November 23, 1377. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



417 



return he was appointed Royal gardener. Yesterday (Novem- 

 ber 19th) we observed the bi-centenary of the establishment of 

 lis school on November 19 th, 1677. 



I am anxious to ereot a brass to his memory in the pariah 

 ■church where he first established his school, and there may be 

 some of your readers who would like to help in a memorial to 

 one "of the best of gardeners" and " a religious kindly man." 

 — Akihuk W. Phelps, Vicar of Amesbury , Wilts. 



[If any of our readers would like to contribute a trifle to a 

 crass in the church to Rose's memory they may send to the 

 -Rev. Arthur W. Phelps, Vicarage, Amesbury, Wilts.] 



MB. RICHARD SMITH'S NURSERY AT 



ST. 



JOHN'S, "WORCESTER. 



Part III. AND LAST. 



Rising from luncheon I said, " And now what more have 

 you to show me?" "Show you!" replied my host, "you 

 have only seen one-sixteenth yet." I thought and said in- 

 wardly, " I can only take a very general view of those remain- 

 ing fifteen parts, theD." Turning to the left from the office I 

 proceeded along that broad, straight, central path to the trees 

 of ornamental growth and foliage. My attention was specially 

 attracted to certain treeB, the hahit of which or colour is un- 

 "usual. Thus there is the Crested Laburnum, very peculiar — 

 like Eroom grafted on Laburnum. A tree resembles the head 

 of an Australian savage, but when in bloom a golden ball, on 

 •which the eye rests permanently with pleasure. Then there is 

 the Weeping Purple-leaved Beech, very noteworthy. T. A. 

 Knight saw in a bed of seedling Beech the original weeping 

 Beech found, I believe, in this nursery, and hence thi9 variety 

 - — -a case of a man having eyes and using them. A word to 

 youDg men readers — first inform your minds by reading up a 

 subject, and then with knowledge gained by book in your heads 

 keep your eyes open and learn more. An iguorant man's eye 

 learns little. Read and know, look and examine, and know 

 more. For instance, Andrew Knight knew the general habit 

 of the Beech, and so his eye noticed a peculiar growth of that 

 tree. The next tree I notioed was the Silver-leaved Poplar, 

 the under part of the leaf a direct contrast to its upper side. 

 This is a most elegant and perfectly hardy variety. Looking 

 upwards when under such a tree one seems to be looking up 

 into a canopy of glittering silver. The Scarlet American Oaks 

 also struck me much. I measured a leaf, it was a foot long, 

 and the colour of Virginian Creeper. I came next upon an 

 acre of ornamental-flowering Thorns, destined to make gay 

 many a garden ground and light up many a ehtubbery with 

 warmth and beauty. I passed by Limes ready for avenue 

 .planting, each tu be in future years " a murmurous haunt of 

 summer bees." I marked, too, the Fern-leaved Weeping 

 Birch with deeply incised leaf. This a very graceful and orna- 

 ■mental tree, a beautiful variety of " The Lady of the Woods." 

 The Fern-leaved Lime followed, and the Auouba-foliaged Ash, 

 all variegated, but their colours a little rusty from the late- 

 ness of the seasor. Not so the Ulmus elegantissima with its 

 foliage, and fine in colour — a tree thoroughly worthy of its 

 name, with its large silver-edged leaves. I passed variegated 

 ?trees of every kind. There was the Ulmus Kaki from Japan, 

 .singularly graceful in habit, also the Ulmus plumosa, plume- 

 like, with shoots resembling a Prince's Feather ; this when 

 grown near a walk would be very telling. Among Willows 

 there was the Babj Ionian, ring leaved. Coming to the end of 

 the walk I was reminded that I was near the metropolis of 

 Hops, for there were 70 acres of them just beyond the nursery. 

 Saving taken this view of the trees of variegated foliage and 

 ornamental growth, I can safely say that for number, variety, 

 and healthiness of growth I never saw their equal. 



Next I am shown the houses, and in passing through them 

 I noticed that method and cleanliness reigned supreme ; all in 

 "'apple-pie" order; workmen quietly and diligently labouring 

 inside them. Concerning the houses Mr. Smith related this 

 anecdote : — He proposed to his father to build a propagating 

 bouse 20 feet long, and this proposal was thought extravagant. 

 'Now among the many houses above 20 there is one 365 feet 

 long. What a difference, and what a proof of success ! To 

 show which are the popular favourites of the four thousand 

 "Vines, one-half of all here are Black Hamburghs. Of the 

 eirly caoking Apples one-half are Lord Suffields, and of the 

 Plums one-half are Victorias. 



The pit ground is four acres in extent, and it has in it two 

 acres and a half of glass, and the pits are " cram full." In a 

 5?crn house I found twenty thousand plants in pots. I noticed 



in a span-roofed house, in which were fruit trees in pots, 

 there was a Vine 200 feet and more in length, carried round 

 just where the perpendicular sides meet the slope of the roof— 

 a hint for those who have a greenhouse but are afraid of the 

 flowers being injured by the Grapes. Some of the houses 

 contained Heaths in great numbers. Then there came the 

 Camellia houses, then those for Chrysanthemums. The 

 cleanliness of the houses was great. Three hundred thousand 

 grafts are put under glass during the year. In spite of this 

 great space yet the room has to be economised. Of course 

 the ornamental-foliaged plants in pots are very numerous in a 

 nursery famed for trees and shrubs of ornament. There were 

 Golden Arbor- Vitse, variegated Ivies, Aucubas. There were 

 seventy varieties of Ivy, some of the variegated plants singular- 

 looking, others pretty ; others, like the Ivies, beautiful. There 

 were twenty-four varieties of Virginian Creeper ; there were 

 many pots of that singular-looking, leafless, thorny thing, the 

 Australian Bramble. In the Rose houses all appeared healthy 

 and good-looking. Two hundred thousand Roses are sold 

 annually. 



Among the Ferns I found a new and very unique variety of 

 Adiantum farleyenBe, having a deeply incised leaf. This ia 

 a sport, and is not yet in trade, but will be out some three 

 years hence and cause a sensation. There were Japanese 

 Maples in pots, rich in colour, and suitable for dinner-table 

 decoration ; and the new weeping Wellingtonia, very choice. 

 My attention was next directed to the herbaceous department, 

 which I am happy to say consists of as much as two aores. I 

 am happy to say this because at one time it appeared, in the 

 rage for rich bedding Geraniums, herbaceous plants would 

 cease to be cultivated. There I noticed the autumn Anemone, 

 a very good and valuable plant, whose flowers would look 

 charming in ladies' hair. There, too, was Ribbon Grass fit to 

 run-up banks, while the Phlox patch was dazzling with its rich 

 flowers. 



I am next taken into the packing-shed. Oh ! the heaps of 

 crates. Oh ! the size of the place for straw. As a slight in- 

 dication and evidence of the amount of packing and sending 

 off trees and shrubs at the fall of the year, I am told that 

 li ton weight of packing string is used annually. I see the 

 cart-stables and carpenters' shops, for all things are made for 

 the nursery at the nursery ; thus carts and trucks are built 

 there. 



I goon to the flowering-shrub patch. I seethe new ever- 

 green Privet, good in growth and colour. Conifers at St. 

 John's are, of course, very numerous, and among them shone 

 out conspicuous in numbers and superb beauty the Picea 

 nobilis glauca. This beautiful glaucous variety is a very model 

 of beauty whether in small specimens or large, with its sea- 

 green and yet silvery colour, a hue hard to describe, but most 

 pleasing to the eye. In other parts of this vast nursery I come 

 again upon trees of ornamental foliage. Thus there is the 

 Purple-leaved Peach with its leaves in spring of a deep red 

 colour ; then the Wolseyana Willow beautifully pendulous, the 

 Golden Qaeen Holly, most suitable for church decoration, and 

 a new weeping variety (strange this in a stubborn upright- 

 growing tree like a Holly — this is beautifully weeping and 

 variegated) ; and then came the Purple-leaved Weeping Birch, 

 a contrast to the Fern-leaved : in the former, colour ; in the 

 latter, grace. 



But I must draw to a conclusion. My readers will easily 

 understand that I might have spent a week instead of a day 

 and a half in this vast and most interesting nursery — interest- 

 ing in itself and its surroundings. The line cathedral near, 

 the rapid Severn still nearer, beyond the Malvern Hills. All 

 about me historic ground ; close by, twice over, were battles 

 fought. High-born cavalier and sturdy parliamentarian met 

 and showed on either side the stuff of which Englishmen are 

 made. Houses were once near 



" Wherein the younger Charles abode 

 Till all the path9 were dim, 

 And j'uat below the Roundhead rods 

 And hummed a surly hymn." 



Mr. Smith's nursery is an indirect proof of the prosperity 

 and refinement of the English people of this day. In war and 

 in rude times men had no leisure, or care, or even thought for 

 ornamenting their parks, and shrubberies, and gardens. There 

 might be an exception here and there, as in John Evelyn ; but 

 there are hundreds of John Evelyns now — men, aye ! and 

 women in abundance who delight in the beautiful in tree and 

 shrub, and who lovingly regard the form and colour of leaf and 

 flower. Gardening best prospers in quiet rich times, as now 



