98 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 2, 1833. 
cards after havmg endured the torture of the dresser, without whose aid 
it is not considered possible that they can be fit for the exhibition table. 
Wonderful indeed is the collection grown here. Thousands upon 
thousands of plants of all kinds, occupying three or four houses, and 
■others in the open air, the grass in the perfection of health, and the 
varied hues of Carnation and Picotee bright and beautiful. Over the 
other wonders of this beautifully kept nursery there was no time to 
linger ; a long day’s work was before us, and so off we started for Drop- 
more, passing on our way the Burnham Beeches. As we reached these 
a slight shower made some of the least hopeful dread a wet day, but it 
only lasted a few minutes, and then cleared off for a lovely afternoon. 
The greater number of our friends had never seen this remarkable place 
<(it must have been twenty years since I visited it), and need I say how 
its marvellous Conifers delighted them ? The Araucaria and Douglas 
Pine, the Deodar insignis, and a host of others, of which “ the grand old 
gardener,” Mr. Frost, had many a story to tell, and on all of which he 
could look as his children, for he had planted them all ; and while I 
could mark how since my last visit the Conifers had grown older and 
bigger, Frost himself was not a bit older in appearance and vigour 
than he was then. After having had a two-hours walk through these 
delightful woods and enjoyed the beautiful views which are to be had 
from various points in them, we went on to Cliveden, and probably no 
greater contrasts in gardening could be seen than those presented by 
these two places. In the one Nature’s wildness, in the other the perfec¬ 
tion of artistic arrangement. In the one the great interest centres in 
particular objects ; at Cliveden it is the tout ensemble that is so delight¬ 
ful. Standing on the broad terrace and looking down on the great 
masses of bedding-out in the sward beneath, flanked by fine trees, one 
sees how much can be done by skilful use of materials. Here, of course, 
bedding-out is in place, and no one can quarrel with it. The conser¬ 
vatories and houses were all in excellent order, and the only regret was 
that we were not able to have the efficient guidance of Mr. Fleming. 
Some of the views of the Thames from the grounds here are perfectly 
enchanting ; and with the slanting rays of the evening sun lighting up 
the woods and making the river glisten like silver, there was something 
very enticing about it, leading many of our party to say, “Yes, Drop- 
more is very lovely, but if I had my choice I should prefer Cliveden.” 
An hour and a half was pleasantly spent here, and then we drove on to 
the Bear at Maidenhead. Here dinner was provided, and in the evening 
all returned to London. 
It was impossible, perhaps, in one day to take a wider grasp of 
gardening than was given to us on this ever-to-be-remembered day. At 
Slough we had the perfection of florist-flower gardening, at Dropmore 
an unequalled example of forestry, while at Cliveden there was the most 
perfect example of modern gardening that could well be seen; and as 
not a hitch occurred, and the arrangements were carried out according 
to the plan that had been arranged, we all agreed that it was especially a 
dies cretd notanda. —D., Deal. 
AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS. 
“A LITTLE late” was my remark when I saw the 24th of July 
recommended on page 52 as “a good time to make the fir J sowing of 
Onions to come in for use in April and May next.” Yet I do not say 
it is a bad time, for seed sown on or about that date will undoubtedly 
give an early and useful crop ; but I have for so many years invariably 
obtained such excellent results from seed sown on the 15th that I am 
bound to say, as I have done more than once in the Journal, that then and 
not later should the seed be sown. To those who have sown later, now I 
would advise careful attention to watering to accelerate the germination 
•of the seed and frequent stirring of the soil between the rows when the 
plants are visible. This particular crop merits all possible care, for it is 
the connecting link between spring-sown Onions, and should be so 
managed that the supply of winter-stored bulbs overlaps it sufficiently 
for the earliest “ Queens” to be of a useful size when they are wanted, 
and for the Tripolis to be in perfection till the summer crop is ready for 
the store house. It may be well therefore to give briefly the few cultural 
■details which go to insure success, and first of all comes the 
Serving .—'t his is done thickly upon any border that is fairly sound and 
rich, but no special preparation is given or required other than is usual for 
any similar seed bed such as Lettuce, Radish, or Cabbage. At this season 
of the year the garden is crowded with successional summer crops, and 
every piece of ground that is cleared of a crop is at once turned to 
account for autumn and winter crops of Celery, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, 
•&c. It is not, therefore, often found possible to spare a large breadth of 
ground in July for an Onion bed. I cannot often do so, but apart from 
that I prefer having the seed bed in as close a compass as possible in 
order to facilitate watering, and a dozen rows across a narrow border 
afford me an ample supply of plants, which are quite ready by the time 
ground is available for them upon one of the squares, and then comes 
the 
Transplanting .—This is never left till spring, but is done as soon as 
possible after the plants are large enough to handle. Early Potatoes or 
second early Peas or Cauliflowers are the crops which are exhausted or 
ready to be cleared from the ground by the time the Onions are ready for 
it. Whatever the first crop may have been its clearance is followed by an 
ordinary dressing of manure, which is dug in, and the surface is broken 
down finely for the Onions, for which trenching is never considered 
necessary in soil that is under thorough cultivation. The plants are lifted 
in the seed bed with a steel digging fork, and are replanted with a trowel, 
due care being taken to injure the roots as little as possible in the pro¬ 
cess, to press the soil firmly about the plants as they are planted, and to 
water thoroughly at once, and so frequently afterwards as to prevent 
flagging, and to promote a free strong growth. The rows are a foot 
apart, and the plants G inches apart in the rows. “ Queens ” that are 
wanted early may be planted 3 inches apart in the rows, and by drawing 
every alternate plant for early use the remainder will attain to an average 
size of 4 inches in diameter, and keep good well into autumn. 
Varieties .—The Queen for its valuable habit of early bulbing must be 
regarded as quite indispensable for every garden, and if managed as I 
have shown no other variety is necessary. It does not run to seed like 
the Tripoli, grows large enough for all practicable purposes, comes early 
to maturity, and may be cleared from the ground and harvested when 
older and later sorts are only half grown. It has frequently and 
erroneously been described as a useful little early variety. Why its 
handsome white bulbs should be termed “ little” I am at a loss to under¬ 
stand, unless its extreme earliness has led to its being used before more 
than half-grown. To those who have not grown it I would say, Do not 
trust to it entirely at first, for soils differ, and it may not answer equally 
well everywhere ; but give it a fair trial for two seasons alongside which¬ 
ever other sort you have been accustomed to grow, and thus prove 
its superiority for yourself. Of other sorts I agree with “ H. W. W.” 
that Red Flat Tripoli is best, for it has repeatedly proved so here when 
tried with Globe Tripoli, Giant Rocca, and others.—E. Luckhurst. 
THE HANDSWORTH NURSERY. 
Messes. Fisher, Son, & Sibray's nursery, distant only about four 
miles from the smoke, soot, and sulphur of Sheffield, is one of the 
largest and most celebrated in the kingdom. Perhaps in no nursery is 
there a larger collection of Hollies, upwards of a hundred varieties being 
grown, from the common sorts to the Handsworth Silver-striped, a most 
beautiful variety, with a broad pure silver stripe round the edge. Among 
the green Hollies we also noticed a very fine large-leaved sort which is 
not yet in commerce. But almost unique as is their collection of Hollies, 
their Golden Yews and Golden Irish Yews are even more remarkable. 
There are a thousand or more specimen plants in one enclosure sur¬ 
rounded by high hedges, every one with foliage of a rich golden colour, 
the effect of which was heightened by the darker foliage of the trees and 
hedges in the neighbourhood. 
Another feature of the Handsworth Nursery is the large Stephanotis 
floribunda, which is probably the finest in this country. It is growing 
in a house without any artificial heat, and where the temperature during 
the winter fell to very near the freezing point on several occasions. It 
is trained to wires near the glass, and covers a space of 28 feet by 11. 
Last year we saw it in bloom when there were 1450 expanded and 
unexpanded trusses on the plant, besides a large number that had been 
cut. It was growing in a small pit or border, 18 inches square and 
18 inches deep, in a mixture of peat and loam, and top-dressed with 
cow manure. 
The greenhouse Rhododendrons form another speciality, and many 
large houses are filled with a grand stock of all the leading varieties. 
That Roses can be satisfactorily grown, even in the neighbourhood of 
large towns, is abundantly apparent when at this nursery. Many acres 
are devoted to them, and the firm was successful in winning some of the 
prizes at the National Rose Show held in Sheffield a few days previous, 
and which appeared very little inferior to the exhibits of some of the 
most successful Rose-growers. 
The special purpose of my visit was, however, to see the splendid 
collection of Pelargoniums, and I was amply rewarded for my trouble. 
The house contained about 1200 plants in 150 varieties. The house was 
100 feet long, 10 feet wide, a path down the centre 2£ feet wide, and 
the stages on each side 3 feet 3 inches wide. It had recently been built 
by Messrs. Primrose & Co. of Sheffield, and was glazed on their new 
eclipse system. As the glass is fastened by small bars of prepared tin 
and lead, the minimum of obstruction is offered to the sun, and putty and 
paint are alike dispensed with.— Visitor. 
HISTORICAL JOTTINGS ON VEGETABLES.—No G. 
THE CABBAGE GROUP. 
Amongst the vegetables commonly sold in out markets and 
shops a place of primary importance belongs to the Cabbage 
and its allies. Perhaps, indeed, this has a right to be ranked 
above all the rest except the Potato, for there is not a month 
in the year when a Cabbage of some kind, large or small, may 
not be procured, and with the bulk of Britons, English, and 
Scotch, this group of vegetables is very much in favoui. I 
is certain that Cabbages and Coleworts have been cultivated 
in this island from the time of the Saxons, for they called 
February by a name that meant “ Sprout-cole,” evidently because 
the young sprouts were not gathered then, I think, as some 
have supposed, but noticed to be growing upon the old stems 
that had stood out the long hard winter; and it is likely the 
garden history of these vegetables goes back to the Roman 
period, for the first conquerors of Britain introduced several 
vegetables, though they were outnumbered by the fruits pre¬ 
viously unknown here. The Cabbage, in fact, still discoverable 
wild upon our coasts, is a native species that must have grown 
