192 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ September 5, 1S72. 



nt Herriai'd Park, near Basingstoke, Hants, the residence of F. 

 J. Jervoise, Esq., and are very creditable to the gardener, Mr. 

 Ohilvers. The flowering stems are about 16 feet high, and the 

 flowers are thousands, for there are a succession of them for 

 nearly three months. Placed, as they are, on each side of the 

 Abyssinian Banana, Musa Ensete, and surrounded by Arau- 

 caria excelsa and other plants from warm climates, the group 

 as represented in our engraving is a good illustration of tropical 

 vegetation. 



Never since the conservatory was erected under the direction 

 and from the design of Capt. Fowke, in the year 1861, has it 

 been so beautifully, so bounteously, and so unfailingly deco- 

 rated as since it has been under the superintendence of Mr. 

 Barron. At the present time the group represented occupies 



the centre of the north side of the conservatory ; a noble speci- 

 men of the Abyssinian Banana, as already stated, being in the 

 middle, with the two American Aloes on each side of it. In 

 front are Caladiums, Draeamas, Ferns, and other fine-foliaged 

 plants, with an edging of Isolepis gracilis. At the back are. 

 Araucarias excelsa and Bidwilli, and on each side of these 

 again are two magnificent specimens of A. excelsa, which, 

 though about 30 feet high, are in boxes little more than 2 feet 

 square. On the same side the borders are very tastefully 

 filled with Latania borbonica and other Palms, Caladiums, 

 flowering Begonias, Phloxes, Lilium speciosum rubrum, and 

 miscellaneous flowering plants, the whole edged with Alter- 

 nanthera versicolor and Selaginella denticulata alternately. At 

 intervals are placed Mr. Eyles's large semicircular wire baskets 



American Aloes at South Eensiugton. 



variously filled with Begonia weltoniensis,Eichardsii, Fuchsias, 

 Petunias, Eragrostis elegans, variegated Hydrangea, Globe 

 Amaranths, with, in the centre, Lilium speciosum rubrum, 

 Amaranthus salicifolius, and other plants. The opposite, or 

 southern, side of the conservatory is chiefly occupied with 

 Palms and ornamental-leaved plants. 



This Agave is not merely an ornament, for, as stated by Dr. 

 Hogg in his " Vegetable Kingdom," " the root, as well as the 

 leaves, yield excellent fibre, called Pita fibre, which is sepa- 

 rated by bruising and steeping them in water. The Mexicans 

 make their paper of this fibre. The expressed juice of the 



leaves, evaporated, is said to be useful as a substitute for soap- 

 In Mexico the fibre is converted into twine, cord, and rope ; 

 and Humboldt describes a bridge over the river Chambo, in 

 Quito, 131 feet span, of which the main ropes, i inches in 

 diameter, were made of the fibres of the Agave. Another im- 

 portant product of this plant is a kind of wine, called pulque, 

 made from its very sugary juice. By cutting out the inner 

 leaves the juice flows in great abundance for several months ; 

 and when evaporated by heat it yields syrup, or even sugar ; 

 and when fermented it forms pulque, of which the Mexicans 

 make a great trade." 



EAKLY GBOSSE MIGNONNE AND OTHEK PEACHES. 



Accustomed to growing this Peach, and seeing it grown by 

 others to a size not more than medium (the size attributed to 

 it by most, if not all, our fruit authorities), I was surprised 

 last year and also this to find the fruit borne by a tree in a 

 pot to be large, and of such a form as to convince me this 

 was the only tree of the " true sort" I had seen, which Mr. 

 Elvers (vide " Catalogue of Fruits ") informs us is rare. I am 

 now fully convinced that the trees I had grown, or of which I 

 had seen fruit, and that I considered to he of this kind, were 

 not so — certainly not worthy to be compared to the latter and 

 " true sort." All the others that I had grown or considered 



to be the Early Grosse Mignonne had leaves crenated, with. 

 globose glands ; flowers large, bright light red ; fruit me- 

 dium size, globular, depressed at the summit, inclining to be 

 long or pointed. The " true sort," if the one I have now be 

 it, has leaves crenated, with globose glands; flowers large,, 

 bright light red; fruit large, round, depressed, and slightly 

 hollow at the summit ; skin slightly downy, pale yellow on 

 the shaded side, mottled with pale red towards the sunny side, 

 which is of a pale red colour ; flesh pale yellow, slightly rayed 

 with red next the stone, from which it parts freely, melting, 

 juicy, and most excellent ; stone small. It differs only from. 



