486 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 11, 1885. 
exposed to the sun. Perhaps your correspondent will inform us definitely 
on this point.—S cientia. 
CALMPTHOUT IN BELGIUM. 
MR. VAN GEERTS’ NURSERIES REVISITED. 
Having a few hours to spare, and only a few, after discharging my 
duties at the late Horticultural Show at Antwerp, I spent them in this the 
very interesting country nursery of my good friend, Mr. Charles Yan 
Geert. It was not the first time I had seen Calmpthout, but as the 
nursery has recently been greatly enlarged, and as the established portion 
is so unique, I was desirous of seeing the method of arrangement in pro¬ 
gress in the important additions. 
The extent of land that has been acquired is considerable, and it is 
admirably adapted for the culture of Conifer®, with ornamental trees and 
shrubs, being of a sandy nature, free-working, and can be made sufficiently 
fertile with the addition of leaf soil and vegetable matter for growing the 
specimens well. The additional ground is first trenched about 2 feet 
deep, this preparation being considered indispensable, and, though neces¬ 
sarily costly, the long experience of the proprietor satisfies him that this 
method of investing a certain, even a considerable, amouut of capital is 
sound. 
The extension of this nursery is the natural result of the centralisation 
of the home establishment in Antwerp, for as it is within the fortifications 
I presume it is in the city. Before the extension of these great works it 
was in the country. Its enclosure enhanced the value of the land to such 
a remarkable extent, and so great was the demand for land for building 
purposes, that street after street was added, until the estate was practically 
surrounded with buildings and it wa3 no longer prudent to continue the 
cultivation of trees and shrubs as heretofore. 
THE HOME NURSERY. 
When I first visited Antwerp fifteen years ago this was quite a large 
nursery in comparison with what it is now. Stately houses now stand 
where trees were growing then. Streets have been completed and others 
are in formation, one of them commemorating the honourable name of 
the vendor of the property, for we find a Van Geert Straat, or Rue de 
Van Geert, both the Flemish and French names being recorded, while 
another is named after the celebrated botanist Dodonmus, and, I think, 
another after Linnmus, but am not sure. The land has been sold for about 
a hundred times the value of that secured in the country—at Calmpthout 
—for it is the same in Belgium as in England, the land in populous and 
ever-growing cities has increased in value by leaps and bounds, while that 
in country districts does not realise nearly the amount it did a few years 
ago. Indeed, the tract recently secured by Mr. Van Geert has been 
purchased for considerably less than half the sum he offered for it on a 
previous occasion. Thus the “ agricultural depression,” and consequent 
deterioration in the fee simple value of cultivable land is not confined to 
Great Britain, but is quite as acute in Belgium—and, indeed, appears to 
extend all over the European continent. Mr. Van Geert has been fortu¬ 
nate, for he has had plenty of city land to sell at a high figure at the 
time when he could acquire country property in every respect better for 
his purpose at a low one. Long may he enjoy his property is the spon¬ 
taneous wish of all who know him, and he is known by many in many 
lands. 
But a good hom9 reserve is left, and a lino drawn beyond which the 
irrepressive builder must not trespass. This includes the glass structures 
that will be chiefly devoted to propagating purposes under the immediate 
supervision of Mr. Charles Van Geert, jun., whose beautiful new residence 
overlooks the grounds, or at least a portion of them : and here is repre¬ 
sented in the stained glass of the windows the progenitors of this old horti¬ 
cultural family ; and here, too, instead of the conventional pier glass over 
the fireplace is a window in one of the rooms, so that the family and 
friends can sit round the fire and look over it into the street beyond—a 
pleasant innovation. This residence Mr. Van Geert, sen., erected for him¬ 
self, but, unfortunately, has not been able to remove into it owing to the 
very sad and long-protracted illness of the “light of his dwelling ”—his 
cherished wife ; hence, he remains in his smaller but not le33 comfortable 
home, and is enlarging his chateau at Calmpthout for a summer residence, 
in the hope that the invalid may be able to take possession of it, derive 
benefit, and make all around her happy once again. 
I was glad to see still existing in the house nursery contrivances that 
impressed me with their u-efulness in 1872. Of these I took a rough 
sketch at the time, and one of them, a plant shelter, is reproduced in 
fig. 119. We have lately had hot weather in England, and shall possibly 
have more. In hundreds of gardens such shelters as these would be 
invaluable for such plants as Camellias and others that require some shade 
yet abundance of air. If Mr. Smee should prove, as it is not unlikely he 
will do, that many Orchids are likely to be improved by a sojourn in the 
open air in summer, these shelters would be the very places for them in 
the absence of those delightfully shady nooks and dells of his own 
garden. 
Mr. Van Geert’s protectors are simply lean-to sheds, arranged back to 
back on posts, the open path between them affording easy access to the 
plants. The framework of the roof is covered with split bamboo canes, 
arranged longitudinally, and put together with stout string—tar-twine 
would answer admirably, leaving interstices between the canes of a 
quarter of an inch or so, formed by the twist or knot of the string between 
<-ane and cane. Palms, Ferns, Yuccas, Aralias, Camellias, and various other 
ulants are kept under them in summer. They are found better than glass 
in being cool, and better than canvas, inasmuch as while they exclude the 
sun they admit the rain. The coverings can be rolled up in lengths and 
taken in during winter if desired. In the absence of bamboo, stout 
plasterers’ laths would answer, but not, perhaps, wear so well. Mr. Van 
Geert told me in 1872 his shelters would last for years, and time has 
verified his statement. 
A simple and very useful trellis for training trees that had been used 
for some years when I first saw it is in use still, apparently as sound as 
ever. Two rows of poles, which had been boiled in creosote, are fixed in 
the ground about 1 feet apart; they meet at the top, 9 or 10 feet high, 
along which runs a strip of deal as a coping, nailed along the tops of the 
poles. Struts and stays at the end make the framework perfectly firm, 
the whole being covered with 6-inch-raeshed galvanised wire netting. In 
the absence of walls such a contrivance would be valuable in many 
gardens, while the cost of the trellis is trifling. The one referred to has 
been in use for nearly thirtv years, and not a pole has decayed. On the 
question of durability Mr. Van Geert gives a hint that is worthy of record. 
He says poles that are creosoted for insertion in the ground should be 
immediately well painted for the retention of the preservative, much of 
which would otherwise escape by evaporation, but being sealed by the 
print sinks down the pole, settling in the bottom exactly where it is 
needed for keeping the wood sound. 
THE COUNTRY NURSERY. 
But I am long in arriving at Calmpthout. It is about forty-five 
minutes by rail northwards on the main line to Holland. After passing 
under the fortifications the line passes through a tract of strong land, and 
so low and level withal that it can be flooded for miles in case of an 
emergency for the protection of the city. Beyond this is a comparatively 
barren expanse known as the Campine, occupied mainly with Heather 
and Scotch Firs, the land being apparently too poor for anything else. 
Beyond this there is a marked improvement, trees of various kinds grow¬ 
ing freely, and the pastures and other crops indicating that if the land 
is not rich it is moderately fertile. It is light sandy loam, easy to work, 
and with additions of leaf mould and decayed vegetable matter nothing 
better could be desired for Conifers, evergreens, and ornamental trees 
and shrubs. Several acres of land under pasture have been added to the 
established nursery, and more is in preparation. 
The main nursery is a parallelogram, divided longitudinally with 
hedges of Conifers, beautifully kept, with lower cross hedges at intervals, 
some of them arching over the walks. The whole is thus broken into a 
series of panels, differing in size according to the extent of the stock of 
whatever is under cultivation. The appearance is excellent, the method 
of arrangement convenient for inspecting everything, and equally so for 
working purposes, for the number of a panel and avenue has only to be 
indicated and any ordinary workman can be sent for the execution of any 
duties, and can hardly make a mistake. Also, as may he easily under¬ 
stood, the close Conifer screens afford valuable shelter against the winds 
that sweep with great force at times over the wide expanse of level 
country. The same method of arrangement is being adopted in the 
extensions—the best proof that it has answered well. 
When completed the whole enclosure will be much more than a nursery 
in the ordinary acceptation of the term, for Mr. Van Geert is engaged in 
planting a wide border or screen round the margin with the best repre¬ 
sentative collection of hardy ornamental trees he can produce, with the 
object of allowing them to remain to develope their characters. The assort¬ 
ment is to he as complete as it is possible for him to make it, and to this 
end he is searching through Europe and America for trees that will enable 
him to carry out his design in the most satisfactory manner. This work 
he is doing for his own pleasure, and for something more—the instruction 
of others, for great care is being taken in respect of accuracy of nomen¬ 
clature, and eventually the work will be essentially educational in its 
character. As far as possible two trees of each kind are, or will be, 
planted, experience in past trials having dictated the advisability of this 
precaution against accident, and as conducing better to a definition of the 
characters of each species or variety. 
For years past a system of trials has formed part of the procedure of 
Mr. Van Geert’s business, whose motto appears to be “ Prove all things, 
and increase only that which is good.” As an instance of this testing of 
the varieties in a genus, the Lilac or Syringa may be adduced. In 
England only three or four species or varieties of Lilacs are usually seen 
in gardens—namely, thccommon Lilac and white forms of Syringa vulgaris 
and the smaller-growing Persians. Other and finer varieties are included 
in the collections of British nurserymen, and the one known as Charles X. 
has no doubt been pretty freely planted of late, and is largely employed 
for forcing ; still, there are handsome varieties of these beautiful flowering 
shrubs that are practically unknown to the majority of persons who delight 
in having gardens and shrubberies beautiful in May ; and a good many 
that are neither distinct nor specially attractive. The difficulty is to make a 
reliable selection; in fact no one can do so without growing and flowering the 
shrubs. Mr.Van Geert adopted this course, and procured plants from various 
sources uuder about sixty different names. A number of the so-called 
varieties proved disappointing, several of them being either duplicates 
of others, or resembling them so closely that they could not be regarded 
as distinct, while not a few possessed no special feature of excellence. 
The result of the trial is, that out of the sixty procured only about a 
dozen are regarded as of sterling worth. These I happened to see flower¬ 
ing, and they are distinct and meritorious. 
It appears to be somewhat generally understood that the popular name 
of the shrub that renders pleasure grounds so delightful is derived from 
its familar and pretty colour — Lilac. This is not so. The so-called 
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a native of Persia, and Lilach is its Persian 
