350 
JODRNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ November 7, 1878. 
nolias in variety, and all the greenhouse varieties of Veronicas 
quite 5 and 6 feet high. Myrtles are numerous and do well, 
the saline air seeming to agree with them admirably. Iochroma | 
grandiflora, Hovea Celsii, Metrosideros floribunda, Philesia 
buxifolia, and the Guava (Psidium Cattleyanum), probably the 
only acclimatised specimen in Britain, and Poinciana Gilliesii 
are all thriving well in the open air. 
There are some huge beds of Camellias quite covered with 
buds and having remarkably fine dark green foliage. Sub- 
tropical bedding is done largely and embraces all the usual 
plants for such purposes. There are also some fine beds of 
Clematises, the figures being segments of circles, effectively 
planted; and contrasting effectively are such Conifers as 
Araucaria excelsa, Cedrus Deodara, Wellingtonia gigantea, 
from 30 to 45 feet high. For affording brightness and relief 
to the shrubs an ingenious expedient is resorted to. About 
five stakes 6 or 7 feet high are driven into the ground ; these 
are encircled with wire netting, filled up with soil, and planted 
with Vesuvius Geranium trained round the wire netting. These 
cones of scarlet flowers contrasting so well with the surround- 
ings need to be seen to be appreciated. There are two flower 
gardens, one in front of each side of the mansion, which con- 
tain thousands of bedding plants, but on these I need not 
dwell. 
The kitchen gardens and forcing houses are on the opposite 
side of the road. The glass is extensive. The first range is 
120 feet long, divided into four divisions of 30 feet each; the 
first being devoted to Cape plants and a few cool Orchids, the 
second and third to Cucumbers and Melons, and the fourth 
is a propagating pit. The next range is of the same dimen- 
sions, and contains four vineries ; the first being the early one, 
planted with Black Hamburgh, Frankenthal, and Foster’s 
Seedling ; the second a Muscat house, which contained some 
very fine bunches, plump in berry and fine in colour ; the third 
is a second Hamburgh house; and the fourth contains Lady 
Downe’s, Alicante, Gros Colman, Bowood Muscat, &c. Some 
Fig. 55.—APPLEY TOWERS. 
of the Bowood Muscats were especially good and spotless in | 
colour ; the wood was matured well, and the crop ample. 
The next range is a set of span-roofed houses 120 feet long 
by 20 wide; the first being a plant stove 45 feet long, and 
contains the curious crab-footed plant, Testudinaria elephanti- 
pes (the female variety), also Hedychium coronarium with 
its white perfumed flowers, Rondeletia speciosa, Crotons, and 
the charming Tabernemontana coronaria flore-pleno. Is it 
not a wonder we see this lovely plant in so few collections? 
The same may be asked respecting Combretum purpureum 
with its fine racemes of purple flowers, a colour rare in 
stove plants. Gardenia Stanleyana had flowers 7 inches long. 
The second house in this range is devoted to East Indian 
Orchids, such as Vanda tricolor, Phalznopsis Schilleriana, 
Saccolabium guttatum which had thirteen spikes on last year, 
Vanda teres, &c., all in excellent health and had made very 
good growths. The next division is a fruiting Pine stove, which 
contained good fruit of Queens and Smooth-leayed Cayennes 
on plants just sixteen months old. The last division is an 
intermediate Orchid house. These last three divisions are 
25 feet long, and all are deyoted to Orchids, 
Six ranges of pits each 48 feet long are provided for growing 
and forcing vegetables, Strawberries, successional Pines, &c., 
and are admirably adapted for the purpose. About 1200 
Strawberries were plunged in ashes. Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury, Keens’ Seedling, and Sir Joseph Paxton are the sorts 
chiefly forced. A range of glass is on the top of the kitchen 
| garden, 200 feet long, and divided into three compartments, 
is devoted to Peaches, one of the divisions being used as a cool 
orchard house for Apricots, &c. 
The next portion of the kitchen garden, which is divided 
by a wall, contains a house 40 feet by 25, full of specimen 
Azaleas, Cape Heaths, Australian plants, with a Maréchal 
Niel Rose trained on the roof. Most of the glass has been 
recently erected. Wright’s boiler has been lately adapted for 
| heating purposes, and Mr, Sunbury speaks very favourably of it. 
The kitchen gardens are well cropped, and their good keep- 
ing is in unison with the rest of the establishment. Fruit has 
not been very plentiful this year, nor does it ever seem in 
great abundance at Appley. Apricots scarcely ever produce a 
crop, perhaps this may be accounted for by the comparative 
absence of sun when most required in the autumn ; neither 
are vegetables so early as might naturally be expected. 
In concluding our notes on these gardens it is pleasant to 
record the confidence that exists between employer and em- 
| ployed, which is always advantageous to the well-being of 
| every establishment. 
I had a rich treat at Appley, and I 
shall not soon forget the kindness of Sir Wiliam Hutt in 
