64 



JOUKNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABUENEK. [ January 24, 1865. 



tberefore, admirable and deserving; ovL'ry praise. Nor js 

 tliis all that is done. Professors, of wc-U-known names, give 

 courses of sound instruction on tlie theory and practice of 

 pruning. Those invaliiablo schools are attended even by 

 ladies. The writer has derived much benefit from them ; 

 when shall we see similoi- courses open in England 'i We 

 liavo learned men, second to none, deserving, too, of more 

 honours than the country lias as yet given tliem. When 

 shall we see diplomas of various degrees given only to such 

 gardeners and amateurs as i^ass their examinations satis- 

 lactorily 'i We live in an age of progress, and of rapid tran- 

 sition. Time is very precious. Horticulture has made im- 

 mense advances in every way but recently. 



The aim, then, of these papers is to give assistance to the 

 amateur, and present to the mind, at one glance, the various 

 modes of Peach culture. 



The latest system differs much ii-om that first used, and 

 the cause of this is, no doubt, owing to the introduction of 

 orchard-houses. In these one system alone obtains — the 

 close pruning of shoots. While, therefore, it is necessary to 

 make great allowance for the exigencies of open-air culture, 

 there is really no necessity for following, in the latter case, 

 any other M-ay. To adapt close summer stoijping, joined to 

 close winter pruning, to the open wall, would be to simplify 

 the whole system of Peach culture. Could this be well 

 shown to be practicable, it would save much valuable time ; 

 and as the effect of close pruning is to increase the number, 

 both of leading branches and of bearing shoots, it is evident 

 that by that pruning space is saved and produce increased. 

 The ancient plan was essentially based on "long in'uning," 

 and experience shows that this has serious defects. In 

 avoiding this error, others have fallen into the unnecessary 

 and unnatural plan of summer shortening and disbudding. 



It is the conviction of the writer, based on long j^ractice, 

 that the system of long jiruning is uusuitcd to the present 

 day. It will be shown, in the jjroper place, where alone it 

 should be applied. The otlier methods, which are derived 

 &om it, are made, by the additions necessary, tedious and 

 complicated. On the other hand the new method is simple, 

 natuial, and highly successful. The reader will, however, 

 at least have this advantage, that he will be able to judge 

 for himself, and select that which he prefers. — T. Collinos 

 Beehaut, Biclimoml House, C-hternsey. 



DEATTON MANOE, 

 The Seat of Sik Eoeeet Peel, Bart., M.P. 



Having arrived by rail at Tamwortb, the first object that 

 attracted attention was Tamworth old castle, seated on the 

 declivity of a hill, v.'ith the river Tame at the foot wind- 

 ing along through the valley. Drayton Manor is two miles 

 from Tamworth. There are two entrances, the first is the 

 more private, with a lodge on the right, then through a 

 grove and over a bridge, with the water musically chaffing 

 its course over boulders and rocky ground. The other 

 entrance, about a quarter of a mile on the ColeshiU road, is 

 the principal one, and has a neat stone-built lodge and iron 

 gates. 



The drive leads go'me distance through an avenue of Limes 

 backed by largo HoUy trees and plantations, and through 

 the open park, with the surrounding sceneiy well varied by 

 clumps and belts of mixed forest trees, with distant views, 

 three of them over the lakes, and of the mansion conspicu- 

 ously seated on rising ground. Passing by the pleasure 

 gi'ounds and entering by the kitchen-garden gate, I directed 

 my steps to a neat Gothic cottage, the residence of Mr. 

 Ballingall, the head gardener. 



I am happy to observe that where recent improvements 

 have been made at various residences, the first object has 

 been to erect a suitable dwelling for the head gardener. 

 At Lady Holland's and at Oak Lodge. Kcnmngton, at Coombo 

 .\bbey near Coventry, at Hanbury Hall near Droitwicli, and 

 at Arle Court, Cheltenham, very good garden Iiouhch have 

 been erected. They arc of the Elizabethan or old English 

 style. The leading feature of this stylo applied to cottages 

 is the diBprnsing with broken lines. The house is composed 

 of different parts, projecting at right angles from each other, 

 with also a projecting porch, and the outshot octagonal win- 

 dows command views in three diil'ercnt directions. The gables 



are enriched with pendants, and the doorways with orna- 

 mental dressings, and there are handsome octagonal chimney- 

 stacks. All the forms which particularly mark the Eliza- 

 bethan style may be wrought in the cheapest materials with 

 comparatively little labour, a small portion of ornamental 

 work tastefully disposed is capable of producing very con- 

 siderable eli'eet. The size of the cottages would lead one to 

 suppose that there was no objection to the anti-Malthus 

 principle, and that gardeners (I mean those that deserve 

 the name), will not advertise " no incumbrance." I recol- 

 lect dining one day with a gardener and his wife, who were 

 blessed with a fine rosy-faced chubby boy, r.ud the conver- 

 sation turned on the impropriety of some gardeners' adver- 

 tisements. I shall never forget the offended dignity of the 

 mother as she said, "Good heavens! to say that that chUd 

 is ' an incumbrance ' is an offence against God, and a dis- 

 grace to gardeners." After a little reflection she concluded, 

 " I suppose the men who advertise thus are only hewers of 

 wood and drawers of water?" 



The kitchen gar-deu at Drayton Manor is divided into 

 three compartments, in which are a range of vineries 180 feet 

 long, in three divisions, the borders provided with bottom 

 heat, troughs on the pipes, and cast-ii'on tables in front ; a 

 fruiting Pine-stove 60 feet long, the sorts are Queens, Smooth 

 Cayenne, Enville, Prickly Cayenne, and Providence, and the 

 compost sandy loam and charcoal; a Fig-pit GO feet long, 

 with Fig trees in pots, which had ripened the second crop 

 in the season ; a Peach-case 270 feet long, in three divisions, 

 each division can be heated separately, and the trees looked 

 in excellent health, with plenty of fruit-buds ; also a Peach- 

 house; a Cucumber-pit 42 feet long, the plants bearing in 

 pots and in the beds — the large leaves denoted health and 

 luxuriance, and the fruit was splendid. The principal sorts 

 were Perfection, Telegraph, and Conqueror of the West. 

 A plant-house was filled with specimens worthy of exhibition 

 at the metropolitan shows. The following are the names of 

 a few :— Chinese Azaleas, Acacia grandis and A. Drummondi, 

 PhcenocomaproUlera, Butaxia myrtifolia, Eriostemon buxifo- 

 lium, Khy ncospermum jasrainoides, Lapageria rosea, Lonicera 

 aureo-reticulata, Aphelexis maorantha purpurea and A. ma- 

 crantha rosea, Pleroma elegans. Enonymus japonicus vai'ie- 

 gatus, E. radicans variegatus, Eteagnus japonica variegata, 

 and Oxylobium arborescens. Besides the above there were 

 an Orange-house, and houses for stove plants. Orchids, and 

 Ferns. In these were fine specimens of Cyanophyllum niag- 

 nificum, Alocasia metallica, Maranta vittata and regalis, 

 Croton jjicta, C. angustifolia, and C. discolor, Dracajna 

 terminalis picta, Allamanda Schotti, Stephanotis floribunda, 

 Begonias of fine foliaged and flowering varieties. In the 

 frame ground were Pine-pits, fruit-room. Mushroom-house, 

 &c. Upwards of 3000 Strawberry plants in pots were in 

 the best condition for forcing, the sorts w'cre Black Prince, 

 Keens' Seedling, British Queen, Oscar, and Sir Charles 

 Napier. All the houses and pits in this extensive and well- 

 kept establishment are heated by hot water. 



Drayton Manor house is built in tlie Elizabethan style, 

 having the usual appendages of turrets, towers, and terraces. 

 The building is of smooth ashlar freestone, and was built 

 about twenty-six years ago from designs furnislied by the 

 late Sir li. Suiirke. Tho east front consists of a central 

 hall; a tuiTetted corridor tastefully covered with Ivy con- 

 nects the building with tho offices on the right ; and the 

 left wing consists of the picture gallery and conservatory, 

 tho latter a costly and beautiful octagon building, and cer- 

 tainly one of the most complete struct^urcs of its kind I have 

 ever seen. It forma a kind of nave and transept, in the 

 centre of which stands a beautiful marble (bunt ain and basin 

 14' feet wide. Its curvilinear roofs and dome a)'e supported 

 by handsome iron columns, fluted, and painted green and 

 white, and the capitals and bands are gold and gi'ccn ; 

 festoons of the rich green drapery of tho foliage, wreathed 

 with flowers, entwined tlio pillai-s and hung gracefully from 

 tho roof. Among tlicm I observed C'oba3a scandens, mag- 

 nificent Acacias, and Paasion-Elowers of various sorts. The 

 ends of tho transepts are occupied by groups of plants, and 

 aviaries containing rare and boautiful-plumaged birds. From 

 th(^ centre and other parts of tlio roof are suspended ex- 

 tn.'mely ornamental and nuissive hanging baskets woU filled 

 with drooj)ing and other (lowering plant.s, and four beautiful 

 coloured chandeliers are hung round tho fountain. At each 



