152 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 22, 1872. 



enter a range of glass 45 yards long, heated by hot water, 

 and divided into five parts — 1st, yonng Tines ; 2nd, Peaches 

 and Mectarines ; 3rd, early vinery ; 4th, succession Vines and 

 Figs in pots ; 5th, very late vinery. The Peach honse and 

 ■early and succession vineries had splendid crops, the Grapes 

 both large in bunch and berry and well ripened. The Figs 

 were also showing for an abundant crop. 



There are two ranges of pits also heated by hot water, 

 20 yards long, with Cucumbers and Melons in abundance. 



Contiguous is the gardener's house, with an oblong bed on 

 grass in front planted with blue Lobelia, Echeveria, Golden- 

 leaved Feverfew, Harry Hieover Geranium, Flower of the Day, 

 and pink Geranium. 



_ A new green walk has been made on the north side of the 

 kitchen garden, planted on each side with Pampas Grass, Prince 

 of Orange Calceolarias, and large bushes of white Feverfew, 

 backed by Dahlias and Holly bushes ; also another broad gravel 

 walk running parallel with the walk from the Addison Road, 

 backed with choice trees and shrubs. 



The new ranges of houses and pits, and the pleasure-ground 

 improvements were all planned and executed under the super- 

 intendence of the head gardener, Mr. Dixon. To him may be 

 applied the words of the epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren, 

 -' Visitor, if thou seekest his monument, look around" and see 

 the flower garden in early and full splendour, and abundant 

 crops of fruit in the houses. The crops of Pears and Apples, 

 bush fruit, and vegetables in the kitchen garden, are also very 

 good. 



Holland House is surrounded by pleasure grounds so nicely 

 connected with the park that a beautiful and varied landscape 

 is produced, bounded by deep shady groves that form the frame- 

 work of this delightful picture. In these well- wooded grounds 

 are many fine old trees. An Elm measured 17 feet 3 inches in 

 girth, and two Cedars of Lebanon 14 feet 9 inches, and 12 feet 

 6 inches each at 2 feet from the ground. — W. Keane. 



THE GERANIUMS AT THE CHILWELL 

 NUESERIES. 



The most convenient way to reach these nurseries is to go 

 direct from Nottingham to Beeston by the Midland Railway, a 

 distance of about four miles. The nurseries are about ten 

 minutes' walk from the railway station. It is not my intention 

 to enter into a full description of all the interesting objects 

 these extensive nurseries contain, but to make a few remarks 

 respecting the splendid collection of Geraniums I had the plea- 

 sure of seeing a few days ago. 



It is well known that for many years past Mr. Pearson has 

 devoted much attention to the raising of new Geraniums, and 

 money, labour, and house room have not been spared to ac- 

 complish his object. To give some idea of the painstaking of 

 Mr. Pearson to enable him to arrive at a just estimate of the 

 merits of his Geraniums, I may mention the fact, that on his 

 own lawn near his residence I saw seventy circular beds, each 

 planted with one separate sort in sufficient quantity to give a 

 good mass of colour, and to test its adaptability for the flower 

 garden. Many of these beds were planted with sorts already 

 in commerce, and others with some that are intended to be 

 "introduced" next season. 



Besides these seventy beds, all of sterling merit, I noticed 

 about four thousand seedlings planted in the trial grounds ; 

 these have all been carefully crossed, and most of them by Mr. 

 Pearson's own hands. It is from this large number that he 

 has selected those that possess superior properties as compared 

 with kinds already known, and he makes his selection with a 

 keen eye, discarding all those which do not possess points of 

 superior excellence. There are four or five thousand seedlings 

 Taised annually, and hundreds are regularly consigned to the 

 rubbish heap, though far superior to many that are sent out 

 at enormous prices. 



Besides the above, there was a house 100 feet long filled with 

 a. glowing mass of dazzling beauty, far beyond my ability to 

 describe. We often talk about the beauty of our conservatories 

 during the season of Azaleas and Camellias, but nothing could 

 surpass in brilliancy the rich and varied tints of this house of 

 gorgeous Geraniums. 



It would be impossible fully to describe all the newest sorts 

 of Mr. Pearson's Geraniums, "but I will try to give a rough 

 sketch of some of the leading varieties. I will take them in 

 their separate colours, and first begin with Pixes. For several 

 years he has devoted special attention to this class of colour, 



and his labours have been crowned with great success. Ama- 

 ranth, perhaps, possesses the deepest shade of blue of any 

 Geranium yet in cultivation. It is a good bedding variety, of 

 the style and habit of Christine, with plain leaves; the truss 

 compact, with a deep blue-tinted rose colour, and is likely to 

 take the lead in this class of Geraniums. Rose Bradwardine 

 is a valuable variety by its profusion of lovely rosy pink- 

 coloured flowers ; the habit of the plant is compact and free- 

 flowering, with immense large trusses, and referring to my 

 note-book it is described as being a very good flower. Rose 

 Peach is a deep glowing pink, dwarf habit, highly attractive 

 flower, a most interesting variety. Lady Louisa Egerton is a 

 bold pink flower with a bright centre, immense truss, the in- 

 dividual flowers very large ; habit good. Mrs. Lowe, a beautiful 

 dwarf habit, half-Nosegay, with a wonderfully good truss ; it 

 will prove a valuable bedding variety from its compact habit 

 of growth, and its profusion of rich flowers. A bed of it in 

 the trial grounds proved its adaptability for flower-garden 

 purposes. Florence Durand is a rosy pink with a deep shade of 

 purple. I have it in bloom in the conservatory, and it stands 

 pre-eminent as an in-door plant ; its great substance of petal 

 and its freedom of bloom make it equally as good for out-door 

 embellishment. Mrs. F. Burnaby produces fine, large, round 

 trusses, the flowers perfect in form and shape, a pretty shade 

 of pink, with a good compact habit ; a most effective pot plant. 

 Amy Robsart, dark pink, merging into rose ; fine habit and 

 truss. Hon. Mrs. Eden is a gem, with plain leaves, half-Nose- 

 gay, flowers pink shaded with violet, dwarf and compact; a 

 first-class bedding variety. 



The foregoing include most of the pinks already sent out, 

 and coming to the Scarlets and Crimson Scarlets, we have 

 some wonderful productions. The most conspicuous and best 

 in all respects among the scarlets, the most useful either as a 

 conservatory plant or for the embellishment of the flower 

 garden, is Corsair. It is a rich scarlet, of perfect form, is so 

 prolific in bloom, so fine inhabit, substance, and truss, and so 

 wonderfully good in all respects, that Lord Derby and all others 

 of that class are completely put in the background. Mrs. Hetley 

 is a fine bold scarlet, with a very large truss, and answers well 

 out of doors. It is marked in my note-book as one of the best. 

 Chunder Sen belongs to the same class of colour, though more 

 dwarf in habit. I think it will prove useful for out-door de- 

 coration. Lord Belper, dark scarlet shaded with crimson, very 

 large truss ; one of the best for bedding. Miss Stubbs, Mrs. 

 Sibray, and Miss Sanders, are all dark crimson flowers, with 

 bold trusses, and good habit. Thomas Adams is a fine-shaped 

 flower, red shaded with salmon ; also Charles Bnrrotcs, much 

 in the same way, only a deeper red. Col. Halden is a rich 

 rosy crimson, of faultless shape, good in substance, truss, and 

 habit. Rev. T. F. Fenn, Mary Flower, Smeaton, and Samuel 

 Bennett, have rich deep crimson flowers, and the trusses are 

 very large and well-shaped. Mrs. Hole is also a useful intro- 

 duction, with deep magenta flowers, of the habit of Violet Hill 

 Nosegay. Then come three other varieties of the Violet Will 

 type, Mrs. Vincent Fenn, Red Dwarf, and Shakespeare. These 

 are likely to prove the most useful of all for bedding pur- 

 poses ; they have the habit and freedom of bloom of Violet 

 Hill, with a deeper dash of scarlet in their flowers. Violet Hill 

 Nosegay, though one of the very best of all bedding Geraniums, 

 looks pale and washy and meagre by the side of the three 

 last-named sorts. 



Among the Goldex Tricolors I shall mention Mrs. Docksey 

 as one of the brightest and most attractive I ever saw. Lady 

 Manners was also good, the colours so bright and pure. Mrs. 

 Pollock growing near to it looked poorandmean. William Sandy 

 is one of Mr. Pearson's best Tricolors. A clergyman who had 

 visited the Chilwell Nurseries, wrote to me from the north of 

 England a short time since that he considered it the most 

 perfect Tricolor he ever saw. I had it growing in a pit during 

 the spring months, mixed up with other similar sorts, and it 

 was always picked out as the best Tricolor we had even by the 

 uninitiated. There were others in this class all good and 

 superior sorts, such as Abram Bass, Miss Locker, and Mon- 

 sieur Durand, but the above I considered the best. 



Coming to the Silver Vakiegated section, I may mention 

 as an old favourite one called Pearl ; it has a broad pure white 

 leaf margin, with a dark zone, the flowers a pretty shade of 

 pink, which contrast most beautifully with the foliage. While 

 on the Silver-edged section I may mention three gems that 

 Mr. Pearson showed me that will not be sent out for some 

 time — Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. William Hollins, and Miss Minna 

 Hollins. They are the most perfect, and free from fault of 



