October 12, 1876. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



329 



are much valued in a out Btate. Aoacia lophantha is another 

 plant grown as a climber, here its graceful leaves being found 

 to form an exoellent substitute for Fern fronds in the flower 

 vases. Proceeding onwards through the greenhouse we come 

 to an early Hamburgh house. The fruit being nearly all cut 

 I can only remark on the highly promising wood for next 

 year's crop ; but more can be said of the nest division, which 

 is planted with Muscat of Alexandria. The bunches here 

 were models in form, their average weight running from 3 lbs. 

 to 5 lbs., and the colour of the berries was an exquisite golden 

 amber. I have not seen finer Muscat fruit this season, the 

 finish being exceedingly perfect in every respect. The end 

 division is planted with Black Alicante, Lady Downe's, Mrs. 

 Pince, and Barbarossa, all bearing excellent crops. Complaints 

 are not unfrequently heard of Barbarossa being shy in snowing 

 fruit. It was the same here for the first two years after it was 

 planted, but ever since it became what may be termed estab- 

 lished it has never failed to show many more bunches than 

 were wanted. The Alicantes in this house were particularly 

 fine, both berries and bunches being above the average in size, 

 and the colour and bloom very perfect. 



Crossing a walk from this house there is a lean-to stove 

 against the opposite wall. This struoture is filled with a very 

 choice and healthy lot of Ferns, fine-foliaged plants, and all 

 other subjects generally found in a well-managed stove. As 

 in most places of any great extent, there are ranges of forcing 

 houses and pits on the outside of the garden wall. Pines are 

 well grown in one of these houses, the old Queen being the 

 variety chiefly cultivated. Cucumbers are also grown both 

 summer and winter. Telegraph is the favourite variety at all 

 seasons. A large quantity of small stove and other plants for 

 the house or room deooration are also grown here. Melons 

 are cultivated in low pits, Colston Basset being preferred 

 before any other sort. In the reserve ground there were large 

 quantities of plants growing for winter decoration, Buch as 

 Chrysanthemums, Salvias, &c. There were also many Sola- 

 nums planted out in a border. These are raised from seed 

 in spring, and they bear abundance of their ornamental berries 

 in autumn. * Strawberries are forced in considerable numbers. 

 Keen's Seedling is the variety used for supplying the earliest 

 fruit in March, and President follows further on. 



The wall which surrounds the kitchen garden is of the most 

 substantial description, and it is well covered with finely 

 trained fruit trees. Peaches do exceedingly well on a southern 

 aspeot ; and although Royal George does best, Noblesse, Bel- 

 legarde, and Barrington always furnish good crops. Prince 

 of Wales has been one of the best Plums tbis year, and in a 

 genera] way Green Gage is the most certain cropper. The 

 Purple Gage also does well here. Its flavour is similar to the 

 green one, and on this aocount it is well worth growing as a 

 dessert fruit. As in many other cases the fruit crop in general 

 is much below the average here this season, Lord Suffield and 

 Cox's Orange Pippin being the only varieties carrying anything 

 like a full crop of Apples. The kitchen garden extends to 

 some six or seven acres, and is replete with all the kinds of 

 vegetables belonging to this department. Asparagus, Seakale, 

 and such like are largely forced throughout the winter. There 

 was a large quarter planted with Veitch's Autumn Giant Cauli- 

 flower ; and here, as everywhere else, nothing can approaoh it 

 as a Cauliflower, its fine large white heads being cut out of 

 doors in excellent condition up to Christmas, when Snow's 

 White Brooooli comes in. The edges of the principal walks in 

 the kitohen garden are planted as ribbon borders, and high- 

 class culture and good order is everywhere visible, which is 

 alike creditable to Mr. Edmonds and his noble employer, whose 

 taste and interest in horticulture is worthily exemplified in 

 many ways about Bestwood. — M. 



VALLOTA PURPUKEA AS A BEDDING PLANT. 



These are a great number of novelties which adorn the 

 flower garden, but I am not acquainted with any equal to the 

 Vallota purpurea. To appreciate this gem it must be seen 

 planted out, and I have proved this plant to be one of decided 

 merit and well deserving a place in every flower garden. 



We had one small bed which contained twelve clumps of 

 bulbs, and being anxious to increase the plants I took the bulbs 

 up on the 1st of March of this year, and carefully separated 

 eaoh clump into three parts, making thirty-six plants, with 

 which I planted two beds, using a composition of two parts 

 loam, one part decayed dung, and the remaining part of leaf 

 soil and coarse Band thoroughly mixed together. I placed 



some sand round each plant, and covered the bulbs with the 

 soil above mentioned to the depth of 2 inches, finishing with 

 a slight covering of Band on the surface. The result has been 

 all one could expect. The plants have been a blaze of bloom 

 for the last six weeks, and there are now ninety spikes of per- 

 fect flowers on each bed. 



The foliage is of a dark green colour and quite ornamental 

 in itself. It dies to the surfaoe in November, and makes its 

 appearance again the following April. Those beds have been 

 much admired by all who have seen them at Muckross, Co. 

 Kerry, Ireland. — A. Campbell. 



MILTONIA CUNEATA. 



The Miltonias constitute a genus of handsome Orchids. The 



name was given in honour of Earl Fitzwilliam, who was an 



ardent admirer of plants of this nature. They are mostly 



natives of Brazil, and consequently require a warm stove tern- 



Fig. 49.— Miltonia otmeata, 



perature, especially during the season of growth. If given 

 heat and a moist atmosphere few Orchids grow more freely or 

 flower more profusely, and their riohly coloured flowers are 

 admirable for cutting and the furnishing of vaBes, &a. The 

 plants will grow either in baskets or in pots ; if in the latter it 

 is necessary that they be potted very high — that is, the pots 

 should be nearly filled with crocks ; and the material, very 

 fibrous peat, sphagnum, and oharcoal, should be made to form 

 a cone above the rim of the pot. The creeping stems from 

 which the pseudobulbs grow Bhould be pegged to the surface 

 of the compost with small hooked pegs, and with good cul- 

 tivation the plants will increase in Bize rapidly. If grown in 

 baskets the plants require much the same treatment as Stan- 

 hopeas as to heat, moisture, and rest. The species vary con- 

 siderably in the size and colour of their flowers, but all are 

 attractive and worthy of culture. M. spectabilis is white and 

 violet, and is, as its name implies, very Bhowy, as also are its 

 darker varieties atropurpurea and colorata. M. Candida has 

 a white Up and yellow and brown sepals,. while M. ouneata, the 

 wedge-lipped Miltonia, is yellow and purple. The plants being 

 epiphytal grow perhaps best in baskets, and will flourish in 



