December 1, 1878. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



433 



and interesting scene. Close by the rocks, near an immense 

 block, so carefully balanced that a slight push causes it to re- 

 volve on itB centre, is the model of a tree called the Weeping 

 Willow, standing in a circular enclosure with a narrow entrance. 

 This tree is undoubtedly more worthy of its name than any 

 natural specimen, for by turning a valve it is made to shed a 

 copious shower of water, as many an unwary tourist has dis- 

 covered. 



The grand conservatory is a magnificent structure, covering 

 an acre of ground ; it is 277 feet long by 123 wide, and the 

 central transept is 67 feet high with a span of 70 feet. It is 

 heated by hot water, which traverses six miles of pipes, and 

 to these statistics may be added the interesting fact that up- 

 wards o£ 70,000 feet of glass were used in glazing the roofs. 

 Entering from the north end under an elegant Grecian portico, 

 a sight of rare magnificence presents itaelf. Along each side of 

 the oentral walk there are Palms growing in all the wild freedom 

 of Nature, with wide-spreading frondage, light, elegant, and 

 exquisitely graceful ; some, as in Corypha australis, springing 

 from the ground, while others, as in Corypha umbraculifera, 

 borne aloft on stems so smooth and hard as to appear more 

 like columns of stone than living trunks. At one part of the 

 building we come upon an avenue of Bananas so luxuriant as 

 to quite shut iu the path along each side of which they are 

 growing ; their great leaves bend gracefully, high overhead, so 

 that one can enjoy the full beauty of their delicate texture, and 

 fancy oneself really strolling in a tropical jungle, the huge ve- 

 getation of which probably attains as high a development here, 

 and a more exquisite finish than it does in its native habitat ; 

 for here no winds obtain the mastery and lacerate this splendid 

 mass of foliage, which, from its large size, must be peculiarly 

 susceptible of injury, especially when so violently agitated as it 

 must be by the terrific storms which at times rage near the 

 equator. At another part is a thicket of Bamboo (Bambusa 

 arundinacea), then one of Sugar Cane, Cinnamon treeB, and 

 Papyrus antiquorum, the Paper Plant of the ancients. 



At one corner of the building a singular effect is produced 

 by a group of Aloes with their spinous leaves of the deepest 

 3hade of green, and on the opposite Bide to these quaint-looking 

 plants is a splendid fernery formed of rocks, among which 

 grow in the wildest luxuriance a host of the most beautiful 

 varieties of exotic Ferns. Steps winding among the rocks 

 give access to the gallery which runs round the building, so 

 that the Ferns may be closely inspected, and their full beauty 

 thoroughly appreciated. Very different is the aspect of such a 

 fernery from that of the ordinary Fern house with its formal 

 flat stages and with the Ferns growing in pots. I do not, of 

 course, suppose it to be possible for many gardens to have such 

 a huge and costly mass of material for suoh a purpose, but 

 surely it might be modified in such a way as to suit the capa- 

 oity of the smallest house. I lay some stress upon this, beoause 

 there can be no doubt that when Ferns are cultivated in so 

 natural a manner they are not only more luxuriant in growth, 

 but much more beautiful in appearance than they can ever be 

 in pots, however well they may be arranged. 



From the gallery we have a fine view of this splendid col- 

 lection of tropical plants displaying themselves in all their 

 varied beauty of form and colour — the elegant forms of the 

 foliage gracefully springing up and mingling together so charm- 

 ingly that each leaf serves to draw attention to its neighbour. 

 The vast extent of the building, and the immense number of 

 choice plants spread about it so lavishly, produce an effect of 

 incomparable grace and magnificence. 



Such a sight might very well content one, even if there were 

 no other objects of interest to be seen, but this is merely one 

 among many others, of which the fine span-roofed Orchid 

 houses worthily rank high. The whole of the Orchids were in 

 the finest order and condition. In the cool house, besides the 

 Orchids, was a fine collection of Sarracenias, S. purpurea and 

 psittacina being especially good. The Dendrobiums were also 

 very fine, as were some remarkable pans of Miltonia spectabilis, 

 Clowesii, and virginalis in fine flower. Of other plants in 

 this house worthy of notice I may select a fine Lycaste Skin- 

 neri, Ccelogyne cristata very fine, Calanthe veBtita, Calanthe 

 Wallichi, and beautiful plants of those fine Ferns Gymno- 

 gramma peruviana and Gleichenia semivestita. In the Mexican 

 house were splendid pans of Cattleya orispa superba, a very 

 fine Yanda teres, Dendrobium densiflorum, and a very good 

 Lomaria gibba. This is one of the most popular of Ferns, 

 and it certainly deserves its high position, for it is extremely 

 useful. 



In the East Indian house my attention was at once attracted 



by the magnificent collection of Vandas ; many of them must 

 be fully 6 feet high, and all of them were in fine health. 

 Another striking object in this house was a noble plant of 

 Nepenthes Baffiesiana. The AerideB were also very fine, espe- 

 cially a beautiful plant of suavissimum in flower ; nor must 

 I omit a Phalaenopsis Schilleriana, a Calanthe Veitchii, and a 

 grand Anthurium cordifolium. I have named only very few 

 specimens out of this splendid collection, but the whole of them 

 were in a high state of health, and their cleanliness and beau- 

 tiful arrangement betokened the exercise of great care and 

 skill in their culture. 



Of another range of four span-roofed houses, two contained 

 Azaleas, another some flourishing Heaths and Epacrises, and 

 the fourth a fine collection of stove plants. Here was an enor- 

 mous Eucharis amazonica 5 feet in diameter, a striking plant 

 of the dark-leaved Dracrena ferrea, and a fine Alsophila excelsa. 



The plants in three other stoves were all in a creditable 

 condition, but none of them call for special mention, except- 

 ing a magnificent plant of Maranta Veitchii, by far the finest 

 specimen of it that I have seen. 



A long corridor or glass case leading up to these houses 

 was very interesting from the fine climbing plants clothing 

 the back wall throughout its length. Many large plants of 

 Fuohsias were trained up the wall, with Tea Roses, Azaleas, 

 Acacias, Veronicas, Brugmansias, Solanum Capsicastrum, Cli- 

 anthus puniceus, Camellias, and such plants as Euiaxia myrti- 

 folia, Chorozema cordatum, Mimosa prostrata, and a very fine 

 Citrus decumana (the Shaddock), laden with large fruit. A 

 novel and striking effect is produced halfway along the corridor, 

 where there is an alcove in the back wall, on each side of which 

 is a large plant of Camellia reticulata, and the alcove itself 

 contains a magnificent Camellia alba plena, which, though 

 it grows against the wall, does not present a flat surface 

 like the others, but is so trained that the centre of the plant 

 stands out some distance from the wall, and from this raised 

 centre the branches are beautifully graduated backwards to the 

 sides, which are close to the wall. Highoverhead a beautiful 

 fringe of the flowers of Fuchsia corjmbiflora hung pendant 

 along the top of the alcove. 



The orangery is 108 feet long and 27 wide — it is an apart- 

 ment of Chatsworth House ; it contains some fine Orange 

 trees, many of which originally belonged to the collection of the 

 Empress Josephine, at Malmaison. A pair of huge white 

 Camellias nearly 20 feet high, had beautiful healthy foliage and 

 an abundance of flower-buds. Some very large Bhododendrons, 

 a fine Lomaria gibba, a lofty Asplenium fontanum, a Phyllo- 

 cladus trichomanoides, with its singular pendulous branches 

 and many fine pyramidal Camellias, are the principal plants. 

 Among the plants I noticed a beautiful marble copy of the 

 Medicean vase, and a charming group of statuary of Venus and 

 Cupid at play ; but these sink into insignificance as one obtains 

 a glimpse of the magnificent art treasures in the sculpture 

 gallery, which opens into the orangery. Here are marble 

 figures possessing all the graceful symmetry which the hands 

 of such masters as Canova, Gibson, Campbell, Schadow, and 

 many other famous artists could impart, and in the centre of 

 the gallery is an immense vase of polished granite, known as 

 the Mecklenburgh vase, which was cut out of a single block, 

 and is 20 feet in circumference. 



A broad flight of steps leads down from the orangery to a 

 gravel walk, whence other steps ascend to the Camellia house. 

 On each side of this walk was a broad ribbon border of nine 

 rows arranged in the following order — 1, Cerastium tomen- 

 tosum ; 2, blue Lobelia ; 3, Golden Pyrethrum ; 4, Iresine 

 Herbstii; 5, Flower of the Day Pelargonium ; 6, Pelargonium 

 Christine; 7, Stella; 8, Cineraria maritima; and 9, a purple 

 Pentstemon. These were two very handsome borders. The 

 plants were in full beauty, and the arrangement most satisfac- 

 tory, with the exception of Flower of the Day, for which I would 

 substitute Flower of Spring. One was puzzled at a little distance 

 off to know what the Pentstemon could be, for its rich deep 

 colour was very peculiar and attractive ; it was juBt hign enough 

 to form a capital back row. 



The principal masses of flowers are displayed in a series of 

 raised beds with stone facings, which have a fine effect viewed 

 from the terrace walk along the west front. The style of 

 colouring was massive and very effective. The appearance of 

 the whole of the beds was altogether good, for these raised 

 beds seemed to me to possess an air of dignity very suitable for 

 the important position they occupy ; and what, perhaps, helps 

 as much as anything to impart this is that they are so far 

 apart that each is a complete and finished feature in itself. 



