376 



JOTTENAL OP HOETICULTHEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ November 8, 1864. 



for elsewhere, and to balance these on the other side were 

 two fine plants of Yucca, or Dracaena, with good clear stems 

 and large heads of green leaves. Camellias, Azaleas, Oranges, 

 Fuchsias, &c, made up the most of the present furnishing, 

 and the prominent creepers and climbers dangling in pro- 

 fusion from the roof were Tecomas, Acacias, Passifloras, and 

 Tacsonia mollissima. 



We forgot to mention, that the smote from the furnaces 

 of this conservatory is conducted underground to an elegant 

 tower at the north-east corner of the museum (21), and at 

 a short distance from this museum is Lady Stamford's dove- 

 house (22), where an interesting collection is kept. 



Prom the middle of the terrace on the south front of the 

 conservatory a walk, with flower-beds on each side, leads up 

 to an open lawn on which are some wonderful Lime trees, of 

 which more anon. This walk if it had gone straight on 

 would have landed at a fine Ehododendron close to the 

 mansion. At the centre of this walk there is a beautiful 

 basin and fountain with fine specimens of pyramidal 

 Sweet Bays set round it in tubs on the gravel. The basin is 

 deep, but to prevent waterfowl from getting in and possibly 

 not getting out, strong wire-netting is placed across some 

 15 inches or so below the surface of the water. We have 

 thought that the large beds, some 20 feet in diameter, placed 

 on each side of this walk on the south front of the con- 

 servatory might help to give an idea of the system of plant- 

 ing. We will just premise then that the opposite beds were 

 planted alike to balance each other, as well as to contrast 

 with their neighbours, and that in the first row next the 

 walk there were four beds; in the second and third rows 

 three beds ; and these were mostly placed so that the beds 

 in one row angled the beds in the other row next it. 



In the first row then, beginning at the conservatory, the 

 opposite sides of the walk being the same, the first bed 

 was Little David Geranium, edged with Variegated Alyssum ; 

 the second bed Lobelia speciosa, edged with Golden Chain 

 Geranium ; the third bed the same, being on the opposite 

 side of the fountain ; and the fourth bed was a repetition of 

 the first. In the second row, the first bed was Hendersonii 

 nana Geranium, edged with Pink Pearl Geranium ; second 

 bed, Eosy Queen Geranium, edged with Ageratum kept low; 

 third bed, Hendersonii Geranium, edged with Pink Minimum 

 Nosegay. In the third row, the first bed was Purple King 

 Verbena, edged with Lord Stamford Verbena, a white-leaved 

 variegated with pink flowers and much valued ; second bed, 

 Emperor of the French Geranium plunged in pots, edged 

 with Purple King; third bed, Amplexieaulis Calceolaria, 

 edged with Arnaranthus melancholicus, the latter doing well ; 

 and so on with the other rows. These beds from their very 

 massiveness looked very well. All these beds and also -fhe 

 other circles were raised in the centre so as to mateihalf, and 

 some fully more than half a ball, and all were densely filled. 



Among the many fine beds, it may not be amiss liere to 

 mention a few that struck us as being particularly fine ; and 

 here we must, perhaps, mention first the circle 23 feet in 

 diameter, near the lower conservatory pool, planted with 

 Trentham Eose Geranium, and densely edged with Cen- 

 taurea candidissima, and a bed of the same size filled with 

 a fine dark Petunia, named Lord Stamford. Then the 

 following beds — Amplexieaulis Calceolaria and Ageratum ; 

 again with Arnaranthus, and again with a strong blue purple 

 Verbena; Gazanias, very fine, with blue Lobelia; Brilliant 

 Geranium with Purple King Verbena ; Cloth of Gold Gera- 

 nium and Purple King Verbena; Purple King and Lord Stam- 

 ford Geranium ; Pearl Geranium, a dwarf pinkish Nosegay, 

 with Madame Vaucher; Alma Geranium with Trifolium repens 

 nigrum, a pretty bed ; Lord Stamford Geranium with the 

 above Trifolium ; Lobelia speciosa, strong plants from 

 seed, edged with Gazania splendens ; Geranium Eosy Queen 

 with Ageratum; Trentham Eose Geranium and Cineraria 

 maritima; Mrs. Pollock Geranium and Lobelia speciosa; 

 Purple King Verbena, and Lord Stamford Geranium, &c. 

 Nothing surprised us more than the extreme brilliancy of 

 the Amplexieaulis Calceolaria, which made it a striking 

 feature all over the grounds. It used to be equally fine with 

 us, but owing to the drought and no water to help it, we had 

 but few flowers after the middle of August. 



On second thoughts we think it better to defer some con- 

 cluding remarks — a few words on the style of arranging 

 these huge beds. 



From the south of the conservatory a fine peep is obtained 

 of the top of the museum, and the elegant smoke tower, sur- 

 rounded with Ivy, and banked up with huge banks of ever- 

 greens ; and between the museum and the fine Lime tree, 

 the eye passes far beyond the dressed grounds to the arched 

 gates that lead to the drive in the woods, that takes onward 

 to the more elevated sheep-walks. In the front of the above 

 bank of evergreens at the museum, extending a long way 

 westward, is a narrow ribbon border of three rows (29), 

 Manglesii Geranium next the grass, Brilliant behind, and 

 then Amplexieaulis Calceolaria next to the bank of green 

 and telling very much by its bright yellow for a great 

 distance. 



Of the museum itself, though we took a few notes, we 

 must say nothing of its birds, and fishes, and animals, and 

 shells, and fossils, and ores, and minerals, and kinds of 

 rocks, but from its pinnacled turrets, and pretty oriel win- 

 dows, and its position on a knoll, and its background of 

 trees and evergreens, it forms a fine feature to the grounds 

 from many distinct points of view. E. Fish. 



(To lie continued.) 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Keep the heaps of compost well turned over, as the time 

 is approaching when every advantage must be taken of frosty 

 mornings to wheel it over the land. As a general rule, 

 ground that is very deeply trenched should be manured 

 after the trenching, and the manure forked in, except in the 

 case of its being intended to be cropped with tap-rooted 

 plants, which will require the manure to be trenched-in 

 deeply, and not incorporated with the surface soil. Trench- 

 ing all vacant ground must be vigorously followed up, taking 

 care to trench-in oJl green and decaying refuse, which is 

 better than throwing such materials in a heap to decay, 

 which entails a positive loss of fertilising matter. Broccoli, 

 it is now high time to perform tbe operation termed "lay- 

 ing" with the stock of spring Broccolis. A tender vege- 

 table will endure severe weather better when deprived of a 

 portion of its succulence than when overtaken t>y frost when 

 in a luxuriant state. Cauliflowers, those already headed to be 

 carefully taken up and stacked in a dry pit, or under the pro- 

 tection of a wall, where a thatched shutter may "be employed 

 in unfavourable weather to ward off the wet. Endive, as 

 many as possible of these plants and of Lettuces should be 

 transplanted into frames, where they may be at least pro- 

 tected jrom rain. Sudden frost succeeding rains will more 

 injuriously affect advancing salads than any other possible 

 circumstance Of weather. Mushrooms, take advantage of wet 

 days for making fresh Mushroom-beds, and clearing out those 

 that are spent ; also, collect and prepare droppings for 

 forming fresh beds by spreading them in a shed and turning 

 them every day until they are sufficiently dried to prevent 

 excessive fermentation after putting up. Look over root- 

 stores occasionally to see that nothing is going wrong. Take 

 advantage of a dry day to earth-up Celery, which now should 

 be done effectually, as we are uncertain how soon frost may 

 set in. Clear off all decaying leaves, &c, and stir the jm-face 

 of the soil on dry days among growing crops. 



EKUIT GAKDEN. 



Gooseberry, Currant, and Easpberry pruning and planting 

 should be in progress. An adequate quantity of cuttings of 

 the first two should be put in every season to provide for 

 possible losses. The due preparation of borders for the re- 

 ception of fruit trees should be completed, and the trees 

 planted in the course of the month. Pruning and nailing 

 may be commenced, a judicious system of stopping in the 

 growing season renders the first-named operation a com- 

 paratively light and easy task. 



ELOWEK QARDE1T. 



Make the garden look as pretty and lively as possible 

 during the winter, and this can be done with comparatively 

 little trouble and expenso after the first outlay, by filling 

 those beds which are not planted with bulbs, or sown with 

 hardy annuals, with dwarfed specimens of shrubs. The beds 

 near the house would look best filled with Laurustinus, 

 Aucuba japonica, Golden and Silver-leaved Hollies, Arbutus, 



