October 10, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



287 



these, the only two red Potatoes grown here, have withstood 

 the scourge, while scarcely the seed could be picked from the 

 white varieties. 



The disease is worse generally here this year than ever it was 

 known to be. The very wet and sunless character of the season 



has been such as to lead to the expectation of a bad Potato 

 season. From January 1st to September 30th we had 51 inches 

 of rain, and next to no sunshine the whole season. Early and 

 late Potatoes have been alike destroyed, except the two re- 

 ferred to. — D. THOiison, Drumlanrig Gardens. 



THE CONTINENTAL SEED GROUNDS OF MESSRS. DICK EADCLTFFE & CO. 



These are at Erfurt, in Prussia, and the firm have sent us 

 the accompanying illustration. They were founded in the 

 beginning of the present century by Carl Appelius, a celebrated 

 floriculturist, who soon became noted in England for his choice 

 strains of German and 

 French Asters, Ger- 

 man Stocks, double 

 Wallflowers, Carna- 

 tions and Picotees, 

 Cockscombs, Balsams, 

 Pansies, &c, and who 

 was successful enough 

 to amass a fortune 

 which he now enjoys. 

 The grounds then 

 passed into the hands 

 of Ferdinand Jiihlke, 

 another very success- 

 ful floriculturist, who 

 was chosen by the 

 Emperor of Germany 

 to be Director of the 

 Botanic Gardens of 

 Potsdam, where he 

 now resides. The busi- 

 ness then passed to 

 the two chief assist- 

 ants (Herrn Putz and 

 Roes) , who had carried 

 on the business suc- 

 cessfully under both 

 proprietors, and who 

 now, together with 

 Mr. Dick Radclyffe 



(who was first introduced to the trade in this nursery) , have 

 opened a branch establishment in High Holborn, which is 

 ander his management. 



That part of the nursery situate inside the town lies to the 

 right of Andreas Thor, one of the strongest outlets to the 

 fortress, and the plant houses are built directly under the pro- 

 tection of the fortifications and earthworks. A large portion 



Messrs. Dick Kadclyffe's Seed Grounds. 



of the ground is occupied by extensive lengths of covered 

 staging for pots filled with Stocks, Wallflowers, Balsams, 

 Carnations, and Picotees. 



CONIFERS AT LINTON PARK. 

 (Concluded from page 248.) 



Cedbus Deoeaba, planted 1844, is 49 feet high, and there are 

 several others upwards of 40 feet. They are all densely clothed to 

 the ground, and all more or less approaching the Lebanon type. 

 Amongst younger trees is one 16 feet high, planted in 1865, and 

 it has made a very rapid growth the last three or four years. 



Cupkessus Lambebtlana, or C. macrocabpa, planted 1854, is 

 now 45 feet high, a fine densely-elothed tree of a sort of bulbous 

 conical outline. This is one of the most remarkable trees we 

 have, not less for its rapid growth than for its deep green hue. 

 It has conedfor several years, and did not suffer in the least in 

 the winter of 1860-61, but was injured in that of 1866-67. I am 

 of opinion that this tree ought only to be planted when of a 



Cupeessus Coexetana, 15 feet high, planted 1865, remarkable 

 for its singularity of growth. 



Abies Mobdtda ob Smith i a va, 54 feet high, planted 1844, 

 densely clothed to the ground, and certainly in a more promising 

 condition than some common Spruce Firs planted at the same 

 time as nurses, and occupying a similar position. I have, 

 nevertheless, my doubts whether this species will not eventually 

 become ragged and unsightly, and eventually die at an early 

 age, the same as the Spruce does with us ; otherwise it is a 

 pretty tree, its lowest branches, resting on the ground, having the 

 same rich glaucous hue as its upper tier, and forming a compact 

 cone. It has only occasionally borne fruit, which is much 



small size, as it transplants badly; and that its tendency to form longer than that of the common Spruce, and more pointed. 



tap roots ought not to be checked, as they seem to form the best Abees Douglasii. — The fine tree described by Mr. Fleming as 



safeguards against its being overthrown by high winds. "We \ growing at Dropmore must, lam sure, make all growers of such 



have younger trees than the above, equally fast-growing. One, 



upwards of 24 feet high, was only planted in 1865, having made 



an average growth of upwards of 3 feet each year. 



Cupeessus Kxightii, also a fast grower, but not so hardy as 

 rnacrocarpa. The specimen here, planted in 1865, is 22 feet 

 high. It is more cylindrical in outline than conical, but has a 

 tendency to push up a great number of leaders, and I fear, 

 excepting in very favoured situations, it will never attain the 

 dimensions of a large tree. Its rapid growth in summer has 

 been more than once checked by a severe browning in winter, 

 when other kinds have entirely escaped. 



Cupeessus Lawsoniaxa. — Several trees upwards of 20 feethigh, 

 but this is nothing very particular. My only object in mention- 

 ing this species is to say that I am of opinion it has been much 

 overpraised, for out of something like two hundred plants we 

 have of it, of various sizes, from 8 up to 20 feet high, there is 

 not more than one or two that I would consider perfect, they 

 having all a naked side in some part or other. 



things envious, for a tree of any kind 102 feet high is very un- 

 usual, native or imported. Unfortunately, it is one of the kinds 

 that do not do well with us, for although they start tolerably 

 well, they seem to die off at an early age, so that we have no 

 large specimens of it. I expect there is something in the soil 

 unfavourable to it, as the common Spruce, to which it is allied, 

 also dies off at an early age. 



Cetptomebia elegans, planted 1866, upwards'of 12 feet high, 

 and very promising, as likewise are other specimens 10 and 

 11 feet. It is quite hardy, and a great acquisition to the 

 pinetum. 



Ceypto5ieeia japonica. — The finest plant we had here was 

 broken during a high wind upwards of four years ago, it being 

 then upwards of 40 feet high. Smaller ones we have, but none 

 so promising as that one was. C. Lobbi I take to be only a 

 variety of this. 



Retun'ospoba pisruEBA, 15 feet high, planted 1865, is a promis- 

 ing fast-growing tree, well furnished from bottom to top with 



