October 12, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



325 



On the lawn are bold clomps of Rhododendrons and standard 

 Portugal Laurels, several good specimens of Biota aurea, and 

 ■near the broad walk flower beds. These beds are on grass, 

 but are surrounded with narrow paths of white spar, and, as if 

 to -render the contrast as decisive ae possible, a large number 

 of dark-foliaged plants are employed in filling the beds. On 

 each side of the entrance to the mansion is a grand specimen 

 of the American Aloe. TheBe plants cannot be less than 

 3.0 feet in height, and are in luxuriant health. They pass the 

 winter in the orangery, a large old-fashioned structure at the 

 end of the walk. Such buildings are now obsolete, and are 

 useless in comparison with the light modern-built structures of 

 the present day. Near the mansion is a conservatory, but it is 

 also old-fashioned and much too dark for ordinary decorative 

 plants. Only one plant in the structure deserves mention — a 

 Lapageria rosea. This plant was trained up one of the sup- 

 porting pillars, and had grown into a dense thick column, and 

 carried a heavy crop of mealy bug. In order to destroy this 

 the plant was taken down, and on replacing the growths they 

 were found to be more numerous than waB necessary, and 

 instead of cutting them off they were taken underground, and 

 made to furnish another part of the house. The flagstones 

 were lifted, and the shoots of the Lapageria laid under them, 

 with the tips of the shoots on the opposite side. From the 

 shoots thus layered a wonderful growth issued. From the 

 edge of the slabs young shoots sprang up like headB of Aspa- 

 ragus, and this growth haB covered the end of the house and a 

 great portion of the roof. The plant is now perfectly healthy 

 and free from the bug, which once so sorely infested it. 



Pass we now to buildings of more modern date— the splendid 

 range of glass structures which form the northern boundary to 

 •the principal flower garden. ThiB noble range of houses was 

 erected by Sir Henry Peek, who employed in their construc- 

 tion Mr. James Gray of Chelsea. The range is about 130 feet 

 in length by 40 feet in width. The houses are very lofty, the 

 •upright side sashes being 15 to 20 feet high, and the central 

 dome is 50 feet in height. A wall is taken the whole length of 

 the range from the ground to about the centre of the roof on 

 the north side. Behind this wall were formerly sheds, but 

 which are now converted into Orchid houses and ferneries. 

 At the southern side of this wall are the principal houses of 

 •the range — spacious and lofty places, devoted almost wholly to 

 plant-culture. In each house is a square central pit. Passing 

 through the corridor, the pit of the first house is planted with 

 Roses, principally Teas. Roses are also on the walls and roof. 

 The next compartment is occupied mostly with Azaleas, and 

 with Roses covering the walls. From this we pass into a stove, 

 which is filled with Palms and other ornamental-foliaged 

 plants ; a fine stock of Pancratium zeylanioum, which iB muoh 

 prized here, Eucharis, &a. ; the back wall being covered with 

 Begonia nitida, a grand wall plant in winter and Bpring. The 

 roof is covered with Stephanotis and Allamandas, and Orchids 

 are suspended over the paths. We now come to a narrow 

 cross corridor, which oontains large plants of Hedychium coro- 

 narium ; and amongst the wall plants is Phytolacca deeandra, 

 laden with pendulous racemes of its dark-coloured berries. 

 This corridor adjoins the central compartment. In the centre 

 under the dome is a specimen of Araucaria excelsa, surrounded 

 with Seaforthias, Alsophilas, &c. At the front of these is rock- 

 work furnished with Ferns, Lyoopods, Yuccas, &a. ; on the 

 north side, a fine specimen — a centenarian — of Beaucarnea 

 recurvata. At the corners or angles of this principal compart- 

 ment, which is square, are beds of Camellias with other plants 

 associated with them. Going westward we enter another cross 

 -corridor, occupied with Plumbagos, Lapagerias, and Olive trees 

 from Portugal ; and from this corridor we enter the aquatic 

 house. 



In the centre is a tank 25 feet square, in the warmed water 

 -of which are growing Nymphajas in variety, N. dentata being 

 the most admired, with Papyruses, &e. Supported above the 

 surfaee of the water are stove plants which require moisture, 

 the large original plant of Tabernsmontana coronaria being 

 particularly noticeable. It is a large standard plant having a 

 head i or 5 feet in diameter, and flowers freely. From this 

 plant Mr. Ollerhead has propagated a large number of young 

 plants, which are also in a flowering state. The roof of this 

 iiouse is covered with Allamandas, not trained closely and 

 formally, but the shoots are allowed to fall in natural festoons ; 

 these are literally laden with flowers, producing a canopy of 

 gold of remarkable beauty. In this house Allamandas are 

 exactly " at home," and it is no exaggeration to say that they 

 -have produced many thousands of flowers during the season. 



In this house Cattleyas are grown on rafts and suspended from 

 the roof ; and the place and mode of culture are preoisely 

 suited to them, for they are in luxuriant health and in due 

 time cannot fail to produce grand flowers. Laalia superbiens 

 is exceptionally vigorous, and is throwing up robust flower 

 spikes freely. We pass next into the Banana house, the cen- 

 tral pit being oocupied by these stately tropical plants. It is 

 from this house that Mr. Ollerhead cut the remarkable cluster 

 weighing 97 lbs. which was exhibited at South Kensington 

 during the present season, and for which a cultural commenda- 

 tion was unanimously awarded. The roof of this house is 

 partially covered with Paesifloras and Dipladenias. The next 

 and last division is filled with Orange trees from Lisbon, which 

 are being prepared for Sir Henry Peek's new place in Devon- 

 shire. In this house are large numbers of Adiantum f arleyenBe 

 which appear to grow in common loam like weeds, and a 

 number of succulents. A porch at the end of this division 

 opens into the flower garden. Such is a rapid glance at this 

 range. Many plants have necessarily remained unnoticed, 

 such as collections of economic plants, fine Euphorbias, &c. 

 It should be mentioned, however, that the back wall is clothed 

 with Roses, &c, which are growing in the central pits, and 

 are conveyed over the paths by a serieB of wire arches, which 

 are both ornamental and useful ; no provision having been 

 made for forming a border at the foot of the wall for growing 

 climbers. 



At the back of this range, a3 before mentioned, is another 

 range having a northern aspect. Of this range it can only be 

 said that one division is filled with Pitcher-plants of all the 

 best kinds ; another division is devoted to East Indian Orchids ; 

 another to cool Orchids, Odontoglossums, Masdevallias, &c. ; 

 and other divisions to Ferns and Camellias. Of the plants 

 generally it need only be said that they are in excellent health. 

 The Orchids are numerous, and proof has been afforded at the 

 Floral Committee meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 that these plants are in excellent hands. 



Behind this range are other houses of a plainer description 

 and devoted to the growing of fruit, also plants for cut flowers 

 and ordinary decorative purposes. A range of the same length 

 as that noticed is devoted to the cultivation of Vines, Peaches, 

 and Pines. The Vines are old, and are growing in soil that 

 appears to be a mixture of sandy loam and peat — much too 

 light and poor in its nature for the requirements of the Vine ; 

 yet by top-dressings and copious supplies of water fairly good 

 crops of Grapes are obtained. These unsuitable Vine borders 

 would doubtless be renewed and fresh Vines be planted in 

 proper soil were it not that Sir Henry's new and extensive 

 Devonshire garden is receiving primary attention. The Peaoh 

 trees in this range are exceedingly clean and healthy, and have 

 perfected satisfactory crops of fruit. Pure water has been 

 relied on in keeping the red spider out of these houses, and it 

 haB succeeded notwithstanding the great heat of the summer 

 and the exceptional lightness of the soil. The Pines in this 

 range of glass are succession plants looking well. In the pinery 

 are collections of PhalamopseB, Calanthes, Phaiuses, an Amor- 

 phophallus with a bulb nearly 2 feet in diameter, Vanilla over- 

 head, and Stephanotis on the back wall. On the back wall of 

 the early vinery Shaddocks are grown, and a good crop of fine 

 fruit is now being perfected. The outside border at the front 

 of these houses has throughout the summer been exceedingly 

 gay with Lothian Stocks, which are amongst the finest and 

 sweetest of all spring and summer garden flowers. The front 

 wall of this border next the walk is covered with a close com- 

 pact-growing Ivy, as also is the low wall of the grand range on 

 the opposite side of the walk. These houses are heated by a 

 large Trentham boiler, which is connected with more than a 

 mile of piping and does its work effectively. 



Further back and in a walled enclosure are other ranges of 

 glass. There is a pinery 50 feet in length in two divisions, 

 the plants in one compartment nearly all Bhowing fine fruit, 

 some being nearly ripe, and the winter's supply of Pine Apples 

 is amply provided for. It is in this house where the remark- 

 able hedge of Euphorbia jacquiniseflora is growing at the back 

 of the Pines, and which will in due time produce a cart- 

 load of brilliant sprays. On the curbs and front stages are 

 grown table plants in most of the fashionable kinds, Buoh as 

 Crotons, &c, and a fine stock of the lovely Caladium argyrites. 

 Here also is a plant in remarkable colour of the variegated 

 Pine, Ananassa sativa variegata, the leaves being suffused with 

 deep pink. In this house also are grown in large pots Cucum- 

 bers for the winter supply. 

 Another range of similar dimensions is devoted principally 



