muoh as 4 lbs., 

 Alioantes 6 lbs., and Barbarosaaa 8 lbs. The fruit is jaat 

 thinned, and this season's crop promises to be still batter than 

 last one, and, like everything else about the place, the con- 

 dition of this house reflects great credit on Mr. Anderson, the 

 able and persevering gardener, who has carried out so many 

 improvements here. 



Madresiield Court Vine was rooted out of this house last 

 year, as it would not keep well, and it is replaced by Pearson's 

 Golden Queen. This was planted last autumn. It has made 

 a wonderfully fine young cane this season, which must fruit well 

 next year. This is an excellent late yellow (irape. It is an 

 extraordinary robust and free grower and fruiter, and I have 

 neither seen nor heard of a single fault it posECSsea. It is 

 well adapted to satisfy the wants of amateurs, as it is found 

 to do well on the commonest fare. The wood of one and all 

 the Vines is very fine, and they derive their whole support from 



finest fruit. Osborn's Forcing French Bean was bearing 

 immense quantities of long pods in 8 -inch pots. 



The inmatea of the stove are all of a choice healthy descrip- 

 tion. The greater part of a long side shelf is filled with 

 Orchids. There is scarcely a genua unrepresented ; some of them 

 by more than a dozen species. The healthy growth and pro- 

 fuse manner in which many of them are blooming show how 

 well they may be grown in a stove. Mr. Anderson has con- 

 trived an ingenious method of damping this structure. There 

 is a side shelf surrounding the house, and the pathway is of 

 the same form with a stage in the centre. Underneath the side 

 shelf there is a half-inch lead pipe fixed, and in this there is a 

 row of little boles facing the pathway. When it is desired to 

 damp the floor there is a tap turned at the door, and the whole 

 pathway is damped in an instant without either dirt or con- 

 fusion, as there has been a plenteous supply of water laid in to 

 all parts of the garden lately. In hot days, or when the fire 



Fig. 128.— CUFTON HALL. 



loam and bones well mixed together and carefully formed into 

 a border. There were some fine specimens of Maidenhair Ferns 

 in this house. The friendly shade of the Vine leaves seems to 

 suit them admirably. 



Farther along there is another large span-roof late vinery. 

 One side of this house was planted last spring, and the opposite 

 side lately. Last year's Vines, and especially Mrs. Pinoe, is 

 showing some good fruit, and all are making splendid growth. 

 Next to this there is a small pot-Vine Louse, from which the 

 earliest fruit is obtained. The three last-named structures are 

 heated with one of the " gold medal " boilers, and Mr. Ander- 

 son speaks of it in very complimentary terms. Another Peach 

 house contains an excellent half-swelled crop. A large stove, 

 Melon and Cucumber house, and forcing pits and frames have 

 been lately erected on excellent principles by Mr. Foster of 

 Beeston. These are situated outside the kitchen garden wall. 

 Strawberries are forced in the Melon house in the early part of 

 the season. The varieties most esteemed here for this purpose 

 are Keens' Seedling, Black Prince, and President. The crop 

 on these this spring was wonderful; many of the plants in 

 C-inoh pots produced three dozen full-sized fruits. Taking the 

 runners off as early as possible, growing them strong, and not 

 drying them oiit at any time throughout the winter is supposed 

 to be the cause of them being so good. Tender and True, 

 Telegraph, and Volunteer are the Cucumbers which yield the 



heat is strong at night, the atmosphere may be kept constantly 

 moist and healthy by turning the water slightly on. 



The kitchen garden is kept well stocked with vegetables all 

 the year round. Many finely-formed young standard fruit trees 

 are arranged throughout the garden. The walls are well 

 covered with Pears, Plums, Cherries, Peaches, and Apricots. 

 The walks are all edged with Thrift. It has a pretty effect 

 when in flower. The vegetable plots are divided from the 

 principal walks, with flower borders planted in the old mixed 

 style, and from April to November they furnish large quantities 

 of cut flowers of all descriptions, which are much used for 

 ornamentation in the Hall. — J. Muik. 



MELON CULTURE— STABTING VINES. 



I HAVE been very muoh interested in the descriptions of the 

 more notable gardens of this country which have appeared 

 from time to time in your pages, and to those who, like myself, 

 are unable to visit these, the articles in question cannot tail 

 to be a source of great pleasure as well as profit, for in these 

 notes we obtain glimpses of the management of different sub- 

 jects under varied circumstances, as well aa the more remark- 

 able features in the formation of the gardens described. 



In reading the able deseriptiou of Thoreaby Park given by 

 " Q. E." I was much pleased with some of the suggestions 



