November 16, 1876. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



427 



of the presence of many cattle is furnished by Dyson's remark, 

 that the ground was much of it "factitious " from the manure 

 that had accumulated. Some of the farmers probably grew a 

 few vegetables for the London market in the Paddington fields 

 as far back as 1800 ; and from an " old inhabitant," whom ad- 

 verse circumstances have brought to the level of a crossing- 

 sweeper, I am informed that there were several " big orchards " 

 at St. John's Wood and Maida Hill, which were to be seen 

 some thirty years since, the trees, it may be presumed, planted 

 early in this century, when London received moBt of its frait 

 from its immediate neighbourhood. Neither in Bayswater nor 

 in St. John's Wood were there nurserymen known to fame in 

 those times when the Dutch gardeners gave an impetus to 

 flower- culture, though it is likely, had there been such, the 

 district would scarcely have retained them for any length of 

 time. 



Local historians are mostly eloquent about the beauties of 

 the mansion and grounds known as Westbourne Place, with a 

 history reaching back to the days of Henry VI., but dating 

 their beauty from their acquisition by Jukes Coulson a century 

 since, who obtained the services of some of the best gardeners 

 of that day. As his name, however, is not associated with the 

 progress of horticulture it would appear that he did little more 

 than render his grounds attractive to the eye. Still more re- 

 nowned, though with a dubious fame, was Sir John Hill, a 

 near neighbour of the owner of Westbourne Place and a 

 medico-botanical quack, who had a following of credulous ad- 

 mirers. His books and pamphlets are never read now, save 

 by those who may be studying the history of one who was half 

 crazy, half a charlatan ; and it is only needful to notice him 

 here because he had a kind of nursery at Bayswater, in which 

 he cultivated plants for his decoctions and distillations. If he 

 had lived in this age he might have advertised freely, and so 

 secured a good income from his " Water-dock Essence " and 

 "Balsam of Honey;" but his repute speedily declined, and 

 his medical garden was turned into a tea garden, becoming a 

 popular resort for some years. As we are told that he selected 

 the locality because it was peculiarly fitted for the culture of 

 aquatic plants, it could not have been a very healthful spot, 

 and probably. where Hill once professed to cure diseases people 

 afterwards caught ague and rheumatism. On land now covered 

 with splendid mansions, and in proximity to Kensington Gar- 

 dens, looking over the Uxbridge Road, there was a small 

 market garden extant, if I remember aright, about twenty 

 years ago or less. It was, I think, Bituated on the slope of the 

 rising ground called Craven Hill, and where, according to a 

 generally received belief, Earl Craven set apart land for the 

 burial of any future victims of the plague. Eligible as the 

 place was for a market garden, it was so much more eligible 

 for the builder that it was soon seized upon when Bayswater 

 grew with rapid strides after the Great Exhibition of 1851. 



At the time numerous coaches ran along the Edgware Road 

 the Pine Apple Nursery of the Messrs. Henderson would be a 

 matter of remark, indicating that Maida Hill was reached, and 

 that Kilburn was not far distant. There is, I presume, no 

 doubt that it received the name it still bears from the fact that 

 the Pine Apple was grown here successfully and largely also, 

 but the establishment was not the one to which belongs the 

 credit of having initiated the culture of this fruit. It was in 

 the garden of Sir M. Decher at Richmond, Surrey, that the 

 first English Pines were produced in 1718. Subsequently the 

 London nurserymen made sundry improvements in the mode 

 of culture, and even grew Pines freely in the open air with 

 certain precautions. But as the atmosphere of the metropolis 

 beoame more smoky it was necessarily unfavourable for a plant 

 which Loudon asserts needs above all things free ventilation 

 to its leaves both under glass and when exposed. The present 

 proprietors of the Pine Apple Nursery are unable to give such 

 particulars concerning it as would fix its date, but from the 

 history of the neighbourhood generally it may be conjectured 

 to be not more than forty years old. At one period, writes the 

 author of Bonn's " Handbook to London," this nursery was 

 famous for its Heaths, and Vines were also paid much atten- 

 tion to; subsequently it was in high repute for forced and 

 various greenhouse plants ere it was surrounded by a number 

 of rival establishments. Probably from the demand for then- 

 plants being so considerable the Messrs. Henderson were in- 

 duced to acquire another piece of ground in the Wellington 

 Road, St. John's Wood, where they have produced many valu- 

 able and curious plants, as recorded in a short descriptive 

 paper published in this Journal a year or two ago. Following 

 the Messrs. Henderson we have the name of Weeks associated 



with the nursery for a short period, but that name iB better 

 known in the regions of Chelsea. 



A brief mention must be made of Maida Vale on the London 

 side of the Pine Apple Nursery, because there a little cluster 

 of nurseries is observable ; and if they are scarcely to be oalled 

 " old," they are memorable as, taken together, they form a 

 pleasant reminder of bygone days when the Vale was rural, 

 and also in such a suburb their existence may be but brief. 

 First, moving northwards, we come upon the Clarendon Nur- 

 sery, long occupied by the late Mr. Videon, from whom I might 

 have obtained interesting information regarding the locality 

 had he been living. His nursery, though moderate in size, was 

 well planned out, but very probably, as a Bale of the stook ia 

 pending, ere long the ground will be a prey to the builder. 

 Adjoining is the nursery of Mr. McArthur, of less extent, and 

 then we pass some private residences to come upon four more 

 nurseries, Mr. Fairnington, who aspires to the dignity of being 

 a landscape gardener as well as a nurseryman, having very 

 suitably the largest plot of ground. The nurseries of Messrs. 

 Titcomb, Fozard, and Pollett do not require anything to ba 

 said about them beyond the observation that no effort seems 

 to be spared to utilise space, bo that the gardens are not avail- 

 able, nor perhapB intended, for promenade. Also I was amused 

 to perceive that there were growing within easy reach of by- 

 passers, in so frequented a thoroughfare as the Edgware Road, 

 Vegetable Marrows and other vegetables which might well 

 prove tempting to the irrepressible London boy, who is seem- 

 ingly better trusted in this district than in some others. 



There is another nursery not very far off, yet which ia so 

 situate that many persons might wander about St. John's 

 Wood and fail to discover it. This is in the Garden Road, a 

 turning out of Grove Road, and is held (or was so until re- 

 cently) by a Mrs. Ginn, who must be ranked therefore as a 

 " nurserywoman." My " old inhabitant," whose memory was 

 better than his descriptive powers, recollected the ground, 

 which was then covered with fruit trees principally, being par- 

 tially cleared for the erection of greenhouses, &c, something 

 like thirty years ago ; and confirmatory of his date was a line 

 of trees on the north side of the ground appearing of about 

 that age, and evidently planted as a screen from the north 

 winds. Since a good part of this nursery already lies waste 

 and yields a plentiful crop of weeds, the remainder will pro- 

 bably not be cultivated much longer, particularly as Btreets 

 close by are shutting out the air and light. 



Crossing the Edgware Road and going in the direction of 

 Paddington we come rather unexpectedly upon a largish open 

 space in proximity to the Elgin and Portsdown Roads. It 

 formerly belonged to Paddington farmers, who could scarcely 

 be termed "gardeners," though they sent some vegetables as 

 well a8 milk to the London markets. On a Btrip of this land 

 are to be noticed a number of small carefully tended gardens, 

 with quaintly contrived huts or sheds for the purpose of hold- 

 ing tools, and here and there a home-made frame. These are 

 allotment garlens, where working men spend time in wholesome 

 employment which might otherwise be dissipated in the publio 

 house, and this excellent movement ought to receive the hearty 

 support of all of us, certainly of those who are on a larger 

 scale occupied in horticulture. — C. 



STRAWBERRIES IN NOVEMBER— GARIBALDI. 



" Mk. Bennett, Rabley Gardens, Herts, sent a pot of 

 ViBcomtesse Hericart de Thury Strawberry, under the name of 

 Garibaldi, full of fruit." That extract I make from your 

 report of the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, and which is an authoritative ratification of rumours 

 which have become somewhat common that Garibaldi ia not 

 a distinct variety. I saw the plant referred to above, which 

 was bearing a good crop of nearly-ripe frait, and I know that 

 Mr. Bennett has been lately sending fine ripe Strawberries to 

 Covent Garden, and obtaining " long prices " for them. 



A Strawberry bearing so freely and ripening bo well in the 

 late autumn months is unquestionably an acquisition, and 

 most gardeners would be justly proud of placing dishes of 

 well-coloured frait on their employers' tables in October and 

 November, and it is certain also that those Strawberries would 

 be appreciated. It is valuable to know that Garibaldi will bear 

 fruit freely thus late in 'the season, but still more valuable to 

 find (if such be the fact) that Yiscomtesse Hericart de Thury 

 will do the same. Plants under the French name are to be 

 found in most nurseries and gardens, but plants under the 

 Italian name are not nearly so easily procurable. 



