10 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[July 7, 



division. A peaty loam suits it best, but it will 

 grow in any fairly good garden soil, attaining a 

 height of 2 feet, and flowers from now till the end of 

 the summer. 



Lychnis diukna plena. 



This is a double form of our common wild flower 

 which has found its way into gardens. It is a double 

 Hose Campion, and its great recommendation centres 

 in its long period of flowering — May to July — and in 

 its prolific flowering propensity and usefulness for 

 cutting purposes. As a second-row plant — growing 

 to a height of 2 feet — it will be found an acquisition. 

 Propagated by division. 



Gebanioji platypetalum. 

 Perhaps this is one of the most showy and attrac- 

 tive Geraniums that one could wish to meet with. 

 In the herbaceous border here it certainly is a picture 

 just now, and will continue to be so for another 

 month or so. The plant grows about 2 feet high ; 

 the flowers are borne in profusion, and in general 

 appearance resembles G. pratense. The colour is 

 rich violet-blue, the inner surface of the petals being 

 ■veined with dark purple lines. A well-drained and 

 poor calcareous soil suits it very well, and the roots 

 may be divided early in the spring ; and before 

 flowering the plants should be staked and tied, as 

 else the wind will probably break them down. 



Cynoglossum montanum. 

 This, the Hound's-tongue, is a British plant, not 

 (infrequently met with in its wild state, and worthy 

 of cultivation in gardens. The flowers are borne on 

 stems of from 15 to 18 inches high, and are produced 

 in drooping or pendent racemes, and are of a deep 

 bluish-purple tinge. It may be raised from seed 

 sown early in the autumn or the following 

 spring, and treated as ordinary biennials, and should 

 be grown in a light, well-drained soil. J. Horsefield, 

 Seytishury, Wilts. 



FOEEST PRODUCE 

 BORDEAUX. 



OF 



The British Consul at Bordeaux, reporting on the 

 forests of his consular district, says that the Pine 

 forests cover about one-third of the Department of 

 the Gironde, and consist almost entirely of the pin 

 maritime (Pinus Pinaster), which have to a great 

 extent been planted in recent times in the Landes 

 district, the soil there being unadapted to any other 

 kind of cultivation. The two chief products obtained 

 from these forests, viz., wood and resin, have now 

 ■become an important, and in some instances the 

 •sole source of revenue of the inhabitants of those 

 districts. 



In the parts distant from towns and other inha- 

 bited places it is the production of resin which is 

 principally resorted to, whilst in others which are 

 ■nearer to Bordeaux, or other ports of shipment, or to 

 ■means of transportation, the production of pit props, 

 railway sleepers, telegraph poles, and wood for fuel, 

 forms the chief business. 



The collection of resin affords a living to a large 

 number of the very poorest persons, and the recent 

 ■decline in the exportation of this article from 

 Bordeaux — which about twenty years ago was very 

 extensive — has, therefore, been a great misfortune 

 to the inhabitants of some parts of the Landes dis- 

 tricts. This decline has been caused by the annually 

 increasing competition of the United States of 

 America, which country, since the conclusion of the 

 Civil War, has become the chief exporter of resin to 

 London, Hamburg, and Antwerp, to the almost entire 

 exclusion of Bordeaux, which used formerly to send 

 considerable shipments to the ports mentioned. 



Pine Oil. 



A new kind of oil under this name is now made 

 from the refuse of resin after the same has been 

 employed in making turpentine. This Pine oil is 

 used at Bordeaux in some private houses as a light- 

 ing material, and burns very brightly ; it is cheaper 



than refined petroleum, and free from explosive 

 propeEties. The Pine trees do not appear to suffer 

 from the extraction of the resin, providing it is done 

 carefully ; indeed, it is stated that the wood of such 

 trees is better fitted for certain purposes, such as 

 paper-making, and for making pyroligneous acids, 

 than when the resin is not extracted. 



Comparatively few other trees of any height 

 besides Pines are to be met with in this Department 

 excepting in private parks and gardens ; amongst 

 these kinds the Oak and Elm are the most common. 

 Oaks are grown in considerable quantities all over 

 the country for fuel in private houses at Bordeaux 

 and elsewhere, for in spite of coal being less ex- 

 pensive, it is but little used for heating purposes. 

 Small sized Acacias and one kind of Willow are 

 grown largely for props for the Vines, and two other 

 kinds of Willow, Salix vimlnalis and S. vitellina, 

 are cultivated — the former for use in basket-making, 

 and the latter for making barrel hoops. Both kinds 

 are exported to the United Kingdom ; barrel hoops 

 from this district especially are much in demand in 

 Scotch ports engaged in the herring trade. 



arket Gardening, 



"THE CREWE," KENILWOETH. 



Occasional brief paragraphs referring to Straw- 

 berries or Mushrooms have suggested to the public 

 that Kenilworth is developing an important garden- 

 ing industry. Probably few are aware, however, of 

 the extent to which fruit and vegetables are grown 

 for sale in this neighbourhood, or of the perfection to 

 which market gardening has been brought. It is not 

 too much to say, that in recent years, the market gar- 

 dening business has been revolutionised, great skill 

 and intelligence having been devoted to the raising of 

 garden produce, and railway companies have, generally 

 speaking, applied themselves to the task of conveying 

 perishable commodities all over the country with 

 greater rapidity than formerly. Probably the pur- 

 chaser at Manchester of a pound of Mushrooms 

 would be surprised to learn thatibut a few hours pre- 

 viously the edible was growing a hundred miles 

 away ; and a similar customer in Birmingham would 

 be not a little startled were he told that but an hour 

 previously his purchases were growing in fields near 

 to the Castle ruins at Kenilworth. 



Villiers Hill, on which "The Crewe "is situated, 

 was formerly a part of the domains of the Earl of 

 Clarendon, but it was a few years ago bought by 

 Mr. C. P. Trepplin, of Wootton Court — where, by 

 the way, is one of the finest collections of Conifers to 

 be seen in the Midlands. Situate about a mile from 

 Kenilworth Station it is approached through a 

 charming country road running into what is known 

 as Glasshouse Lane, and from this lane an occupation 

 road leads through a couple of fields, after passing 

 the first of which the market garden ground 

 is observed. Immediately on passing the second gate 

 the cart-road is perceived to be lined with Mushroom 

 bills. Remembering the character of some of the 

 kinds of fungi which grow even in the Midlands the 

 visitor may well be wary ; but the field being freely 

 spotted with these white domes suggests that, early 

 in the season as it is, these must also be Mushrooms. 

 Mr. Murdoch, the market garden manager, is an 

 experienced horticulturist who has been with Mr. 

 Trepplin seventeen years, having laid out the grounds 

 and plantation at Wootton Court, and the state of 

 " The Crewe " gardens bears abundant testimony to 

 his ability and good management. 



Mushrooms are grown likewise in a long, low shed, 

 in which, by means of a little heat afforded by a flue, 

 a supply is obtained in the winter. The beds, wfcich 

 are raised to the height of several feet, were freely 

 spotted with " buttons," though a large quantity had 

 been picked during the day. Barns and other out- 

 buildings are filled with numerous other beds in like 

 condition and in almost every conceivable situation, 

 even some old cowpens being utilised for Mushroom 

 culture. In the greenhouses are to be seen some 



Tomatos of splendid size and colour. In another 

 house Cucumbers hang in plenty, and in the vineries 

 the Vines give promise of an abundant supply o 

 fruit. The cut flower business is an important de- 

 partment at "The Crewe," and among the subjects 

 grown is a Marechal Niel Rose, from which a thou- 

 sand choice blooms were cut in Easter week. 



While other farmers have been failing, financially 

 speaking, in ordinary agricultural pursuits, Mr. 

 Trepplin has turned to fruit farming apparently with 

 great success. Though the distance from the rail- 

 way station is somewhat of a drawback, the situation 

 of this flower, fruit, and Mushroom farm is almost 

 all that could be desired, and the area of land under 

 cultivation is being extended. The markets at Bir- 

 mingham, Coventry, and Manchester draw from this 

 source large supplies. Last week of Mushrooms 

 alone an average of 100 lb. a day was sent ofl, with 

 an extra 100 lb. on Saturday, and on Monday last 

 over 270 lb. were consigned to different dealers, a 

 large quantity being consigned to Manchester by the 

 night trains. The Mushroom business is now at its 

 full, being this year remarkably early — the atmo- 

 spheric and other conditions having been so favour- 

 able as to have advanced the season for meadow 

 Mushrooms by six or eight weeks. 



Kenilworth has acquired a reputation recently for 

 Strawberries, a tremendous quantity having for some 

 years been sent to market. Of the 21 acres of 

 gardens at " The Crewe " 8 acres are appropriated to 

 Strawberry beds, and last year during the season as 

 many as 1000 lb. a day on an average were picked. 

 This year the general supply may not be so large — 

 in fact, it is expected to be under.'an average year for 

 quantity. Owing to the extraordinary drought of last 

 year the plants did not ripen their crowns. There 

 are consequently fewer flower-spikes, but it is some 

 consolation to know that the quality will probably 

 be all that could be desired ; the plants look healthy 

 and strong, and there are hopes of a fair crop of very 

 fine fruit. 



A plantation of Cherry trees, an acre in extent, 

 was noted ; as also a very fine plantation of Currant 

 bushes. Plums and stone fruit generally is expected 

 to be a comparative failure. In this connection, 

 however, Mr. Murdoch has some cause for satisfac- 

 tion, and he is not indisposed to refer to it. It is 

 generally considered to be prudent to plant stone- 

 fruit trees in low situations ; Mr. Murdoch, however, 

 some time ago planted trees on 30 acres of upland — 

 the situation being considerably elevated. The idea 

 was condemned — it was generally believed that he 

 was making a great mistake, and it was prophesied 

 that the Plum trees especially would never do any 

 good. It is a remarkable fact, however, that this 

 orchard has enjoyed an almost total immunity from 

 blight, the trees having been slightly touched. On 

 this hill the trees are laden with heavy crops of 

 fruit, healthy, and bright-looking — a complete con- 

 trast to the state of the trees in sheltered situations. 

 Large quantities of Cucumbers are grown at Kenil- 

 worth — one gardener making them a specialty. 

 From the " Coventry Herald and Free Press." 



Nursery Notes. 



ORCHIDS AT MESSRS. HUGH LOW & 

 CO.'S., CLAPTON. 



That latest novelty, Cypripedium bellatulum, 

 illustrated at p. 747 of our last volume, may, at the 

 present time, be said to be the great attraction at 

 the Clapton Nurseries, the plant being a lucky intro- 

 duction of this firm. Six large houses are entirely filled 

 with established Cypripediums, and four more are in 

 the course of filling with more recently introduced 

 species, such as C. Godefroyai ; but among the whole 

 of the numerous kinds'injflower none are so noticeable 

 as O. bellatulum, a great quantity of which is in 

 bloom, and among which some new aud handsome 

 varieties are to be found ; one has already been cer- 

 tificated as C. b. roseum, and now there appear 

 others with pale yellow ground, and one with ivory- 



