July 18, 1876. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



31 



leaving aside the size of the houses, their number and situation, 

 as matters which may readily be imagined. 



The soil of the garden and the park generally is red sand- 

 stone, and is found to answer well for Figs, Peaches, Eoses, 

 and Melons, and of this there was abundant evidence as we 

 went through. There is one remarkable Fig pit, whioh was 

 planted thirty years ago, and which produoes an enormous 

 quantity of Figs every year. The plants never grow above 

 3 or 4 inches annually, but nothing could be better than their 

 appearance, and it struck one as a most convenient way of 

 growing this luscious fruit, the excellence of whioh we are 

 beginning to appreciate. The pit is a plain one, suoh as is 

 used for Melons and Cucumbers, although of course consider- 

 ably sunk. The trees are planted closely in it, so that one 

 sees only a dense mass of foliage. Melons were grown as well 

 as Cucumbers in houses, and the orop of the former was some- 

 thing remarkable; the variety grown being Colston Basset, of 



whioh Mr. Selwood speaks highly, and another (as is usual in 

 these large places) a favourite one originated in the place, and 

 a sight more suggestive of good culture and favourable con- 

 ditions than the Melon house it would be impossible to see. 

 This is the first plaoe that I have visited where I have seen 

 the effeots of that wretched insect the Phylloxera. Two whole 

 houses of fine vines had been sacrificed, for Mr. Selwood is of 

 opinion that no milder measure than that of stamping it out 

 will suffice. He believes it to have originated with some vines 

 brought in, and now that he has planted the houses afresh he 

 has been most careful to guard against its introduction. The 

 vines have been taken out of the pots, the roots well washed, 

 and then laid out separately to dry, and no soil but that whioh 

 is obtained fresh from the park is uBed. By these precautions 

 he hoped to avoid its introduction again ; and the vigour of 

 the plants and their rapidity of growth bore witness to the 

 faot that the treatment had not interfered with them. With 



Fig. 4. — Eaton hall. 



regard to Strawberries one has to live and learn, and to see 

 how utterly useless it is to write up or cry down any Straw- 

 berry from one's own experience. Here the only variety which 

 is found really to answer either for pot oulture or out of doors 

 is Sir Harry, a variety that a great many Strawberry growers 

 have discarded. I both saw it and tasted it ; and although it 

 lacked the fine flavour of Dr. Hogg and others of the British 

 Queen section, yet the fruit was both large and well flavoured. 

 Therefore all who say only this or that variety is worth culti- 

 vating should simply add, in their experience. I found the 

 Peaches in great vigour. Early Magdalen is much liked, being 

 ten days earlier than Eoyal George. 



One of the most characteristic features of the gardens here 

 is a noble glass corridor of 400 feet in length, from whenoe 

 houses open containing various stove and greenhouse plants. 

 It reminds me of one I think I saw some years ago at Denbies. 

 This corridor is planted with Eoses, climbing plants of various 

 kinds, and filled from time to time with plants from the green- 

 houses. Amongst the Eoses whioh were doing well here was 

 Eugene Desgaches, a variety very little grown, and Cheshunt 

 Hybrid, uf which Mr. Selwood spoke in very high termB — 

 almost as highly as does my friend Mr. Camm in last week's 

 Journal. It is to me a matter of great satisfaction that this 

 Eose is increasing in favour, for I have always maintained 

 that it would be a favourite ; and yet how it was sneered upon 



by some when it was first exhibited by Mr. George Paul ! The 

 exterior of the corridor is planted with the various new varie- 

 ties of Clematis. 



The stoves contained some fine specimens of Orohids, and 

 were really s hinin g with fine masses of Begonia nitida, whose 

 snowy whiteness makes it a most desirable plant for winter 

 bouquets ; here it is in great request. Amongst Orchids Den- 

 drobium filiforme and Dendrobium Bensonia were very fine. It 

 may give some idea of the extent to whioh flowers are used in 

 such an establishment to hear that three thousand Euphorbia 

 jacquinifflflora and Poinsettia pulcherrima are used, and other 

 flowering plants in similar proportions. Some time ago an 

 engraving was given in a contemporary of the Eucharis house 

 when in full flower, and a wonderful sight it must have been. 

 Now the large plants have been broken up, but very great 

 numbers are still grown. 



In the greenhouses and conservatories for winter-flowering 

 plants there is always a large quantity of rare and beautiful 

 plants in bloom. In one the whole roof was covered with 

 Allamanda oathartica ; while Ferns, Scutellaria, Heterooarpus, 

 and other plants at the time of our visit made it gay. The 

 Ferns were many of them grown in pans, which were sunk in 

 the beds and thus hidden from view; in another Camellias 

 and Azaleas were flourishing. The former had been trans- 

 planted three or four years ago, and were in wonderfully fine 



