442 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICCTLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ Juno 13, 180-5. 



cases on Srire trellises 5 or G feet liigli. The back wall 'is 

 planted with trees also on wire trellises, and by this arrange- 

 ment the trees axe allfreely exi^osed to the light. On enter- 

 ing the garden from the west end next the Abbey, these 

 cases have a very ornamental appearance in front, and at 

 the same time serve as a beautiful screen to the plant-houses 

 at back. 



The gi'eenhouse, 75 feet by 18, contained the usual assort- 

 ment of plants. Amongst them were Geraniums Lord 

 Palmerston and Kendatler, the latter with a large pink 

 truBB of well-iormed flowers, and Cassia corymbosa. The 

 -Stove and fernery together are 75 feet by 18. The Ferns 

 occupy a length of 35 feet, and stove plants the remainder. 

 Conspicuous among the latter were the -iUamanda Schotti 

 and neriifolia, Croton variegata, Passifiora. quadrangulaiis, 

 tree Fei-ns 8 feet high, Polypodium auroum, Pteris argyrsea, 

 and several others in a most luxuriant state, with the Cissus 

 discolor gracefully hanging from the I'oof all over the house. 

 In the Fern compartment is a series of double arches against 

 the back wall for supporting two borders in which Perns 

 are planted out of their pots. In front of these is a tank of 

 heated water, and a stage over it for setting Forns on. Be- 

 hind this are arranged, one on each side, a house SO feet 

 long by 15 wide, heated by hot-water pipes and a tank, and 

 containing Ouccmber plants bearing fine fruit and a succes- 

 sion of young plants, and another of the same dimensions, 

 in which were fine crops of Melons. The sorts were Monarch, 

 -Chichester Prize, a large fruit, and Brandon Green-flesh. On 

 the other side, to correspond, are the fruiting and succession 

 Pine-pits. 



The improvements in courseof being carried out comprise 

 a Eose garden, a Ehododendron or American gaiden, and a 

 miniature fruit garden, and the soil dug out according to 

 the instructions of Jlr. Xesfield, to enlarge tlie lake, is in- 

 tended to form a beautiful terrace garden. In the pleasure 

 grounds are some fine old Oaks, Spruce and Scotch Firs, 

 and other forest trees and shrubs. Every tree is in perfect 

 beauty, feathered to the ground, and the outlines of the 

 groaps and of the plantations indicate a state of nature, 

 ftee from the interference of cattle, most favourable to this 

 landscape scene. 



It is only three or-four years ago that the old and delapi- 

 dated garden walls and houses were taken down, and the 

 present new walls and horticultural buildings erected by 

 Ml-. Gray, of Danvers Street, Chelsc-a. The remodelling of 

 the kitchen garden and the many other improvements carried 

 out and in the course of completion, reflect much credit on 

 Mr. Miller. His exhibitions at the Koyal Ilorticultural 

 'Gardens attest his practical abilities, and a visit to Combe 

 Abbey will prove that he is the right man in the right place. 



While Mr. Miller was engaged with a friend I took a stroll 

 into the young men's apartments, and I was delighted to 

 see the accommodation provided for them. Mr. Miller, to 

 hia credit be it said, when erecting the beautiful horticul- 

 tural buildings and garden-house, did not forget to provide 

 comfortable accommodation for the young men who lodge 

 on the premises. While an individual is sunounded by dis- 

 comforts, it requires a greater share of fortitude than falls to 

 the lot of many, to resist temptations which offer pleasure as 

 well as comfort. To prove the difficulties and temptations, 

 it is only necessary for the writer to recall to his recollection 

 the many instances v.hen time was misspent and frivolity 

 the disorder of the evening. As the services of young gar- 

 deners are required during the evenings, to attend to fires 

 in the forcing department, it is unkind, to say the least ©f 

 it, to lodge them in sheds too often unfit for haman habita- 

 tions. — Willi-aj: Keane. 



PBOPAGATING A^IJ AFTEK-MANAGEMENT 



or BEUDIXG A^'D OTHEE PLAIvTS. 



(C'onlimted /mm pa'je 37R.) 



The soil most suitable for propagating nearly all kinds 

 of bedding plants is a mixture of loam, leaf soil, peat, and 

 silver sand in equal proportions. After this has been well 

 incorporated together it should bo »ifted through a sieve 

 about liulf an inch v,-idc in the mesh, and a finer sieve should 

 be used for sifting the .-joil the second time. The small lumps 

 of soil, sand, iic, that will not pass through the riddle this 



time should be saved for putting on the top of the drainage 

 to prevent the fine soil from running down amongst it. I 

 have often seen large lumps of fibrous peat, moss, loam, &c., 

 put in on the drainage for this purpose ; but this is a very 

 bad plan, and it should be avoided for this reason : after the 

 cuttings are struck it will be found on turning them out of 

 the pots that the roots from many of the plants have grown 

 into a single piece of moss or fibres, and these cannot then 

 be disentangled without injury to the roots of many of the 

 plants. When this happens loss of time in the growth of 

 the young plant is sure to follow ; for instead of its starting 

 off into vigorous growth in a day or two after it is potted oft', 

 the energy of the plant is necessarOy occupied in forming 

 new roots to replace those that have been broken during 

 the process of shaking them out of the cutting-pans. Where, 

 on the contrary, the fine siftiugs are used on the top of the 

 drainage instead of the fibrous lumps as described above, 

 the cuttings can be easily separated without doing much 

 harm to the roots. 



When the soil is properly prepared see that the pots or 

 pans, whichever are to be used for putting the cuttings in, 

 are quite clean, especially inside. If dirty jjots or pans are 

 used, when the fresh lot of cuttings are turned out, it will 

 be found that a large jjortion of their roots has been left 

 sticking to the sides of the pots. In preparing the cutting- 

 pans place about 2 or o inches of broken crocks in the 

 bottom, putting in the larger pieces first, and finishing off 

 with small pieces. On tliis place the siftiugs fi'om the 

 cutting-soil in sufficient quantity to fill up the small openings 

 between the crocks ; then fill the pot full of the prepared 

 soil, and give two or three sharp tajis on the potting-benedi 

 to shake the soil in evenly. Press the soil moderately firm 

 with the points of the fingers, and give the pot two or three 

 more taps on the bench. The surface of the soil should be 

 about half an inch below the rim of the pan. Next place a 

 quarter of an inch or so of finely sifted sand on the soil, or, if 

 the sand is put lightly on and scraped off level with the top 

 of the pot, the sand should then be pressed down firmly 

 with the bottom of a small flower-pot. This will leave a 

 space of about a quarter of an inch between the rim of 

 the pot and the sand. The small space above the sand is 

 required to hold the water when the pans are watered. If 

 the surface of the sand is level with the rim of the pot, and 

 the cuttings are left long after thoy are struck, the sand gets 

 baked or cased over, and the water, instead of soaking in 

 to nourish the plants, runs off, leaving them quite dry. 

 A batch of cuttings left in this v/ay soon becomes infested 

 with green &y, and when once this pest takes firm hold the 

 pot of cuttings might as well bo thrown to the rubbish- 

 heap. 



The sand when used should be in a nice moist state, and 

 should not bo watered before the cuttings are put in. I 

 mention this particularly, because I have often seen persons 

 after they have beaten the soil into the cutting-pans with 

 a wooden maUet, toss them into tubs of water two or 

 three times to consolidate the sand. This is one of the 

 worst plans that could bu adopted, for it soddens tho whole 

 mass of sand and soil, and the consequence is that a large 

 portion of the cuttings damp off or refuse to emit roots. 

 My plan is never to v/ater t)ie cutting-pans until the cut^ 

 ting.s are all put in, unless these are very small, when it 

 is necessary to have the surlaco rather tii-m. In dibbling 

 in the cuttings be careful to place the base of the cutting 

 on the bottom of the hole made by the dibber, then press 

 the sou firmly around the sides of the cutting. After 

 the pot is filled water with a fine rose, but only in sufficient 

 quantity to consolidate tho sand about the cuttings. If the 

 soil is in good order—*, c, neither too v.-et nor too dry, very 

 jlittle water will be required between the time of putting the 

 cuttings in and potting them off after they are i-ooted. 



In tailing the cuttings oif gi'cat care should be exercised, 

 especially if a large stock of any one kind of plant is wanted 

 in a short space of time, and the stock to work irom is very 

 limited. It is not necessary to take the cuttings of Vcr- 

 bonas. Lobelias, Petunias, Calceolarias, li'uohaias, &c., off at 

 a joint. IJy doing, so, two cuttings aj-o sacrificed in the first 

 place, and two-thirds uf the number of plants that might 

 have been struck from the same plant. My niodo of ijro- 

 cceding is as follows : Let us take, for example, a jjlant of 

 any of the above-named kinds, such as would be sent out 



