426 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



( November 11, 1875. 



epan. The patent heating apparatus in this yard was the 

 work of Messrs. Cubitt. The quarter of an acre of frames in 

 the centre before mentioned are aa to material of good work- 

 manship, the wall plates of teak with galvanised sashes. The 

 frames, as to use, can hardly be over-estimated. What grand 

 feeders to a conservatory ! What salads ! What bedding stuff ! 

 What winter stuff ! What Melons ! What Strawberries ! 

 Why, the open storing shed at the end of the yard is about 

 80 feet long, in which everything not wanted can be placed at 

 once ; not a wheelbarrow need be left out in the wet, nor a dis- 

 used frame left about looking untidy. Indeed, this yard and 

 its buildings around would gladden any gardener's heart. On 

 the side where the buildings are I find the Mushroom house, 

 slate fronts on cast-iron pillars, and the bottom perforated 

 tiles. I enter the boiler house, and Mr. Carter tells me that 

 Cabitt's patent boilers answer perfectly, heating some thousands 

 of feet of pipes. In the tool house I find perfect order. A 

 notice is printed up, " A place for everything, and everything 

 in its place," and that notice was evidently obeyed in letter 

 and spirit. The potting shed was large enough for a school- 

 room, and the arrangements of the fruit room seemed good, 

 and the friiit in excellent condition. So of the seed room. 

 Lastly, I peep into a second boiler hquse. The range of offices 

 above described are, as to length, about 210 feet. Such is the 

 frameyard and the buildings around. Instead of everything 

 being old-fashioned and in a half-ruinous state, here was every- 

 thing new, good, and built on the best principles, and reflect- 

 ing great credit upon the architect, Mr. Ilardwick. Mr. Carter 

 tells me he has been at Hartham about ten years, and that he 

 works with a staff of eight men under him. He has evidently 

 his heart in his calling, and well knows what to do and bow to 

 have it done. 



Having taken a general glance round I now turn my pony's 

 head towards the Bath approach, and proceed onwards towards 

 the entrance known as Rudlow Gate. As I drive on for pro- 

 bably a couple of miles in the park I have a fine view of its 

 undulations and timber, while far away the eye takes in a 

 grand landscape, with what painters so much love, a telling 

 middle distance, the country towards North Wraxall and 

 Colerne standing out in bold relief. 



Such is but a slight sketch of Hartham and its surroundings, 

 and I wUl take leave to add a sincere hope that its kind and 

 generous resident, who has become its possessor but recently, 

 may be spared manyjyears of health and happiness. — Wilt- 

 SHiBE Rector. 



FKOST IN LINCOLNSHIRE— WORMS IN 

 FLOWER POTS. 



The remarks of " J. H." headed " Frost in Aberdeenshire" 

 attracted my attention and caused me to refer to my weather 

 diary, and strange to say the reading of the thermometer here 

 on the 11th and l'2th of October tallied exactly with the state- 

 ment given by "J. H." (see page 377)— viz., G° and T of 

 frost. French Beans and Scarlet Runners were killed, and 

 Dahlias and other tender plants partially destroyed. 



Respecting soot for preventing worms entering flower pots, 

 I can corroborate all Mr. Douglas has said on that point, as 

 we have frequently used it for the same purpose with good 

 results. — G. R. Allis. 



VINES AT OSMASTON MANOR. 



YouE correspondent " J. W." has either been wrongly in- 

 formed or he is under a false impression with regard to the 

 supply of Grapes and the uses to which the vineries at Os- 

 maston Manor were put in former years. Having known the 

 place intimately from early in the year 1853 to the end of 

 1872, and, moreover, having had the management of it for ten 

 years down to the latter date, I am in a position to speak of 

 what was done during that time, and I emphatically deny that 

 the Vines were grown only, or principally, to afford shade for 

 the specimen Orchids. The primary use of the vineries was 

 to grow Grapes ; and although from their peculiar proportions 

 and construction those vineries were difficult to manage, yet I 

 can say without hesitation that the table of the late proprietor 

 was invariably well supplied with Grapes seven months in the 

 year, which was about as long as the supply would last, the 

 demand being heavy and constant ; and in my time I have cut 

 scores of bunches of well -finished Hamburghs weighing from 

 2 lbs. to 4 lbs. 13 ozs., as well as smaller bunches. 



Whether the late owner thought most of bis Vines or his 



plants would, perhaps, be a difficult point to decide now, but 

 I know that be was as particular and as critical about bis 

 Grapes as he was about his plants or anything else ; and the 

 only specimen Orchid that was a permanent occupant of a 

 vinery was a large plant of Dendrobium speciosum, which was 

 too big to be conveniently moved in and out at the doorway. 

 A few other Orchids were occasionally taken into one of the 

 vineries to rest when the Vines were in a dormant state — a 

 practice which is far from uncommon. A numb^r of Camellias 

 and Azaleas also were grown under the Vines when the con- 

 ditions of the vineries were favourable to the growth of such 

 plants ; but this again is, I fancy, a common practice enough, 

 and I repeat that the vineries were used mainly and successfully 

 for the growth of Grapes. — F. Haeeison, Knowsley Gardens, 

 Preicot, 



[We have submitted Mr. Harrison's letter to our corre- 

 spondent, and be replies — "I have been both 'wrongly in- 

 formed ' and also under a ' false impression.' My information 

 was from a gentleman whom I bad reason to believe bad know- 

 ledge of the matter, and not from any servant of the family. I 

 bow, however, to Mr. Harrison's correction. My impression 

 was formed on the structure of the houses and on the appear- 

 ance of the Vines. Mr. Harrison supports me in the reason- 

 ableness of my assumption by admitting the bouses to be 

 ' peculiar ' and ' difficult to manage.' As to the Vines, with- 

 out disputing Mr. Harrison's statement, I can only say that 

 they have worn out quickly."] 



ROSES FOR SMALL COLLECTIONS. 



The majority of Rose lovers being small growers, I am sure 

 a word of warning just now at the buying season of the year 

 wiU not be out of place. 



Old growers will bear me out when I say that most new 

 Roses are large, coarse, and without scent, and, moreover, do 

 not last. For example, Mons. Noman as shown at the Crystal 

 Palace some three or four years ago was splendid and unequalled 

 as a light Rose, but it has never been good since its first ap- 

 pearance. This should act as a warning to amateurs not to 

 buy untried sorts. The bulk of new Roses are not improve- 

 ments. Raisers have yet to excel those three fine old purples 

 Pierre Netting, Vicomte Vigier, and Franvois Lonvat, and yet 

 in small gardens one seldom finds them. Why is this ? Simply 

 because buyers will buy Roses puffed by raisers instead of 

 waiting and seeing them proved. I would say to small garden- 

 ers. Do not have a bad Rose in the place. Instead of buying, 

 say, a hundred sorts, thirty of which are bad, order two or 

 three of a sort. Big print, heavy charges, and vivid descrip- 

 tions do not make good Roses. 



The following may be added to the list I sent yon a few 

 weeks back, all being good : — Mdlle. Marie Finger, a darker, 

 and Capitaine Christy, a lighter Mdlle. E. Verdier ; Maxime 

 de la Rocheterie, a fine dark purplish red ; Comte de Serenye, 

 a fine light blush; Hippolyte Jamain, an improved Countess 

 of Oxford ; and Madame V. Verdier left out in error, — An Old 

 Rose-Growee. 



DR. PLANT. 



There has just passed away at the ripe age of eighty-seven 

 one of the most accomplished florists it has ever been my good 

 fortune to know. It is a very long time since my love for 

 florists' flowers was first developed, but even then, forty years 

 ago. Dr. Plant was the leading florist in Ireland, and some of 

 his achievements I have never seen excelled, or indeed equalled, 

 in this country. We were some flve or six years afterwards 

 thrown together as competitors, and it was a white day in my 

 floricnltural calendar when I was enabled to beat " the doctor " 

 in Auriculas. I never did it but once, but to do it once was 

 something. At the period to which I allude Dr. Plant's cul- 

 tures were the Carnation and Picotee, and the Auricula ; be 

 afterwards added the Tulip, and in later years (when it became 

 so great a favourite) the Rose. One characteristic of his cul- 

 tivation was that he managed plants which nobody else seemed 

 to be able to do. I have never seen, for instance, amongst 

 Auricula-growers such plants of Booth's Freedom as housed to 

 grow and exhibit. I have seen it, and that not one plant only, 

 but many, with six and seven pips, each pip as large as a half- 

 crown and without the slightest coarseness. Taylor's Glory, 

 Page's Champion, and Hey's Apollo I have seen with him by 

 the dozen. The latter flower, a very beautiful blue self, I have 

 never seen elsewhere ; with him it was a most effective flower. 



