November 28, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
411 
useful both for cutting and for exhibition. It thrives in ordi- 
nary garden soil, having a preference for good loam and eftfi- 
cient drainage. It is readily increased by division in the 
spring or autumn. It is the only plant I know under this 
name, but I am not able to find the name in any of the leading 
catalogues. I should esteem it a favour if you can inform me 
if it has a synonym.—VERITAS. 
[Centrocarpha gracilis is a North American herbaceous 
perennial, growing about a foot high. Some of the Centro- 
carphas are synonymous with Rudbeckias, and your plant is 
probably Rudbeckia gracilis.—Eps.] 
CAPE HEATHS.—No. 11. 
NOVEMBER. 
THIS dull month does not favour the opening of many fresh 
kinds of Ericas. We have, however, the bright blooms of 
Fig. 63.—Erica pellucida. 
E. gracilis still to form a pleasing contrast with the white and 
sweet-scented caffra ; then again the ever beautiful hyemalis 
is now bursting into beauty. Mutabilis also begins again to 
put forth its bright flowers, whilst tubiformis seems to have 
te-awakened, and is now gay with its second crop of blooms ; 
others, such as taxifolia, grandinosa, verticillata, curvifiora 
lutea, colorans, and nitida, are still yielding a supply of flowers, 
so that even now this family of plants can still hold their own 
amongst the pets of the greenhouse. 
We have now the whole of these comfortably housed, and 
all we have to do whilst in their winter quarters is to keep 
them in a fresh free atmosphere, carefully watering them as 
they require it, to retain any that may have grown out of order, 
adjusting the shoots of those inclined to ramble, and keeping 
a sharp look-out for mildew, so that it does not gain a 
hold and work its mischief before detection. The following 
may be added to the list of kinds which bloom about this 
season :— 
Brica exudans (fig. 62, page 410)—A showy kind having 
linear-obtuse leaves, which are hairy and of a clammy nature, 
arranged in fours, and dark green. Flowers terminal on the 
small branches, mostly in fours, cylindrical, slightly curved, 
red ; style exserted. 
E. decora.—A_ pretty species. Leaves arranged in sixes, 
linear-obtuse. Flowers axillary, forming a long spike, bell- 
shaped, ribbed, light purple. 
HE. pellucida (fig. 63).—Leaves arranged in fours, bright 
ere Flowers in fours, in closely-set terminal bunches, clear 
white. 
E. discolor.—Leayes arranged in threes, linear, smooth, and 
bright green ; habit erect. Flowers terminal, in threes, tubu- 
lar, red and green, 
GARDENING AT CYFARTHFA CASTLE, 
MERTHYR TYDVIL. 
CYFARTHFA CASTLE is situated close to the greatest com- 
mercial centre in South Wales, Merthyr Tydvil. The elevation 
is some 700 feet above the sea, and in going up the valley from 
Neath to Merthyr some of the grandest scenery in South 
Wales may be seen, as the whole length of the valley 
abounds with mountains, woods, and rugged streams ; but the 
scenery around Merthyr itself is not very attractive unless it 
is the monster iron works (now unfortunately at a standstill), 
belonging to the respected proprietor of Cyfarthfa. The 
garden, however, will well repay anyone going a long distance 
to see, as Vines, Pines, and Peaches are more extensively 
cultivated at Cyfarthfa than any other place I ever saw. 
The fruit houses are about three dozen in number, and most 
of them are large, some of the yineries being over 100 feet 
in length and 20 feet wide. Some of the Pine stoves are about 
the same size, and the Peach houses are still larger, one, if not 
more of them, being about 150 feet long. Respecting the 
Vines, a house has been erected specially for nearly every 
kind of Grape in cultivation ; other houses are planted with all 
kinds of Grapes together. In this way the merits of all have 
been, and are, thoroughly tested, as particular treatment when 
necessary can easily be given to any kind of Grape by haying 
it in a house by itself. 
Black Hamburgh has come out well under all kinds of 
treatment, consequently it is grown extensively. Vines in 
pots of this kind fruit in March, and Grapes are cut from the 
earliest vinery in April. Many of the Vines had been cleared 
of their crop at the time of our visit, but one span-roofed house 
particularly attracted our attention. The borders belonging 
to this house are inside ; the Vines were rooted from eyes in 
the spring of 1877, and planted out in the borders about the 
month of July of the same year. This “planting in a growing 
state’? seems to have agreed with them, as they made such 
strong canes up to the very top of the house last autumn that 
| Mr. Battram did not cut them back at all, but left them as 
fruiting rods. The crop these have produced this year is still 
hanging, and a better crop of Hamburghs we never saw on 
Vines of any age. The four and five bunches on each Vine 
will average quite 4 tbs. each, and they are perfectly finished 
in every respect ; many bunches of equal size were cut off, as 
Mr. Battram does not practise heavy cropping for a year or 
; two, and crippling or killing the Vines, and throwing away 
and planting again. Indeed. the very opposite to this appears 
always to have been practised, as the majority of the Vine 
tods appear to be old. Mr. Battram attributes his success with 
these young Vines and all others more to abundant watering 
at the root than anything else, but no doubt this must be much 
assisted by the great attention given to all operations it is 
necessary to perform during their period of growth. 
Muscat of Alexandria is next to the Hamburgh in quality, 
Some houses filled with this fine Grape were perfect pictures 
to look at ; not a single defect in “setting” could be detected 
in hundreds of bunches, and the form of the bunches and their 
colour were quite faultless. When thus cultivated Muscat of 
Alexandria is one of the noblest of all Grapes, but it is not 
the finest white Grape at Cyfarthfa; that honour must be 
awarded to Canon Hall Muscat. This is one of the parents 
of Golden Champion, and as fine a Grape to look at in size of 
berry, &c., but like its progeny the Canon Hall is not without 
its faults in the hands of many cultivators. The great diffi- 
culty is to induce it to set well and to swell evenly. Canon 
Hall Muscat is only grown as a single rod in many places, and 
not at all in others. At Cyfarthfa, however, there is a large 
house chiefly devoted to it, and it is cultivated to a state of 
perfection which I never saw equalled.. The bunches were 
about as well furnished with berries as the finest formed bunch 
of Black Hamburghs, and the berries were of fine size ang 
