244 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



ApRIL 16, 1898. 



VEGETABLES FOR EXHIBITION. 



Manderston, Duns. 



This fine estate is the country seat of Sir James Miller, Bart, and is PARSNIP 

 picturesquely situated about two miles from the small town of Duns, and . n 



the same distance from the station of Edrom, in Berwickshire, on the For some reason the ^mP^damm sativum) is not held i 

 North British Railway. On the morning of my visit to the gardens of 

 this establishment the walk from Duns was a most enjoyable one, along 

 the well-protected and tree-lined road. Arriving at the lodge, Mr. Sharp, 

 the gardener, was soon found, and he very kindly pointed out the objects 

 of interest. As soon as one enters the gates the tidiness and general well- 

 cared-for appearance of the place attracts notice : then, also, everything 

 seems in the right place, and the good taste of the proprietor is well 

 displayed. 



The glasshouses are situated to the north of the mansion in the large, 

 walled-in kitchen garden. Theyface south, and consist of a long range con- 

 taining both plant and fruit houses. Entering by the stove end attention is 

 drawn to a superb specimen of Polypodium subauriculatum suspended 

 from the centre of a dome ; this plant carries about a hundred fronds vary- 

 ing from twelve to fifteen feet in length, the stretch across the pinnae being 

 more than eighteen inches. Its receptacle is a wooden basket about two 

 feet six inches in diameter, and it certainly is a wonderfully well-grown 

 specimen. Other occupants of this house are useful palms, dracrenas, 

 and a fine lot of Anthurium Scherzerianum and its varieties, all bearing 

 plenty of spathes, In the peach and nectarine house adjoining a good 

 set was evident : the trees are grown upon the spur system now seldom 

 adopted, and for some reasons scarcely to be commended. Figs covered 

 the back wall, and a large number cf pots of iris, ixias, Gladiolus The 

 Bride, were being brought on for conservatory decorations. The vines 

 in the next house were Muscats, and gave evidence of good bearing. The 

 borders have lately been remade by Mr. Sharp. The conservatory, 

 which forms the centre of the range, is a tall structure, the centre artistic- 

 ally planted upon a raised rockwork, palms, ferns and flowering plants 

 giving it a very pleasing appearance. At one end is arranged a waterfall 

 with a pool below, upon the surface of which the shadows of the surround- 

 ing plants are thrown. Against the roof are Cobaea scandens variegata, 

 heliotrope, Plumbago capensis, and many other plants, while the side 

 stages are filled with pots of liliums, cyclamen, richardias, azaleas, rho- 

 dodendrons, &c, and the effect of these in conjunction with the greenery 

 of the centre is very effective. Another peach-house gave promise of a 

 good stock of fruit, the trees here being trained to the trellis both in the 

 front and along the back wall. 



The other end of the range contains an intermediate house. The 

 centrepiece of this house is a huge example of Ficus elastica which is 

 bearing fruit. 



is 



Other occupants are gloxinias, Euphorbia jacquinceflora, 

 ferns, &c, all making a very considerable display. Leaving this range of 

 houses the kitchen garden is entered, and here everything was ready for 

 cropping. Well-filled herbaceous borders edge the walks, and there was 

 an abundance of crocuses, scillas, primulas, &c, in flower. A walk from 

 the mansion bounded by a well-trimmed hedge of conifers leads through 

 an arch and beaten wrought-iron gate into this garden, a sundial finding 

 a place in the centre in closeiproximity to the range of houses. A large 

 quantity of cut flowers are required here, and in the outer garden are 

 frames of violets from which Mr. Sharp has been cutting nearly all the 

 winter. Passing through some small pits filled with eucharis, crotons, 

 and other plants requisite for the decoration of the house, besides a batch 

 of Kichardia Elliotiana, Vanda teres, and some phalrcnopsis, over a tank, 



These are span-roofed and built 

 .... The warm house is filled principally 



with cypnpediums, calanthes, and vandas, and of the first genus several 

 good plants were in flower : C. Chamberlainianum, C. hirsutissimum, C. 

 Exul,and Dendrobium densiflorum, were in evidence, as also a good plant 

 of a Bromeliad — Tillandsia Regneli. In the well-filled cattleya house some 



we come to the orchid houses proper, 

 of teak which is plainly varnished. _ 



high esteem as many other vegetables. One often hears the remark *S 

 like any kind of vegetables except parsnips." Nevertheless it is consid A 

 a most wholesome and nutritious article of food, and when we'll cook? 

 is much prized by many during the winter months. Anyone who 0 " 

 garden may cultivate them for ordinary use with very little trouble 

 a free-growing plant, is subject to few diseases or garden pests and " 

 extremely hardy. Indeed, after the roots have been subiected to seJ. 

 frosts the flavour is much improved. A light sandy loam is un 

 ably the favourite and most suitable soil for parsnips, but I havr^r 

 seen a failure on any kind of land when properly treated The \ 

 should be deeply and thoroughly trenched during the autumn (ce52 

 before Christmas , but not manured. A piece of ground previously 

 occupied with celery is preferable to any other. The ground shou d 

 be forked over and broken as fine as possible by the end of 

 January or beginning of February, after which the seed should be sown 

 at the very first opportunity, as in all stages the parsnip is perfectly 

 hardy and a long season of growth is necessary. Drills should be drawn 

 one and a half inches in depth and eighteen inches asunder. The seed 

 should be sown thinly, pressed in, and levelled down finely with the 

 wooden rake. Neat alleys should be thrown out on either side of 

 the bed, and the whole should be finished off and left in a 

 tidy manner. As soon as the seedlings are in the rough leaf 

 thin them to one foot apart, and if the surface be stirred frequent! 

 nothing further will be required till growth is completed. Parsnip', 

 are much the best when left in the ground to be taken up as 

 required, but it is as well to have a few in readiness in case of 

 a long and severe spell of frost, or it will be found very difficult 

 to lift them when the ground is hard. By the beginning of March 

 the remainder should be lifted and stored under the north wall in 

 sand or ashes, or the roots will commence to grow again, in which 

 event they will be of little use. 



Only a favoured few possessing an ideal soil for parsnips will be 

 able to produce the fine clean-looking specimens often seen at our 

 autumn shows, without a certain amount of care and trouble. But an 

 enthusiastic exhibitor will not mind this, providing he can meet with 

 success ; and I am certain, from personal experience, that the very finest 

 of roots may be grown on any soil if the cultivator will follow out the 

 advice here given. As for beet-root and carrots holes must be bored, but 

 these will require to be thoroughly made, and a depth of five feet 

 will ensure this. Use a mixture of loam, road grit, and thoroughly 

 decayed leaf soil in equal proportions, adding one peck of wood ashes to 

 every barrow-load. The whole should be thoroughly mixed and passed 

 through a quarter-inch sieve, and should be used as dry as possible It 

 should be pressed firmly into the holes, which must be twenty inches 

 apart, and two feet from row to row. A small hole one and a half inches 

 in depth should be made to receive the seed, in which four or five should 

 be placed. These should at once be covered with fine road sand. Thin 

 the seedlings to one at each station, and once a week, at least, the plants 

 should be dusted over with soot, and the Dutch hoe used frequently. 

 This is all that is required, and the cultivator may rest assured that when 

 the time comes for lifting he will be rewarded with fine exhibition speci- 

 mens from a small number of plants without digging over a great portion 

 or possibly the whole of the permanent bed. In my opinion parsnip^ 

 ought never to be shown before the end of August or beginning a 



September, but for October or JNovemoer snows 1 tuno.uv. — 

 a most important dish in a collection of vegetables. The specime 



November shows I consider them 



good specimens of cattleyas and helias were in flower, as also was a fine 

 lot of Dendrobium nobile, D. Wardianum, and Coelogyne cristata alba. 

 A monster specimen of Epidendrum prismatocarpum, four feet or more 

 through occupies a prominent position opposite the door. Of odontoglos- 

 sums there were good examples in flower of O. Andersonianum, O. trium- 

 phans, O. Haiti, O. crispum, &c Wooden lath blinds are in use here 

 and spoken very highly of. 



In the garden are a few large oaks, elms, and limes, dotted about the 

 north front, which is now being relevelled. Leading from the garden to 

 the house is an ornamental piece of rockwork through the end of which 

 runs a little stream. Here are many alpine and herbaceous plants and 

 ems which appear to enjoy their positions. To the south side of the 

 house the ground slopes to a large sheet of water surrounded by a wood 

 through which walks are cut. A bridge of stone spans a small stream and 

 leads to one of the lodges, and along this road tree felling is being con- 

 ducted to give space for good growth to those left. Although rather 



^ c u Wmds from some directions, some good views are to be 

 w> ,v d .°; the ^founding districts from Mandetston, and I was loth to 

 lea\o t ::s beautiful estate of Sir J. Miller H 



of 

 clear 



««. iwi wiuioui any sign or coarseness or wuku, »■«•,•- -— - . 

 and white. Parsnips ought never to be dug up for exhibition till the aa^ 

 previous, or much of their freshness will be lost. They shoul °.j 

 thoroughly soaked in cold water and carefully sponged but not ruDDw, 

 all the small rootlets should be removed with a knife and the lea \esj. 



number 

 in a 

 lo* 



pyramid, of course choosing a faultless specimen for the top. In 

 competition, however, each root will be examined, and rightly so • ^ 

 nevertheless it is quite lawful for an exhibitor to present his prouu 

 the judges and public in the best and most pleasing way he can, 

 arrangement, in my opinion, ought always to be taken into 

 The Student, Hollow Crown, and Sutton's Tender and True, are all nr* 



rate kinds for any purpose. 



House 



E. BECKETT. 



under the capable ^CW-! ' W and g^nhouses, 



and well-crown nlam* \ i » W - T "bbick, contain some very interesting 



. < t'own plants. A large collection of Eucharis amazonica is in fine health 



WHITE TURKEYS. m 



This beautiful breed is probably more common in the south of " 

 elsewhere. At all our first-class shows a few are to be met with, w« ^ ^ 

 size of Bronze American and Cambridge Bronze. Those who breea ^ 

 that the flesh is the finest of all in flavour, and I recently met 8^' 

 both bronze and white turkeys, and she declares that her husban 

 Midland barones will not have the former, and can at once differeDC t. 

 the table. This m av he n.*!* n „>ri;i*<*i<m. but he evidently knows ui ^ 



them up* 



and is very strong in his preferenc 



Personally, I believe 



hand*** 



azaleas. 



lllv;ic lirc lvvu especially noteworthy plan! 

 the Wedding Flower' " ThlZ^Vt Urge V^of bloom, and Iris Robinsonikna- jS'TSE U V° a PP? th . ls tnc ?^ ™ £TT * The bigg 



E. * 



