September 16, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



247 



wood or a waste. Not only was there not a OHltivated flower 

 or vegetable, but there were no fruit trees, oven no roads. 

 The mansion was in course of erection, and limber had been 

 cleared for its site and for access to the works. Beyond that 

 was nothing but an almost impenetrable jungle. This must 

 be converted into pleasant drives, with the usual ornamental 

 and useful adjuncts of a gentleman's residence. The wood is 

 Bomething like a hundred acres in extent, and is boldly un- 

 dulated ; here a streamlet, there a precipitons bank, and now 

 a ravine. The first of Mr. Luckhurst's duties was to make a 

 careful survey of the place and trans^for it to a map, showing 

 every irregularity of surface, the heights and gradients of the 

 declivities, and the nature of the streams. This was done in 

 a systematic manner preparatory to making the drives and 

 walks. This has been a formidable work, for it has been done 

 with a regard to a saving of all the possible expense consistent 

 with a preservation of the best natural features of the estate. 

 These could only be ascertained by taking the views from the 

 tops of trees, so dense was the underwood and irregular the 

 surface. Mr. Luckhuret has planned and carried out the 

 work of road-making with great success. In one part deep 

 cuttings have been necessary, in another uplevellings of great 

 bulks of material. In this work the cubic contents to be re- 

 moved were ascertained with accurate estimates of the cost 

 of the work furnished. It has been the same in pond-making, 

 fencing, and erections of all kinds, of which Mr. Luekhurst 

 has been, as it were, architect and contractor, having furnished 

 drawings and estimates previous to commencing every portion 

 of the work. As may be expected, a perfect system of drain- 

 age is carried out to take away superfluous water, and, what is 

 not less important, a system for a supply when wanted is 

 brought within reach of the crops, Mr. Luekhurst having so 

 arranged matters that the sewage, commonly regarded as waste, 

 is pumped up to tanks in the kitchen garden, and to this in a 

 great measure is to be attributed the luxuriance of the vege- 

 tables and the rude health and sturdy vigour of the fruit trees. 

 Thus nothing has been done by guesswork, but everything 

 has been carried out in a skilful and systematic manner. 



The principal charm of Oldlands as a residence consists in 

 its wild woodland walks and the great natural beauty of the 

 landscape. In an artistic and gardenesqne view there is 

 nothing remarkable to note. The treatment of the grounds 

 is admirable, but time is necessary to perfect the plans, and 

 the new work which is continually in progress prevents the 

 place, as a whole, having a finished aspect. The family being 

 also absent two-thirds ol the year, it is only at stated intervals 

 that a polish is given to the home-surroundings. Flower gar- 

 dening of a high order is, therefore, not attempted. The 

 design of beds is effective, and the borders are rich in flower- 

 ing shrubs. The walls of the mansion are being clothed with 

 attractive plants, which I will not enumerate, but leave Mr. 

 Luekhurst to tell us what is suitable for this purpose of deco- 

 ration. Yet I must not omit to say how fine is Berberidopsis 

 corallina, not only as a south-wall climber, but for the useful- 

 ness of its pendent crimson wax-like clusters for drawing and 

 dining-room decoration. When the hundreds of Conifers have 

 increased in size, when the thousands of Rhododendrons are 

 perfected, and when time is found to "trim and make neat," 

 then will the natural charms of the place be supplemented by 

 ornamental appendages tastefully disposed. Striking objects 

 in the garden are dense bushes of Hydrangeas, their hundreds 

 of gigantic blooms being, by the action of iron in the soil, of a 

 rich deep blue. 



I will now glance at the useful department of this place. If 

 Mr. Luekhurst amidst his multifarious duties of planning and 

 carrying out new work cannot find time to devote attention to 

 many details which he would wish to do, he wisely determines 

 that, whatever is left undone, the fruit trees shall not suffer 

 neglect. The collection is extensive, about eight hundred 

 trees being under systematic pruning, embracing all the beet 

 sorts. The growth and condition of these trees is little short 

 of marvellous considering the time they have been planted, 

 and they afford incontestable proof that the attention they 

 have received is of the first order in tree culture. That the 

 word " marvellous " is not an exaggeration I will instance a 

 Bellegarde Peach tree on the south wall. It was received from 

 a nursery a small plant three years and a half ago, and it has 

 now a spread of 24 feet, covering every inch of wall from top 

 to bottom, and is laden with fruit. Pear trees which were 

 planted at the same time in a small state are now perfectly 

 formed pyramids 10 feet in height, and studded with fruit 

 epniB to their centres. Plnm trees there are of the same age 



and size wreathed with fruit, also Cherries and Apples. Need 

 it be said that Mr. Luekhurst is no advocate of early root- 

 pruning and rigid summer-pinching '.' Light, liberty and 

 cleanliness, good food and careful guidance, are his landmarks 

 in fruit-tree culture. 



But it may be surmised that the soil of this garden is natu- 

 rally suited to the growth of trees. This is not so, and, para- 

 doxical as it may seem, it is because the natural soil was bo 

 bad that these trees have been made to grow so well. It was 

 because Mr. Luekhurst was told, on high authority, that 

 Peaches would not flourish in the open air that he determined 

 to make them, and to accomplish that the old soil was removed 

 entirely and new soil introduced. This soil-removal has been 

 a work of great magnitude, for thousands of loads have been 

 carted a considerable distance, and now the fruits of the labour 

 are to be seen in splendid trees and luxuriant vegetables. The 

 orchard trees were all planted on stations of fresh soil 6 feet 

 in diameter and 3 feet deep for each tree, and hence their 

 ruddy health and great promise. 



In Peach-growing Mr. Luekhurst is not afraid of strong 



wood ; indeed his aim has been to produce it as strong as 



possible, or he would not have covered a wall 10 feet high in 



three years and a half with fan-trained trees. So long as the 



growth is regular the stronger the better, would seem to be the 



principle of action here. As an instance of the luxuriance of 



the trees, the leaves of Lord Napier Nectarine are inches in 



length and 2^ inches in width. But what of the fruit ? The tree 



is laden with them, many exceeding 7 inches in circumference, 



and some of them taking honours at the great Show at the 



Alexandra Palace. In the case of these strongly grown Peach 



and Nectarine trees their vigour has not detracted from their 



1 fruitfulness, but has increased the size of the fruit. Coping 



! boards project over the wall 15 inches, and they are never 



: taken down. The trees are watered with sewage to keep them 



! healthy, and eyriuged with pure water to keep them clean; 



and fruit is supplied in abundance from the second week in 



July from Early Beatrice, to the end of October from the Late 



j Admirable. Dr. Hogg Peach is fruiting frec-ly ; it is a hand- 



! some fruit of superior quality. I cannot give an estimate of 



i the varieties of fruit ; that may well be done by the grower, 



for assuredly he is well able to furnish reliable information on 



the cultivation and merits of the best varieties of wall and 



orchard fruits. 



But in this general glance one specialty must be noted in a 

 wall of Pear trees. It is a happy idea, and will be an ever- 

 growing source of interest. On an eastern aspect is planted 

 a collection of Pears to be trained as diagonal cordons. The 

 arrangement is this : At the extreme end is planted the earliest 

 known Pear, followed by the next in succession, and to con- 

 tinued until the other end is reached with the latest sort. 

 In this plan is embraced upwards of seventy varieties. The 

 arrangement has been made with great care, and the trees 

 are very promising. 



Vines are grown in two spacious and well-constructed houses. 

 They are also vigorous, fine in bunch and berry ; and while 

 the Muscats are beautifully finished, the Ham burghs do not 

 quite satisfy the grower. Royal Ascot is carrying a fine crop, 

 capitally finished and of splendid quality, and Gros Guillaume 

 is heavily laden with noble fruit. Heavy surface-dressings of 

 manure are applied to the border, and into this food the 

 spongioles are darting in all directions and adding vigour to 

 the canes and fruit. Sarface-dressiug of the soil with manuie 

 is carried out with various crops with the very best results. 

 For fruits especially, in Mr. Luckhurst's estimation, it has 

 quite superseded the practice of digging-in. 



Cucumbers are grown in a fiue-heated pit, as also are plants 

 for table decoration. In this pit a late crop of Tomatoes are 

 also ripening. These and the Cucumbers are grown in strong 

 clay, but it is first burnt and then soaked with sewage, and 

 the vigour of the plants proves how well this strong food suits 

 them. Melons are grown in dung beds, so that we observe 

 two old-fashioned appliances — dung beds and flue-heating — 

 turned to profitable account in this new garden. 



I will summarise the cardinal means which have transformed 

 a wild wood into a complete and fruitful garden. They are 

 careful calculation, skill, zeal, plans prepared on sound prin- 

 ciples, details carried out with thoroughness, and — for this is 

 worthy of especial mention — sewage. — A Yisitok. 



Hendek & Sons' Seedling Petunias. — We have before us 

 fifty flowers of these seedlings, each a distinct variety, each 



