12G 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ August 15, 1872. 



in 1808, that Napoleon held his assembly of crowned heads, 

 at which there were present the Emperor of Bussia,four kings, 

 and an innumerable concourse of princes, counts, and other 

 persons of high degree. 



The site of the town is in outline not unlike that of a kidney, 

 the concave side of which looks towards the west, the convex 

 towards the east, and the two ends respectively north and 

 south. At the upper end, near the Briihler Thor (or gate) a 

 somewhat large stream enters the town, and following roughly 

 the convex outline leaves it again near the Johannis Thor at 

 the lower end. Before this begins to curve it throws off a 

 branch which, passing through the middle of the town, rejoins 

 the main stream at the point of egress. Thus it will be seen 

 that the inhabitants here stand in no need of water, and it is, 

 doubtless, in some degree due to this fact that the cultivation 

 of seeds has been carried to such an extent around the walls. 

 Deep in the concave side of the said kidney-shaped outline 

 lies the great square of the town, the Frederick William's Place, 

 on the southern side of which is the cathedral placed side by 

 side with the church of St. Severi. The former is built with 

 one end upon a hill in the elaborate Gothic style, somewhat 

 like Cologne on a smaller scale, and has the chancel end, which 

 looks out upon the square, elevated upon a course of arches 

 about 30 feet in height. This naturally tends very much to 

 increase the important look of the building, and to it a broad 

 flight of steps leading up between the two churches to the 

 cathedral door greatly adds. The church of St. Severi runs 

 nearly parallel, and separated by but a few feet from the 

 cathedral. The body of the structure presents a very ordinary 

 appearance on the outside, and has, what seems very strange 

 in a building of its size and situation, a roof composed of red 

 tiles. The most notable feature about it is the tower in front, 

 consisting of three steeples all combined, the middle one of 

 which projects to some distance beyond its twin brothers on 

 each side. Without the church of St. Severi, and to the right 

 of it and the cathedral, is the fortress, planted upon a con- 

 siderable height, and commanding a splendid view of the sur- 

 rounding country. There is nothing very imposing in its 

 external aspect as to the spectator below it seems to consist 

 simply of some earthen ramparts and a few long, low-roofed, 

 domestic-looking houses. Crossing to the southern side of 

 the Frederick's William's Place, and keeping round through 

 a small lane, we come to the back of the cathedral, whence, 

 passing over the smaller branch of the Wilde Gera, as the 

 river is called, and continuing our walk for about ten minutes 

 along the street, we at last arrive at the Briihler Thor. Of 

 these Thors there are in all six. To the eye of an English- 

 man, who is not accustomed to see fortified towns in his own 

 land, they seem very imposing. Without is a moat, which 

 runs right round the walls, but is not kept flooded, except near 

 the gates. Across this moat the road is continued, but in 

 case of the approach of an enemy all communication can be 

 cut off by raising a small drawbridge, whilst the ominous look 

 of the loopholed walls shows very plainly what kind of a re- 

 ception the adversary who had the boldness to advance thus 

 far would receive. Since 1814 the town has not had occasion 

 to test the effectiveness of its defences; but in 1866, at the 

 time of the six weeks' campaign, everything was got in readi- 

 ness, and many trees in the environs cut down in expectation 

 of an invasion from the Bavarian frontier. 



And now, leaving all matters martial and historical, I will 

 proceed to the horticultural. Situated at but a stone's throw 

 trim, the Briihler Thor is the establishment of Mr. Benary, the 

 largest seed-grower in Erfurt, and, perhaps, in Germany. Any 

 person passing along the road that leads from the town at this 

 point cannot fail to remark the spacious granary house at 

 about 60 yards from the highway, built of red brick, inter- 

 sected by pieces of wood, called in England " brick-nogging," 

 presenting a chequered and somewhat fanciful appearance. The 

 front of the grounds is bounded by a brick wall surrounded by 

 a railing, in the centre of which is a rather important-looking 

 gate and porter's lodge. From this gate there runs a well- 

 beaten carriage-drive up to the private house of the owner, 

 which lies somewhat behind the granary, but not in the slightest 

 degree hidden by it. In fact their respective positions are like 

 the strokes of a Z, if the down stroke be drawn strictly per- 

 pendicular. On the right hand of the path, between the railing 

 and the front of the granary, is a small dressed ground, con- 

 sisting of four variously-shaped plots of thick and neatly-kept 

 grass, laid out in beds containing, some of them, concentric 

 borders of Centaurea candidissima and Perilla nankinensis, 

 crowned in the centre with thriving specimens of Musas, others 



having double edgings of Pyrethrum Parthenium aureum and 

 Cineraria maritima, crowned with circles of Perilla nankinensis 

 and Salvia splendens. In the middle a fountain is in course 

 of erection, and when finished will no doubt add greatly to the 

 already pleasing aspect of the grounds. Crossing over to the 

 other side of the carriage-drive we come upon some sheds 

 filled with fine collections of Petunias, both double and single ; 

 Calceolarias, whose beauty is now gone ; Phloxes, Begonias, 

 some plants of Liliurn auratum, and smaller quantities of other 

 garden plants in considerable variety. 



Passing along towards the house there came to view two 

 glass houses, directly opposite the granary, and running 

 parallel with it and each other. In the first of these is a col- 

 lection of about six hundred Gloxinias, the richness of which 

 when seen, as I saw them, in their prime, is a sight worth 

 going some distance to see. In the other was a very creditable 

 assortment of Ferns, Musas, and other subtropical plants, 

 arranged in the neatest order, and to all appearance making 

 most satisfactory progress. 



At the very back, lying in a direct line with the dwelling- 

 house, and bounded behind by a stream, are a cool house con- 

 taining Fuchsias, and a warm one holding more Ferns, Musas, 

 and Caladiums. Here also is the heating apparatus of the 

 establishment. 



Going out by the gate and crossing the high road I came to 

 the trial grounds, where, although no very large quantity of 

 any one plant is to be seen, there is, nevertheless, a compensa- 

 tion in point of variety. In the first field are a large number 

 of Cockscombs, both light and dark varieties, Portulacas, a 

 small quantity of Delphinium nudicaule, a house containing 

 about three hundred Gloxinias; also some Clintonias, Queen 

 Victoria Lobelias, and Salvia splendens. In the second field 

 the varieties were so many, and the number of plants so small, 

 that it would become tedious to mention all, but among them 

 were Campanula carpatiea, Aquilegia Skiuneri, and Callirhb'e 

 verticillata. The third field contained the greatest attraction, 

 and that was a large collection of Pinks, the more valuable 

 kinds of which were upon a parallel range of stands, and in this 

 elevated position displayed their beauties to a greater advan- 

 tage than could their less fortunate rivals below. Of this, the, 

 in my opinion (dare I say so ?) most charming occupant of the 

 flower garden, there were many very sweet-scented and beau- 

 teous varieties, varying from the most delicate flesh-coloured, 

 plain or dark-edged, to the deepest pure or variegated red, and 

 running through all the intermediate tints in indescribable 

 profusion. 



By passing out through the Briihler Thor and bending 

 round to the left, two more of Mr. Benary's fields are reached. 

 In these the principal feature was a large number of Balsams, 

 among which were some very pretty carmine and crimson 

 varieties, and after these came Phloxes, comprising several 

 variegated-striped kinds. In a corner of the farther field was 

 a strip of Alyssum Benthami, which shed its delicious honey- 

 like odour around. Here the proximity of a running stream 

 has enabled Mr. Benary to effect the watering of his plants 

 without that laborious trotting backwards and forwards from 

 the pump to the flower-bed, which is the detestation of all 

 gardeners. By means of a wheel turned by the stream, water 

 is pumped up into a number of barrels elevated at some height 

 on a stand, whence it is conveyed through pipes to those points 

 from which it can most conveniently be distributed, this being 

 performed by the aid of a hose. 



Eetracing my steps to the Briihler Thor and turning round 

 to the right of it, I came to the greatest number of Mr. Benary's 

 fields, which succeed one another with very little interval. In 

 the first, which lies on the other side of the road, and is about 

 two acres in size, were growing nothing but African and 

 French Marigolds. In the second were a number of Pinks, 

 some Stachys cbccinea, some fine double Campanulas, and 

 certain varieties of Sweet William, comprising in particular a 

 new and very pretty one of Mr. Benary's own raising, which 

 has not yet appeared before the public. Here, also, was a very 

 sombre but dignified-looking Pansy, with a dull sheen like 

 that of a splash of Indian ink slightly touched with purple. It is 

 veiy appropriately named Dr. Faust. Besides these there were 

 many more varieties of Pansies, nearly every one of which had 

 some beauty to recommend it, and a mixed collection of Ver- 

 benas, many of them of a deep rich red or purple colour, and 

 very distinctly eyed. In the third field the most striking 

 feature was a number of Tom Thumb Nasturtiums, consisting 

 of light and deep yellow, orange, purple, and rose-coloured 

 varieties. Although not a particularly rare plant, and there- 



