m- 



JOURNAI, OP HORTICULTUE^ AND COTTAGE 6AEDENEE. [ February 2S, 18«5. 



beautifal forms axo there, and -bat the eye of the connoisseur 

 anJ the simple lover ol flowers would alike be gratified by 

 the fine display there made. The cool house would be, 

 perhaps, of more general interest, as it implies the possi- 

 bility of Orchids being more generally grown ; bat 1 may 

 be allowed to express here an opinion, which I ventiu-ed to 

 broach to Mr. Harry Veitch, and which he confirmed — that 

 a great many people will burn theii- fingers at this experi- 

 ment, that Orchids will be attempted in this way, which will 

 never do, and "cool house" receive a much more liberal 

 interpretation than the case warrants. Well, in this cool 

 house there were a number oi fine plants of Barkeria, both 

 SVinTiori and the higher-coloured variety superba ; Coelogyne 

 cristata, which, albeit it may, according to Sir. Gordon, do 

 Better in an East-India-house, was doing well here; Odon- 

 toglossums of various kinds, nievium and Pescatorei, and 

 its variety euperbum just coming into flower ; and above all, 

 the very varied and beautilul Lycaste Skinneri. Talk of 

 the varieties in florists' flowers, this Orchid boats them all ; 

 for not only were there no two flowers alike from the different 

 bulbs, but the same bulb produced flowers differently marked. 

 So free-flowering, too, is it, that on one plant in a small pot 

 I counted ten flower-stems, ilr. Warner has told us how 

 well this lasts in flower in a drawing-room ; and those who 

 possess a house which they can heat would do well to see 

 if they cannot grow this v«ry beautiful and free-flowering 

 Orchid for the winter and spring decoration of their houses. 

 Perhaps in this house, however, the plant was a beautiful 

 mass of CephaJotus foUicularis, which was truly wonderful 

 for its extreme vigour and health, and with its curious little 

 bearded pitchers a most interesting object. 



All who have of late years visited llr. Veitch will remem- 

 ber the beautiful hai'dy fernery, which was one of the gems 

 of the place. Its place is at the end of the range of Orchid- 

 houses : and it is now to be removed, and a house built 

 there for the purpose of bringing Orchids into when in 

 flower, 80 as to prevent the necessity of visitors going through 

 the range of houses, oftentimes, especially to ladies, very 

 oppressive. Interspersed as they will be with Perns and 

 other plants, it will always be a pleasing and interesting 

 spot. But let it not be supposed that therefore Ferns are 

 to be neglected ; on the contrary, this is only preparatory 

 to a complete change. A space of ground which now adjoins 

 the greenhouse fernery is to be covered in with glass ; and 

 in this a new hardy fernery will be formed, laid out with the 

 same taste as characterised that now in course of removal. 

 Thus, as in the case of the Orchid-houses, there wOl be a 

 gradation in temperature^the hardy fei-uery first, then the 

 greenhouse, and then the stove Ferns ; so that they who 

 are afflicted with filicomania may gratify it to their heart's 

 content, for every rare and beautiful form will be found 

 there — and what is more exquisite than the lovely and deli- 

 cate foliage of this widely dispersed tribe ? In the green- 

 hoose fernery were some large masses of that glorious ter- 

 restrial Orchid Disa grandOljra and its variety superba, 

 which Mr. Veitch has imported from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 equalling if not excelling all other Orchids in the brilliancy 

 of its colouring, being, moreover, so easy of cultui-e, that 

 any one with a greenhouse Jrom which frost is excluded 

 may grow it. 



It would be simply impossible for me to even enumerate 

 a tithe of the novelties and rarities that I saw in range after 

 range of houses. Amongst fine-foliaged plants stood con- 

 spicuous Maranta Veitchii with its singularly marked leaves, 

 almo.->t looking as if three sepurate leaves had been one by 

 one eliminated from the bud and marked with the most 

 striking colo<ir8, and for whicli the premier prize was awarded 

 at Brussels. Then what glorious masses of Azaleas ! looking 

 pugnacious, I fancied, as if to say, " I have my gloves on 

 ready for the conflict in May and .Tune." Who can ade- 

 quately describe the fine coDeotion of Pitcher-plants, un- 

 eqnalled, probably, in any establishment in the kingdom!' 

 Then there were such plants of Lapa^eria rosea and alba ; 

 that fine Anlhurium, about the best plant sent home by 

 Mr. Weir, and whose name if: still in nv.inhua, whether it is 

 to be oordifoliura or Woirii. If the latter, it will almost 

 sound like an epitaph if the next accounts of Mr. Weir cor- 

 respond with the last. Tlien to lovers of softwooded plants 

 there was a whole house gay with variegated Geraniums, 

 on which Hr. Harry Veitcfa has been trying same cnrioos , 



experiments, which I hope may produce something. One 

 quarter of the ground, which has been recently taken in and 

 enclosed with a wall, has been devoted to the trying of new 

 plants ; this \vill be a sort of sanctvm sanctorum, under 

 special watch and ward. Then the Japanese Museum in 

 itself aflbrds occupation for a morning's investigation, while 

 I had but a couple of hours to run through it all. 



Ere I left, however, I acceded to a most kind invitation, 

 not only to go there again in May, but also to visit Coombe 

 Wood ; and the results of my visit I hope to communicate. 

 I trust, however, that what I have said may induce some of 

 your readers when visiting London to go down to Chelsea 

 to see this world-famed establishment. They may depend 

 upon it that they will find it at any time far better than a 

 weekly show at South Kensington ; and they will meet, 

 moreover, with what is rather a scarce commodity in that 

 fashionable locality — the utmost civility and attention, and 

 a desii-e to impart any information which it may be in the 

 power of those who manage the concern to give. It has 

 now been for three generations in the same family — a most 

 unusual thing — with every prospect that the fourth will be 

 as active, enterprising, and intoUigeut as its predecessors. 

 — r>.. Deal. 



THE STEAWBEEET LA. CONSTANTE. 



Ever reluctant to obtrude myself on the horticultui-al 

 public, I cannot reirain fi-om giving my humble experience 

 fis to the merits of that excellent Strawberry, La Constante, 

 especially as I perceive that iu your Xumber of the 14th inst., 

 that eminent grower, M. Gloede, of Les Sablons, mentions 

 my name in connection with this branch of horticiiltuxe, 

 making allusion to this Strawberry in particular. 



I have been very closely engaged lately in my own 

 avocation proper, or despite my antipathy to dabbUng in 

 troubled waters, I should most probably have forwarded you 

 a line ere this on so interesting a subject. I have not, how- 

 ever, been altogether a passive observer of the opinions 

 lately expressed in your valuable Journal ; on the contrai-y, 

 I have closely scanned them, and weighed their merits. 



After a careful observation of the habits and peculiarities 

 of upwards of two hundred varieties of the Strawberry, I 

 can safely say that no sort has given me gi-eater pleasure or 

 satisfaction in its cultiire, than La Constante. I can, there- 

 fore, fuUy endorse the opinions expressed by M. Gloede in 

 every respect. -Any doubt as to its hardiness, indeed, had 

 never entered my mind, never to my knowledge having lost 

 a single plant of it from any cause whatever, since I com- 

 menced its propagation some four or five yeai-s ago, from 

 two plants kindly presented to me by that unobtrusive ,but 

 devoted li'agai-ian, the late Mr. Nicholson, of Eaglescliffe. 



The only difficulty that first occurred to me from such 

 small Iieginnings, was its reluctance to emit its runners, 

 especially early in the season ; but this, now that I have a 

 good stock of plants, I must confess I regai-d as one amongst 

 its numerous merits ; for what amateur or private grovv-er of 

 this delicious liruit likes to see his beds choked up with 

 innumerable runners ? and look what constant labour is re- 

 quired, especially in laige plantations, to repress this ten- 

 dency in many sorts. 'This opinion may not be concurred 

 in by those who grow this variety for sale ; but even here, 

 as in the case of the amateur, the only thing needed is a 

 little extra vigilance in looking after the eai-liest runners, 

 and taking cai-e to get them well rooted as eai'ly as possible 

 in ground properly prepared for the pur-pose. Let the 

 earnest frngarian only once accomplish the production of a 

 good crop of fruit from first year's plants of La Constante 

 (and it is easily done), and all other difficulties will soon 

 vanish. 



The eai'ly planting and the necessary attention to the 

 plants to accomplish this end, will at the same time banish 

 all ideas as to the tenderness of this variety, if any exist; 

 but with me, as with P.ritish Queen, the question ol tender- 

 ness lias never arisen. 1 never mulch or in any way protect 

 my plants in winter. A Strawberry that required such 

 petting would very soon in my grounds, exposed as they are, 

 bo dug up. I place my trust, on the contrary, in thorooigh 

 exposure, in deep trenching, incorporating the soil well with 

 a moderate quantity of well decomposed manure in th« 



