162 
JOURNAL OF H0RTICUL1URE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 23, 1883. 
Messrs. Morris and A. T. Hall. The best collection of nine varieties of 
vegetables were shown by Mr. Miller, Mr. Jordan being second ; and the 
best six varieties by Mr. Shadwell, Mr. Jordan again being second, the 
produce in each instance being most praiseworthy. Mr. J. I. Watts is 
the Honorary Secretary of the Society, and to his exertions much of the 
success is due. 
- The forty-fourth annual meeting of the Royal Botanic 
Society was held on the 10th in the gardens, Regent’s Park, Mr. J. P. 
Gassiott, Vice-President, in the chair. The annual reports of the Council 
and Auditors were read, from which it appears that the Society has fully 
maintained the position occupied during so many years. The total 
receipts for the year amounted to £6651 188. id. The summer exhibi¬ 
tions continue to maintain their standard of excellence, that of June 
being particularly rich in Orchids, and the large and ever-increasing 
number of new plants, or new horticultural varieties of old favourites 
brought forward for certificates of merit, illustrates the value of these 
exhibitions. The Chairman called the attention of the Fellows to the 
great public benefit conferred by the Society in the gratuitous assistance 
which it renders to a large number of students engaged in the scientific 
pursuit of botany. During the last year nearly 60,000 cut specimens of 
plants were distributed for the purposes of study, and tickets of free 
admission were granted to 836 students and artists for periods of from 
one to six months. 
ASHTON COURT. 
We took the opportunity when in Bristol lately of paying a visit to 
Ashton Court, which is in its immediate vicinity. This fine place, which 
is the principal seat of Sir Greville Smyth, Bart., has long enjoyed a 
reputation for its beauty and attractiveness in the west of England, and 
its name has been rendered familiar by the success of Mr. Austen, the 
head gardener, as a competitor with fruit and vegetables at the principal 
shows in the kingdom. Ashton Court is very pleasantly situated on the 
western or Somerset side of the Avon, almost immediately opposite the 
famous Clifton Suspension Bridge. Few situations are more picturesque. 
The grounds are very extensive, comprising in all about 1100 acres en¬ 
closed in a ring fence about seven miles in circumference. They are 
beautifully diversified, swelling up to ridges which have the dimensions 
of little hills, and sloping down to flat levels in the direction of the river. 
Plantations have been skilfully planted to serve the purpose of orna¬ 
mentation and supply cover, and in the wide range of the park are to be 
seen splendid specimens of forest trees which grow here most luxuriantly. 
Noteworthy amongst them are a number of grand Elms growing in in¬ 
dividual majesty, and also in a beautiful avenue formed of these noble 
trees. Picturesqueness is imported to the park by groups of deer, of 
which there are some 600 or 700. In the neighbourhood of the home 
farm are to be seen some of the valuable prize cattle which have won a 
name for Sir Greville Smyth’s herd amongst stock-raisers. The whole 
aspect of the place gives an idea of richness and luxuriance arising from 
a happy combination of good soil, situation, and climate, with skilful 
and judicious management. 
The mansion stands on a medium elevation overlooking the valley of 
the Avon, with a fine outlook from its southern front, embracing to the 
right the whole range of the nearer Mendip Hills crowned by the 
conspicuous form of Dundry Church Tower, and to the left the terraces of 
Clifton and a part of Clifton Downs. The building is large and im¬ 
posing. Its southern front extends to about 200 feet or more in length, 
and the elevation shows two principal storeys with a line of small 
circular windows above. It has a central tower with two turrets. The 
portion of the building to the right of this tower is evidently the more 
ancient. In the other portion to the left, while a general similarity of 
style has been preserved, certain alterations have been made to conform 
it more to modern ideas. 
Sloping gently downwards from the southern front of the mansion 
is a large and tastefully laid out flower garden, enclosed at each side by 
a low ornamental stone wall and sunk fence, which separates it from 
the lower-lying ground beyond. The centre bed in this flower garden 
forms a cross with equal sides, which terminate in sharp points. It 
measures 45 feet either way, and is planted in the centre with a group 
of Dahlia alba, the dark-leaved Canna Adrien Robina, On the out¬ 
side portion are four circular groups of Lobelia cardinalis and Salvia 
patens. The edging consists of a band of Cerastium tomentosum, imme¬ 
diately inside of which is a single row of Festuca glauca, the intervening 
spaces being filled with yellow Calceolaria. At right angles to this are 
two Maltese crosses and two Catherine wheels. The two former have 
centres of scarlet Pelargonium Ferdinand de Lesseps, and the four cross 
sections the pink variety Lady Bockworth. The spaces intervening 
between the pink and blue Lobelia edging are filled (in two of the 
sections) with Centaurea and Leucophyton Brownii mixed, and the 
other two with Iresine. The divisions of the Catherine wheel are planted 
with Centaurea and bronze Pelargoniums, interspersed with yellow Violas 
and Iresines. On each side, at the end of the garden next to the park, 
is a large bed, the same in shape and dimensions as the cross in the 
centre, having groups of Dahlia Paragon and green-leaved Cannas for 
centres. Scarlet Vesuvius Pelargonium is the predominating colour here. 
Besides this the beds have two bands of Ageratum and an edging of 
Cerastium tomentosum. Running parallel with the walks are a series 
of beds of various shapes and designs, such as Fleur de Luce, rams’ horns, 
shells, ovals, &c., devoted to carpet bedding. Two shields with raised 
sides, about 6 inches above the turf, have a broad edging of Sednaa 
glaucum : the centre and groundwork is Veronica repens, and is perfectly 
flat. The design is worked out with Alternanthera amoena and aurea. 
Antennaria tomentosa, Kleinia repens, and divided with various kinds of 
Echeverias and Sempervivums, which have a charming effect. Adjoining 
are two oval beds slightly raised in the centre, with a groundwork of 
Alternanthera, in which are arranged Mesembryanthemums, Sedums,. 
Spergula pilifera aurea, Antennarias, Echeverias, and Sempervivums in 
great variety. The fleurs de Luce are also worked out in various designs, 
one in particular with varieties of hardy succulents, which are attractive 
and interesting both in summer and winter. Close to these are four 
large scrolls planted to match each other. Two are filled with Mrs. 
Mappin Pelargonium, Kleinia repens, Tradescantia multicolor and discolor, 
and the other two with Coleus Verschaffeltii, Leucophyton Brownii, and 
various Sedums, all being edged alike with Eeheveria secunda. 
Passing along a broad gravel walk which skirts the bottom of the 
flower garden, and descending a flight of steps, we find on the right and 
in a line with the flower garden a piece of very finely planted pleasure 
ground, having in the centre an ornamental fountain and basin, on the- 
waters of which are floating the white and yellow Water lilies and 
other choice aquatic plants. Near to this is a large aviary, containing 
in separate, roomy, netted enclosures four splendid eagles of different 
varieties. Some of the ornamental trees in this portion of the ground 
are about the finest of their kind we have ever seen. Amongst them 
may be mentioned a specimen of Cupressus funebris 30 feet high, which, 
is said to be the largest in this country, Several trees of Thuja Lobbii 
were more than 50 feet high. Standard Roses, which grow here most 
luxuriantly, were skilfully interspersed amongst the trees, giving an 
impression of great richness and beauty. 
Beyond this pleasure ground, and still on the same line with it, we- 
come to a range of glass houses forming two sides of a square. The 
lawn in front of the main range is laid out with flower beds, in which a 
freer method of floral arrangement has been followed than in the flower 
garden proper. The houses are tastefully painted, and have a very 
elegant appearance. Entering a narrow chamber at the further end, 
which serves as a sort of vestibule to the range, we found Lemons grow¬ 
ing in it very luxuriantly, and in the successive houses which we passed 
through there was much to interest and to suggest skilful management.. 
The first we entered was a lean-to early vinery, 40 feet by 16 feet, and. 
about 14 feet high. The Grapes were all gathered some time before our 
visit. The foliage was clean and healthy, and the Vines promised welT 
for future crops. The next vinery is of the same dimensions, and was 
planted three years ago with Madresfield Court, a cane of Mrs. Pince r 
and a seedling white Grape grafted on Pearson’s Golden Queen. Mr 
Austen is testing the merits of this Grape thoroughly before venturing, 
to give his opinion of it to Grape-growers. It is a cross between Black 
Hamburgh and Muscat of Alexandria. The bunches and berries are 
medium-sized, the latter round and of a beautiful straw colour when* 
ripe, with a brisk Muscat flavour. It is an early free-bearing variety 
with a vigorous constitution, and, if we mistake not, it will make a good 
companion early Grape to Black Hamburgh. All the Vines looked clean, 
and healthy. They have made strong short-jointed canes from 10 to 
12 feet in length, were bearing a good crop of large bunches, and tho 
berries of Madresfield Court were free from cracking. Mr. Austen, likn 
many others, adopts the plan of giving this variety a thorough watering 
shortly before the berries commence colouring, and all the lateral shoots 
are allowed to grow and ramble about as they please. The Vines are- 
not watered again till the Grapes are all cut, and it is seldom that any 
of the berries crack when thus treated. A division is formed between- 
the second and third vinery by a small house, in which Palms, Ferns, 
and Lycopodiums are grown. The back wall is covered with moss, and 
Adiantums and other Ferns grow luxuriantly in it. The third vinery is 
planted entirely with Hamburghs, and the fourth with Muscats. Though 
the Vines in both houses were carrying good crops of medium-sized 
bunches, the berries of which appeared to be about the stoning period), 
yet the leaves were small, and there seemed to be a want of vigour 
about the Vines which Mr. Austen could not account for. They had 
borne fine crops last year, had ripened their wood well, and their present 
condition seemed a mystery to him. The roots of the Muscats were 
lifted some four years since, aud the Grapes grown in this house took 
the first prize at the Manchester International Fruit Show in a class where 
there were no less than forty competitors, which says a great deal for 
the condition the Vines were in then, and also for the management of 
them. 
Since the above notes were written we have received a letter from. 
Mr. Austen informing us that a few days after our visit to Ashton 
Court he made a thorough examination of the roots in both vineries,, 
and found them to be covered with what he thought to be phylloxera. 
He forwarded a quantity of them to Dr. Hogg, and the next morning 
he received the following telegram—“ It is a bad attack of phylloxera, 
destroy the Vines at once.” We cannot but feel sorry for Mr. Austen’s 
misfortune in being compelled to destroy Vines that were so promising a 
few months ago in order to stamp out a dreadful pest which has de¬ 
vastated thousands of acres of Vines on the Continent. Mr. Austen has 
faced the task with characteristic energy and determination, his method, 
being to burn the Vines and saturate the border with a chemical substance 
which is calculated to destroy the insect, before removing the soil to top- 
