52 Notes on Gardens and Gardening 



There is one thing I observed here, and which I have 

 seen practised elsewhere, viz., growing climbing plants under 

 the glass. Now this practice is all very well when the 

 climbers are confined solely to the rafters of the house, or to 

 the pillars supporting the roof; but, as in this case, the whole 

 roof was densely covered by a mass of roses, &-c., trained to a 

 trellis under the surface of the glass, and rendered almost 

 impervious to the transmitted rays of light, the effect can- 

 not be otherwise than injurious to the plants growing be- 

 neath it. I am fully aware, that my opinions on this point 

 may be in direct opposition to those of many of my profes- 

 sional brethren, but experience has taught me the truth of 

 what I have here asserted. In the stoves the collection of 

 plants is rather limited, but we were gratified to learn that it 

 has been recently much improved, by the addition of several 

 new plants, and is to be still further augmented under the 

 care of the present gardener : this house, however, was very 

 gay for this season of the year, and its gayness much heigh- 

 tened by several good specimens of that conspicuous and 

 beautiful winter flowering plant the Poinsettfa pulcherrima, its 

 scarlet bracts contrasting finely with the dark green, and 

 healthy verdure of the other plants. This is decidedly one 

 of the best winter flowering exotics we have, and cannot be 

 too widely known. Here, also, I observed, a fine plant of 

 the Cycas revoliita, — and some crinums (A. amabile) the 

 finest I have seen ; they were just coming into flower. 



The Vineries were well worth looking at, though even at 

 this early season when not in fruit. Here were canes, worth 

 calling canes ; not half ripened, pipe-stem rods, that might 

 be crushed between your finger and thumb : wood well ma- 

 tured, plump eyes, short jointed, and just enough and no 

 more than is necessary to fill the house well. That is the 

 way that I like to see vines managed, and I would venture 

 to warrant that these vines will produce creditable fruit. 

 Back sheds are indispensable appendages to every gardening 

 establishment, but it is seldom we find them so arranged, 

 and kept in such a condition as to be perfectly answerable 

 for all the purposes to which they might be applied. Here, 



