512 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



t December 9, 187S. 



localities the dwarfer kinds of Conifers are better suited, where 

 they can be sheltered by large-growing trees. 



The conservatory is 71 feet long by 40 wide, and is built on 

 the ridge-and-furrow principle, and has four entrances. A 

 walk 4 feet wide runs round the sides, the central walks being 

 5 feet wide ; these are edged with stone and covered with a 

 light-coloured shingly gravel. A stage is round the sides of 

 the house 2i feet wide for small plants. As will be under- 

 stood by the arrangement of the walks, this leaves four com- 

 partments. In these compartments are planted Camellias, 

 each plant being separated from the others by a single-brick 

 partition wall. No doubt this is a wise provision in the event 

 cf any one )>lant requiring to bo removed, so that it would not 

 in any way interfere with the adjoining. Each division con- 

 tains about a dozen exceedingly fine plants. They are grown 

 as pyramids, in a soil about two-thirds of loam and one 



of peat, with a little silver sand; in the spring and summer 

 months they are watered with farmyard liquid manure diluted 

 with rain water. They were bristling with bloom buds, which 

 have been judiciously thinned, so that good blooms may be 

 looked for. The following are the dimensions of a few of the 

 plants : — Camellia Chandelerii is 8 feet high by 5 through ; 

 imbricata alba, 8 feet by G feet; Chelsonii, 8 feet by 5 feet; 

 elegans, 10 feet by .5 feet; Waltoniensis, 7 feet by 5 feet; 

 Aitonii, 7 feet by 5 feet; franeifurtensis, 6 feet by 4 feet; 

 Lady Hume's Blush, feet by 6 feet ; imbricata rubra, 9 feet 

 by 6 feet; reticulata, 8 feet by 4 feet— this is grown as a 

 standard, and is rather a difficult one to grow well; Saceoi 

 Nova, 10 feet by 8 feet. At the corners of these divisions is 

 a plant of Azalea indica alba, 6 feet by 5 feet. The roof of 

 the conservatory is supported by eight iron columns, braced 

 together by girders. On these are trained Gloire de Dijon and 



Fig. 1U7.— NOHKIS OriEES. 



Marfichal Niel Eosea, Tacsonia Van-Volxemi, Acacias, and 

 other choice climbers. These were growing in unconfined 

 profusion, thus having a more natural and pleasing appear- 

 ance than when trimly trained. This house is efficiently 

 heated by two saddle boilers. 



The kitchen garden and forcing department is a walled-in 

 enclosure. The first house wo enter is a span-roofed stove 

 40 feet long by 20 wide, with a stage round the sides and a pit 

 in the centre. In this pit is a hot-water tank, over which is 

 placed the plants. Noticeable was a fine plant of Dracfena 

 lincata 10 feet high, a good plant of Allamanda Sohottii finely 

 in bloom, also some very fine plants of Euchriris amazonica, 

 choice Orchids and Ferns. Next comes a half-span Cucumber 

 and Melon house 54 feet by 17 feet. The Melons grown were 

 Royal Ascot, Green-fleshed, and Cox's Golden Gem, which are 

 hi'^hly spoken of. Next in order is a range 150 feet long by 

 19 feet wide, divided into four compartments, a central com- 

 partment being for plants, which contained a good collection 

 of Azaleas, Ac, of convenient sizes, which have when in 

 flower to do duty in the conservatory. The other compart- 

 ments are for early and late-keeping Grapes. Lady Downe'a 

 Seedling and Black Alicante are the best sorts for late keep- 

 ing, but preference is given to Lady Downe's Seedling, which 

 Mr. Child told me keeps in good condition until May. For 

 early Grapes the Black Hamburgh is grown. The forcing of 



the early house is begun at the end of October, and ripe 

 Grapes are cut in April ; and as the late kinds are kept until 

 May this gives a succession the year round. One house had 

 been recently planted with Muscat of Alexandria, which had 

 covered a rafter 22 feet long, the wood being well ripened and 

 short-jointed. 



We next enter a span-roofed house 40 feet by 20 wide, with 

 a pit in the centre and a stage round the sides. The centre 

 pit is filled with soil and planted with choice kinds of Tea 

 Boses, which are trained over iron trelliswork ; they are also 

 trained up the rafters. On the side stages were some nice 

 young plants of tree Mignonette, growiug-on for conservatory 

 decoration, besides many other plants for the same purpose. 

 This house furnishes a good supply of cut blooms during the 

 spring months. In addition to this house a choice selection 

 of about two hundred plants are forced for decorative purposes. 



The next house is a lean-to vinery 45 feet by 18 feet, which 

 is planted with a double set of young Vines (Hamburghs), the 

 permanent Vines being planted in an outside border while the 

 temporary Vines are planted inside for earlier forcing. This 

 is done with a view to cropping the temporary canes only until 

 the permanent Vines are thoroughly established. 



My attention was next directed to a epan-roofed house 

 45 feet by 15 feet, with a walk down the ee>itre and a pit on 

 either side also planted with Vines; this is a late house, the 



