310 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ October 20, 1870. 



is quite worthy of imitation. Many of the hanging baskets 

 contained fine masses of Panicum and Iresine ; this appeared 

 to be a favourite mixture, and certainly no two plants more 

 suitable for such a purpose could be chosen. 



Looking along the building from either end the view is one 

 of surpassing loveliness ; and although I did not see it lighted 

 up at night, yet I could quite appreciate the truth of the remark 

 made to me, that when so seen it was a real fairy land. 



I had not time for more than a passing glance into the other 

 glass houses near the principal kitchen garden. In the first, a 

 span-roofed house, were a large number of medium-sized plants 

 of Eucharis amazonica, admirably adapted for decorative pur- 

 poses, numerous fine Caladiums, a good Vanda odorata, a Sac- 

 colabium BInmei majus with a fine spike of bloom, a fine plant 

 of Aerides suavissimum in flower, a fine stock of Calanthe 

 Veitchii and lutea, and many other choice Orchids. Some 

 Alocasias and a fine plant of Caladium magnificum were also 

 noteworthy. 



In another house were fine plants of Pandanus elegantissimus 

 with graceful, pendent leaves, Cibotium princeps and Schiedei, 

 a beautiful Dasylirion, and a Musa bearing a splendid cluster 

 of fruit. 



The Gattleya house contained a large collection of Orchids, 

 very healthy and flourishing. 



I must not conclude these notes without noticing the flag 

 tower, a massive square building of six storeys, finely situated 

 a short distance from the principal block of buildings. From 

 the top of this lofty tower, a magnificent view of the surrounding 

 country for many miles well repays one for the somewhat 

 arduous task of climbing so high. Far and wide can the eye 

 range from here over the broad domains of Alton Towers, along 

 the beautiful valley of the Churnet, away into the vast undu- 

 lating expanse of country beyond. But in all this pleasant 

 landscape no object possesses so much interest as the ruins of 

 Alton Castle (fig. 8), taking us back to those old feudal days 

 when the baron exercised a despotic sway over the country 

 commanded by his castle — those quaint rude times when might 

 made right. What stirring warlike scenes must have occurred 

 where now those few old grey stones bear silent witness of the 

 lapse of time and the decay to which all things are hastening ! 

 And as one turns from contemplating them to look once more 

 at Alton Towers standing in all the pride and dignity of their 

 massive strength and grandeur, it seems scarcely possible to 

 realise the fact that these old ruins represent what was probably 

 at one time a structure equally stately and of far greater strength. 

 In bidding farewell to Alton Towers I may very safely pro- 

 mise any of your readers whom these notes may induce to visit 

 them, that they will find a " land of delights," a scene of love- 

 liness surpassing what they may be led to expect, for it is 

 hardly possible in a report of such extensive grounds to notice 

 more than the most important points of interest. — Edward 

 Ltjckhurst, Old Lands, Buxted, Sussex. 



GARDENING AT THE ANTIPODES. 



Strange are the queries that come to us, but none that we 

 are not pleased to receive. It is a luxury to aid anyone. It 

 gratifies one's vanity to be consulted, as if we were " wise ones,'' 

 therefore we are really doubly gratified in being able to reply 

 authentically to the following : — 

 " Gentlemen, Editors — I have been engaged to be married 



five years to W B , gardener to our clergyman, and he 



now insists on our marriage because he has an offer of a situa- 

 tion in Australia, and intends going there. I have not declined 

 out-and-out, but yet do not know what to do. I see your gar- 

 dening paper on master's table every Friday, and as I see you 

 answer inquiries about almost everything, even Blackberry 

 wine, perhaps you would be so very kind as to say whether 

 Victoria, in Australia, is a safe place to live in. Are there any 

 cannibals there ? Are things there anything like what they are 

 here in Wiltshire ? " 



We are tempted to state our confiding correspondent's name 

 in full, to tell who is her swain, and who is her master. We 

 are so tempted because we should like all connected with her 

 to appreciate her as we do, and we know we are right. We 

 have seen her handwriting, and, like Shenstone, "judge thence 

 of her disposition ;" but we forbear, and assure her that Vic- 

 toria is a place safe to live in, that there are no cannibals to 

 fear there, and as best, evidence that it is " anything like Wilt- 

 shire," we print this extract from the "Beport of the Horticul- 

 tural Society of Victoria for the year ending June 30th, 1870." 



In return for so doing, when she, as Mrs. B , has reached 



Victoria we shall confide in her reminding her husband to send 

 us a few notes on the Victoria gardening. 



" The following catalogue is a list of varieties of fruit tree 

 scions available this year (1870) for distribution among sub- 

 scribers. 



"Those in small capitals are supposed to be merely eolonia 

 terms, and are given as the received names of varieties in 

 extensive cultivation throughout the Australian colonies. 



" Apples. — Mela Carla (Charles Apple), Kerry Pippin, Gloria Mundi, 

 Apr (Lady Apple), Whatinough's Red Streak, Duchess of Oldenburgh, 

 Rushock Pearmain, Scarlet Golden Pippin, Maiden's Blnsh (Ame- 

 rican), Boston Russet, Reinette Rouge Hative, Dumelow's Seedling, 

 Pitmaston Golden Pippin, Lodgemore Nonpareil, Uellner's Golden 

 Reinette, Red or Devonshire Quarrenden, Pine Golden Pippin, Irish 

 Peach (Early Crofton), Brownlees' Russet, Taliesin (No:folk Beefing), 

 White Nonpareil, Reinette Jaune Hative, Spring Ribston Pippin, 

 Stamford Pippin, Omar Pasha, Summer Queen, Summer Rose, Haw- 

 ley, Screveton Golden Pippin, Pitmaston Nonpareil, Betty Geeson, 

 Forge Apple, Cornish Aromatic, Summer Golden Pippin, Oslin, 

 American Mother, Guernsey Pippin, Isle of White Pippin, White 

 Whiter Calville, Wyber Pippin, Tyler's Cromwell Pippin. Box 

 Apple, Golden Reinette, King of Pippins, Court- Pendu-Plat, Winter 

 Peach, Keswick Codlin, Golden Nonpareil, Hawthornden, Downton 

 Pippin, Warner's King, Pine Apple Russet, Tower of Glammis, Cox's 

 Orange Pippin, Tarn Montgomerie, Early Nonpareil, Early Almond, 

 Charlton Pippin, Wyken Pippin, Early Joe, Ribston Pippin, Red 

 Cluster, Scarlet Nonpareil, Alfriston, Port Dalrvmple, Kirke's 

 Golden Pippin, Byson Wood Russet, Hoart Morning, Winter Peach, 

 Wormsley Pippin, Beauty of Kent, American Cherry Crab, New Rock 

 Pippin, Bedfordshire Foundling, Governor Glade's Red Streak, 

 Yellow Siberian Crab, Stone or Gogar Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, 

 Kingston Nonpareil, Pigeonette, Pearl Reinette, Phillip's Seedling, 

 H.S.V., Claygate Pearmain, Dinon's Emperor, Watson's Dumpling, 

 Cleopatra, Gloucester Pippin, Caeemarthen Pippin, White Astrakhan, 

 Kingston Black, Pomme de Neige, London or Five Crown Pippin, 

 Murray's Hawthornden, Yellow Bellefleur, Franklin's Golden Pippin, 

 English Golden Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, King of Pippins, Cornish 

 Gilliflower, La Sonnette, Herefordshire Pearmain, Spring Grove Codlin. 

 "Pears. — Passe Colmar, Summer Bon Chretien. Late Crawford, Old 

 Colmar, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Brown Beurre, Citron des Cannes, 

 Chinese Pear, Paradise d'Automne, Marie Louise, Nouveau Poiteau, 

 Bishop's Thumb, Old Bergamot, Comte de Flandres, Beurre Thuer- 

 linckx, Fondante d'Automne, Chaumontel, Thompson's, Leon le 

 Clerc (Van Mons), Prevost (Van Mons), Comte de Lamy, Baron de 

 Mello, Van de Weyer Bates, Gansel's Bergamot, Summer Beurre 

 d'Aremberg, Colmar d'Ete, Fondante des Charneux, Doyenne Defais, 

 Doyenne d'Ete, Beurre Clairgeau, Huyshe's Victoria, Early Crawford, 

 Surpasse Crassane, Black Achan, La Quintinie, Napoleon Savinien, 

 Marie Louise d'Ucele, Duchesse d'Orleans, Madame Trevye, Peach 

 Pear." 



Of Grapes there are the Black Hamburgh, Muscat of Alex- 

 andria, and most of the varieties grown in England, besides 

 many vineyard kinds. Of Cherries twenty-five sorts are enume- 

 rated, of i?lums about the same number, of Strawberries two 

 score, besides several kinds of Medlars, Peaches, Nectarines, 

 and Apricots. 



WOOLHOPE NATURALISTS' HELD CLUB. 

 October 6th. 

 the foray among the funguses. 

 The autumnal meeting of the Woodhope Club is generally spirited 

 and successful. It is the last of the year, and perhaps greater effort 

 is made to attend it, and certainly the well-wooded scenery of Here- 

 fordshire never looks more beautiful than on a fine autumnal day, but 

 the chief cause of attraction undoubtedly exists in the opportunity it 

 affords for the study of Funguses. This is made the chief object of 

 the day, and no effort is spared to render it as instructive as possible 

 to all who attend. The specimens found are at once named, or if per- 

 chance they are new, or present any features of particular interest,, 

 they are discussed with a scientific zeal that cannot fail to impart 

 itself more or less to all who are present. Thus more real practical 

 progress in the knowledge of this difficult branch of botany is made in 

 a single field-day with the Woolhope Club than could possibly be 

 gained by any amount of mere closet study. 



The long and lovely summer followed, as it has been thus far, by a 

 dry and bright autumn, has so completely dried the surface of the 

 ground that vegetation of all kinds languishes for moisture. Not- 

 withstanding the great want of rain, the mists and the dew have occa- 

 sionally been very heavy, and, where the ground is rich and not too 

 hard, bave favoured very much the production of Funguses. It is true 

 that they who would gather them in perfection this year must not heed 

 the poet's caution : 



" The dews of the morning be careful to 6bun, 

 They're the tears of the night for the loss of the sun." 



The members of the Club had oertainly not shown much fear in this 



