420 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 29, 1884. 
season advances and the plants are growing well a slight syringing 
will be beneficial at. closing time. A night temperature of 50° will 
do to start the bulbs, advancing to 55° as they increase in growth, 
allowing 5° extra by day with fire heat. A few days before the 
blooms are fully expanded the plants should be taken out of the tan 
bed and placed on the surface—that is, if the plants are required for 
the conservatory, but when there they must not be placed in a 
draught. After they have finished blooming remove them to the 
growing house, give the tan a turn, and plunge them again. The 
plants will then commence their second growth. Syringe in the after¬ 
noons of fine days, and give a good general watering about once a 
week. By the commencement of October the heat in the bed will 
have vanished, or if it has been kept up by hot-water pipes turn it 
off The plants will be preparing for their winter rest; no water 
should be applied either at the roots or in the atmosphere, and 
ventilate freely. As the foliage dies winter the plants in a cool 
house free from frost if the house they have been grown in is required 
for other plants ; if not, allow them to remain there.—A Grower. 
THE VINEYARDS OF OLD LONDON. 
We may supplement the observations recently published upon 
vineyards in England by some remarks upon the London vineyards 
more particularly, as being of interest to many readers who are 
in the radius of the million-peopled metropolis, Since this was the 
centre, undoubtedly, from which the knowledge and practice of hor¬ 
ticulture radiated throughout our islands, it is not surprising that we 
have early records of the cultivation of the Vine in and near London. 
The place evidently once well suited the plant. There were plenty of 
gentle declivities, well watered, and to a considerable extent sheltered 
from keen winds by the old woods and forests that have now vanished, 
also an abundance of rich manure was attainable. Some say the 
climate of London was more favourable to the Vine formerly than it 
is at present, but much difference of opinion prevails on this point ; 
the fact, however, is indisputable that the Vine was grown freely, and 
yielded well usually. It is evident there were vineyards about Lon 
don in Saxon times (and possibly earlier), for Domesday Book records 
one at Holborn that belonged to the king, the after history of which 
is doubtful. Vine Street, Saffron Hill, was not named from it, but 
from the vineyard of Ely Garden, which dates from a later period. 
Also that memorable volume states that in the village of Westminster 
were four “arpents” of vineyard, held from St. Peter’s by one 
Bainard, and at Chenesiton— i.e , Kensington, three “arpents,” for 
which De Vere did service. Of the latter vineyard no trace remains. 
The former is very exactly described in documents of the Stuart times. 
It was “within the Millditch,” the site somewhere near St. John’s 
church arid a Vine Street which still exists in Westminster. The 
Royal vineyard on the slopes above the “ Old Bourne ” may have sub¬ 
sequently become part of the botanist Gerarrie’s garden/er that, of 
one of his friends in that locality, one famous for horticulture during 
the reign of Elizabeth, though so different now. The vineyard of 
Ely Place was attached to the town house of the Bishops of Ely, and 
was planted by John de Gotham in the fourteenth century. It was 
part of the property which Queen Elizabeth forced Bishop Cox to 
surrender to the Crown in order that she might confer it upon her 
favourite Sir Christopher Hatton. Beside the reminiscence of Vine 
Stn et, the name of Saffron Hill close by recalls the time when 
Saffron was freely grown hereabout. 
The unpromising but gradually improving Drury Lane of our day 
was once a real lane winding through the village of St. Giles’s, having 
here and there a noble’s or citizen’s house, surrounded by a spacious 
garden. Few who live near, or who pass Vinegar Yard, a turning out 
of the above lane, are aware that its name is a corruption of Vine 
Garden Yard from a vineyard on the spot during the middle ages, 
but the Vines, or most of them, had been removed by the reign of 
Charles I. When we cross the Thames into Surrey we find a Vine 
Street, in Lambeth, which the local historian says (on the information 
of the oldest inhabitants) was so called from vineyards that formerly 
flourished in the neighbourhood, upon which he 'adds the comment 
that probably the Londoners grew Vines more for shade or ornament 
than with trie view of getting Grapes, but we should rather judge 
they got a sufficient return in fruit to encourage their culture. We 
wonder how the Londoners guarded their Grapes from juvenile depre¬ 
dators in the olden times. Certainly the laws against, stealing were 
very severe until the seventeenth century. It, is noteworthy that. 
Lambeth and the adjacent Vauxhall more recently yielded quantities 
of Grapes for the market ; these were, however, raised under glass, 
and the nur.-eiies have given place to streets of houses. Attempts 
have been made of late to promote the planting of Vines about the 
south London suburbs ; the result remains to be seen. 
At Hammersmith a nursery, founded by James Lee, botanist and 
gardener, yet has the appellation of the “ Vineyard Nursery.” For 
some years in the early part of the reign of George III. much Bur¬ 
gundy wine was produced here, and the wine was retailed on the 
premises. To add one more fact., the famous nursery of Brompton 
Park had a long extent of old wall, which had been in the years it 
was attached to a mansion a portion of the boundary that enclosed 
the deer park. Vines were planted along this wall, which extended 
nearly half a mile, about 1760, and, being yearly propagated, young 
plants were sent to various places in this country, or even abroad, and 
much fiuit was obtained in favourable seasons.—J. R. S. C. 
HARDY AZALEAS. 
Much is written about hardy shrubs, and some of them really 
deserve all that can be said in their favour; but there are many 
which have no merit, and their introduction would only end in 
disappointment. Prominent amongst shrubs of the highest 
de?oiative value we would unhesitatingly place hardy Azaleas. 
It is really astonishing these splend.d plants and flowers are not 
more noticed. They deserve to be strongly recommended to 
planters ; it is impossible to say too much in their favour. In 
April, May, and J une the gorgeous display they make in the 
pleasure grounds defies description. The flowers are pretty in 
form, beautiful in colour, and pleasing in fragrance; they develope 
in the utmost profusion, remain a long time in bloom. Of late 
our bushes of pink, yellow, white, crimson, and all shades have 
been charming. The largest are 10 feet high and from c.O to 
4o feet round, and when these huge masses are in full beauty 
they are most impressive. 
Rhododendrons are undoubtedly showy, and many consider 
them glaring, but they cannot outshine the hardy Azaleas in 
colours and fragrant flowers. No shrub I have ever seen in the 
pleasure grounds could surpass them, and I would advise all who 
have a shrub bed or border set about the introduction of some 
of these, and where space will admit a general collection may be 
obtained with certainty of their giving the utmost satisfaction. 
There are scores of varieties, but I will only name a dozen of 
the most distinct and beautiful:—Admiral Buyter, red, shotted 
with orange ; Ardentissima, deep vermil on ; Beauty of Flanders, 
sulphur; coccinea granditiora, dark crimson; Cujrea Ardens, 
brilliant scarlet; Ei charis, deep pink ; Globosa alba, pure white; 
Nathalie, fine rose ; Or on, white, shaded with pink ; Quadricolor, 
orange, red, salmon, and green (curious); Subtillissima, straw 
colour; Victor, crimson. 
These are all distinct and beautiful, and form a very charm¬ 
ing group. As to situations for them, thev may be introduced 
to all kinds of shrub beds and borders, and in small clumps on 
the grass they have a good appearance. The spr ng is the best 
time to buy them in and plant out; but when ihey can be had in 
pots, as they may be in some nurseries, (hey may be p’anttd now 
or at any time. A sandy soil deep and cool, composed of half 
peat and half loam suits them admirably, e pecially to i duee 
them into immediate and free growth at the first; but when 
established the roots will run into almost any soil, and many of 
our best plants are now growing in soil which has no trace of 
peat. V hen pla’ ted at first, and until the roots are active, 
water should be given liberally at the roots in dry weather; but 
when established and growing they require no more attention 
than the most common Rhododendrons.—M. M. 
CACTACEOUS PLANT'S. 
Continuing the notes on the columnar Cereus from page 405, the 
following are worthy of attention :— 
Ct.iiKUS GIGAM f.rs, Engclmann .—No straneer phase of vegetation 
can lie conceived than that formed by the Giant Cereus in the districts of 
Mexico where it abounds, for these enormous columns of vegetable matter 
have been recorded as attaining the height of 60 feet, and specimens 
40 to 50 feet high are of frequent occurrence. In particular localities, 
too, they are exceedingly numerous and near together, views of the 
scenery in such districts having a most peculiar appearance. Travellers 
have without exception commented in wondering terms upon these sin¬ 
gular occupants of rocky or sterile soil; hut one of the best descriptions 
is that by Mollhausen in his “Diary of a Journey from the Mississippi 
to the Coasts of the Pacific,” in which he remarks: “Theab.-ence of 
every other vegetation enabled us to distinguish these Cacti columns from 
a great distance, as they stood symmetrically arranged on the heights 
and declivities of the mountains, to which they imparted a most peculiar 
aspect. Wonderful as each plant is, when regarded singly, as a grand 
specimen of vegetable life, the>e solemn silent forms, which stand motion¬ 
less even in a hurricane, give a somewhat dreary character to the land¬ 
scape. Some look like petrified giants stretching out. their arms in 
speechless pain, and others stand like lonely sentinels keeping their 
dreary watch on the edge of precipices.” In Dr Engelmann’s magni¬ 
ficent work on the Cactacem or the Boundary Survey is an admirable 
engraving of such a scene on the hanks of the Gila, New Mexico, from a 
drawing by Mollhausen; and so well does this pom-tray the characters 
that it has been reproduced in several works (including the Hove dcs 
