Angnst 25, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



147 



smaller, it was a good specimen of its kind. The more recent 

 introductions were also duly represented, for Mr. Thomson, the 

 proprietor, who for thirty years and more has been an ardent 

 admirer of Conifers, and has during that time added to his col- 

 lection all that were worth having, still secures anything new 

 that may appear, and the collection lacks but little to make it 

 unique. Other shrubs also were not forgotten, for I noticed a 

 border containing an excellent collection of Hollies, and now 

 and then the whole was enlivened by the beautiful bloom of 

 Althfea frutex, Virginian Sumach, and other gems of the 

 shrubbery. 



I have said the pinetum, or pleasure-ground enclosure, was 

 surrounded by the park ; it ought also to be mentioned that 

 the former is so large as also to enclose within it — nay, almost 

 oonceal from view, the kitchen garden, where some good vege- 

 tables are growing in spite of the dry weather, and the Peach 

 trees on the walls were loaded almost too heavily. Outside the 

 kitchen garden, but still within the dressed grounds, there was 

 a group of plant houses and pits, the latter partly hidden from 

 the pleasure grounds by a fernery. They were all in excellent 

 order, but the space already occupied by the description of the 

 pinetum forbids my entering into details here. I must not, 

 however, omit to mention a very promising young orchard two 

 or three acres in extent, where there was as fine a lot of 

 Plum, Apple, and Pear trees well loaded with fruit as can 

 be met with anywhere. The Pear and Apple trees were mostly 

 pyramid-trained, and planted about 8 feet apart. The Plum 

 trees were grown as standards, and were heavily laden with 

 fruit. 



This plantation is outside of the park, and on the way to it 

 I passed a Horse Chestnut tree in which one branch was 

 growing into another, forming a natural graft in a manner I 

 had never before seen. The tree was of good size, and at 

 12 feet or so from the ground a limb, about as thick as a man's 

 body, extended from the trunk in a diagonal direction at an 

 angle of upwards of 40°, and about 3 feet higher up the bole 

 another limb, much smaller than the last, projected at an angle 

 of about 25° or less, so that at some 10 feet or so from the 

 bole the two limbs crossed and united, the junction presenting 

 none of the swellings or excrescences so common in grafting, 

 the bark being as smooth and uniform as on any part of the 

 tree. A short distance from the junction the limb broke out 

 into branches. The appearance was that of a well-constructed 

 brace, and no doubt the graft acted as such ; but although I 

 have often enough seen natural grafting in Beech and other 

 trees, I never saw anything to equal this, and Mr. Thomson, 

 who takes especial notice of trees and their various peculiarities, 

 pointed it out to me as deserving of notice. 



The park is well studded over with groups of trees and single 

 specimens, especially Horse Chestnuts and Thorns, with some 

 good Oaks and Ashes. Mr. Thomson, who is also a great 

 admirer of the common Yew and Scotch Fir, pointed out a 

 piece of woodland on the crest of one of the distant hills in 

 which were some good specimens of the English Yew that he 

 made an especial point of preserving. The wild Cherry, or 

 Gasooign, he also admired, as well for its beauty in autumn 

 when its foliage dies off crimson, as in spring when its snow- 

 white blossoms give such a charm to woodland scenery. I 

 believe he has planted this tree extensively in places where its 

 beauties will be seen to advantage ; and in a district where 

 cultivators, as a rule, have denuded it of all its beauties, an 

 admirer of Nature's noblest productions like Mr. Thomson 

 must be looked on as a benefactor. — J. Robson. 



[Our readers will remember that some time ago Mr. Coveney, 

 at Kenfield, replied through our columns to an inquiry made 

 about the height of V/ellingtonias, and we hope others having 

 fine trees of this species will also favour us with the dimensions, 

 as well the soil and situation in which the trees are growing ; 

 for although the Wellingtonia seems to accommodate itself to 

 almost every place, there is no doubt certain soils suit it better 

 than others. — Ens.] 



ORCHARD-HOUSE PRODUCE. 

 I send an account of this year's produce. I have gathered 

 and sent to table 850 Peaches and Nectarines, and 100 really 

 good well- finished bunches of Grapes out of the orchard house, 

 of which I wrote some time ago. The Peaches averaged 

 9 inches in circumference, and the Nectarines 8 inches. The 

 largest Peach measured 11} inches in circumference, and 

 weighed llj ozs. I think even the most sceptical (no one can 



be more bo than I was three years ago), must own that orchard 

 houses are really useful, profitable, and highly ornamental. 

 They are more especially adapted for the villa residences 

 near London, where a Peach wall is out of the question, but 

 orchard houses might easily be erected, and with them the 

 crop is almost a certainty, at least with anything like good, 

 management. 



I find the syringe my most useful friend, having had no 

 symptoms of insects, and the trees rejoice in frequent appli- 

 cations of house sewage made lukewarm by diluting it with hot 

 water. — J. H. Davis, Haztlicood, Upper Norwood. 



NEW VERBENAS AND GOLDEN FEATHER 

 PYRETHRUM FOR BEDDING. 



"Ayrshire Gardener" condemns the new and improved 

 Verbenas as being utterly incapable of enduring any hardship. 

 1 do not know any of the old sorts of Verbenas which will 

 endure hardships such as the Zonal Geraniums have to 

 undergo. If a Verbena will not stand dryness at the root, and 

 cold and want of light during the winter, it is condemned. 

 Small half-rooted plants are pricked out from cutting pots into 

 beds in May and June, and expected to grow and flourish. 

 Daily waterings are as sure to injure these plants as dry-and- 

 dust treatment. A watering once or twice a-week, with a little 

 liquid manure each time, is enough for any Verbena ; and 

 every plant ought to be well rooted and established in 4-inch 

 pots before bedding-out, and the foliage healthy, free of thrips, 

 red spider, and green fly. If only a little more pains were 

 devoted to Verbenas there would not be Buch an outcry against 

 them. 



Contrary, again, to " Ayrshire Gardener's " experience, I 

 can see Golden Feather Pyrethrum as good now as ever. 

 Instead of waiting for the flowers to open and cover the plants, 

 if the flower-spikes are cut closely down at the first appearance 

 of a head of bloom, the plants will continue dwarf and bushy 

 to the last. Though the heat blanches the colour, it is, how- 

 ever, quite as golden now, where this treatment is pursued, as 

 Crystal Palace Gem or Cloth of Gold Geranium. — An Amateur. 



In "Ayrshire Gardener's" interesting notes on bedding 

 plants in your last issue, I was sorry to learn of his failure with,, 

 and condemnation of the above subject as a summer bedding- 

 out plant, inasmuch as here it has proved all that could be 

 desired. If I may judge by laBt season's experience of its 

 attributes, I will venture to say it will continue so until the 

 end of the season, with no more trouble bestowed upon it 

 than is accorded to the various other occupants of the parterre, 

 with their peggings-down, picking off of seed heads, &c, the only 

 attention required by the Golden Feather being by occasional 

 picking off of the flowers as they appear. 



I may add, we have Golden Feather Pyrethrum here doing 

 duty in charming contrast with large beds of Stella Nosegay 

 Geranium, to which it affords an effective margin, the greenish 

 yellow of the latter affording a pleasing harmony with the- 

 scarlet orimson inflorescence of the latter. And as an edging 

 to such as Coleus Verschaffelti, Iresine Herbstii, Centaurea 

 ragusina, blue Lobelia, Verbena Purple King, &c, I have also- 

 found it to be most effective, proving in some instances 

 more satisfactory than Cloth of Gold. Geraniums will only 

 flourish in a comparatively rich and moist soil, whereas the- 

 Golden Feather is not bo particular as to the condition of the 

 medium in which it grows, unless dust dry. I trust, with due- 

 respect to " Ayrshire Gardener's" opinion, that your readers 

 who have not aB yet patronised the Golden Feather Pyrethrum 

 as a summer bedding plant may not be deterred from giving it 

 a trial next season, as I am confident that with due attention 

 to picking off the flower heads as they appear, and to keeping 

 the roota in a growing state by an ordinary amount of moisture, 

 success will be thereby insured. — William Gardiner, Gardener, 

 Lower Eatington Park, Stratford-on-Avon. 



BEDDING PLANTS IN 1870. 



{Continued from page 130.) 



In continuing my remarks on bedding plants this season I 



will now proceed to the Zonal Pelargoniums, and will take the 



flowering section first — that is to say, those grown for the 



beauty of their flowers, and not of their foliage, and in which 



