7T May 13.1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 403 
The visitors to the Castle and gardens frequently ask Mr. Ingram 
what his secrets are which enable him to obtain such solid masses of 
flower and withal so brilliant, for they are sure he must have one or 
more secrets ; to which the reply is that he takes care to employ 
no plants that are small or weak, or that are too old and exhausted, 
but to use only such as are sure to give the best returns, and if there 
be any magic spell at Belvoir Mr. Ingram attributes it to an occa¬ 
sional use of seasand and granite dust. Taking a reluctant leave 
of this floral paradise we retrace our steps towards the Castle, and 
passing the lawn-tennis ground arrive at 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
This is situated on the east side of the Castle, and in the vale below 
where I imagine it must be very liable to late spring frosts. There 
are eight acres enclosed by walls, and seven acres of kitchen garden 
and orchard outside the walls. At the north end of the enclosed 
portion is a good range of wide and lofty lean-to houses, consisting of 
live vineries and one Peach house. The first is a Muscat house planted 
with eleven Muscat of Alexandrias, and sturdy veterans they are, 
showing a useful crop of Grapes. The second division contains 
Black Hamburghs, chiefly planted last year and looking very pro¬ 
mising. At the back of this house are five standard Ficus elasticas in 
tubs 14 feet high and 6 to 8 feet through, and are used for decorating 
at the Castle. In No. 3 division are Hamburghs again in flower, 
with some capital examples of Strawberries in pots on shelves at the 
front and back, the kind being La Grosse Sucrose. No. 4 contains 
Alicautes, Golden Queen, and Gros Colman. No. 5 is planted with 
Muscats and Mrs. Pearson ; in this house was a fine batch of Ama¬ 
ryllis vittata coming into flower. The next and last division in this 
range is the Peach house containing a good crop of Peaches, and 
planted against the back wall are some extra strong Camellias, and 
a good specimen of the grand but rarely grown plant Luculia gratis- 
sima, although, unfortunately in this case, the crop of flowers is not 
so abundant on account of having to keep the house as cool as pos¬ 
sible lest the Peach trees should be injured just at the time when a 
little warmth is required by the Luculia. 
Taking a walk round the kitchen garden, which is kept in excellent 
order, sowing and planting is being pushed on with vigour, and the 
crops that have stood through the winter look as though they had 
not been very hardly dealt with, whilst bush and other small fruits 
are very promising. The west wall is covered with Pears, amongst 
which were particularly noticeable Shobden Court, Van Mons Leon 
Leclerc, Marie Louise d’Uccle, and Soldat Esperen. The north 
wall was covered with a grand lot of Morello Cherries, and the east 
wall with Plums and Apricots, the latter suffering severely by the 
disease. Some 40 yards in front of the range of vineries is a wall 
running across the garden, and planted on the south side with Peach 
trees and on the north with Morello Cherries, the space between the 
wall and the vineries constituting the reserve garden for the herba¬ 
ceous and alpine plants. 
Leaving the kitchen garden by a door on the east side we come to 
a block of three-quarter span houses in five sections, three of them 
being devoted to growing Ferns and stove and greenhouse plants 
for furnishing and cut flowers. The fourth is a Strawberry house 
filled with a splendid batch of La Grosse Sucrfie and Keens’ Seedling, 
to be succeeded by British Queen and Dr. Hogg, the first dish being 
gathered on lGth February ; Keens’ Seedling and La Grosse Sucree 
were the kinds gathered. The Cucumber house contains such a crop 
as I have never beheld at this time of the year ; the varieties grown 
are Telegraph and Woodthorpe Seedling. Early Cucumbers and 
Strawberries are undoubtedly the chief features in the fruit depart¬ 
ment at Belvoir, and are as creditable to Mr. Ingram as is the spring 
gardening. 
Having conveyed my thanks to Mr. Ingram for his courtesy and 
kindness I bend my steps homeward, well pleased and edified by my 
visit to Belvoir.—J. II. S. 
A few notes taken during a recent visit to this the home for spring 
flowers may, perhaps, be of interest to some of your readers. A great 
many of the early bulbs were over, but the chief of the other plants 
are in full beauty. Although on the day previous to my visit 14° of 
frost (on the grass) had been registered, the flowers looked but little 
the worse. The beautiful Myosotis dissitiflora, where much exposed, 
appeared to have suffered the most. The Aubrietias are very fine— 
much larger in flower than one usually sees them. They are all seed¬ 
lings of Mr. Ingram’s raising, in all shades of colour, from pale lilac 
to dark purple—quite a show in themselves. Another very effective 
plant is Iberis gibraltarica hybrida, bearing a fine mass of large 
trusses of white flowers shaded with lilac. Anemone fulgens (scarlet) 
and A. apennina (blue), intermingled with Arabis and other flowers, 
make a picture not easy to be forgotten. Doronicum austriacum 
(yellow) with bright green foliage is largely used. 
Wallflowers are very fine, and are now in full beauty. They are 
chiefly selected seedlings, there being some very fine varieties amongst 
them. Saxifraga ligulata has been very fine, but is now over; it is 
said to be the best of that class. A great quantity of Narcissi are 
being increased. The Emperor and Empress are very beautiful, but 
many of the varieties grown are very attractive. Oxlips and Cowslips, 
large and improved varieties, chiefly seedlings, are extensively used. 
In the Yiolet garden Marie Louise is flowering freely in the open. 
On the slopes are fine collections of alpine and other plants sys¬ 
tematically arranged, interesting alike to the botanist and gardener. 
Among the flowering shrubs, Azara microphylla, with small yellow 
flowers of Yanilla-like perfume, was very sweet. On the grass are 
some fine specimens of Rhododendron Nobleanum and R. Blandi- 
anurn, and several hybrids in fine flower. Pyrus Malus floribunda 
was a mass of flower buds.—G. Summers. 
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It is announced that a Horticultural Exhibition and 
Market will be held in the Agricultural Hall, London, from 
July 24th to August 5th of the present year. The Show will 
be devoted to all kinds of garden requisites, such as conserva¬ 
tories, heating apparatus, flower pots, lawn mowers, implements, 
flowers, fruits, &c. 
- A correspondent sends the following recipe for making 
Dandelion Wine :—“ To make four gallons, pour four gallons 
of boiling water over the heads of one gallon of Dandelion flowers, 
let it stand till cold, then strain off ; add 3 lbs. of loaf sugar with 
half of the peel of four Lemons and four Seville or sweet Oranges ; 
boil half an hour the other half of the peel with the Oranges and 
Lemons sliced put in at new-milk heat with a little yeast, let it 
stand three or four days to ferment, then place it in the cask. In 
a week add half a pint of brandy and stop up the cask. In six 
months either bottle or draw from the wood, and if it is desired 
add a few more Dandelions.” 
- We are requested to announce that the Weston-super- 
Mare and East Somerset Horticultural Society will 
hold their annual Exhibition on Wednesday, August 2nd. 
- Gardening Appointments. — Mr. Oliver Revill, late 
gardener to W. J. Evelyn, Esq., Sayes Court, Deptford, S.E., 
succeeds Mr. Bevan as gardener to T. Pain, Esq., Audley’s Wood, 
Basingstoke. 
- Testimonial to Mr. Miller of Clumber.— A corre¬ 
spondent writes—“ A few friends met at the Lion Hotel, Worksop, 
on the 10th inst., to present to Mr. Miller a purse of gold on his 
leaving Clumber after being there upwards of twelve years, and 
twenty in the neighbourhood. It was decided by Mr. Henderson, 
Thoresby (who made the presentation), Mr. Sutton, The Manor 
Gardens, and Mr. Wallender of Hodsock Priory, not to allow Mr. 
Miller to leave the neighbourhood without some indication of the 
esteem entertained for him by the gardeners and others in the 
district. The subscriptions amounted to upwards of £30, and 
wishes were expressed that so able a gardener may soon obtain a 
situation worthy of him.” 
- “Those,” writes ‘H. S. E.,’ “who appreciate crisp Let¬ 
tuces in the spring will do well to try Hicks’ Hardy White Cos. 
They are far better than the Bath both in flavour and to the eye. 
They attain a fair size, are very crisp and sweet, and grow rapidly. 
Last winter was very mild, so I am not in a position to say whether 
it bears out the name of ‘hardy.’ It stood the worst of last winter, 
however, very well indeed, and I believe it really is as its name 
implies.” 
- We learn that the Cardiff Rose Society will hold its 
second annual Exhibition in the Drill Hall, Cardiff, on Wed¬ 
nesday, 12th July. The Honorary Secretary is Mr. A. Pettigrew, 
Castle Gardens, Cardiff. 
- Last year Mr. W. H. Gower of Tooting sent out six new 
Zonal Pelargoniums designated by the names of some of former 
English queens. All were pretty and distinct, but one of the best 
