Teddington Grone. 11 



forms part of the frontage of the shrubbery, measures in front 

 18 ft. in the line of the shrubbery, and is 1 6 ft. high. At the south 

 end of the lawn grows a handsome round-headed variegated oak, 

 about SO ft. high ; there are also two good specimens of the red 

 cedar, one of which is about 30 ft. high ; and likewise a handsome 

 upright cypress, in full vigour, about 40 ft. high. Here are also 

 some fine-growing plants of the gold and silver variegated holly, 

 but, unfortunately, in situations where they do not appear to 

 advantage. Fine specimens of Magnoh'a acuminata and M. 

 tripetala are growing on the lawn, and, in a few years, will make 

 handsome trees. Cercis canadensis grows well here, and there 

 is one handsome specimen about 25 ft. high. In walking through 

 the grounds I was pleased with the formation of the shrubberies, 

 they being so disposed as to relieve each other, as well as the 

 eye of the observer, and thus presenting a continued variety in 

 passing onward through the walks of the place. Mr. Bear, the 

 gardener, in common with his brother gardeners in this neigh- 

 bourhood, grows some good dahlias ; his camellias in the con- 

 servatory look extremely well ; and he has grown some fine 

 petunias and thunbergias in pots this year, trained to cone- 

 shaped trellises, which were introduced at the dahlia show at 

 Teddington, on Sept. 12., with considerable effect. 



Mr. Steers of Teddington is considered a good grower of 

 pines : his ground, containing about a quarter of an acre, is full 

 of houses and pits ; and from these he has ripened 700 fruit this 

 year. His fruiting plants for next year are now (the 1st of 

 October) in a fine healthy growing state. The fruiting-houses, 

 at present empty, are in preparation to receive the plants from 

 the pits, which liaA'e been shifted into the fruiting-pots for some_ 

 time; he, therefore, has nothing to do farther in removing them, 

 than to carry them, and at once to plunge them in the tan-beds, 

 which is done without their being tied up. Mr. Steers occa- 

 sionally keeps a few of the old stock of the queen pine over year, 

 and on each suffers two suckers to remain, from which, in the 

 following season, he says he cuts fruit of about 2J lb, in weight. 

 The largest queen pine he ever cut weighed ^ lb. ; and, if he pre- 

 serves his plants well through the coming winter, I think there 

 is a probability of his having many nearly, if not quite, equal to 

 that in weight. The compost which he uses appears very simple, 

 being nothing more, apparently, than a light yellow rich loam', 

 somewhat of a calcareous nature, with a small portion of old tan 

 or vegetable mould mixed up with it towards the bottom of the 

 pots. In turning out a few of the plants which had been potted 

 about three weeks, the roots of several had made considerable 

 progress towards covering the outside circle of the ball, and ap- 

 peared as healthy as possible ; the leaves, at the same time, exhi- 

 biting a breadth and verdure not often to be seen. Here, as 



