Calls at Suburban Gardens* 365 



is appended (c) ; the moment the waterer enters between the rows, he 

 pulls the string, and as he wheels along, the water rapidly escapes. In this 

 unfavourable season, watering had not yet commenced, on account of the 

 frosty nights. The principal strawberry forced here, and also at Spring 

 Grove, is Keens' seedling; the Grove-end scarlet for an early crop, and the 

 Bostock for the 2d crop ; all the three are great bearers. 



Mr. W. embraces every opportunity of introducing the best new sorts of 

 tree fruits, by grafting them on the old sorts, both trained and standards. 

 He has a kind of barley with 8 rows of grain in the ear, probably a variety 

 of hexastichon. His mode of destroying ants in the open garden, is by 

 taking a straight rod, such as the handle of a hoe, or rake, and pushing it 

 down 2 feet, so as to leave an open round hole of that depth ; the ants will 

 precipitate themselves into the hole, and, from the smoothness of its sides, 

 be unable to get up. Once a day, some water may be poured into the 

 hole, to drown what are there, and the round stick re-inserted, so as to 

 maintain the smoothness of its sides. This mode, we understand, is known 

 to several gardeners. Another mode is, by placing saucers with sweet, or 

 other oil, in different places, either in the open air, or in hot-houses, 

 which will destroy ants, beetles, crickets, and other insects, the margin of 

 the oil being sprinkled with a little sugar. This is said to be one of the 

 best modes of destroying crickets and beetles in dwelling-houses. 



Keens' fruit garden, Isleworth, May 11. 1826. The extent of these grounds 

 is about the same as those of Mr. Wilmot, and like them they are almost 

 entirely devoted to the culture of fruits ; there are here, however, very few 

 walls, or hothouses, and no pines or peaches are grown. China roses are 

 forced to a great extent in vineries, and the pots when in flower sent to 

 market. Sea-cale and rhubarb are also forced in pits. Instead of being 

 surrounded and intersected by walls, the grounds here are sheltered by 

 hedges, chiefly of common laurel, but also in some places of yew and 

 hawthorn, the whole planted by Mr. Keens himself. They are planted on 

 raised banks kept very narrow and high, the crest of the hedge being left 

 irregular as to height. At the base on the steep bank of earth there is 

 a row of strawberries, and a row of early peas. The latter vegetable, rhu- 

 barb, and sea-cale, are the only culinary plants grown by Mr. Keens for the 

 market. The greater part of the garden is covered with Keens' seedling 

 strawberry and Keens' seedling gooseberry ; certainly two of the best hardy 

 fruits of their kinds ever raised ; being large, of good flavour, hardy, and 

 great bearers. In the latter respect Keens' strawberry is not surpassed by 

 any variety, which, considering the size of the fruit, is a most valuable pro- 

 perty. The treatment of strawberries here is the same as at Mr. Wilmot's. 

 The sort of rhubarb grown in both gardens, and also at Spring Grove, is the 

 early variety commonly called the Siberian, which is found sometimes to run, 

 or become spurious. What is called the Scotch hybrid is also grown by Mr. 

 Oldaker, and considered superior to the other, though later. Buck's rhu- 

 barb is also grown by the latter, and, being a smaller growing plant, is, as 

 might be supposed, of a somewhat higher flavour; but the best flavoured of 

 all Dr. Thomson {G. M. vol. i. p. 396.) considers to be the R. palmatum. 

 Sea-cale is propagated by Mr. K. as by Mr. O., by the root, a superior mode 

 to raising it from seed. The roots of old plants are cut into pieces about 

 an inch long, and laid into drills like potatoe sets. This is done in order to 

 prevent the risk of placing the root end of the cutting uppermost, which 

 might happen in dibbling them, and if it did happen, the roots would never 

 produce shoots. The same thing applies to every description of plant 

 which may be propagated from roots without visible buds ; as the common 

 thorn, from the roots of which Mr, K. has several hedges ; the apple, pear, 

 plum, cherry, elm, sumach, &c. The laurel hedges here in very severe 

 winters are killed down to the ground ; but when that is the case, they are 



