260 



JOURNAIi OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ October 5, 1871. 



Mr. Davie, Bridge Street, Peterborough, sent a very fine Apple, 

 named Lord Hnntley. Bass, Esq., Moat Bank, Burton-on-Trent,. 

 sent White Calville and Cos's Orange Pippin Apples, the latter being 

 large and good specimens. Mr. Sage, Asbridge Court, Berkbamp- 

 stead, sent a dish of Apples which proved to be the Early Jnlien. 

 Mr. F. Dancer, Little Sutton, Cbiswick, sent dishes of Belle de Sep- 

 tembre and Sandall's Plum, both very valuable late varieties for 

 cooking purposes, 



Mr. Beach, gardener to the Marquis of Northampton, sent some 

 specimens of a species of Fungus, to whicb a special certificate was 

 awarded. 



Floral CoinnxTEE. — W. Marshall, Esq., in the chair. The sub- 

 jects for examination on this occasion were very few. Mr. Williams, 

 of Holloway, bad a first-class certificate for Macrozamia spiralis, an 

 extremely graceful Palm. A first-class certificate was also awarded to 

 Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, for Desmodinm penduliflornm, with drooping 

 rose-purple flowers, a pretty climber. Urania amazonica, a plant with 

 Banana-like foliacte, also came from the same exhibitor. Mr. Green, 

 gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., had a special certificate for a 

 collection of Neottias and other terrestrial Orchids. Mr. Green had 

 also a fine specimen of-Miltonia Morelliana. Mr. Croncher, gardener 

 to J. T. Peacock, Esq., Sudbury House, Hammersmith, sent Agave 

 Gibsii, a striking kind. From Mr. Turner, Slough, came several of 

 the Dahlias which he has before exhibited. Mr. Russell, Mavfield, 

 Falkirk, had also a special certificate for a fine spike of Vanda 

 Cffirulea. Messrs. Yeitch likewise had a special certificate for a col- 

 lection chiefly consisting of fine specimen Orchids. Mr. Bull, Mr. 

 Standish, and Messrs. E. G. Henderson contributed miscellaneous col- 

 lections, the last-named showing a fine group of the Guernsey Lily. 



CELERY CULTURE. 



The dryness of the weather, cotwithstanding a falling 

 barometer, induced ns to give before the late rains a soaking 

 of sewage to the bed whieh we shall earth-up nest, followed with 

 a watering overhead with clear water from the rose of a pot. 

 Since we last alluded to the subject, contrary to the orders of our 

 conductors, but somewhat excusable under the circumstances, 

 a number of inquiries have been privately made as to the eco- 

 nomy of the Incomparable White Celery, and what might 

 be the average girth and height of our plants. Wtll, with 

 the exception of the necessity of bringing the plants a little 

 forward, as putting out small plants late seems to be the chief 

 cause why so many cannot get on with this kind, there can, as re- 

 spects the ground occupied and the small earthing-up required, 

 be no question as to the economy involved. Further than the 

 wish that those with little ground to spare should obtain the 

 greatest quantity and of good quality from little space, we 

 have no object whatever in recommending this dwarf Celery, or 

 any dwarf Celery, as the Sandringham or other sorts, only 

 we have found out that a good many Tariously named Celeries 

 turn out vastly alike when treated alike. Now, at the risk of 

 being a little egotistical, which we would rather avoid at all 

 times, we may mention that this Celery bed, watered as de- 

 scribed, will be our third in rotation, and that as yet it is not 

 so strong, because not quite so early planted, as the second bed 

 earthed-up and now being used. These beds were i feet wide, 

 ■with 4 feet ridges between. These ridges bore heavy crops of 

 Peas in the centre, with Eadiahee, Spinach, and Lettuces along 

 the sides. The beds each held three rows of ihe dwarf Celery, 

 the rows a foot apart from centre to centre. Along the row 

 the plants were about 9 inches from centre to centre — that is 

 to say, the plants in the bed when planted would stand 12 by 

 9 inches, or a little closer in general. The plants in this bed 

 had been all cleaned and tied some time ago, the tying done 

 loosely ; but now it is so firm that the heart is blanching, and 

 putting your hand firmly round the head below the leaves, you 

 cannot squeeze it more closely together. Round that firm head, 

 below the leaves, a tape line drawn tightly averaged 14 inches 

 in circumference, some plants more, some less. The height 

 from the ground to the extremities of the leaves averaged about 

 16 or 17 inches. Now, such a circumference is nothing to the 

 huge Celery we have grown ; but from every one of these com- 

 pact little plants it is most likely we shall be able to send a 

 nice head fit to appear at any table, and from 12 to 15 inches 

 in length, though we think a foot is generally as long as goes 

 there after receiving its various trimmings. We have fair red 

 Celery in beds close by, as we must study and provide for all 

 tastes ; but that red Celery, averaging double the height of this 

 Incomparable White, would not measure so much in circum- 

 ference as this dwarf white. 



One more remark. Let those who delight in huge heads of 

 Celery have them by all means; but we know there are many 

 moie concerned about the bulk of a first-rate material, that can 



be sent in for the table from a small space, than having a few 

 wonderfully large heads. In many a farmer's garden we have 

 seen more room taken up with a single row of inferior Celery, 

 than would have sufficed for a bed of three or four rows of & 

 first-rate dwarf sort. — E. F. 



PRESTON HALL, NEAR MAIDSTONE. 



The traveller by the North Kent Railway from London to 

 Maidstone may notice, three or four miles before he reaches 

 the latter town, an edifice on the left-hand side of the line. 

 The glimpses thus obtained will enable him to perceive that it- 

 is a mansion of the highest class. It ia Preston Hall, the seat 

 of H. A. Brassey, Esq., M.P., and is beautifully placed in a 

 park of contiderable dimensions, well diversified by noble timber 

 trees and an undulating surface. Finer specimens of many of 

 our native frees it would be difficult to find ; as examples, two 

 Sweet Chestnuts near the mansion have each a circumference 

 of 21 feet at about 5 feet from the ground, and their tops indi- 

 cate the most luxuriant health. A group of Elms was pointed 

 out to me as being still larger. Other species are equally well 

 represented, and the position they occupy showed that good 

 taste prevailed even in a long-bygone age. There were groups 

 here and there on an elevated knoll, then again concealing the 

 boundary or some other object not required to be seen, while 

 the distant scenery was let in by ample glades judiciously left 

 open, the view from the mansion being rich and varied. The 

 view from the north front commands the greatest extent of 

 park, and is especially well diversified. Adjoining the mansion 

 is the terrace gardtn with its fountain and sculptured figures,, 

 as well as embroidered beds, the whole separated from the park 

 by an ornamental stone balustrading. The ground here de- 

 scends gently from the mansion to the lower part of the park,, 

 while at the bottom, at the distance of nearly a mile, runs the 

 river Medway. The ground rising on the opposite side termi- 

 nates in that ridge of chalk so often called " the Backbone of 

 Kent." Seen from the same spot is the parish church of Ayles- 

 ford, for its plain square tower peeps through between the 

 trees, together with some parts of the village, the quaint and 

 antique gables of many of the dwellings giving evidence of their- 

 origin at a period when there was no lack of timber. A little 

 to the north of the village runs " the Pilgrims' Boad," along, 

 which devotees to the cathedral city of Canterbury pursued, 

 their journeyings. More remarkable still, and I believe also 

 within the same parish, is " Kits Coty House," a monument 

 of an antiquity of great but unfixed date. Some antiquaries 

 believe it was erected to denote the spot where Catigern, a 

 British prince, fell in battle with the first inroad of Saxons 

 invaders. 



Turning to Preston Hall and entering the dressed grounds,, 

 one of the first objects we meet with is " the old garden," as it 

 is called, for it must be observed the present mansion, erected 

 some twenty-five years ago, is some little distance fiom wher& 

 an old one stood, the latter being entirely removed, its walled- 

 garden alone being retained. Against one of the principal walls 

 of this glass cases have been erected, not temporary, flimsy, but 

 substantial things, which, I have every reason to believe, were 

 more costly than a range of lean-to houses 15 feet wide would 

 have been. Peach and other trees were bearing excellent crops 

 in these glass cases, which are about 6 or 7 feet wide, the front 

 lights being as high as the wall and all moveable; the top also 

 is of glass and span-roofed, the whole presenting as much glass 

 as is generally met with in lean-to houses 20 feet wide. A few 

 Plum and Cherry trees are planted against the front glass, and 

 in some of the cases there was a shelf for Strawberries — the 

 whole in excellent condition, and at the time of my visit (th& 

 end of May) full of fruit, the latest batch of Strawberries,. 

 British Queen, being then in, and finer fruit could not well be,. 

 notwithstanding the long period of dull cold weather previous- 

 to that time. 



The other portions of the garden were tinder crops of the- 

 usual kind, a border of fine Lily of the Valley being not the- 

 least interesting of its contents ; but as there is a new kitchen 

 garden and an extensive breadth of fruit plantation as well to- 

 look over, we will first take a peep into the latter, and a door 

 from the old garden at once introduces us into what in Kent is 

 called " a fruit plantation," but is often elsewhere named an 

 orchard. In many respects it resembles hundreds of others in 

 the neighbourhood, so I will add a few details of its character 

 and management. First, then, I may say the site to the west 

 of the mansion fhaving both the old and new kitchen garden 



