298 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 17, 1878. 
frame of about 4 feet high, in the inside of which is placed a 
Fuchsia trained on a lesser frame to fit. This has a most 
artistic appearance, and admirably answers the purpose it is 
intended for. 
We now come to the range of glass, in which the experi- 
ment of the noted carrion Vine borders was conducted. The 
vineries are light, airy, substantial structures. They are 
40 feet long each by 18 feet broad. The borders have been 
entirely renewed. The Vines for superiority of fruit and size of 
bunches are well entitled to rank amongst the best in England, 
and as such Mr. Westcott may feel justly proud of them. The 
borders are large, and consist of good loam; charcoal, lime 
rubbish, and a liberal addition of bones are used, and they 
have an annual dressing of bone dust. The following are the 
varieties planted in these vineries :—Mrs. Pince, Madresfield 
Court, Foster’s Seedling, Golden Champion; this Grape was 
doing well, magnificent in colour and finish, it being grafted 
ona Muscat. Here also was the black Muscat grafted on the 
white. The third vinery contains Golden Champion, Muscat 
of Alexandria, and Venn’s Black Muscat all full and good. 
The fourth vinery has been planted three years, and consists 
principally of Black Hamburgh and Dr. Hogg, which were in 
all respects very satisfactory, and gave promise of abundant 
future crops. The early vinery and Peach house are in the 
other kitchen garden, and had both finished otf their wood 
well. For an early white Grape Mr. Westcott prefers Foster’s 
Seedling. 
In this kitchen garden are the Asparagus beds, which are 
5 feet wide, covered with glass lights on a small span-roofed 
frame. The alleys are 4 feet broad; these in the spring are 
filled with fermenting material, the brick linings being 
pigeon-holed. In this measure the beds never fail in pro- 
the family. These beds are forced every fourth year, which 
‘gives them plenty of time to recover their strength. All kinds 
of vegetables are well and extensively grown, also Mush- 
zooms, for which a suitable house is provided. Particularly 
valued amongst the vegetables is Veitch’s Purple-top Turnip. 
Here also are the young men’s rooms, arranged with hot and 
cold baths—an inestimable boon to young men who are exposed 
‘to so many vicissitudes of temperature. 
In concluding our remarks on these noted gardens it is 
pleasant to record that Mr. Westcott speaks in the highest 
terms of the kindness he has received from the Duke and 
Duchess of Cleveland, who are both liberal patrons of and ad- 
mirers of horticulture. Her Grace gives some of her spare 
hours to collecting plants of botanical curiosity, and places 
them under Mr. Westcott’s care. Each department of these 
gardens bears the stamp of skilled supervision. Mr. Westcott 
is well known as one of England’s best gardeners, he having 
received much tuition under the late Mr. Barnes of Bicton. 
Time did not permit us-to note all we saw worthy of notice, 
nor was the day suitable for seeing Raby to advantage ; still 
we saw much to admire, and the courtesy and hospitality 
of Mr. Westcott and his family we shall not soon forget.— 
3B. Cowan, Azmvell Park. 
EARLY-FLOWERING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Mr. W. TAYLOR remarked on page 253, in reference to early- 
flowering Chrysanthemums, that if grown healthily and well 
they will prove ‘real gardeners’ friends, as they bridge over the 
time between the early autumn frosts and the regular Chrys- 
anthemum season.” Therecan be no doubt as to the great value 
of early-flowering Chrysanthemums for border decoration ; in- 
deed over a great extent of country they are the only varieties 
that can be relied on for producing an outdoor display ; tains, 
frosts, and adverse weather generally occurring, which mar 
the beauty of the later blooms. Last year Mr. Freeman spoke 
approvingly of the early-blooming varieties, and submitted an 
excellent list of those that had succeeded in his garden in 
Yorkshire, requesting also the experience of others by which 
he might be able to extend his collection. Perhaps nowhere 
in England do better facilities exist for noting the relative 
merits of the flowers in question than at Swanley, where Mr. 
Cannell has nearly or quite five hundred varieties planted 
permanently in the open ground. During the first week in 
October the following amongst other varicties were in full 
bloom, and, seeing them, none could dispute their value for 
border decoration :-— 
_ Precocité—Well described by Mr. Freeman as a “beautiful 
Jonquil yellow ;” flowers 2 inches across. A valuable variety. 
Early Cassy—Rosy lilac, faintly tinted with yellow in the 
centre; flowers. 15 inch across, of excellent form. Very free. 
Adrastes.—Purplish lilac, hybrid Pompon ; flowers 23 inches 
across. Effective. 
Gold Button.—Yellow ; flowers small and button-like, not 
exceeding half an inch in diameter. A little sem. Free. 
Malle. Alphonse Dupré.—Hybrid Pompon ; white, feathery, 
free, and early. Useful. : 
Tustre—Pompon ; small flower, very pale lilac. Free. 
Lucinda.—Pinkish lilac, deeper in colour than the preceding 
variety, and a better formed flower. Good. 
Madame Domage.— Clear bright yellow. Free, early, and useful. 
Madame Pecoral.—Dark rosy purple. Very double, free, 
and fine. 
Chrome Stella.—Pale chestnut; petals margined and tipped 
with yellow ; flowers small and exquisitely formed. Distinct 
and attractive. e 
Delphine Cabouche.—Reddish mauve ; flowers small, petals 
rather cupped. Distinct. 
Illustration —Pale lavender pink ; early. 
useful variety. 
A well-known 
Frederic Pelé-—Bronze red; flowers 1} inch in diameter, . 
and of excellent form. A valuable dark variety. 
Little Bob.—A little brighter than the preceding variety, 
and the flowers smaller. Dwarf and free. 
Nanum.—Creamy blush: flowers 24 inches in diameter, 
feathered. Free and very useful. 
Others might be added, but those named are distinctly early 
—just expanding into full beauty when many other flowers 
are fading, and attractively “bridging over’ the notoriously 
dull time referred to by Mr. Taylor. These Chrysanthemums 
| afford cut flowers in profusion for indoor decoration, and 
ducing a sufficiency of this choice vegetable for the supply of | 
render the gardens cheerful during the too often cheerless 
month of October, and hence they are eminently worthy of 
cultivation.—J. W. 
GRAPES NOT COLOURING. 
Ir would be interesting to know from different readers of 
the Journal if Grapes bave coloured worse this year than they 
are in the habit of doing. One house of Black Hamburghs, 
which ripened with me in July, did not colour so well as I 
would have liked to have seen them. The crop was quite a 
full one but not heavy, and I was rather at a loss to know 
why every berry did not become jet black. Since then one or 
two later bunckes produced by the laterals have coloured per- 
fectly, and I am inclined to think the intense hot weather we 
had in July must have been unsuitable for Grapes colouring 
to perfection. 
“R. P. B.,” a good gardener, writing to the October number 
of the “Gardener” from Hast Lothian on this matter, states 
that Grapes colouring in that neighbourhood about that time 
failed to blacken, even in the case of very light crops. It is 
well known that too high a temperature is as bad for fruit 
colouring as a too low one, and if we could hear of two or 
three sure instances of Grapes failing to colour owing to very 
hot weather and too high a temperature, no doubt it would do 
much to prevent a similar result in the future, if the pre- 
caution was taken to form a shading of limewash, or some- 
thing having the same effect, orer the glass of vineries in 
which Grapes were colouring during excessively hot weather. 
As to the importance of trying to do something there can be 
no doubt, because Grapes not colouring is a more serious affair 
than many think who only consider it as detracting from their 
looks, for it impairs their keeping properties as well, and this 
often leads to serious loss—A KITCHEN GARDENER. 
ROSE SUCCESSION. 
For one exhibitor among your readers there are, perhaps, 
ten thousand who are interested rosarians in respect to the 
production or enjoyment of their favourite flower ; therefore 
Thave thought it may be useful to those who seek the longest 
extension of that pleasure to supplement by my experience the 
valuable letter of: “‘ WyLD SAVAGE,” in which he told of what 
he had seen at this late season at Cheshunt or elsewhere. I 
have about five hundred standard Roses lining the walks nearly 
a quarter of a mile in length in my high-walled garden, ar- 
ranged under the auspices of my friend Reynolds Hole, with 
a view to their protection from wind. They have good loamy 
soil, and are annually mulched and cared for. The following 
have given me great and continuous satisfaction. 
a rial iis, 
re? 25s 
* ie 
nee ner cle 
