August 28, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
163 
dress pasture land at some distance off. This, we believe, is the best, if 
not the only means of eradicating the worst of all Vine pests. Curiosity 
might lead some to ask the pertinent question, “ How did the phylloxera 
get introduced to these Vines 1 ” If this could be satisfactorily answered 
it would be of great service to others in enabling them to guard against 
it, but we are afraid the outbreak of the pest cannot be satisfactorily 
accounted for. 
Leaving these Vines and passing on, we enter a small division between 
the Muscat house and plant stove, in which were some large clumps of 
Orchids, fine plants of Caladiums, Anthuriums, Crotons, and others. The 
back wall is covered with moss, and fine healthy plants of the old favourite 
Begonia Rex are growing in it, and cover the wall from top to bottom, 
giving this small but neat apartment a charming aspect. The plant 
stove is large and commodious, and contains a well-grown collection of 
plants. Conspicuous in baskets suspended from the rafters were large 
specimens of some of the choicest of Orchids, which looked in the best 
condition possible. They require no further comment from us, as a 
notice of them appeared in the pages of this Journal a short time ago. 
The roof is draped with Passifloras, Allamandas, and other climbing plants. 
Besides the large permanent specimens in this house, great quantities of 
small bushy plants of different varieties are grown for table and room 
decoration, amongst which are large quantities of well-coloured Crotons 
and Dracaenas. We felt a lively interest in examining a large number 
of seedling Dracaenas growing here, some of which appeared to be quite 
the different garden departments to each other and to the mansion. In 
this department also there is a great quantity of glass in houses, p'tr 
and frames, and a finely arranged fruit-room and store-rooms. The 
forcing-houses were all in excellent order, and there were indications at 
every point of the most careful and intelligent attention to details. Mr, 
Austen is evidently a man who thinks for himself, and has been guided 
by his own experience and observation to selections of varieties and 
methods of treatment which have been rewarded by a great measure of 
success. After an inspection of the fruit-room, store-rooms, &c., we were 
conducted through the forcing-houses. The first range consists of four 
narrow lean-to Peach-houses about 260 feet in length. In the early 
division the varieties are Hales’ Early, Royal Ceorge, and Lord Napic-r 
Nectarines. The trees covered the back wall and a portion of the roof, 
and are trained on what is called the “extension system.” The Nectarines, 
though only three years old, had a crop of sixteen dozen fruits on it. Mr. 
Austen spoke very highly of Hales’ Early. He said it was quite three 
weeks earlier than Royal George. In the second division there are 
Vines and Peaches planted in the borders, and Peaches and Nectarines 
growing in pots in the front. The back wall is covered with Peach trees,, 
and the Vines are planted at the back, led up the wall, and trained down 
the rafters in front at a good distance from each other. Those who say 
that Peaches and Grapes cannot be grown satisfactorily in the same 
house, we would advise to go to Ashton Court and see. Mrs. Pinceandi 
Black Hamburgh Vines were carrying a heavy crop of large bunches- 
Fig. 30.—ASHTON COURT. 
different from any variety we had seen before, while others kept true to 
the characteristics of their parents as if they had been true species. 
From the stove a door conducts to the conservatory. It is a large lofty 
structure, in which were Palms, tall Tree Ferns, Camellias, and other 
plants bedded out, and a great variety of smaller flowering plantB filled 
the stages round the sides. Amongst these we observed a good strain of 
Canterbury Bells in a blaze of flower. This makes a good conservatory 
plant when mixed with others, and lasts for a long time if not allowed to 
seed. Mr. Austen grows great quantities of it, which he uses in various 
ways for decoration. The plants are first grown in beds outside, and 
lifted and potted some time before they show signs of blooming. Tacsonia 
eximia, Bougainvillea glabra, and Habrothamnus elegans hang down from 
the roof in large festoons of flower, adding grace and beauty to the whole 
building. Attached to the back wall of the conservatory, and entered 
from it, is a long narrow plant house devoted to the growth of cool 
Orchids. The first division contained a collection of Cypripediums and 
Ferns, and the second Odontoglossums, Lycastes, Calanthes, aDd Azaleas. 
This, to lovers of Orchids, is a most interesting house, and we feel 
sorry that time did not admit of our noting more fully the contents of it. 
Off the conservatory is an elegant smoking-room furnished with sofas 
and all that is essential to the enjoyment of the weed. 
Leaving the portion of the ground immediately adjoining the mansion 
we proceeded to the kitchen garden department, which is within easy 
roach. In fact one good feature of the place is the close contiguity of 
that would average 3 lbs. each, beginning to colour ; and there were good’ 
crops of Peaches and Nectarines also, the leaves of which were as clean 
and healthy as possible. The trees in the third division are trained to 
trellises across the house and on the back wall, and were carrying good 
crops of medium-sized fruit. In passing we may say that we gave our 
opinion of this method of growing the Peach in these pages some time 
ago, and we adhere to it still. In our opinion there is no better method 
for getting good crops of the best quality than training the trees all over 
the roof at a proper distance from the glass. The fourth division ia 
trellised half way up the fronl, and trees are trained on it and on the 
back wall. The sillstone in front in each division was filled with Sir 
Charles Napier Strawberry in pots, and we never saw a better crop or 
finer fruit. At the end of the range is a Peach wall case, in which the 
trees are doing well. 
The next range consists of two large vineries and a Fig house. 
Muscats are grown in the first division, Figs in the second, and late 
Grapes in the third. The Muscats were planted some seven years since. 
The Vines are strong, clean, and healthy, and were bearing an average 
crop of beautifully shaped bunches, which were taking their final swell¬ 
ing. Three large trees planted in the border (one at the back and one 
at each side) filled the Fig house. They are trained on the back wall,, 
sides, and roof, and were bearing a heavy crop of Figs, such as we have 
seldom seen anywhere. Here Negro Largo was bearing as freely aa 
Brown Turkey. The varieties in the late vinery are Lady Downe’s 
