Mu'cU 5, 187<I. I 



JOUBNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



203 



ing the Farfugium grande ; also the SciadopitjB verticillata. 

 Auiougst the trees I observed a Fir which was very remarkable, 

 and must have given its owner considerable trouble in training. 

 It was about 20 feet high, but the branches were brought into 

 the shapes of tables and chaii-s, which must have been a work 

 of constant labour. 



There is a Japanese gentleman connected with the custom- 

 house here who is a great florist, and spends a fortune on his 

 plants. On the morning after my return here I noticed a 

 boatload of Camellias coming on shore from a steamer which 

 had just arrived ; and as you are aware I have always taken 

 the greatest interest in all connected with horticultural matters, 

 I went to examine them. This gentleman had just imported 

 them from Hong Kong, and as he found I took an interest in 

 flowers he invited me to see his gardens, and well did it repay 

 me for the short walk. His house is situated on the hillside, 

 overlooking the entii-e straits, and is protected from aJi the 

 north-east and northerly winds by nature ; and owing to the 

 way in which he has laid out his grounds by planting Bamboo 

 and other trees, he acquires artiflcial protection from other 

 points. Ho has had a greenhouse built after the English plan, 

 and there I found one of the finest collections of Ferns perhaps 

 in the world. I counted sixty-nine different species, all look- 

 ing the picture of health. If I could have only had Mr. Baiues, 

 of the Yorkshire Museum, along with me, or some other of 

 my floral friends, I should have been enabled to have given 

 your readers a far better description of these grounds than is 

 now in my power. I will, nevertheless, attempt to describe 

 them. However highly I may speak of them, I shall be unable 

 to do them the justice they deserve. 



Situated on the mountain side, the rear protecting them from 

 north-east and east winds, stand a number of fine forest trees, 

 which are common in this district. There is the Abies firma, 

 Pinus Massoniana, Cryptomeria japonica, Seiadopitys verti- 

 eiilata, Salisburia adiantifolia, or Maiden-hair tree. There 

 are about ten of the latter, all of which have attained a great 

 size. As I have had to translate the names from Japanese I 

 may have made errors — I hope your readers will excuse me. 

 The Bamboo grows thickly amongst them. To the front, or 

 pouth, the land and sea view is splendid, giving a prospect of the 

 entire straits with the numerous mountains on tho opposite 

 side. His house is situated close to the trees, and there are 

 three terraces, which must have been some considerable expense 

 in their construction. These are laid out in all kinds of de- 

 signs. The highest terrace, or No. 1 terrace, is adorned with 

 miniature gardens, comprising shrubs such as the Parasol Fir 

 (Seiadopitys verticillata) and Pines of other varieties ; there 

 are also a number of fish ijonds, in which perhaps from twenty 

 to a hundred gold fish are alive, swimming amongst the Lilies, 

 which almost cover the entire surface of the water. On tho 

 second terrace Azaleas predominate; and I expect next spring 

 I shall have a treat in again inspecting this garden, as each 

 plant is different in colour. There are, amongst other shrubs 

 I had pointed out, a species of Eurya, and a shrub, the name 

 of which I have been uuable to ascertain, but the description 

 given by its owner is that it bears sweet-scented flowers in the 

 first place, and now, as I see it, looks like our Holly, being 

 covered with red berries. On the lower terrace there are more 

 artificial gardens, and the Camellia here is the principal plant 

 grown, though there is such a collection of variegated shrubs 

 cut in the most beautiful shapes that I have ever seen, thus 

 taking away the eft'ect of the Camellia being too monotonous. 

 On the border the Chrysanthemum in every shape and colour 

 is now in full bloom, producing a very beautiful effect. On a 

 future occasion I will give your readers an account of a visit to 

 another garden in this neighbourhood. — John TAsitEK Fosteb. 



A WOBD FOR CAST-IRON BOILERS. 

 Up to the present, stern winter has favoured our fuel bills 

 considerably, but should the wind by chance, nautically speak- 

 ing, chop round to the north-east now that nearly everything 

 under glass is pushing into growth much heat wUl be required 

 to prevent injury to young and tender plants, and would greatly 

 affect this item of garden expenditure, although the season is 

 so far advanced. Any information, therefore, how to avoid 

 heavy fuel and new boiler bills is sure to be interesting to 

 the many, and I for one feel much obliged to Messrs. E. G. 

 Henderson & Son for thek able letter, giving their experience 

 with Messrs. Green & Son's wrought-iron boUers ; but at the 

 same time I regret they should have omitted to speak on the 

 most important points— durability and tho loss of heat in the 



stokehole, which latter is inevitable with any apparatus not 

 surrounded with brickwork or " insulated " to stay the radia- 

 tion, and it is obvious that the heat escaping by this means 

 cannot re-enter the piping for distribution where required. 

 This necessarily involves a serious loss. 



With self-setting boilers, generally speaking, the doors and 

 frames are in dangerous proximity to the fire ; these mostly 

 become red hot even if tho apparatus is but moderately pushed, 

 and if composed of wrought iron will soon scale, and warp, 

 and become defective. This, I am under the impression, is a 

 serious objection to these kinds of boilers ; but perhaps Messrs. 

 E. G. Henderson will Idndly enhghten us as to their probable 

 lasting powers, as I understand from tho conclusion of their 

 letter that four by the same makers have been selected to replace 

 others. 



In carefully going through their letter I find with regret that 

 the cast-iion tubular alluded to has not received that respect 

 it is justly entitled to in this instance, and I need not say it is 

 of the utmost importance when criticising any article of com- 

 merce that there should be no reserve or motive beyond bene- 

 fiting the public at large ; and further, if my memory does not 

 fail me in dates and years, the fractured tubular served them 

 considerably longer (doing its work cleverly to the same piping) 

 than two of the wrought-iron now spoken of by them in such 

 eulogistic terms. 



In conclusion I should be glad to learn how much the two 

 removed wrought-iron boilers were fractured less than the 

 tubular, and why removed to give place to others composed 

 partly of wi'ought and cast iron. — N. B. 



TRIAL OP ONIONS AT SEAHAM HALL, 

 DURHAM, 1873. 



Name. 



Brown Globe 



Blood Ked 



Brown Spanish 



'BedXordshire Champion 



Deptford 



Dauvers Yellow 



Flat Italian Tripoli . 



Globe Tripoli . 

 Giant Tiocca , 



Giant JIadeira .... 



James' Keepinfj 



*Naseby Mammouth 

 *Nuneham Park .... 



Neapolitan Mai-zagole . 



New Queen 



■Reading 



Silver-Bkinned. 

 Two-bladed . . . 



Eipe. 



Aug. 12 

 n 13 



M 12 



Sept. 1 



Late 

 Late 



White Lisbon. 

 Welsh 



White Spanish 



\\Tiite Globe 



White Italian 



■Ilai-rison's Improved 

 Leicester 



Sept. 3 



Sept. 12 

 M 12 

 July 



Aug. 12 



Keeping 

 Qualities. 



Good 

 Good 



Good 



Good 



Very good 



Good 



Bad 

 Bad 



Bad 



Good 



Bad 

 Bad 



Good 



A good old variety of the true 



shape. 

 A dark red variety; seems 

 likely to keep a long timo 

 to come. 



A good useful soi-t of medium 

 size. 



Good shape; seems to leep 

 well. 



A large variety, sautly brown 

 colour, and good shape. 



Much the t^ame character as 

 Bedfordshire Champion. 



Very much like the Blood Bed 

 in fihape aud colour. 



These two varieties resemble 

 each other both in shape 

 aud size. Kinds more suit- 

 able for autumn sowing. 



A largo globular- shajiod 

 variety. 



A nice compnct-lookiug kind, 

 much like Brown Globe. 



One of the best in this trial ; 

 liue for exhibition. 



Tho same as Nasoby Mam- 

 moth. 



An early white variety. 



Similar to the last-named. 



A well-known good variety, 

 but not so large as Naseby 

 I\Iammoth. 



Good for pickling. 



An early variety of no great 

 merit. 



Similar to Silver-skinned. 



Foliage upright ; of no great 

 merit. 



Good for autumn use. 

 The same as Jirown Globe. 



The same as Silver-sliiuned. 



Fine for exhibition, and rather 

 larger than Nuneham Park 

 and Naseby Mammoth. 



-E, 



Those marked with aa asterisk I*) ai-e the best in this triiU. 

 H. D. 



MYRSIPHYLLUM ASPARAGOIDES. 



This beautiful aud useful plant is not grown in any quantity 

 as it ought to be. 



.'i.n American friend, who has been in a florist's business in 

 Boston fifteen years, going through the houses here, seeing a 

 batch of this beautiful old favourite, speaks of it as follows : — 



