154 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
({ August 22, 1878. 
WE never remember haying seen FOREST TREES so 
green and luxuriant in harvest as during the present year. 
Having recently traversed the district of Cobham Hall near 
Gravesend we could not fail observing the exuberant foliage 
of the fine avenue of Elms in Lord Darnley’s park. The 
country lanes, too, on the Cobham estate are now extremely 
beautiful, the foliage of the trees of the woods on either side 
completely arching the roads, forming refreshing canopies of 
foliage, and the trimness and neatness of the roads and hedges 
impart additional pleasure to the visitor driving through this 
beautiful and richly wooded district. All kinds of trees ap- 
pear to thrive equally well ; but especially noticeable are the 
Sweet Chestnuts, many of which are bearing good crops which 
ripen, and are collected for the deer in the park. A portion of 
the undergrowth of the trees consists of Rhododendrons, and 
the appearance of these shrubs and the manner in which they 
bloom in the spring afford evidence that they are about the 
best of all evergreens for growing under the shade of trees. 
From Cobham above mentioned a pleasant drive leads 
to Gads Hill, where the residence of England’s great novelist, 
the late Charles Dickens, is the centre of attraction. CHARLES 
DICKENS’ GARDEN is small, but evidently has been, and is now, 
eherished. The house stands back some 40 or 50 yards from 
the public road, and the front up to the bay windows is staged 
for accommodating pots of scarlet Geraniums. At the ex- 
tremity of the lawn next the road is a thriving pair of Deodars 
which had probably been planted by the late owner, and the 
garden on the opposite side of the road contains a grand pair 
of Cedar of Lebanon, also flower beds and ornamental shrubs. 
A subway formed under the road connects the two gardens, 
svhich are in excellent keeping, and are not less enjoyed by 
the family in residence than by the thousands of visitors who 
pay a passing glance at the home of one whose name will be 
cherished long after the trees that he planted bave crumbled 
to decay. 
Ir has frequently been stated that, provided VINES 
hhave good attention, they will yield good crops when no 
Specially prepared border has been formed for the roots. A 
ood instance of the truth of this is afforded by a large vinery 
at Coombe Bank. When the house was erected it was in- 
tended for plants, but Mr. Moorman decided to try some 
‘Vines as well. Several varieties were planted in the ordinary 
garden soil. During the growing season the soil was top- 
dressed with manure, and abundance of water was given to 
the roots. The result was splendid canes, and a crop of re- 
markable weight was produced the following (this) season. 
"The canes made this year are also excellent, being as thick as 
@ man’s thumb and studded with bold eyes. The soil is light 
and gravelly, such that grows Conifers and Hollies splendidly. 
The health of the Vines is no doubt attributable to the manurial 
top-dressings and heavy waterings, efficient drainage being 
secured by the natural porosity of the soil. The Vines are 
probably as good as they would have ‘been if the most expen- 
sive and elaborately prepared border had been made for them. 
—— THE quantity of SCARLET RUNNER BEANS now being 
sent up to the London markets is very extraordinary. One 
salesman in Spitalfields Market receives upwards ¥ theusand 
bushels weekly from one parish in Essex. The’ variety of 
Runners fetch better prices, are more productivé-and conse- 
quently on the whole more remunerative than the larger varie- 
ties of the Champion type—a fact intending growers for 
market ought to take note of. 
— A CORRESPONDENT, “G. H. V.,” writing from Retford 
in reply to Mr. Godward on page 132, states that HUCALYPTUS 
GLOBULUS, about 12 feet high, has been in magnificent flower 
this year, but both of the trees are now dying, and he has seen 
the like at Garnons, Hereford.—In reply to F. Finch we can 
say confidently that in England Eucalyptus globulus is a rapid 
grower, and Mrs. Brassey informs us in her “ Voyage of the 
Sunbeam” that in Teneriffe a specimen grew 115 feet in seven 
years. 
— Mr. Cossom, gardener to Mr. Campbell-Bannerman, 
M.P., at Hunton, Kent, tells us that a LYGODIUM SCANDENS, 
started into growth at the middle of January, completed by 
the beginning of May an aggregate growth of 384 feet. ‘he 
plant was potted into a 13-inch pot in the early part of 1877, 
and has not been potted since. The longest separate growth 
is 16 feet 6 inches. 
— THE Round-leayed Maple. ACER CIRCINATUM, Pur'sh, 
is, says the “ Journal of Forestry,” one of the most effective 
and striking of hardy deciduous trees of a medium size. It 
was introduced to Britain in 1826 from the north-west coast 
of North America, where it grows to a height of from 30 
to 40 feet. It is easily distinguishable by its regularly fan- 
shaped leayes, which are deeply cut into seven or nine sharply 
pointed lobes, and when first expanded are of a lovely reddish 
green colour. Its flowers are produced in May in considerable 
profusion, the petals being pure white, in fine contrast to the 
deep red of the sepals and long peduncles. The bark of the 
young shoots is also of a reddish colour, and in the autumn 
the leaves acquire a beautiful tinge of yellow and red as they 
ripen and decay. The branches are of aslenderand pendulous 
habit, giving character to the tree in winter. Planters on the 
look-out for a moderate-sized ornamental tree would do well 
to devote some attention to this beautiful Maple, which will 
grow well in most parts of the country. 
—— No one, says “The Gardener,” and we fully concur, 
who has a demand for decorative plants and cut flowers all the 
autumn and through the winter, should neglect the good old 
CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE: it is so hardy and accommodating, 
flowers so freely, and lasts so long either on the plants or 
when cut. We have this variety in all sizes of pots, from 14 
inches down to 5 and 6 inches, bearing from three to four 
dozen blooms in a plant to five or six, according to the size of 
plants. No plant or flower bears the atmosphere of a sitting- 
room better, consequently it is invaluable for room decoration. 
For covering the wall of a stove densely and closely 
few plants are better adapted than FICUS REPENS MINIMUs. 
We recently saw a wall in the gardens of N. Clayton, Hsq., 
Lincoln, covered with this Ficus, and the effect produced was 
extremely chaste. The small leaves and shoots adhere to the 
wall as tenaciously as if they were glued there, forming a 
smooth dark green surface that cannot fail being admired. 
But although this plant covers the wall of a stove so well, it 
will thrive in a cooler temperature; indeed, we remember 
having seen in Mr. Kinghorn’s nursery at Richmond some 
sprays that had forced themselves from the interior of the stove 
through crevices in the brickwork, and were clinging healthily 
to the wall outside, where they had passed the winter uninjured. 
The plant also appears to thrive well in shaded positions. 
—— ASPARAGUS GROWTH, says a correspondent, at this 
time of year ought to be more generally used for working-in 
with cut flowers in vases, &c. It is also admirably adapted 
for covering archways and pillars at harvest thanksgivings, 
flower shows, &c. One of the prettiest effects imaginable can 
be obtained by using Asparagus, the side shoots of the varie- 
gated Maize, Asters, and Dahlias for an archway. They not 
only look remarkably light and pretty, but also last well. 
The Asparagus should be allowed to hang naturally, the main 
stem only being tied, and where too long should be cut into 
shape. If the growth is cut discriminately the plant is not 
injured, but is rather benefited by the thinning. 
FROM an excellently compiled table on the PICEA 
NORDMANNIANA by Robert Hutchison of Carlowrie we 
observe that the highest tree noted is at Whittinghame, Hast 
Lothian, where it grows at an altitude of 340 feet, ina reddish 
clay soil upon a subsoil of red sandstone naturally well 
drained. It was planted twenty-nine years ago, and is now 
60 feet high, with a circumference of stem at 3 feet from the 
ground of 4 feet, and is very healthy and vigorous, and 
branched to the ground. The next tallest tree amongst those 
noticed are at Kilravock Castle, Inverness, 50 feet 3 inches 
high ; Dunmore, Stirlingshire, 50 feet high ; and Bicton. Deyon- 
shire, 48 feet high. In advocating the more extensive planting 
of this valuable Conifer in our woods and plantations Mr. 
Hutchison observes: ‘It will be found most profitable and 
advantageous to use seedling plants reared from the cone in 
home plantations ; indeed, this is true of all the new Coniferz.” 
They suffer less from spring frosts when planted out into the 
sites they are destined to occupy direct from the seed beds 
in which they have been reared than plants do which are 
fetched from a distance, and which we find it requires years 
to acclimatise in their new homes, leading to many failures, 
loss of leaders, and to a host of other drawbacks, which do 
not arise in the use of home-grown nursery seedlings.”’— 
(Journal of Forestry.) 
WORK FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Sow Lettuce to stand the winter for spring use of the varieties 
enumerated on page 114. If the ground be light andrich it should 
be well trodden before sowing, as the plants are not only hardier 
